I give thee charge in the sight of God,
who quickeneth all things,
and before Christ Jesus, who before
Pontius Pilate witnessed a good
confession; that thou keep this
commandment without spot,
unrebukeable, until appearance
of our Lord Jesus Christ;
which in His time He shall shew,
who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords; who only
hath immortality, dwelling in
the light which no man can
approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can see: to whom
be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
1Timothy 6:13-16
Paul is not giving to Timothy and to us, suggestions. He is giving by means of inspiration from the Holy Spirit commandments, you and I are be charged to keep those commandments. The English word, "quicken" may not be fully understood as we do not use that word often in everyday speech, so, the Greek word is a formulation of two Greek word, "life," and "to make," so literally it is a making life, to revitalize, to impart life, and this God did at creation. God made alive all things, therefore our life is tied to God so keeping His commandments is only doing what God deserves from all people. Some will not keep His commandments, or say, "I am a good person, I am moral, I am good, I do not go out of my way to harm people, etc." All the goodness of the world and $2.75 will get you coffee at a coffee house. You cannot be good enough, you cannot do any work that will make cause for God not to judge you a sinner. You are already judged a sinner! No person is good enough not to think bad thoughts, to be lusting at times, to do some harm to others even if that person does not know they did this harm. God came to earth to die for sin, and then applies that propitiationary sacrifice to whom ever He so desires, according to His will, and purpose. Some will quote John 3:16 as though this verse means that anyone will be saved all they have to do is believe, and yes, belief is necessary, but John 3:16 the word in English is "believes", so notice the "s" at the end of the word. This is a good translation for the Greek is a present tense participle, and the "s" at the end of "believe" makes it a present tense verb, so it is "anyone presently believing, and has nothing much to do about the future, only that Authentic Christians are presently, at all times, believing and show that belief by keeping the commandments of God who created life, you!
There are some Churches, i.e., the Seventh Day Adventist for one, who from the Millerites a former group of people who had views of the Christian life that were not founded upon the Gospel, rather much about the "end times." If one was to listen for a time to such a denomination as listed above you will hear much about the "end times," and the Old Testament Law and apply that law to this present time. They keep Saturday as the Sabbath for all Christians to keep, must keep, if they are faithful to the Old Testament Law. Jesus came and said, "it is finished." Yes, His work of propitiation was done, and by this finished work the old covenant to keep certain festivals, days, that pointed to Him were done away with and a New Covenant was not put into place. It is not by keeping the Law, which is a system of works, it is obedience to the Mosaic Law that was never done away with, and those health requirements were not done away with, they did not point to Jesus. In fact those health laws are followed by medical personal at this present time. Not always in the same manner but in like manner and with the new medicines improvement on those laws were made effective to heal and cure people even today.
Those who follow the theology of the "New Revelation Movement," the "Dominion Theology Movement," and "Soso Movement," are doing a "works" type of theology that is not Scriptural. It is legalism disguised as the way to truth. It is not! Only Jesus is the way to truth.
No one can see God at anytime and live! No one can approach God for He is Light. Light is how energy moves, on the rays of light, and that light to keep all things alive must come from a light that cannot diminish. That Light is God, not that Light is God, but God is Light, and by this Light all things exist and move. Your life is held in the hands of God, and by His immutable, and everlasting power and Light you may live your life until you die a death that sin caused. But God is immutable, His purpose is immutable, no one can stop God to complete His purpose. Sin brought death: Jesus Christ came to bring life and this He did by dying on the cross. You and I have not to add anything more: that is the Gospel, and it is this Gospel that brings life, a change in life, to change a person from the inside/out so that that person may bring glory and honor to God.
Remember, you cannot be good enough. Your goodness is goodness as seen by God the Father through the Son and your obedience to the Son, Jesus Christ. Work out your salvation making your election sure, and all works you do, do it with God, and Jesus Christ, not for Him, but with Him. Your time on earth is short, and your responsibility as an Authentic Christian is to present the Gospel in your daily living, and in special times that you present the Gospel directly to others. You are not saved by works, you are saved by grace and that not of yourselves.
Thou, O LORD, remaineth forever;
thy throne from generation to generation.
Wherefore doest thou forget us forever,
and forsake for so long a time?
Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we
shall be turned new our days as of old.
Lamentations 5:19-21
Walk in the Light as did Jesus
Richard L. Crumb
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