Thursday, August 12, 2010

Want solid food ?

Heb 5:12 "...teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

The bible says teachings of righteousness is the solid food. Anyone who is still and infant and immature, is not acquainted with the teachings of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, solid food is the teaching of righteousness. The more you teach righteousness the more you will be giving people solid food. Anyway, who is still and infant is not acquainted with the teaching of the gift of righteousness. We need to teach the gift of righteousness.

Why? Because we are transformed into His glory as we encounter His face. 2 Corinthians 3, says we become like Him when we encounter Him. How? - by revelation that we are free, that we are righteous in Christ, so that we can come boldly into the throne room of grace and encounter God, not in shame, in grace, there is nothing in the way of me going before God, as we encounter Him we are transformed into his likeness and what is that, maturity -being transformed into His likeness is maturity. The more we encounter Him the more we are transformed into His likeness!!!

1 comment:

Craig Glenn said...

Hey Jamesie...good post!!

I did a 2 week mini-series on this at Gracelife last year (another is due :-) me thinks)…

Called "The dividing wall of hostility"

If you think about it, all denominations have one thing in common...as a matter of fact so do those that are non-denominational but still mix law with grace...

That is Law-galistic thinking! A law mentality that has been, through generations, firmly entrenched into the minds of the members...

Through that thinking, a wall of hostility is raised up, i believe, in 4 places...

1. Between the born again and those still lost...Jesus didn't have this thinking that is why "sinners" where attracted to him... Today’s Church? By and Large it’s the opposite…

2. Between 2 believers (Judging i.e., you don’t do as much as I do, pray, give, holiness etc)

3. Between local church and local church (denominationalism) I’m a Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic,(These are NOT local church’s but… Jewish, Hindu, Muslim )- I have the right way to God and you don’t kind of thinking…(I know there is a difference between a Charismatic and a Hindu, one is saved and the other is not but under the law the thinking can be very similar. I.e. don’t dare try and take the little red dot off a Hindu’s forehead or don’t dare try and tell some Charismatic’s the law has been abolished – you will get the same violent reaction)

4. Within the mind of a born again believer (outworking itself in double mindedness, condemnation, guilt, fear, disparity, no power, little faith, little revelation – you get the picture!)

That antidote? The gospel of grace!!! Putting the law in its right place, Rom 10:4 baby ! As leaders, breaking down that wall – as Paul did (True Apostolicity)
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Below is a small post i did on unity a few weeks ago, along the same lines...

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"The law divides; it is THE dividing wall of hostility...

Eph 2: 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace" NIV

When Martin Luther brought "disunity" to the Body, the then Roman Catholic Church, it was a good thing, otherwise we would all still be Catholic.

Martin Luther's main point of reference, the scripture God had opened his eyes to, was Rom 5:1 "1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." that's the gospel of grace right there baby!!

When he started preaching that, it showed just how much "unity" there was!!

Now, was 'ol Martin bringing disunity?

Well lots in the church at the time would have accused him of it, accused him of heresy, of not being a son in the house, of deserting the people, of not loving the people, of not playing team, being rebellious, selfish...

...BUT...

NO, he was not, God was, through him, bringing genuine Spirit-filled unity, not "surface-smiley-everything-is-fine-until-you-start-preaching -your-gospel-of-grace-and-messing-with-the-10 commandments" unity

Jesus himself brought down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. He paid the biggest price for that...When men bring the law back into the church, they are the very ones who are bringing disunity...not those preaching to get it out!"

Later...