Because you have kept My command to persevere,
I also will
keep you from the hour
of trial
which will come upon the whole world,
to test those who dwell on he earth. Behold,
I come
quickly!Hold fast what you have,
that no one may take your crown.
He who overcomes, I will make him
a pillar in thetemple of My God
Revelation 3:10-12
This year,
2018 A.D., I will begin by looking back in history and the first church fathers
who lived during the time of the apostles and knew, walked, and talked with
such as John the apostle of the Lord, Peter, the apostle of the Lord, with Paul
an apostle of the Lord. Those early church fathers wrote letters to various
Churches, the Church at Corinth, and Philippi, even were considered, at least
for the works of Clement of Rome to be of the canon. Therefore it is good that
wee look back at what they wrote to see how the Church as faired and whether or
not we are following the teachings of these fellow workers with the 12
apostles.
Polycarp,
as I have mentioned in yesterdays blog will be the first to look at, and due to
him being taught by the apostle John it will be good to take this time. The
letter to the Philippians is a work that we must examine:
“I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ,
because ye have followed the example
Literally, “ye have received the patterns of true love.” of true love
[as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were
bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the
diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of
your faith, spoken of in days (Phil. i. 5). long
gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus
Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] “whom God raised from
the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave.” (Acts ii. 24). Literally,
“having loosed the pains of Hades.” “In whom, though now ye see Him not,
ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;” (1 Pet. i. 8).
into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that “by grace ye are
saved, not of works,” (Eph. ii. 8, 9). but
by the will of God through Jesus Christ.
Polycarp
praised the Philippians: could he do the same for you today? Are you following
the example of Jesus? If you are one of the “true elect” (I will discuss this
further in later blogs), then you will be doing what Jesus instructed for us to
do. Do you have a “strong root of your faith?” Authentic Christians do and have
Authentic Christian faith, faith founded upon Jesus Christ and what was taught
by those early Church fathers. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be
your personal Savior, having died on the cross has released you from the pains
of Gehenna? Do you know that you are saved, not by works but by faith, and this
is the will of God?
Further
words to the Philippians:
“Wherefore, girding up your loins,” (Comp.
1 Pet. i. 13; Eph. vi. 14). “serve the Lord in fear” (Ps. ii. 11). and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain,
empty talk and error of the multitude, and “believed in Him who raised up our
Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory,” (1 Pet. i. 21). and a throne at His right hand. To Him all
things (Comp. 1 Pet. iii. 22; Phil. ii. 10). in
heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge
of the living and the dead. (Comp. Acts xvii. 31). His
blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. (
Or, “who do not obey him).” But He
who raised Him up from the dead will raise (Comp 1 Cor. vi. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 14; Rom. viii. 11). up
us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He
loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money,
evil speaking, false witness; “not rendering evil for evil, or railing for
railing,” (1 Pet. iii. 9). or
blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said
in His teaching: “Judge not, that ye be not judged; (Matt. vii. 1). forgive,
and it shall be forgiven unto you; (Matt. vi. 12, 14; Luke vi. 37). be
merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; (Luke vi. 36). with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again;”
(Matt. vii. 2; Luke vi. 38). and
once more, “Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Matt. v. 3, 10; Luke vi. 20).
Unlike
much of the preaching today you will find that these men of God, Christians who
learned from the mouths of the apostles teach us, not stories, not some
anecdotal stories, some worldly cultural philosophy, rather they simply teach
us as to the five questions: what (we are), who (we are), when we are (upon our
belief), why we are (due to the resurrected Jesus Christ), and how we are to
become (the eternal promise of eternal life). Some preachers today do use this
method of teaching; simple truth, and give to us how we ought to life as
Authentic Christians. Who are you following? Who are your teachers? Only you
know the truth!
I call heaven and earth as witnesses
today against you,
That I have set before you life and death,
Blessing and cursing, therefore choose
life,
That both you and your descendants may
live.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Listen
to those early fathers: they hold true Christianity
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