_Be Steadfast In The Faith David FieldFebruary 10, 2012
So many of the Apostle
Paul’s writings are misused in Christianity today. Here are two.
1. Do not follow another
gospel.
2 Corinthians 11:4 (KJV) For
if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear
with him.
This is taken to mean, do
not change from what your church has taught you. The safe feeling you enjoy
with a majority in your church is a false security. Don’t carry the idea that
you have it all figured out, and that everything in your theology is 100
percent correct.
Let’s look at this closely.
“Another gospel” to what? What was Paul talking about? Paul was speaking to the
assembly at Corinth at the time. He gave them the gospel of Yahshua the
Nazerine Messiah. He did not give them a Greek Jesus portrayed by Christianity
today. He was telling them not to veer from this original message. Paul was not
telling Christians today not to veer from their modern theology. Most of the
theology in Christianity today is only a few hundred years old. I could list
them off for you, but Christianity today has veered greatly from the original
message.
2. Be steadfast in the
faith.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Firstly the word “faith” in
the bible does not mean a belief system. Faith is an action word. Faithfulness
to the Master is obedience to him.
Be steadfast in the faith
does not mean to be stiff-necked, not listening to the chastisement of the Ruach of Yah (Holy
Spirit). Steadfast in the faith is the continuance of serving the master. It
does not mean to be unyielding to the Holy Spirit with something new to you.
You are admonished to continue learning. And do think that all advancement of
learning must come through the proper channels. This is where the Pharisees went
wong, and why they rejected the true believers, and even Yahshua the Messiah.
When you are wrong, you need to put your pride aside, and listen to Him, no
matter what his chosen means of communication, even if it be a donkey. If Yah
decides you carry too much pride of self learned knowledge, He may use a drunk
on the street to teach you a lesson in humility. Many Christians use a false
measuring stick to decide where the truth can come from. Your position in a
church, or your years in study of the bible, or even your degree in religious
theology means nothing to Him.
Peter predicted there would
come a time a huge misunderstanding would come into play over the words of
Paul.
2 Peter 3 15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in
which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17Ye therefore,
beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from
your own stedfastness. 18But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for
ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4 2Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.
Christianity seems to hold
the false belief that as you read your bible the Holy Spirit magically leaps
from the page and indwells the soul with knowledge. The truth is no knowledge
can penetrate a heartened heart. No knowledge can enter those that willingly
hold on to false beliefs. A person must deny self in favor of Him to gain
anything from the Ruach of Yah. You cannot receive from Him or
take orders from him if you do not submit yourself totally to him, even to the
point of your own death.
Christianity also holds the
belief that when they “get saved” that the Holy Spirit automatically indwells
their being. Yahshua said, “If you love me you will follow my commands, Torah
was the original word he would have used in his Aramaic tongue because "Torah"
was the only word for our word "commandments". You are not following him if you
are not in obedience to his never changing word.
No
one alive is "saved", as Christianity defines it. Yahshua said,"He
who endures with me to the end SHALL BE SAVED." No one alive has
endured to the end as yet, and no person drawing breath possesses eternal life
as yet. You are mortal, not immortal. You cannot be both mortal and immortal.
You exist in this plane of reality only for now. You were not born with an
eternal soul. You have been granted the breath of life that can be taken away
and returned to the Creator at any time, then you will die the second death,
and be no more, as the word "death" is defined even in the original
Hebrew. Only the bride will be granted everlasting life. Do not let your pride
tell you that you are entitled to eternal life. Do not be surprised one day to
find it shall be taken away.
Revelation 14:12 Here
is the patience of the saints; here are the ones keeping the commandments of
YAHWEH, and the faith of Yahshua.
Romans 6:23 (HRB) For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yhwh is eternal life through Yashua
Messiah or Master.
This does not say, “The wages of sin is eternal
life in tormenting hell fire.” It says “death”. This is the eternal,
everlasting, irreversible, final punishment, a ceasing of existence forever.