“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
The work necessary for man’s deliverance is the overall plan of God, which centers around and through His Son, Christ Jesus the Lord (John 3:15-18,36; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:8).
Apart from accepting Christ as one’s personal Savior, we can do nothing to save ourselves! Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from God’s wrath, and the only way to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
In Christianity, God does all the work. In religion, people do all the work, chasing after someone or something, or working their way toward same. See the difference?
Grace is all that God is free to do for man based on the cross-sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Grace is given – not earned or deserved.
God has a plan, a plan to utilize His grace in multiple ways. We call this a “grace-plan.”
Here is the simplicity of God’s grace-plan for the unbeliever: The cross of Christ Jesus, the Messiah. Here is the simplicity of God’s grace plan for the believer: How to live the Christian life, or the filling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 1:7-9).
God’s plan is revealed by God to humanity through God’s Word, by God the Holy Spirit. So where does mankind go to know God’s plan? Where does humanity go to find God? The answer is God’s Word – the Holy Bible. Therefore, Christian churches across America must teach the Word. Churches must evangelize and then teach, and the individual believer must witness by example and/or by word of mouth.
Churches across America must not only evangelize the unbeliever, but educate believers in the truths (principles and categories) of God’s Word, “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12). God honors His Word.
The MEAT of God’s Word is the single most important aspect for the transformation of the believer’s human viewpoint (worldly view) to divine viewpoint (God’s view) – maturity in Christ (1 Peter 2:1-5,9,10). “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ (salvation), let us press on to maturity, not laying again (over and over) a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”
PREACHING the Word is for evangelism and exhortation. Preaching impassions, and is necessary for conversion and motivation.
TEACHING, on the other hand, is for edification, transformation, renewing, and conformity to the image of Christ (our command from God Himself). Teaching the meat of the Word matures the believer (as opposed to the milk of preaching/evangelizing, which stagnates the believer).
APPLYING God’s Word matures the believer when Bible doctrine is memorized, processed through contemplation and meditation, and stored in the believer’s mind, soul, and spirit. Then, when needed, the stored-and-processed truths (doctrines) are exhaled in application, testimony, and witness, and the community is blessed.
As goes the believer, so goes the nation. Believe that.
When each community is blessed, our nation is blessed. When our nation is blessed, the earth is blessed and God is glorified on earth as He is in Heaven. Amen and Amen! This is the express meaning in Matthew 5:13-16 and 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; 3:1-3; 4:13-16.
The individual believer and the church as a whole are the the salt (preservative) of the earth. This preservation begins in our local churches with the leadership, but especially the pastor.
The pastor has a tremendous responsibility to teach the meat of God’s Word to the congregation, per God’s own commandment for him to do so, and for the baby believer to grow up, stop suckling milk, and start digesting meat. No meat, no growth.
Each believer must, daily, pray for the pastor of their church and hold him accountable for diligent study and dissemination of doctrine. Does your church do this?
God’s Word is the foundation of liberty (freedom). God blesses the local church that glorifies Him (and not themselves). God blesses the local community where His Word is honored and applied by the believers in each church and each community. From this embryo, God blesses America, and every other country where the Word is taught – where the meat is taught, and then applied.
As born-again Christians, we must understand that we must put God first so He can bless us through His Son by His Holy Spirit. God must be our centrality! If Christians do not honor God as the most important person in their lives, who will?
“The household of God (the local church body) is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 – reference also Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19).
The local church must get back to teaching God’s Truths systematically, so the body of Christ (individual believer) can grow to maturity. Then, the believer must live these truths and apply these truths to everyday life by living these truths in their community and world.
The believer illuminated by the Light of Scripture attracts the unbeliever, so that the world of unbelievers will want to leave the darkness and come to the light (John 1:5,7,9; John 3:19; 8:12; 12:36; Acts 13:47; 26:18,23; Romans 2:19; 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4,6; Ephesians 5:7-14; Philippians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 21:24). Please reference all Scripture and see them from your Bible. This is but one crucial step in your peaceful, daily walk with the Lord.
Just as physical light shone at creation, so spiritual light shines in the hearts of those who become new creations in Christ Jesus, so let your light (living testimony) shine to all those in your periphery. Because the light of the glorious gospel is in you, you must let it shine out from you. This is why we are left on earth after salvation, to shine in a world of darkness. Not by bragging and uppity-ness, not by attitude, but by humility, not by judging, but by compassion.
All holier than thou attitudes must cease. All judgment of others must cease (both inside and outside the church). The church should welcome all, as our Lord did (just look at who He hung out with).
Consider this: A few believers (the Apostles and Disciples), in the first century “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is still “the power of God” (Romans 1:16), and always will be, therefore God’s Word in the believer, functioning under the power of the Holy Spirit, is the basis for winning souls and preserving any National Entity. More than ever before in our history the local church must evangelize and TEACH THE WORD OF TRUTH SYSTEMATICALLY.
Nothing else will do.
Hearing “hell-fire and damnation” every Sunday helps no one. How ’bout we teach the Word first, then have an altar call at the end every Sunday instead.
Too many churches/people are busy “playing church,” where Sundays have become little more than a social-club gathering.
Believers need Biblical education from the pulpit – “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). The word feed in this verse means to nourish and shepherd (2 Timothy 3:16,17). The unbeliever seeks a teaching church; the believer seeks a teaching church… so teach, pastors!
The Light of Scripture is designed by God to attract mankind to His Glorious Light, which comes to mankind through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit in the world and in the believer. Our country needs God, therefore Biblical education is an imperative through the local church in every community in America (Ephesians 4:12-13; 20-21).
God has always blessed America, but He will not tarry with us for long. We, as a nation were, until recently, on the edge of destruction. God spared us, but we still need Him, we still need to stay with Him and not… stray… again. “As goes the believer, so goes the nation.“
The very future and soul of this nation rides on you, believer.
He’s watching you. He knows your heart, knows your true motivations. He’s the only one you’ll never fool. So, study and apply the Word. Be a light in the world, don’t imitate spiteful, hateful, judgmental pseudo-Christians. The Lord is counting on you; the nation is counting on you.
Shine for Him.
Amen