Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile and
hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speaking,
as new born babes, desire the
sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have
tasted
that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming,
as unto a living s tone, disallowed
indeed of men,
but chosen of God, and precious, ye also,
as lively stones, are
bui8lt up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual
sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1Peter2: 1-5
In these
blogs I am allowing the early Church fathers to speak as they were men who
were alive when the apostles were alive, and even were taught, as with
Polycarp, with John the apostle of Jesus Christ. We are getting words for out
admonition so that we will learn to cling to the truth and not be led astray to
false teachings. The first rule for all Authentic Christians is:
“I exhort you all,
therefore, to yield obedience to the word of righteousness, and to exercise all
patience, such as ye have seen [set] before your eyes, not only in the case of
the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among
yourselves, and in Paul himself, and the rest of the apostles. [This do] in the
assurance that all these have not run (Comp. Phil. ii. 16; Gal. ii. 2.) in vain,
but in faith and righteousness, and that they are [now] in their due place in
the presence of the Lord, with whom also they suffered. For they loved not this
present world, but Him who died for us, and for our sakes was raised again by
God from the dead.”
Do you have the
same attitude? Do you love this present world more than Jesus Christ? If you have the same attitude as the
apostles and men who were taught by the apostles then:
“Stand fast,
therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and
unchangeable in the faith, loving the brotherhood, (Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 17.) and
being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the
meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising no
one. When you can do good, defer it not, because “alms delivers from death. (Tobit
iv. 10, Tobit xii. 9.) Be all of you subject one to another (Comp. 1 Pet.
v. 5.) “having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles, (1 Pet. ii. 12.)
that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may
not be blasphemed through you. But woe to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed! (Isa.
lii. 5.) Teach, therefore, sobriety to all, and manifest it also in
your own conduct.”
We are to care for
one another, teaching, admonishing, praying for, and then extend that love of
God to our worlds. The name “Christianity” has such a distaste to many because
the hypocrisy is so obvious, it is though many so-called Christians are saying
one thing and doing another. The conduct of many manifests they attitude
towards God: i.e., coming to Church in disrespect to God when it is in your
power to do otherwise, viz. wearing shower shoes, unkempt, shorts, fidgeting,
going to the bathroom during the sermon when this could have been done before
service, etc., all this disrespect and we think that the world does not see
this as hypocrisy?
Many men, and
women today are preaching another gospel. These men and women have an agenda
that to suite themselves even though having been taught Scripture:
“I am greatly
grieved for Valens, who was once a presbyter among you, because he so little
understands the place that was given him [in the Church]. I exhort you,
therefore, that ye abstain from covetousness, (Some
think that incontinence on the part of the Valens and his wife is
referred to. [For many reasons I am glad the translators have preferred the
reading πλεονεξίας. The next word, chaste, sufficiently rebukes the example
of Valens. For once I venture not to coincide with Jacobson’s comment.]) and
that ye be chaste and truthful. “Abstain from every form of evil.” (1
Thess. v. 22.) For if a man cannot govern himself in such matters,
how shall he enjoin them on others? If a man does not keep himself from
covetousness, (Some think that incontinence
on the part of the Valens and his wife is referred to. [For many reasons I am
glad the translators have preferred the reading πλεονεξίας. The next word, chaste, sufficiently rebukes the example
of Valens. For once I venture not to coincide with Jacobson’s comment.]) he
shall be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the heathen. But
who of us are ignorant of the judgment of the Lord? “Do we not know that the
saints shall judge the world?” (1 Cor. vi. 2.) as Paul teaches. But I have neither seen nor
heard of any such thing among you, in the midst of whom the blessed Paul
laboured, and who are commended (Some read, “named;” comp.
Phil. i. 5.) in the beginning of his Epistle. For he boasts
of you in all those Churches which alone then knew the Lord; but we [of Smyrna]
had not yet known Him. I am deeply grieved, therefore, brethren, for him
(Valens) and his wife; to whom may the Lord grant true repentance! And be ye
then moderate in regard to this matter, and “do not count such as enemies,” (2
Thess. iii. 15.) but call them back as suffering and straying
members, that ye may save your whole body. For by so acting ye shall edify
yourselves. (Comp. 1 Cor. xii. 26.)”
Yes!
Men and women fall away from the pure faith! We who are holding fast to
Authentic Christian Faith have the responsibility to call them back to
Authentic Christian Faith. You cannot be of use for this work unless you are in
Scripture and you yourself are holding fast to the commandments of God.
We
will rejoice in they salvation, and in
The name of our God we will set up
Our banners:
The LORD fulfil all they petitions.
Now know I that the LORD saveth His
anointed;
He
will hear him from His holy heaven with the
Saving strength of His right hand.
Psalm 20:5-6
Work
with God not for Him
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