“Rend our hearts and not our garments” (Joel 2:13) is still a lesson we need to learn. Its practice encompasses the need for repentance (which includes an actual recognition of right and wrong, and our participation in either) and the blessing of grace by faith at the same time. Being legal without being legalistic is possible and necessary, but it’s only understood and enjoyed when we focus on the great commandments which filter the other commandments (Matthew 9:13).
a saint is not a practicing sinner covered by the blood of Christ.
A saint is a transformed person, a new creature with the Spirit of God living inside of them. They yield to the righteousness and Holiness of God daily. 1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Jesus said where two three or more are gathered together in my name I am in their midst. Matt 18:19-20; Malachi 3:16-18
The government aligned approved churches in China many were decimated in the eighties and burned to the ground, the only buildings allowed even to this day in China is of official churches are those who are compromised with the CCP, endorsed by them, but the true ekklesia have nothing to do with such, they are part of the true underground Ekklesia whom were thriving! They would meet in homes, in caves, in boats, in fields etc. And refused to align themselves with government aligned putrid defiled camps. But worshiped just as we are meant to as we see in the book of Acts of the early Christians and disciples of Jesus. So what we see today is so far removed from worshipping our Heavenly father in spirit and in truth, the reformers never really completely let go of the mantles of the years of Babylon and Roman as well as Byzantine catholic church establishment. Even the thousands upon thousands of Protestant churches, denominations, divisions, factions etc teach differently as to what is actually taught and set out in the New Covenant, the new Testament. It's sadly such a huge conglomeration of mess and actually bypassing Heavenly fathers truths. We hear and see Almighty Creator God is going to bring his judgement upon such places as beautifully described in 1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” From these scriptures we see when Jesus returns will be inspecting each church as also outlined in Revelation 3 in the last end days. He will express and is even now to the ones who have ears to hear and eyes to see is doing the work of judgement begining with those who state they are of his house first. Exposing, sifting, removing and inviting and calling out those who are His people. Revelation 18:4-5 just as he did in the days of Jeremiah 51:45
Agreed! I honestly don't understand the structure of today's 'church' as it is so far removed from the truths taught by our Lord Jesus. The true Church of the New Testament, of the new covenant which, is not any outward or visible society, gathered together into the consent or use of outward things, forms, ceremonies, worship, as the churches of men are; neither is it known by seeing or feeling, or the help of any outward sense, but it is a spiritual and invisible fellowship. There is no heirachacal structure of merely passive observers sitting on pews, or chairs staring at one person giving a talk upon a stage as in a theatre, but where everyone is serving in humility as we are all a kingdom of priests.
This true Church is the communion of Saints, which is the communion believers have with one another; not in the things of the world, nor in the things of man, but in the things of God. For as believers have their union in the Son, and in the Father, & in the spirit, so in them also they have their communion; and the communion they have with one another in God cannot be in their own things, but in God's things, even in his light, life, righteousness, wisdom, truth, love, power, peace & joy. We are not first one with the body, and then after one with Christ; but we are first one with Christ, and then one with the true Church, and our union with the Church flows from our union with Christ, and not our union with Christ, from our union with the Church. Christ in John 17 prays, That they all (that is, believers) may be one in us; so that our Union is not first among ourselves, and then with the Son, and with the Father, but it is first with the Son, and with the Father, & the spirit and then with one another in them. And Christ is the door through which we enter into and not the Church door through which we enter into Christ. For men may join themselves to believers in the use of all outward ordinances, and yet never be joined to Christ, nor to that communion which believers have in Christ; but a man cannot be joined to Christ but he is joined to all believers in the world, in the communion they have with Christ and with one another in him. For in their religion they regard the authority of men more than the authority of God. The churches of men are still setting themselves one above another, but the assemblies of the true Ekklesia where one, two are three are gathered in Jesus' name are all equal, having Christ and the Spirit equally present with them and in them. And therefore the believers of one congregation cannot say they have power over the believers of another congregation, seeing all congregations have Christ and his Spirit alike among them, and Christ has not anywhere promised that he will be more with one than another. And so Christ and the Spirit in one congregation do not subject, neither are subjected to Christ and the Spirit in another congregation, as if Christ and the Spirit in several places should be above and under themselves. But Christ in each assembly of the faithful is their head, and this head they dare not leave, and set up a fleshly head to themselves whether it consist of one or many men, seeing Antichrist does strongly invade Christ's headship in many as in one man, in council, as in a pope, a priest, or a man putting himself above the headship & leadership of Christ. The true and only bonds of the Ekklesia is union, peace, and agreement, as the Apostle hath delivered them to us by the Spirit. Ephesians 4. 4: There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, on Baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Where note, in general, that among all these bonds of the Church's unity, the Apostle makes not so much as any mention of uniformity. But it will appear by the Apostle's doctrine, that no conformity or uniformity are any bonds of the true Church's peace and union, seeing the Church is such a kingdom as is not preserved in its peace by any outward forms and orders, as the kingdoms of the world are, but by inward principles. None are to join themselves to a body that are not of this one spirit, of the true spirit of the living God. As all believers are called by one calling (which is the inward and effectual voice of God to the soul, by his Spirit through the Gospel), so they are called into one blessed hope of obtaining the kingdom and glory of God.
A Fool’s Left Leaning Heart vs. An Old Kind of Church of Christ Liberalism Making It Rounds Yet Again!
“A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left” (Ecc. 10:2).
Several weeks ago, my son was down in the office listening to a podcast. With a startled look on his face, he ran upstairs and said, “Dad, these guys are teaching that we can drink and smoke pot in our homes!” I went down with him to have a listen, and sure enough that is exactly what they were teaching. The recorded podcast in the archives has been edited to remove the references to marijuana and mushroom usage. There are several brethren I know who heard the original podcast as I did.
I know that this was devastating to my son as he came to know some of these brethren at summer camp last year, and he really looked up to them. When he heard this teaching, he was saddened by this ungodly compromise. At that time, we were visiting a congregation and looking to have our son place his membership there. Dr. Harrub is supported by this congregation, so I asked to meet with the elders to discuss this issue with them. They met with me and told me that I was wrong, that the Harrub-Wilkie group were not advocating social drinking. No, they were simply teaching that we can drink alcohol in the privacy of our homes without sin. While it is an Old Testament verse, it still holds true: “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Prov. 12:22).
Brethren, the use of alcohol is sinful. Numerous reasons can be given for this truth. However, Ephesians 5:18 is all that is needed to prove this point. The verb, μεθύσκω, used in Ephesians 5:18 is in its present, passive, imperative form and it is negated with μή, so it is a prohibition. With the present tense the imperative generally has the force of commanding the action as an ongoing process. Some people, including myself in the past, have viewed this is an ingressive, but that is not exactly correct.
This is a prohibition against becoming drunk with wine, with the force of prohibiting that action as an ongoing process. That is why it is often confused with the ingressive imperfect (also known as an inchoative or inceptive verb). It is dealing with the same kind of action. Let me give you an example, look at Romans 6:12: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” The word “reign” is the present, active, imperative of βασιλεύω and it is negated with μή, hence a prohibition. Now, what if we approached Romans 6:12 like some approach Ephesians 5:18? Can we allow a little sin to reign in us? If we can have a little intoxicating beverage, then why not a little bit of any of the works of the flesh? Because μεθύσκω is passive it should be best translated “Do not become drunken.” If you take one drink, then you are one drink drunk, you are becoming drunken and in sin! If you assume that this verse only prohibits buzzed drinking, then when it takes 6 beers to do what 3 used to do, then is 3, 4, or 5 beers okay now when there they not before? If you fail to observe the true sense of the negated present imperative, then you can make booze like burger king and have it your way! Drinking alcohol either to do what is mislabeled as social drinking, to have a glass of wine with dinner, or to just get buzzed, then you are in sin. Marijuana, mushrooms, and similar mind-altering substances fit into that same category.
This is not a misguided attempt to string verses together to make a law where God did not make one! Wilkie says that when we teach the truth on this subject that we are “being hall monitors of law and tradition rather than working to present every man mature in Christ.” (https://jackwilkie.co/p/pharisaism-vs-a-new-kind-of-church). He further alleges, “The kind of person who blasted us at Focus Press for disagreeing on the issue of alcohol will also turn around and shout us down for encouraging Christian families to stop giving money to Disney or pointing out the dangers of public education” (Ibid). Is suffering from this “hall monitor” theology. Go on Jack, build your straw man!
It is additionally interesting to note that this left leaning brother says, “Pornography use among Christians remains a massive issue that often goes unaddressed, but don’t you dare let somebody see you with a nativity scene in your house. Our churches are filled with feminist women and apostatizing children, but rather than dealing with that, some would rather attempt to destroy anyone who says our eternal home might be physical and not just spiritual” (Ibid). One wonders how much financial gain moves into the Focused coffers by leaning to the left on getting buzzed and even changing the Lord’s teaching about our eternal abode? Sad, sad, indeed!
Jack Wilkie, please notice that the Bible was written in the parentheses of, don’t mess with it! The Pentateuch says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2). In the middle of the book inspiration says, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Prov 30:6). Then as it closes John said, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev 22:18-19).
Remember friends, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). James said, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Jack, you may feel comfortable getting a little buzzed while singing about your eternal farm, but as for me and my house, like Joshua of old, we will serve the Lord!
Good points, Jack.
“Rend our hearts and not our garments” (Joel 2:13) is still a lesson we need to learn. Its practice encompasses the need for repentance (which includes an actual recognition of right and wrong, and our participation in either) and the blessing of grace by faith at the same time. Being legal without being legalistic is possible and necessary, but it’s only understood and enjoyed when we focus on the great commandments which filter the other commandments (Matthew 9:13).
Really important to understand that
a saint is not a practicing sinner covered by the blood of Christ.
A saint is a transformed person, a new creature with the Spirit of God living inside of them. They yield to the righteousness and Holiness of God daily. 1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Romans 6
Hebrews 10
Jesus said where two three or more are gathered together in my name I am in their midst. Matt 18:19-20; Malachi 3:16-18
The government aligned approved churches in China many were decimated in the eighties and burned to the ground, the only buildings allowed even to this day in China is of official churches are those who are compromised with the CCP, endorsed by them, but the true ekklesia have nothing to do with such, they are part of the true underground Ekklesia whom were thriving! They would meet in homes, in caves, in boats, in fields etc. And refused to align themselves with government aligned putrid defiled camps. But worshiped just as we are meant to as we see in the book of Acts of the early Christians and disciples of Jesus. So what we see today is so far removed from worshipping our Heavenly father in spirit and in truth, the reformers never really completely let go of the mantles of the years of Babylon and Roman as well as Byzantine catholic church establishment. Even the thousands upon thousands of Protestant churches, denominations, divisions, factions etc teach differently as to what is actually taught and set out in the New Covenant, the new Testament. It's sadly such a huge conglomeration of mess and actually bypassing Heavenly fathers truths. We hear and see Almighty Creator God is going to bring his judgement upon such places as beautifully described in 1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” From these scriptures we see when Jesus returns will be inspecting each church as also outlined in Revelation 3 in the last end days. He will express and is even now to the ones who have ears to hear and eyes to see is doing the work of judgement begining with those who state they are of his house first. Exposing, sifting, removing and inviting and calling out those who are His people. Revelation 18:4-5 just as he did in the days of Jeremiah 51:45
Agreed! I honestly don't understand the structure of today's 'church' as it is so far removed from the truths taught by our Lord Jesus. The true Church of the New Testament, of the new covenant which, is not any outward or visible society, gathered together into the consent or use of outward things, forms, ceremonies, worship, as the churches of men are; neither is it known by seeing or feeling, or the help of any outward sense, but it is a spiritual and invisible fellowship. There is no heirachacal structure of merely passive observers sitting on pews, or chairs staring at one person giving a talk upon a stage as in a theatre, but where everyone is serving in humility as we are all a kingdom of priests.
This true Church is the communion of Saints, which is the communion believers have with one another; not in the things of the world, nor in the things of man, but in the things of God. For as believers have their union in the Son, and in the Father, & in the spirit, so in them also they have their communion; and the communion they have with one another in God cannot be in their own things, but in God's things, even in his light, life, righteousness, wisdom, truth, love, power, peace & joy. We are not first one with the body, and then after one with Christ; but we are first one with Christ, and then one with the true Church, and our union with the Church flows from our union with Christ, and not our union with Christ, from our union with the Church. Christ in John 17 prays, That they all (that is, believers) may be one in us; so that our Union is not first among ourselves, and then with the Son, and with the Father, but it is first with the Son, and with the Father, & the spirit and then with one another in them. And Christ is the door through which we enter into and not the Church door through which we enter into Christ. For men may join themselves to believers in the use of all outward ordinances, and yet never be joined to Christ, nor to that communion which believers have in Christ; but a man cannot be joined to Christ but he is joined to all believers in the world, in the communion they have with Christ and with one another in him. For in their religion they regard the authority of men more than the authority of God. The churches of men are still setting themselves one above another, but the assemblies of the true Ekklesia where one, two are three are gathered in Jesus' name are all equal, having Christ and the Spirit equally present with them and in them. And therefore the believers of one congregation cannot say they have power over the believers of another congregation, seeing all congregations have Christ and his Spirit alike among them, and Christ has not anywhere promised that he will be more with one than another. And so Christ and the Spirit in one congregation do not subject, neither are subjected to Christ and the Spirit in another congregation, as if Christ and the Spirit in several places should be above and under themselves. But Christ in each assembly of the faithful is their head, and this head they dare not leave, and set up a fleshly head to themselves whether it consist of one or many men, seeing Antichrist does strongly invade Christ's headship in many as in one man, in council, as in a pope, a priest, or a man putting himself above the headship & leadership of Christ. The true and only bonds of the Ekklesia is union, peace, and agreement, as the Apostle hath delivered them to us by the Spirit. Ephesians 4. 4: There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, on Baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Where note, in general, that among all these bonds of the Church's unity, the Apostle makes not so much as any mention of uniformity. But it will appear by the Apostle's doctrine, that no conformity or uniformity are any bonds of the true Church's peace and union, seeing the Church is such a kingdom as is not preserved in its peace by any outward forms and orders, as the kingdoms of the world are, but by inward principles. None are to join themselves to a body that are not of this one spirit, of the true spirit of the living God. As all believers are called by one calling (which is the inward and effectual voice of God to the soul, by his Spirit through the Gospel), so they are called into one blessed hope of obtaining the kingdom and glory of God.
A Fool’s Left Leaning Heart vs. An Old Kind of Church of Christ Liberalism Making It Rounds Yet Again!
“A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left” (Ecc. 10:2).
Several weeks ago, my son was down in the office listening to a podcast. With a startled look on his face, he ran upstairs and said, “Dad, these guys are teaching that we can drink and smoke pot in our homes!” I went down with him to have a listen, and sure enough that is exactly what they were teaching. The recorded podcast in the archives has been edited to remove the references to marijuana and mushroom usage. There are several brethren I know who heard the original podcast as I did.
I know that this was devastating to my son as he came to know some of these brethren at summer camp last year, and he really looked up to them. When he heard this teaching, he was saddened by this ungodly compromise. At that time, we were visiting a congregation and looking to have our son place his membership there. Dr. Harrub is supported by this congregation, so I asked to meet with the elders to discuss this issue with them. They met with me and told me that I was wrong, that the Harrub-Wilkie group were not advocating social drinking. No, they were simply teaching that we can drink alcohol in the privacy of our homes without sin. While it is an Old Testament verse, it still holds true: “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Prov. 12:22).
Brethren, the use of alcohol is sinful. Numerous reasons can be given for this truth. However, Ephesians 5:18 is all that is needed to prove this point. The verb, μεθύσκω, used in Ephesians 5:18 is in its present, passive, imperative form and it is negated with μή, so it is a prohibition. With the present tense the imperative generally has the force of commanding the action as an ongoing process. Some people, including myself in the past, have viewed this is an ingressive, but that is not exactly correct.
This is a prohibition against becoming drunk with wine, with the force of prohibiting that action as an ongoing process. That is why it is often confused with the ingressive imperfect (also known as an inchoative or inceptive verb). It is dealing with the same kind of action. Let me give you an example, look at Romans 6:12: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” The word “reign” is the present, active, imperative of βασιλεύω and it is negated with μή, hence a prohibition. Now, what if we approached Romans 6:12 like some approach Ephesians 5:18? Can we allow a little sin to reign in us? If we can have a little intoxicating beverage, then why not a little bit of any of the works of the flesh? Because μεθύσκω is passive it should be best translated “Do not become drunken.” If you take one drink, then you are one drink drunk, you are becoming drunken and in sin! If you assume that this verse only prohibits buzzed drinking, then when it takes 6 beers to do what 3 used to do, then is 3, 4, or 5 beers okay now when there they not before? If you fail to observe the true sense of the negated present imperative, then you can make booze like burger king and have it your way! Drinking alcohol either to do what is mislabeled as social drinking, to have a glass of wine with dinner, or to just get buzzed, then you are in sin. Marijuana, mushrooms, and similar mind-altering substances fit into that same category.
This is not a misguided attempt to string verses together to make a law where God did not make one! Wilkie says that when we teach the truth on this subject that we are “being hall monitors of law and tradition rather than working to present every man mature in Christ.” (https://jackwilkie.co/p/pharisaism-vs-a-new-kind-of-church). He further alleges, “The kind of person who blasted us at Focus Press for disagreeing on the issue of alcohol will also turn around and shout us down for encouraging Christian families to stop giving money to Disney or pointing out the dangers of public education” (Ibid). Is suffering from this “hall monitor” theology. Go on Jack, build your straw man!
It is additionally interesting to note that this left leaning brother says, “Pornography use among Christians remains a massive issue that often goes unaddressed, but don’t you dare let somebody see you with a nativity scene in your house. Our churches are filled with feminist women and apostatizing children, but rather than dealing with that, some would rather attempt to destroy anyone who says our eternal home might be physical and not just spiritual” (Ibid). One wonders how much financial gain moves into the Focused coffers by leaning to the left on getting buzzed and even changing the Lord’s teaching about our eternal abode? Sad, sad, indeed!
Jack Wilkie, please notice that the Bible was written in the parentheses of, don’t mess with it! The Pentateuch says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2). In the middle of the book inspiration says, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Prov 30:6). Then as it closes John said, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev 22:18-19).
Remember friends, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). James said, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Jack, you may feel comfortable getting a little buzzed while singing about your eternal farm, but as for me and my house, like Joshua of old, we will serve the Lord!