The Church of God In Today's World
Jesus
also told us many imposters would come in His name, and they would
lead many people astray. When they come before Him saying look what
we did! His reply to them will be “I never knew you. Get away
from me you lawless people”.
Matthew
7:20-27 in that same section of His teaching Jesus tells us we
can know the true from the false. His church will be an assembly of
people who “do the will of the Father”. That is the rock
solid
foundation.
foundation.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:9-14
The
Pharisee is a man of obvious religious practice with an impressive
list of good works. He tithes, he spurns injustice and immorality, he
prays regularly, he fasts frequently, he is thankful to God for
making him a righteous person.
The
tax collector would have been a person despised by most people.
Because of his profession people would naturally assume he was a
greedy, corrupt, extortioner. Now consider how this man he sees
himself. He sees his faults, how he appears in God’s sight, how
much he has fallen short of God’s standards. With this realistic
view of himself he seeks God’s forgiveness.
If
you didn’t know what these men were thinking and praying, if all
you could see was the clothes they wore and the badges of social
standing they wore… you would probably make some superficial
assumptions about which was most pleasing to God.
But,
Jesus uses the imaginative power of a parable to give you a God’s
eye view of what the two men are thinking and praying:
-
One is confident and self assured… convinced that his approach is correct… not examining his life for ways he needs to change but exalting himself before God.
-
The other comes before God, not expecting acceptance and praise, but asking forgiveness.
With
this insight into their thoughts… which of these two would you
imagine would be more willing to adjust his outlook, and his actions,
to make the changes needed to please God… to really do His will?
Beyond
the world of parables we don’t get to know what people really
think, and pray, and feel. God does… God can enter into thought,
mind, and feeling [1 Samuel 16:7
God looks into the heart]
Paul Was a Real Live Pharisee
The
Pharisee of the parable was a fiction. But Saul of Tarsus was a real
Pharisee before his transformation into Paul an Appostleof Jesus
Christ. What does Paul say?
Philippians
3:4-6
Romans
10:1-3 Paul says the religious Jews are fired up about God, but
not according to proper understanding [epignosis]. Paul tells
us part of their problem was they substituted their own ideas and
religious practices in place of what God desires, or God’s will.
1
Timothy 1:12-13 super religious Paul, spoke evil of the church,
did bodily harm to members of the church. Paul the Pharisee, and
others like him, considered themselves righteous, zealously doing
what they assumed was the work of God… Paul the Pharisee was
sincere, but sincerely wrong. He says he did what he did because he
did to not knowing any better, and did not believe the teaching of
the Messiah.
People can be Very Religious But Lack Proper Understanding
Today,
we live in a world where many know the general outline and purpose of
Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Enough to be dangerous…
We live in a world where many read scripture regularly and sincerely…
but not according to proper understanding [epignosis]. Most have been
tricked into ignoring obedience to God’s commands… yet sincerely
convinced they are somehow doing God’s will.
God Gives Credit Where Credit Is Due
People,
nations, cultures that have contact with God’s word, whether in
small measure or large measure, have an advantage by that contact and
interaction. Those who practice even a part of what God’s word says
have an even greater advantage. However, if we mix our good with evil
then your blessings for good will be mixed with cursings for evil.
Scripture
says that even those who have no access to God’s word yet do
some of the things that are found in the word… are considered to
have done good Romans 2:14-15. They will have an advantage
when they rise up in the second resurrection.
But
why not receive ALL the blessings and promises God has in
store by making every effort to do ALL that God has commanded?
… to do God’s will.
Develop a Right Understanding Of God’s Word & Will
Proper
understanding come through the power of God’s Holy Spirit in you.
But, for your own part, there are some important areas to good hard
look at:
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What does scripture teach about keeping God’s commandments?
-
What does scripture teach about repentance and change?
-
What does scripture teach about the purpose and goal of human existence?
-
What is the real message regarding the kingdom of God?
-
What is the meaning and process of salvation?
-
What is the truth concerning the church Jesus established?
If
you are confused about any of these and want some answers, here’s
what to do. Ask God for understanding in prayer. We can help, we can
teach, guide, instruct… but you need the understanding that comes
from God, His spirit, and His word. Ask Him for it.
Finding God’s People
We
learned earlier that Jesus said His true followers will be people
who do God’s will. Are there other identifying features?
John
13:34-35 here’s another clue for finding the people of God
among the crowd. Yet this too is covered by a veil of deception
because we often approach it with incomplete and therefore
un-biblical definitions of love.
What
is love? accepting
others as they are, seeking to live in peace and harmony with them,
having empathy, giving them a little cash when they need it. If you
go seeking the people of God with this definition in mind… you’re
going to end up in some weird places.
All
those things matter and with a few minor tweaks fit within a
biblical definition of love [see 1 Corinthians 13 for example]. But
as a definition of love its incomplete. A biblical definition of love
is built on the firm foundation of God’s commandments.
1
John 5:2-3 to love one another
is to regulate our interactions with one another according to God’s
commandments.
Romans
13:9-10 love does not replace the commands. Full biblical, godly
love is accomplished through doing the commands and building on top
of them with the fruits of the spirit [1 Cor 13 , Gal 5:22].
Matthew
22:36-40 this is not a revolutionary new concept never before
revealed… Jesus is merely quoting OT verses [Deut 6:5, Lev 19:18].
-
Treating others as God commands is love toward neighbor
-
Treating God as He commands is love toward God
God’s
people will be an assembly of believers convicted through the power
of the holy spirit to live differently. Convicted to actually do what
God has commanded.
The Church of God Will Be Filled With The Holy Spirit
The
power of the holy spirit makes living in Godly love possible. So…
how does God go about dispensing His spirit? God gives His spirit to
those who demonstrate a desire, a willingness, and a submission to
changing… and conforming their life to His revealed will.
Acts
2:38 the ministry of Jesus Christ will instruct people to show
evidence of their commitment to change and seek God’s will → then
to be baptized → then to receive the holy spirit.
Believers
accept the idea that they need to change, and that the change will
take place within the guidelines of God’s commands. Otherwise, what
does baptism really mean? The holy spirit would be like that river
without any banks, flowing here and there with no forward movement or
purpose… without banks to guide and channel it our river becomes a
lake.
God
does not give us His spirit to make us happy [its not spiritual
Prozac or Zoloft]. God gives us His spirit so we might learn to do
His will… so we might learn to live by His commandments… and
build upon that with the other fruits of the spirit.
Acts
19:1-5 Paul re-baptized folks who had previously been baptized
but lacked sufficient knowledge and understanding of what God
actually wanted them to submit to [note: what was lacking in this
case was a clear understanding of the truth about the person of th
Messiah]. They had been immersed in the water but not received the
holy spirit until Paul had properly counselled and re-baptized them.
God
wants us to know exactly what it is we are committing and converting
to before He gives us His spirit.
How Does This Affect Our Quest For The Church Jesus Established
We
live in a world where billions have been baptized but without a clear
comprehension of:
-
the need to change
-
the guidelines of what needs to change
-
a wide variety of false teachings on fundamental issues
We
live in a world where most are baptized into a wildly off-track
understanding of God’s plan and purpose for humanity, without a
clear understanding of the kingdom of God, not knowing the process of
salvation. What exaclty have they been baptized into?
The
great deception has gotten people to believe on Christ without
understanding what it is He taught, what He practiced, or what He
expects. Many in our world accept the idea of the bible being God’s
word… while believing they can cross out the parts they don’t
like about what it teaches. Worse yet, that humanity can substitute
in our own ideas, or customs, and say they are of God.
The Church of God Today...
…
Must be people who believe, teach, and practice a change of heart
regarding their previous disregard for God’s commands
…
Must be people who’s way of thinking and acting is transformed by
the baptism and the receipt of the holy spirit. Not without sin but
committed to the ongoing process of conforming their lives in
obedience to God
…
Must be an assembly of people the living Jesus Christ uses to
proclaim the truth of the kingdom of God, the truth about the family
of God, the truth about eternal life
…
Must be an assembly of people who wait in anticipation for a new
heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells… righteousness
built on the foundation of the law, the prophets, and the apostles.
…
Must be an assembly of people awaiting Jesus Christ’s return and
the role they will play in assisting Him bring true change and
salvation to the earth and all its people
To
fulfill their mission and maintain the unity of the faith these
people of God will somehow have to band together. They will probably
form physical organizations to pursue the very spiritual goals
itemized above. The COG cannot fulfill it purpose without some form
of organization.
Your Final Clue...
Hebrews
10:24-25
Hebrews 4:9
There
is a prophecy about the church of Jesus Christ in Revelation . The
setting of the prophecy is just prior to the return of Christ at the
end of this present age. It also provides a defining characteristic
of the church…
Revelation
12:17
You might also like to request our free bible study aid The Church Jesus Built. It will help you find the answers you want from the pages of your own bible.
We have created a 3 part sermon series to help you take a good look at this important subject:- The Rise of Lawlessness transcript | podcast
- The Falling Away From The Truth Begins transcript | podcast
- The Church of God in Today's World transcript | podcast
If you want to explore this subject as a personal study of your own, request a copy of The Church Jesus Built and start finding the answers in the pages of your own bible.
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