You Gotta Rightly Divide.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many different denominations in Christendom? How can so many groups, who all claim to be Bible believing Christians, have so many different beliefs? I mean they all claim Jesus saves but none agree on exactly how. Some say repent and be baptized, so say keep the law, some say short accounts and endure till the end, so say sacraments pave the way, on and on it goes each group cherry picking verses to fit what they want to believe and none just letting God be true and every man a liar. They miss all together the simplicity of God’s grace and reject the gift He so freely gives in their vain attempts to do what only God can and already did.
They are trying to interpret the Bible instead of allowing the Bible to interpret itself.
👉Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20 KJV
The Bible is God’s word and therefore it must be studied God’s way. God did not start any denominations. He is only building one spiritual church.
👉There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6 KJV
Did you know there is a verse that tells us exactly how to study the word of God?
👉2 Timothy 2:15 KJV — “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Notice that it does not say divide truth from error, but rightly divide the word of TRUTH. All scripture is the truth and is FOR us, but it is not all written directly TO us.
God never changes in His person and moral principles, but He has changed in His dealings with man through the ages as He gave progressive revelation. If you don’t understand this, the Bible will be a confusing book to you.
👉1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV — “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
We cannot possibly obey everything in the Bible. Consider the basic issue of what we are to eat:
Adam (creation, about 6,000 years ago) = no meat.
👉And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Genesis 1:29 KJV
Noah (about 1500 years later) = meat without blood.
👉Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. Genesis 9:3-4 KJV
Moses (about 1000 years later) = clean meats.
👉This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten. Leviticus 11:46-47 KJV
Paul (over 1500 years later) = nothing is to be refused. It should be noted that to teach otherwise in this age is actually considered a doctrine of devils per 1 Timothy 4:1.
👉Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For everyone creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5 KJV
We must not try to invent our own divisions nor ignore the ones God put in His word. Everybody divides the Bible to a point by the designation of the Old and New Testaments, but we must rightly divide it, by acknowledging the distinctions and details God has placed in His Word. They are so important and put there for our benefit.
There are several distinctions and divisions in Scripture but when you get right down to The meat of it they can be summed up in two major ones: Prophecy and the Mystery.
👉Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21 KJV
Prophecy has been spoken of by the prophets of God since the world began. It deals specifically with one nation of people on the earth – Israel and God’s plans and dealings with them. You find the prophetic program as it is often referred to in the Old Testament as well as the four Gospels, and Hebrews – Revelation. Prophecy began first with the promised seed of the woman in Genesis 3, then it got narrowed to the seed of Abraham and the giving of the covenants which separated one nation – Israel – from the nations, to Moses and the giving of the Law further separating Israel from the Gentiles, on down to the seed of David which is Jesus Christ who came offering that nation their promised kingdom. That’s what the prophecy program is all about.
👉Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, Romans 16:25 KJV
The mystery however was a secret hid in God since before the world began. Note that carefully it was 👉kept secret 👈since the world began is way different than spoke of since the world began. That means no one knew about the mystery until it was revealed to Paul by the glorified risen Christ after the nation of Israel fully rejected their Messiah and His kingdom at the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. It is a new and different program dealing not with the nation of Israel alone but with all men both Jew and Gentile alike as equals; All are counted in unbelief and the only hope for salvation any have is through belief in faith of Christ through His shed blood for the redemption of sins and eternal salvation.
The ONLY Gospel of Salvation today 👉1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV — “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Only in Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon do you find the mystery, the grace of God, the formation of the Body of Christ. It’s just not in the Old Testament, Gospels or Hebrews through Revelation because God wasn’t operating on an all by His grace alone program during prophecy like He is today. Instead salvation was through Israel – you either were a Jew, you became a Jew or you blessed the Jews, and salvation was through grace plus works to show faithfulness to be bestowed at the first resurrection yet future when Christ returns and sets up His kingdom.
The following passages explain this in detail.
👉For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Ephesians 3:1-13 KJV
👉Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Colossians 1:24-27 KJV
There is one family of God, but there is a difference between God’s earthly people and His heavenly people. If words have any meaning, there must be a difference between the nation of Israel who is destined to reign on the earth over the nations.
👉Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. Isaiah 60:1-5 KJV
And the spiritual Body of Christ (neither Jew nor Gentile,) who is seated in heavenly places and is destined to reign there eternally (Eph. 2:6-7; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-4).
👉If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 KJV
All believers saved today are made members of that body the instant they trust Christ for their salvation by believing the Gospel of God, Christ crucified. That’s the only way to be saved today and if a person is trusting in anything other than that truth then they are still lost as a golf ball in high weeds. Similarly, if a person is saved but fails to recognize and acknowledge God’s plan and purpose for them as members of the Body of Christ in this dispensation of the age of grace then they will not be fruitful members but as 2 Timothy 2:15 points out they will be ashamed before God.
As always my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ may you be eternally gripped in His glorious grace.
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