You are mistaken if you think Christianity is one of many religions in the world like any other religion. This article is written so that you know what Christianity is. All other religions are man-made religions; Christianity is the revealed religion of God, based on the revelation of God.
In general, most people consider Christianity as a religion, or one religion among many religions. This article is written not only to inform you that Christianity is not a religion, and what Christianity really is. The Catholic Church uses religion as equivalent to the monastic life, and religious to a monk. The Bible does not equate monastic life as a religious practice. The Scripture actually considers monastic life as useless and futile in obtaining salvation or sanctification. The universality of religion does not prove the truthfulness or faithfulness of any religion. Christianity was NOT influenced by Humanism, Animism, Euhemerism, Kṛishṇaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Naturalism, Taoism, Eclecticism, Astral Theory, Babylonian and Assyrian mythology; evolution, worship of nature, historical development, traditions, and all kinds of theory. We do not question what is space and time, because space and time are created by God. God is beyond or outside of time and space. Christianity is NOT a critical reflection on Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, as well other
independent philosophical work. However, we will also explore the definition of religion, and provide the definition of Christianity.
We do not employ all other religions to view Christianity, we use Christianity to view all other religions. We see all other religions only in the light of Christianity. The Christian faith is the rule to measure all other faiths. For a skeptic, this may be bias. Truth is not bias. 1Ti 5:21, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.” This presentation of Christianity is brought to you maintaining these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Bias in Greek is prokrima which means preference of one before another; a prejudgment; prepossession; a prejudice; – which occurs only 1 time in the New Testament. Partiality in Greek is prosklisis which means an inclination or proclivity of mind; a leaning forwards; unfair preference; which occurs only one time in the New Testament. This presentation of Christianity is not my personal opinions. It is not a hyperbole of my humility.
A certain man said, “No God and no religion can survive ridicule. ” I say a god that cannot survive ridicule may not be a true God at all. The true God is Eternal, Supreme, rules over the whole universe. The Omnipotent God does not need to survive anything or anyone.
The following is a very interesting historical story about how Sennacherib king of Assyria ridiculed the true God Almighty and how Sennacherib came to his tragic end. Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 705 BC to 681 BC. I wonder how the secular Assyrian history would record, probably blotted out the shameful page of the Assyrian national history. Sennacherib was attacking the Jewish kingdom. The angel of the Lord killed Sennacherib’s 185,000 soldiers in the camp of the Assyrians. So Sennacherib returned home in defeat and disgrace. As Sennacherib was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped.
It was the practice of kings and kingdoms not to tell the truth about the shame and disgrace of their national history. Even today the empire of Japan deliberately revised history textbooks to whitewash its war crimes, sex slavery, slave labor, genocide, and inhuman atrocities the Japanese soldiers committed in killing 35 million Chinese and 15 million Asians in its World War II of military aggression. Unlike Germany, Japanese leaders denied its war crimes and refused to formally apologize and pay compensations.
2Ki 19:14-37, “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made Heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.” Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you. This is the Word that the LORD has spoken against him:
‘She has despised you and mocked you,
The virgin daughter of Zion;
She has shaken her head behind you,
The daughter of Jerusalem! Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And haughtily lifted up your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel! Through your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I came up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses.
And I entered its farthest lodging place, its thickest forest.
I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the sole of my feet I dried up
All the rivers of Egypt. Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength,
They were dismayed and put to shame;
They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb,
As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up.
But I know your sitting down,
And your going out and your coming in,
And your raging against Me. Because of your raging against Me,
And because your arrogance has come up to My ears,
Therefore I will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back by the way which you came.
Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.
For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this.
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria,
“He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there;
and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD.
For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.”
All Biblical characters are real persons. All Biblical places are real places. All Biblical histories are real histories. The Holy Bible is not a myth, fiction, allusion or illusion, hallucination or allegory. The Bible speaks the truth in Christ. Not scientific truth because scientific truth is tentative and progressive, it is the best human knowledge at a point in time and place. The truth of Christ is absolute, divine, supreme, ultimate and eternal.
2Ki 19:4, “It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
2Ki 19:16, “Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.”
Note: The king of Assyria had sent to ridicule the living God, where is the kingdom of Assyria now? No one ridiculed God ever survived.
Psa 22:7-8, “All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
Mat 27:39-42, “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying,“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.”
Mar 15:29-32, “Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.”
Note: The enemies mocked and ridiculed the crucified Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God and ascended to the highest Heavens sitting at the right hand of God; triumphant over His enemies. Where are those enemies of Christ now? All in Hell.
Act 17:32, “When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.”
Act 25:19, “but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.”
Note: Religion in this verse in Greek is deisidaimonia which means superstition; fear of the gods; reverence for the gods; piety; – which occurs 3 times in the New Testament. Festus used the word religion disparagingly to mean superstition. Christianity is not superstition, many religions are.
Act 26:4-5, “So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.”
Note: Paul defended himself by saying he lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of their Jewish religion. Here Paul used religion in a more respectable way, appertaining to the worship of the God Almighty; the word religion in Greek is thrēskeia which means religious worship; religious discipline; worshiping; ceremonial observance; piety; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. The Jewish religion was instituted by God through Moses and His servants the prophets.
Col 2:23, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
Note: Here religion in Greek is ethelothrēskia which means arbitrary worship; will worship; worship which one prescribes and devises for oneself; the misdirected zeal and the practice of ascetics; sanctimony; simulated, cult or counterfeit religion (example is the practice of reenactment of crucifixion in the Philippines every Good Friday); – which occurs 2 times in the New Testament.
Jas 1:26, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”
Note: Here the original word religion is used the same as in Act 26:5. People who have loose tongues, their religion is worthless. If loose tongues alone would make one’s religion worthless, would you say the terrorism of a religion automatically make it evil? Christians need not to be religious, but devout and spiritual. Not all religious people may not be Christians.
Jas 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Note: Here the Greek word for religion is the same as Act 26:5, used in a respectable manner and captured the true practice of pure religion. People who practice pure and undefiled religion keep themselves unstained by the world. Unstained in Greek is aspilos which means without spot; irreproachable; unsullied; unblemished; unspotted; free from vice; not morally tainted; – which occurs 5 times in the New Testament. The world stains your soul through sin, love of money, power and sex. That is the reason the Bible says, Do not love the world.
However, you may be surprised the word “religion” does not exist in the Old Testament. Instead, the word “faith” occurs in the Old Testament. Faith first appears in Deu 32:20, “And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.”
Note: God first accused of the Jews as children in whom is no faith. Faith in Hebrew is ’emuwn which means truth; trustworthiness; faithfulness; – which occurs 5 times in the Old Testament. God accused that perverse generation without faith, not without religion. God seems to say the problem of man is not without religion, but without faith. But the faith that man needs is another word.
Hab 2:4, “Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith.”
Note: Faith in Hebrew here is ‘emuwnah which means faithfulness; truth; firmness; stability; steadfastness; steadiness; fidelity; – which occurs 48 times in the Old Testament. The righteous live by faith. Rom 3:22, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.”
I. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION.
In the first place, what is a religion? To avoid confusion or misunderstanding, we must first have the same frame of reference so that we know what we are talking about. It is difficult to achieve a consensus what precisely constitutes a religion. Perhaps we could agree on this: Religion is what people believe in something supernatural or spiritual and transcendent whether it is the supreme being or beings important to their lives.
Science, philosophy, theology, reason, tradition, history, nature, technology, etc. do not provide the basis for a credible argument that makes it unreasonable to believe in the existence of God. God exists by Himself in spite of science, philosophy, theology, nature, tradition, etc. and in spite of time and space, environment or anything. God cannot be refuted or denied simply by anyone or anything or any force. God is the supreme and ultimate reality, not bound by space and time, any concepts, reasons or arguments.
It is simple and easy to put all evil into two main types: moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil covers the willful acts of human beings, such as murder, rape, robbery, terror, etc. Natural evil refers to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, drought, etc.
Secularists and unbelievers want to blame God for all evil in the universe. They argue why God did not stop such horrendous evil caused by Hitler in killing six million Jews and Japanese aggressors who killed 35 million Chinese in the wars of aggression known as World War II? They also want to blame God for letting horrible natural evil such as giant earthquakes and tsunamis that killed thousands and thousands. On the surface, they seem to have a case against God by denying His existence or refuting His power or His goodness. The truth is self-evident: No sinful and mortal man is in a position to judge God and saying what God should do and should not do.
The problem of evil in relation to free will and the sovereignty of God is such a huge and profound subject which is beyond the scope of this article. In fact, it requires volumes to do justice to the matter. However, in passing I want you to know several points:
1. Evil is a mystery which cannot be dealt with lightly.
2. We reject the idea of secularists and unbelieving theologians that the creation of God was not perfect, and so evil exists.
3. Evil comes from the Devil who is responsible for most of the evil done in this world, including putting the idea of betraying the Lord of Life in the heart of Judas. The Devil is sinning and doing evil from the beginning.
4. It is a mystery why God allows the existence of the Devil. God is even a greater mystery than the Devil.
5. Psa 47:8, “God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.” God not only reigns over the nations, God rules the universe. God knows what He is doing.
6. We also reject the idea of secularists and unbelieving theologians that by allowing the existence of evil God in His infinite wisdom created the best of all possible worlds.
7. God moves according to His time table. There is a Judgement Day when the Judge of the living and dead will finally separate the wicked on the left from the righteous on the right.
8. The Devil, his agents and the wicked, will be thrown into Hell, the Lake of Fire, to be tortured forever and ever.
9. Jesus Christ will set up the Kingdom of Heaven to reign with the saints forever and ever and once and for all eliminate all evil and filth.
Suffice to say, the story of God has a happy ending. The children of God will be with our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus in joy and bliss, peace, holiness and righteousness beyond human imagination. What Christians are doing now is to witness for the Lord and wait eagerly for the second coming of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
A blind man argues because he cannot see the light so the sun doesn’t exist. His opinion is supported by millions of the blind. Likewise secularists propose if evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn’t have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn’t know when evil exists, or doesn’t have the desire to eliminate evil. This is a prime example of sheer ignorance of the knowledge of God and an evil heart of unbelief. Secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers want to create God in their own image.
God was not conceived by the Jews, God revealed Himself to the Jews through His servants the prophets. Exo 3:13-15, “Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.” Historically, the Jews was the first race who believe in the One True God. Judaism does not and cannot tolerate polytheism.
We do not debate on what a religion should be, we take religion or religions as they are already existing in the world.
1Ti 6:15-16, “which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”
God is not Higher Power. God is the Highest Power, the Supreme Power. God is not made. It is not that certain attributes make God. The god conceived by all religions is different from the God of Bible. The God of the Bible is: 1Ti 1:17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” The God of Christianity is the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.
Note: Eternal in Greek is aiōn which means perpetuity of time; time without end; for ever; evermore; that which causes life; the endless future; everlasting; – which occurs 118 times in the New Testament. Immortal in Greek is aphthartos which means incorruptible; uncorruptible; not corruptible; imperishable; not liable to corruption, decay or death; undecaying; living and lasting forever; – which occurs 8 times in the New Testament. Invisible in Greek is aoratos which means that which cannot be seen; unseen; impossible to see; – which occurs 5 times in the New Testament. Only in Greek is monos which means alone; by oneself; sole or single; merely; – which occurs 61 times in the New Testament. The God of Christianity is King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God; One and Only, there is no other. It is absolutely impossible for secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers to find, learn, and know such God by their own wisdom and efforts.
The God of Christianity is He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. Sovereign in Greek is dynastēs which means mighty; of great authority; Potentate; a ruler; powerful one; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. Unapproachable in Greek is aprositos which means no man can approach; inaccessible; – which occurs only 1 time in the New Testament. God is unapproachable by sinful men; for that reason no man can come to God but through Jesus Christ.
The True God has reality and personality not what humans can think or imagine. Many gods of many religions were made out of human imagination by human hands.
Jer 10:3, “For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.”
Note: Worthless in Hebrew is hebel which means vain; vapor; emptiness; something transitory and unsatisfactory; the breath of the mouth; something vain and empty; – which occurs 72 times in the Old Testament. Idols are worthless. God says the religion of these people is worthless. Idol is nothing. Idol worship is most primitive and primeval.
There are two Greek words of faith, oligopistos and pistis. The second word is the saving faith.
Mat 6:30, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”
Note: The word faith here in Greek is oligopistos which means of little faith; trusting too little; lacking confidence; – which occurs 13 times in the New Testament.
Mat 8:10, “Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”
Note: The word faith here in Greek is pistis which means belief; conviction of truth; confidence in God or Christ; fidelity; faithfulness; persuasion; reliance upon Christ for salvation; trust in God or Christ; – which occurs 243 times in the New Testament. Eph 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This is the saving faith.
Act 24:14, “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.”
Note: Christians believe everything in the Faith, and serve the God of our fathers according to the Way.
Although believers of world religions hang their hopes in their religions, bu the Scripture says, Eph 2:12, “remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Excluded Christians, the Bible insists the peoples of the world live in the world without God and without hope. All lives come to an end without hope. No matter who you are, rich and powerful, you live in the world without God and without hope. Of course, the Bible refers to the true living God, the Creator and Lord of the universe. Hope in Greek is tiqvah which means expectation of fulfillment; the thing that one longs for; expectancy; belief in fulfillment; – which occurs 34 times in the New Testament. Men separate from Christ are lost, having no hope and without God in the world. This is the general condition of all sinners.
In the New Testament what Christians believe and practice is not religion, it is called the Faith or the Way.
The historical story of Healing the Lame Beggar illustrates the truth that Christianity is not a religion.
Act 3:1-10, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Note: The early Christian Church did not possess silver and gold, but the apostles had the power of God. Peter in the name of Jesus Christ ordered the lame beggar to walk! The lame beggar with a leap he stood upright and began to walk. He entered the temple with Peter and John, walking and leaping and praising God. This is Christianity, not religion.
Peter’s Second Sermon
Act 3:11-16, “While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the One whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.”
Note: All the people were full of amazement, not of religion, but of Christianity in action. It was not by power or piety of Peter that made the lame beggar walk. The apostles were witnesses of the fact that God had glorified His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy and Righteous One, the Prince of life, the One whom God raised from the dead. It was on the basis of faith in the name of Jesus which has made this man in perfect health.
Someone made the following false statement about Christianity:
“Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.”
Christianity did not start out in Palestine. Christianity started out in the Promised Land which God gave to Abraham and his descendants. Christianity did not start out as a fellowship with men. Christianity is not a fellowship of men with men or a fellowship among men. 1Co 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Fellowship in Greek is koinōnia which means communion; communication; association; joint participation; sharing; intimacy; partnership; social intercourse; – which occurs 19 times in the New Testament. Christians are called into fellowship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. 2Co 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” To have fellowship with Christ is also to have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. 1Jo 1:3, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” The Christian fellowship is with the Triune God and have fellowship with each other too.
Christianity started out with the disciples who had been with Jesus armed with the power of the Gospel and they have turned the world upside down. Indeed, the Apostles and early disciples have turned the world right side up – to the path of light and truth.
Act 17:6, “And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” No, Christianity did not turn the world upside down. Christianity turns the world right side up.
Christianity moved to Greece and it did not become a philosophy. Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Col 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Do not let philosophy and empty deception take you captive. Christianity is not Greek philosophy.
Christianity moved to Italy and it did not become an institution. When Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church was corrupted and became an apostate institution to this day. Christianity does not need the recognition or support of any state or government. When the church becomes a monopolistic religious institution, it invariably becomes corrupted by power and money and influence.
Christianity moved to Europe and it did not become a culture. The infamous “White Man’s Burden” born and bred in Europe became an imperial tool to conquer and colonize many nations in Asia, Latin America, and Africa by force and conquest. The Western imperialism and colonialism disgraced Christianity by doing so many evil deeds, injustice and bearing the bitter fruits of inhumanity and brutality and exploitation and oppression, and Western powers have dominated and dictated the world to present day. The Western culture is fit with Jesus’ description. Mat 23:28, “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Christianity advertised as a white man’s religion is a badge of dishonor, disgrace and shame. European nations in the last 500 years have done nothing good that can make Christians proud. There is nothing in the European culture of corruption and conquest which is admirable and noble.
Imperialism and colonialism have conquered and robbed the whole world poor and made European nations (including U.S.A.) filthy rich and affluent and powerful in the last 500 years to dictate and dominate the whole world to the present. Europe’s economic, military, industrial and technological achievements were built entirely on the capital resources Europeans robbed from their colonies and the world through monopoly, exploitation and open robbery by force. America robbed the land of the native Red Indians and almost killed off the Read Indian race. Since the end of World War II, the United States has engaged in hundreds of unjust wars and bloody military interventions which killed millions and millions of innocent peoples around the world to this day. During the infamous Opium Wars, America, Britain, other Western powers and Japan attacked, killed, burned, robbed and looted China’s national treasures in more than 23 million items worth market value of more than US$100,000 trillion dollars, not counting the interest of many years. The Chinese national treasures can be found in European, American and Japanese public and private museums and collections all over the world. The West has by word and deed disgraced and distorted Christianity. They are not worthy to be called Christian nations.
Christianity came to America as a continuity of the European imperialism and colonialism, and it did not become an enterprise. Under Protestant ethics white supremacists built the greatest evil empire since the end of World War II. All American presidents, except President Richard Nixon who sought a just and lasting peace, have sought absolute military supremacy and economic and financial monopoly to dominate and dictate the whole world. American imperialism and capitalism (including EU, NATO), coupled with Japanese resurgent militarism and Islamic terrorism are responsible for 99% of all problems, troubles, difficulties, poverty, injustice, and lawlessness in the world today. “America First” foreign policy has made America the most aggressive, oppressive, autocratic, despotic, violent, and hated nation on earth. These arrogant, violent, self-deluded and shameless, reckless and ruthless leaders may be responsible to bring about the coming nuclear war that will end the world.
Christianity does not change since its inception. Christianity is Jesus Christ and His followers, not evil men, impostors, and children of the Devil who claim and pretend to be Christians. Mostly the Whites who lifted up high the banners of Christianity, human rights, civil rights, freedom, democracy, humanitarian aid, etc. to fool and mislead the world.
Heb 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Note: The deified Christ is not a product of idealization. No one and nothing can be the same yesterday and today and forever. No one and nothing lasts forever. Only Jesus Christ is the Supreme God who is the same yesterday and today and forever. Jesus Christ is our Great God and Savior. No other religions present or proclaim such a God.
Heb 13:9, “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.”
Note: Christians need to be strengthened by grace, not to be carried away by varied and strange teachings especially prevalent in the West today.
It is absolutely false to classify Fundamental Christianity as conservative, all the rest denominations as progressive. A modernist is not a progressive Christian, but a denier of Christ, an enemy of the cross. So many denominations misrepresent Christianity. Denominations were made by religious founders who hold and stress specific doctrines. We believe Christians must stress what the Bible stresses, and not to stress what the Word of God does not stress. Denominations are intended to divide and distort Christianity. The Bible does not recognize any denomination. The Bible does not recognize any church, except the Church of Jesus Christ, the Body of Christ. The Bible does not recognize any authority, except the authority of Jesus Christ.
II. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A WESTERN RELIGION.
The birth place of Christianity was Jerusalem, Judea (Israel), just as Judaism was; not in the West. Christianity is the religion derived from Jesus Christ, as it is written in the Bible the sacred Scriptures, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Due to the fact that the Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion, Christianity predominates in the Western world; but Christianity is not a Western religion. The Western world has disgraced and distorted Christianity.
Mat 1:1, “THE book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ”
Note: According to the flesh, Jesus was born a Jew, a descendant of Abraham.
Mat 2:1–2, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Note: The people who first worshiped Jesus were wise men from the East, not from the West.
Christianity takes its start with Jesus of Nazareth, the historical Jesus as it is written in the New Testament. Almost everything that is known of Jesus comes from His Apostles and disciples who put the events of His life and the content of His teaching in the Gospels and Acts as well as the Epistles – the New Testament. It can be said clearly and definitely the only authentic account of Jesus Christ is the New Testament. Any human reconstruction or revision is invalid and inaccurate and false, for only the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit is the sole authority. The twelve Apostles appointed by Jesus were all Jews, and it is within that framework of the Old Testament that they interpreted the significance of what they had received and perceived, seen, heard and experienced: He was the Christ, or Messiah, who had been promised to the patriarchs of Israel. As the record of those promises, the Hebrew Scriptures were sacred for early Christians no less than for Jews, fulfilling the claim to a continuity with the history of the people of God since the creation of the world. The apostles Paul, John, Peter and others were revealed the message of Jesus Christ to His Church and peoples of the world. Together with the selective memories of Jesus in the Gospels as inspired by the Holy Spirit, the early writings of the Apostles (letters or epistles to churches) were circulated widely in Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire and the known world; eventually they formed the Christian New Testament as distinguished from the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament.
During the second and third centuries the Church suffered persecution and martyrdom, but in the fourth century the emperor Constantine (306–337) made Christianity the official religion of the realm. This is the beginning of apostasy and corruption of the state religion which later was known as the Roman Catholic Church. Christianity is not a product of Greek and Roman thought, therefore Greek and Roman thought cannot be used to interpret Christianity or Christian theology. Although the New Testament was written in Greek, but it was not a product of Greek civilization or thought. The fusion of imperial and ecclesiastic powers created corrupt religious practices such as worship of the images of Jesus Christ, Mary and Apostles, saints and un-Scriptural liturgy, rites and rituals.
Christianity as a faith, is not just “respect for what is sacred ”; it is used in Jam 1:27 , “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. ”
Note: Here the word religion in Greek is thrēskeia which means fear of God, piety toward God, worthy to be embraced by all nations, religious discipline; – it occurs only 4 times in the New Testament. Christianity is the revealed religion, not self-made religion, not man-made religion. In other words, you must worship God according to His Word, His Way – not your way, man’s way, or anyway. Unstained in Greek is aspilos which means spotless, unsullied, free from vice, irreproachable; – it occurs only 4 times in the New Testament. Christianity as practiced in the West is stained by imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, hegemonism, materialism, militarism, corruption, injustice and secularism.
Europeans manufactured the “White Man’s Burden” — the greatest historical lie and fraud, using Christianity as a tool to conquer and colonize Asia, Latin America and Africa. In the last 500 years Western powers and the United States of America since its inception to present day had done and are responsible for most of the evil, problems, troubles, genocide, slavery, injustice, difficulties, poverty, oppression, sanction, exploitation, intervention, discrimination, interference, monopoly, and tragedy in the world. They craftily and shamelessly manufacture lies, fake news, fake reports, pretending to do good under the guise of democracy, freedom, civil rights, human rights, humanitarian aid, etc. Christianity in Europe appears to be dead, replaced by secularism. Christianity in America, though enjoys religious freedom, is corrupted by money, power and sex. Many children of the Devil who lie, kill and rob claim to be Christians.
Christianity is divine, historical, spiritual, transcendental, and eternal. By this Biblical definition, Christianity is not the religion practiced by Western powers (including America) known in history and today. Western powers sadly and shamelessly and systematically have misrepresented, disgraced and distorted Christianity.
At the National Prayer Breakfast some years ago, Obama testified “as a Christian” coincides with Jesus’ teaching that “for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.”
There are plenty of evidence to prove Obama is not a Christian, because he is a liar and killer. Since the end of World War II American presidents have incited and instigated hundreds of unjust wars and bloody military interventions which had killed millions and millions of innocent peoples around the world. Obama is the first American president to support legalization of same-sex marriage and homosexuality. He was even using executive order to force Christian colleges and universities to promote the cause of homosexuals under the false pretense of religious freedom and equality. Obama knew that in 1971 the U.S. government violated international law and sovereignty of China in illegally giving administrative control of China’s Diaoyu Islands to the unconditionally surrendered war crime nation of Japan. At first Obama said the U.S. took no position on the sovereignty of Diaoyu Islands, later he said the U.S. would defend Japan against China – outwitted by the prime minister of Japan. Obama’s “pivot to Asia” policy was the American code word for imperial aggression and expansion into Asia Pacific in violation of American Monroe Doctrine.
Luk 12:45-48 ,“But if that slave says in his heart: My master will be a long time in coming, and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
Jesus was speaking about the faithful servant and the evil servant.
Although Obama misapplied the Scriptures, it is in accordance with Christian principle of justice that the rich should and must pay taxes in higher proportion. Since America is not a Christian nation, even based on a secular principle of justice, the rich must pay more taxes. It is not fair for the rich to pay a tax rate lower than the middle class. If was very un-Christian for Obama to support same-sex marriage and sent a letter of congratulation to a gay couple. It is very un-Christian for officials to lie and lie and lie in public or in private. It is un-Christian to attack any nation under the pretext of freedom, democracy, justice, human right, etc. It is un-Christian to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations such as the US-Taiwan Relations Act. It is the will of God that nations should seek peace and harmony and not war and aggression.
All religious beliefs are generally called religions, except Christianity. Christianity in the true meaning of the word is not a religion as other religions are. Christianity is a personal relation with Jesus Christ. You can be a member of a local church, but without relationship with Jesus Christ. For that reason the Church of Jesus Christ is the body of Christ. You can be a member of a local church without being a member of the Body of Christ. To be a member of the Body of Christ, you must have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you. That is why Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Not only Western traditions are contrary to the teachings of the Bible, many church traditions (as demonstrated by the Roman Catholic Church and others) are also contrary to the teachings of God’s Word. For that reason Christians do not accept the traditions of men.
Mat 15:6, “So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the Word of God. ”
Note: Here the word tradition quoted above in Greek is paradosis which means a giving over or handing down which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e., tradition by instruction, history, narrative, precept, belief, conduct, etc., – it occurs about 13 times in the New Testament. The West has wrong traditions. The Chinese has bad traditions.
All has been used in a negative way about the human tradition contrary to the Word of God. Some aspects of Western culture and many traditions such as Halloween, etc, and superstition, lucky charm, astrology, and racial beliefs, etc. are not compatible with the Bible.
It is absolutely wrong to identify Thomas More, Knights of Columbus, John Calvin, etc. with Christianity. All humans are fallible and imperfect, they cannot be used to identify with the infallible and perfect. They, etc. may want to identify with Christianity, but Christianity certainly cannot and do not identify with them. Christianity is only and solely identified with Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, and His holy Apostles. Christianity is identified with the Holy Bible, the Word of God, the sole authority of Christian faith and conduct, especially the New Testament. Even John Calvin because of his false and wrong doctrine on Predestination cannot be identified with Christianity. Theologians are not infallible. What men say or think do not matter. What God says matter absolutely. God does not predetermine certain groups of people or individuals to go to Hell. For God so loved the world that whoever and whosoever believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world, should not perish but have everlasting life. Jhn 6:37, Jesus says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will not cast out.” If you repent of your sins and accept and believe Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He will not reject you. This is good news for all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is NOT a white man religion. The “white man’s burden” was the greatest historical fraud. The greatest historical evil was caused by the deeds committed under the pretext of “white man’s burden. ” The greatest evil which happened to the world was the ”white man’s burden. ” The “white man’s burden ” has been the greatest historical fraud with vast political, military, technological, economic and financial and social implications. Under pretext of the white man’s burden, Western imperialism and colonialism and capitalism were born and justified. The evil created by imperialism and colonialism and capitalism is incalculable and inestimable and immeasurable. Even today hegemonism has replaced imperialism and colonialism, it continues to divide the world, and seeks to dominate the world by wars of aggression, political arm-twisting, military supremacy, legal terrorism, and economic colonialism and monopoly, massive fraud and financial looting, etc.
The history of white men and white nations is the history of wars of conquest, brutalities, atrocities, aggressions, oppressions, exploitations, discriminations, demarcations, sanctions and dominations. White men had and have plundered and plagued the world as practiced by Western imperialists, militarists, colonialists, capitalists and hegemonists. The wisdom of Jesus: You shall know them by their fruit. White men in the last 500 years under the guise of Christianity did not and do not produce good fruit.
The trees of imperialism, colonialism, militarism, capitalism and hegemonism of the West produce much evil fruits. By the authority of Jesus Christ, because the white nations do not produce good fruit, so you know they are un-Christian. Therefore, Christianity is not a white man religion.
Christianity is NOT a tool of Western democracy and capitalism.
There is no such a thing called Christendom; there are only Western powers that pretend to be Christian nations. There are no Christian nations; there are Western nations that claim to be Christian but practice un-Christian activities under the sun. There is not one nation in the world which is fit or qualified to be called a Christian nation. There are nations whose populations are mostly nominal Christians. There are very strange white people who think they are Christians simply because they were born white. To associate Christianity with Western democracy and capitalism is like to associate sheep with wolf and pig.
Democratic government is supposed to be a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the hands of people and exercised by them through a system of representation usually involving free elections. Elections have become meaningless and useless because they are hijacked and run by moneyed interests. Whoever has the money got elected. Special interests control the election process. Money poisons politics and political process. Democracy is a political theory based on the majority rule, but the reality is that today it is the tool of making the masses to serve the interests of the few. Political parties serve themselves and serve the special interests but they do not serve the interests of the people. Democracy as practiced in and by the West has made the few the elite and privileged class. The so-called democratic nations rest their power in the hands of the few for the benefits of the few. Abraham Lincoln probably believed in government of the people, by the people and for the people. Today who can honestly tell what government is of the people, by the people and for the people? The Western propaganda machine spews out lies, manufacture fake news, fake reports, falsehoods, delusions and illusions and propaganda that fool the masses and the world. Government and politics are darkened by corruption and greed and lust. Wall Street and Washington and Hollywood have powerfully proved the fallacy of democracy and capitalism and freedom.
Capitalism was born of greed and bred by greed. From million-dollar college presidents, to $6 trillion predatory health-care industry, to $6 trillion flawed legal system, to hedge funds managers earning several billions a year, to all former U.S. presidents becoming multimillionaires and a great number of former high-ranking appointees becoming multimillionaires, to tax-cuts for the rich, to highest debts and deficits in the world, to dollar dropping and losing value, to uncontrollable and innumerable financial frauds and scams, to high unemployment, to huge income inequality, to bailout of Wall Street with billions in bonuses for corrupt executives, etc. all point to the fact that Capitalism is bad for America and bad for the world. American healthcare and legal systems are the most corrupt, fraudulent and predatory establishments that suck more than $6 trillion a year from the American lifeblood and bankrupt millions of American families without shame.
Capitalism is a fraud, the biggest fraud, as demonstrated by Wall Street. “Quantitative easing ” still means printing money. “Orderly resolutions ” still means bailout. You cannot dress up lies, black lies with the veneer of truth. You can dress up a corpse; but it is still a dead body. Politicians and bureaucrats and technocrats do not know how to manage, they only know how to spend and waste taxpayers’ money, so they resort to words, lies, flowery and hollow words, to charm and cheat the peoples. Capitalism is serving the interest of 1 percent of the populations at the expense of the 99 percent.
The history of Western imperialism and colonialism is the history of corruption, atrocities, inhumanities, brutalities and injustice. Imperialism does not mean the rule of an emperor. China was a peaceful and civilized nation and had many emperors; almost all Chinese emperors did not have an expansionist ambition. Most Chinese emperors did not wish to have any dealing with foreign nations in particular the West. Imperialism was a Western phenomenon, an undertaking that employs oppressive “expansionist” policies and systems, based on territorial acquisition, political and economic domination and military suppression of other nations by the imperial power. Imperialism is both a form of polity and policy or practice. The infamous Opium Wars instigated by Britain, France, Spain, Russia, the United States, Japan and others shed the light on the vicious nature and pernicious practice of imperialists.
Colonialism is a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, demarcated, oppressed, settled, controlled, robbed and exploited large areas of the world. Europe became very rich by robbery, economic exploitation and absorption of the colony’s natural and human resources in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Imperialism and colonialism are twin brothers of white supremacists for the expansion of power and wealth, religious and political beliefs. The U.S. uses the illegal US-Taiwan Relations Act as a pretext to control and use Taiwan as an American colony. Taiwan leaders are Chinese traitors who are shameless running dogs of America.
Imperialism and colonialism represent the worst of the Western powers, the irony and iniquity is the claim made by these Western powers to be Christian nations. The justification of imperialism and colonialism was the infamous “ white man’s burden ” – the alleged duty of white peoples to bring their civilization and religion to other peoples regarded as backward or inferior. They even sent missionaries to the nations they attacked such as China where they oppressed, robbed, looted, and killed the Chinese people. How in the world do you expect the oppressed Chinese would believe in a “ religion ” that caused so much evils, atrocities, injustice and brutalities? The truth is: Christianity was not and is not the religion represented by Western imperialists and colonialists and capitalists. These white supremacists betrayed and dishonored the Lord Jesus Christ by pretending to be what they were not and what they are not. You know Jesus Christ hates hypocrites.
Since the end of World War II, American leaders have sought absolute military supremacy, economic monopoly and world domination; except President Richard Nixon who sought a just and lasting peace.
The clear and apparent defect of American political culture is self-gratification and boast of “America First”, American power in world dominance and domination and dictatorship. The Democratic Party and media glorified the playboy and peacock president Kennedy, and exaggerated the blunder and Watergate and downplayed the great achievements of Richard Nixon. I have said it before, I say it again: President Richard Nixon was the only American president who sought a just and lasting peace; since the end of World War II to the present, all American presidents have been seeking absolute military supremacy and world domination. If the U.S. Constitution was so great, the U.S. government would not almost terminated the Red Indian race, be responsible for inciting hundreds of unjust wars and bloody military interventions that killed millions and millions of innocent people around the world and even more millions of refugees around the world living in misery and abject poverty. The U.S. government would not be paralyzed, held hostage by special interests, and incurred the huge deficits and largest national debt of over $24 trillion … I loudly doubt if the United States of America could last another hundred years. The tragedy of tragedies is the fact that American leaders mistake and treat aggression and expansion and sanction, intervention and domination hypocritically as promoting freedom, democracy, human rights, civil rights, rule of law and whatever good name or noble cause. American leaders obsessed with unholy ambition of being the dictators of the world, get lost in the world, not knowing their place is in North America, not in Asia Pacific or Europe. The Evil Trinity and Tyranny of Washington, Wall Street and Hollywood are the greatest threat to the United States of America. Out of hatred, envy and jealousy American leaders by hook or by crook treat China as the enemy; and they are doing everything possible to oppress, suppress, destroy, restrict, control, confront, and provoke China in all fronts. Unlike the Soviet Union, Russia is no threat to the world, much less to America and Europe.
This is the truth and nothing but the truth.
There are three greatest threats to the world today:
1.The American imperialism.
2. Japanese resurgent militarism.
3. Islamic terrorism.
Worst and strangest of all, American leaders think it is normal for a country (America) to expand, attack, occupy, oppress, exploit, sanction, threaten, destroy, lie, kill, and rob other nations. They believe they are exceptional and appointed by God to rule the world.
For about 300 years American preachers have preached that capitalism is compatible with Christianity. By the Word of God, capitalism is NOT compatible with Christianity. Imperialism is NOT compatible with Christianity. Militarism is NOT compatible with Christianity. Racism is NOT compatible with Christianity. Greed for power and money and pleasure is NOT compatible with Christianity. Therefore, the Western religion or the White Man’s religion is not Christianity.
III. WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS.
What Christianity is all about does not depend on the explanations of Augustine, Calvin, etc. Many so-called theologians propose and propound false doctrines, erroneous teachings, and even heresies. If we have to define Christianity in two words, I would venture: the Faith, or, the Way. If we have to define Christianity in four words. Then I venture: the Faith in Christ; or, the Way of Christ. This is not metaphysical conception of Christianity the Christian religion.
It is most difficult to define what Christianity is, some may be too simple and general, some may be too vague and not meaningful. The following definition is derived entirely from the Holy Bible, may be unprecedented.
It is false and facetious to compare the single founder of Christianity with some other religions, created each at a blow by the genius of a single person, raised far above his fellows by the loftiness or the strength of his personal character, by the force of his moral enthusiasm or his worldly ambition. Jesus Christ had no worldly ambition. Jhn 18:36, “Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My Kingdom is not of this realm.” Jesus was holy and never married, never had sex with a woman, and never had a wife. Unlike the founder of a religion who had many wives, and who allows his male followers to have many wives even today.
Jhn 6:10-15, “Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.Therefore when the people saw the miracle which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
After feeding the five thousand and women and children, the people were intending to take Jesus by force to make Him king, but Jesus withdrew from them. Jesus Christ rejected democracy outright. How many politicians claimed God wanted them to run for the American presidency! Even today, if you are able to feed the people, they will make you king or president. Many world governments are bankrupt or going bankrupt.
Mat 4:8-10, “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”
There are many who get rich by becoming preachers, especially in America. Jesus Christ would not worship Satan even offered all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Jhn 8:50, “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.” Jesus did not seek His glory from the world or from men. How many preachers consider it an honor to be invited by the White House. Many American preachers identify Christianity with American power.
It is an absurd assertion that many of the leading Gospel incidents in the life our Lord are paralleled in other religions. Jesus Christ is One and Only, the Incomparable. Do not mistake fish eyes are precious pearls.
Mat 7:28, “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching.”
Mar 1:22, “They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Mat 8:27, “The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Luk 8:25, “And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
Mat 9:33, “After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Mat 12:23, “All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
Mat 21:20, “Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”
Mar 2:12, “And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Mar 16:6, “And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”
Luk 9:42-43, “While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples.”
Luk 11:14, “And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed.”
Note: The winds and the sea, wild animals and evil spirits, sickness and diseases and nature obey Christ.
Act 4:13, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”
Act 13:12, “Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.”
Note: Uneducated and untrained disciples of Jesus were transformed and changed by His presence and teaching to influence the world.
Christianity is centered on and all about Jesus Christ:
(1). The Truth of Christ
2Co 11:10, “As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.”
Note: The shifting phantasmagoria of this material and mutable world does not affect or impact on the truth of Christ. The truth of Christ is eternal, not transitory. The Gospel which Apostle Paul and other apostles preach is the truth of Christ as it it written in the Holy Bible. Any doctrine, tradition, or practice contrary to the truth of Christ is false and fake and to be condemned.
Jhn 14:6-13, “Jesus said to him, “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Note: Christianity can be summed up in Jesus being the Way, there is no other ways to God. Jesus is the only Way, all others are thieves who steal, rob and kill. Jesus is the only Way to God is the Truth. Whoever believes in the Truth of Christ will receive the eternal Life. There are no alternative concepts of God and no different religious worldviews. You may think this is dogmatic and narrow-minded. Jesus is absolutely the Way, in Christianity there is no other way. Christianity is the Faith, the Faith in Christ. There is no other faith. Truth is One and Absolute, you may think this is dogmatic. One God, one Faith, one Way.
The skeptics insist faith must have support. In other words, you believe on ground of something. Truth is not undergoing the process of abstraction and generalization, nor the desire for simplification and unification. Truth is in Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior who was once dead and rose again, the Lord who ascended to the highest Heavens, the coming King of kings and Lord of lords is all the support whereby I believe in the Faith. The truth of the Lord is everlasting. The Word of God is truth.
The authenticity of Truth does not depend on the acceptance of man. Jhn 12:48, “But all who reject ME and MY message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.” Rom 2:8, “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Reject means refuse to obey. Self-seeking people reject the truth and follow evil.
Eph 4:21, “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus.”
Note: Truth is in Jesus. If you find Jesus you find truth.
1Jo 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
The Son of God has come (God manifested in Man) and has given believers understanding so that we may know Him who is true. Christians are in Christ who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. To believe and know Jesus Christ is the true God is to receive the eternal life.
(2). The Love of Christ
Rom 8:35, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
2Co 5:14, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.”
Note: The symbol of Christianity is the cross, none other. The cross is the symbol of the love of Christ.
Eph 3:19, “and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
Note: Unbelievers do not know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. Science is nothing but tentative knowledge of men at a given time and place.
(3). The Work of Christ
Phl 2:30, “because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.”
Eph 4:12, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
Jhn 6:29, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
Note: Most religions consider what you do for God is the work of God. Jesus tells a great truth: This is the work of God that you believe in Jesus Christ whom God has sent into the world.
Jhn 17:4, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”
Note: Jesus Christ accomplished the work which God had given Him to do on the cross, to die and save sinners.
(4). The Spirit of Christ
Rom 8:9, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
1Pe 1:11, “seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”
Rom 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Note: The proof that you are saved is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you.
Phl 1:19, “for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Note: The provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ is according to the will and power of God.
(5). The Gospel of Christ
Rom 15:19, “in the power of miracles and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ.”
1Co 9:12, “If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.”
Note: Historically, Western imperialism and capitalism cause the greatest hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. Western leaders who are unjust warmongers but claim to be Christians cause hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:7, “which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ.”
Western powers including the United States distort the Gospel of Christ.
Phl 1:27, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”
Note: To witness for the Gospel of Christ, we need to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. Christians everywhere need to stand firm in one spirit. It is the duty of Christians everywhere to strive with one mind for the faith of the Gospel.
(6). The Word of Christ
Rom 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.”
Col 3:16, “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Note: It is shocking that some modern churches particularly in Taiwan do not use spiritual songs in service, but secular songs influenced by Hollywood.
Phl 2:16, “holding fast the Word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”
Jhn 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Jhn 8:31, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.”
Note: The true mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ is to continue in the Word of Jesus Christ. Those who continue in His Word receive the blessing of Christ.
(7). The Blessing of Christ
Rom 15:29, “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”
1Co 10:16, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
Gal 3:14, “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Eph 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Note: The true Gospel of Jesus Christ never promised worldly or material or monetary blessings. The problem of prosperity gospel is that its preachers and followers seek to get rich in the world, not spiritual blessing in Christ.
(8). The Mind of Christ
1Co 2:16, “For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Note: Mind in Greek is nous which means understanding; the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining; the intellectual faculty; the understanding; the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially; a particular mode of thinking and judging; mental faculties; – which occurs 24 times in the New Testament. The mind of Christ is unlike the mind of any man. Christians seek things above. Christianity is not questions or speculations arise in the minds of the Apostles, it is what is in the mind of Christ that matters.
Heb 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Note: The fact that God has spoken to us in His Son rules out the wrong idea that Christ spoke now ‘as God’ and now ‘as man.” Christ always speaks as God speaks, we must listen to Him. 2Jo 1:9, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.”
Note: Christianity abides in the teaching of Christ, not the teaching of Augustine, Calvin or church fathers, or anyone.
Rom 15:5, “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.”
1Co 1:10, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
Phl 2:5-7, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”
Phl 1:27, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”
Note: Christians only conduct themselves in a manner worthy of Gospel of Christ, standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel. Conduct oneself in Greek is politeuomai which means to live in a particular way; to behave; – which occurs 3 times in the New Testament. Stand firm in Greek is stēkō which means to persevere; to persist; to stand fast; to keep one’s standing; to stand erect; to maintain one’s position; – which occurs 17 times in the New Testament. Strive together in Greek is synathleō which means to labor with; to wrestle in company with; to help; to assist; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. The Way of Christ is the Christian Way.
(9). The Law of Christ
1Co 9:21, “to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.”
Gal 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
Note: Bear in Greek is bastazō which means to carry; to take up; to sustain; to support; to uphold; to endure; to sustain; to put upon oneself; – which occurs 29 times in the New Testament. Burden in Greek is baros which means weight; heaviness; trouble; heavy load; – which occurs 7 times in the New Testament. Bear one another’s burdens is to fulfill the law of Christ. Watch out there are false preachers and false brothers who become burdens of the Body of Christ. Once I heard a young woman who said, I am not well and I cannot work. You need to love me and take care of me…
Rom 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
Rom 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Note: End in Greek is telos which means termination; that by which a thing is finished; the conclusion; the very last; fulfillment; aim; purpose; – which occurs 41 times in the New Testament. To everyone who believes, Christ is the end or fulfillment or conclusion of the law for righteousness. By believing in Jesus Christ, one obtains the righteousness of God, so the law comes to an end. By observance of the law no one can obtain the righteousness of God.
Gal 2:16, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Note: This is the truth that many Jews and other religious followers do not understand. No man is justified by the works of the Law, it is only through faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified before God.
(10). The Blood of Christ
1Co 10:16, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”
Note: Sharing the blood of Christ is to receive the forgiveness of sins. The precious blood of Christ washes all our sins away.
Eph 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Note: By the blood of Christ a believer is sanctified and so he is brought near to God. A believer by grace and cleansed by the blood of Christ can approach the mercy seat of God without fear.
Heb 9:14, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
1Pe 1:19, “but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
Note: Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. With the precious blood of Christ, we Christians serve the living God with cleansed conscience.
(11). The Body of Christ
Phl 2:6-8, “Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
The fact that Jesus Christ came down from Heaven in human form having a human body, there is nothing peculiar about Him being hungry, thirsty, and He slept and wept.
Mar 4:37-38, “And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Note: The wonder is the fact that there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up; Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. How much is Jesus’ humanity and how much is Jesus’ divinity that enables Him to sleep in an adverse condition? Can a man sleep in the storm?
Jhn 11:34-36, “and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
Note: This is the first and only recorded occurrence that Jesus wept. It was not apparent why Jesus wept, probably because of humanity in a pitiful condition or lack of faith among people.
Rom 7:4, “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
Note: So in the Bible when referring to the Body of Christ, it has two meanings. The first refers to the physical body of Christ mentioned above. The second meaning is referring to the Body of Christ, the Church, as follows:
1Co 10:16, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”
Eph 4:12, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
Note: The test of a minister is whether his ministry builds up the body of Christ, edification of the Church, or not.
1Co 12:12, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
Eph 3:6, “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”
Note: It is absolutely false and facetious to say that Christ was neither the destroyer nor the creator of institutions. The Church is the only institution that Christ created.
Mat 16:17-18, “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Note: This is the Scripture most abused and quoted by the Roman Catholic Church. They believe Peter is the rock upon which Christ builds His Church. A fallacy of fallacies! How can Christ builds His Church on someone who denied Him three times? The Roman Catholics do not want to know the truth. For it is clearly written in the Bible, 1Co 10:3-4, “and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the Rock was Christ.”
Note: Peter in Greek is Petros which means a stone; – which occurs 155 times in the New Testament. Rock in Greek is petra which means a large stone; metaphorically Christ is the Rock by reason of His power, strength, faithfulness, virtue, steadfastness, holiness; – which occurs 15 times in the New Testament. Peter was only a stone, Christ is the Rock.
Jhn 10:14-16, “I AM the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one Shepherd.”
Note: The fold of sheep Jesus refers to are the Jewish believers. Other sheep refers to are the Gentile Christians. The Jewish and Gentile Christians will become on flock with the Great Shepherd. In the Kingdom of God there is no distinction between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
1Pe 2:9-10, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
Note: The Church of Christ is A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION. Do you know for all eternity there will be only one institution the HOLY NATION?
(12). The Head of Christ
1Co 11:3, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the Head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the Head of Christ.”
Note: I think some theologians who teach co-equal in Trinity does not correspond with the Word of God. It seems the Holy Spirit is subject to Christ, and Christ is subject to God. For God is the greatest. However, our Great God is ONE, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Eph 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the Head of the Church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”
Note: Christ is the Head of the Church. No one is, not even Peter. The pope claims to be the head of the church on earth, so the pope is an antichrist. Mary the mother of Jesus is a member of the Church, the Apostles are greater than Mary. Mary does not serve any position or rank in the Church of God. Mary does not have any power or influence. It is sinful and idolatry to pray to Mary, saint, apostle, angel, etc.
Eph 1:22, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as Head over all things to the church.”
Eph 4:15, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ.”
Note: Speaking truth is not difficult, speaking truth in love is difficult. Christians need to grow up in all aspects into Christ, conformed to the Image of Christ, who is the Head of the Church in all things.
Jhn 10:29, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Jhn 14:28, “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”
Note: Some theologians say the Trinity is co-equal in everything does not confirm to the statement of Christ, My Father is greater than I.
(13). The Sufferings of Christ
2Co 1:5, “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”
1Pe 1:11, “seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”
Note: Jesus Christ sets His followers an example: sufferings first, glories follow. If we suffer with Christ, we will glorify with Him.
1Pe 4:13, “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
Note: The best attitude is willingly to share the sufferings of Christ and not expecting any reward or glory.
1Pe 5:1, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed.”
Note: A partaker of the sufferings of Christ will also be a partaker of the glory of Christ.
1Th 2:14, “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.”
(14). The Glory of Christ
2Co 4:4, “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Rom 6:4, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
Rom 15:7, “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”
2Co 4:6, “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
Note: To have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ is better than to have the ability to solve all quantum mechanics problems, ability to predict future possibilities, calculus or combinatorics.
2Co 8:23, “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.”
Note: The safest and soundest position and principle for every Christian is to do everything to the glory of Christ.
(15). The Meekness and Gentleness of Christ
2Co 10:1, “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!”
Note: Meekness in Greek is praÿtēs which means mildness of disposition; gentleness of spirit; humility; – which occurs 11 times in the New Testament. Gentleness in Greek is epieikeia which means clemency; mildness; fairness; kindness; – which occurs 2 times in the New Testament. The meekness and gentleness of Christ is as the Lamb of God. Remember, Christ is also the Lion of Judah.
Mat 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”
Note: Humble in Greek is tapeinos which means lowly; lowly in spirit; not proud; not arrogant; – which occurs 8 time in the New Testament. If the King of kings and Lord of lords is gentle and humble in heart, how much more humble should Christians be.
1Pe 3:4, “but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”
Note: A gentle and quiet spirit is the imperishable quality which is precious in the sight of God. Why particularly American leaders are so arrogant and loud and yet call themselves Christians?
Jas 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
Note: The Christian character should be pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy — this is more valuable than a Ph.D. and the gold of federal reserve.
(16). The Obedience of Christ
2Co 10:5, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
Note: We have studied secular academics and unbelieving theologians; their works are nothing but speculations and lofty theory. We must destroy speculations and every lofty thing (such as higher criticism) raised against the knowledge of God. Take captive in Greek is aichmalōtizō which means to bring into captivity; to lead away captive; to captivate; to capture one’s mind; to make captive; to subjugate; to bring under control; – which occurs 7 times in the New Testament. Christians are to take or make every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Christians must subjugate all and everything to the obedience of Christ. It means Christians must obey Christ in all and everything.
Rom 15:18, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed.”
Note: Christians obey Jesus Christ by word and deed. It is impossible to obey Jesus Christ by word only.
2Co 9:13, “Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all.”
Note: Believers give obedience to our confession of the Gospel of Christ. Liberality of contribution must support the work of God, not to support false prophets and false preachers and fraudulent organizations.
Phl 2:8, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Note: Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. This is the highest point of obedience, death on the cross.
Note: It is a stupid statement to say that Jesus Christ has or has not ambition. Heb 10:7, “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” Mat 26:39, “ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
This is the highest goal of Christian life: To do the will of God.
Act 6:7, “The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
Note: Obedient to the faith is obedient to Christ, obedient to Christ is obedient to the will of God.
(17). The Power of Christ
2Co 12:9, “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Note: The most tragic thing for a minister is to lack the power of Christ in preaching the Gospel. A minister without the filling of the Holy
Spirit preaches a sermon that puts people to sleep.
Rom 1:4, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Rom 15:19, “in the power of miracles and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ.”
Note: Only in the power of miracles and wonders, in the power of the Spirit can the Gospel of Christ be fully preached.
1Co 1:24, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Note: What the Church of God needs is not the recognition of government or the support of the rich and powerful. The Church needs the fullness of Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God.
2Pe 1:16, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
Note: Peter, John and James were eyewitnesses of the majesty of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ during the Transfiguration.
(18). The Grace of Christ
Gal 1:6, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.”
Note: By the grace of Christ we are saved through faith. To desert Christ for a different gospel is the major phenomenon of the world today.
Rom 5:15, “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.”
Note: The grace of God and the gift of Christ to be redeemed from transgression is only available in Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:17, “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Note: Transgression brings death, the abundance of grace enables believers to receive the gift of righteousness to reign in life through Jesus Christ.
Rom 16:24, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
1Co 1:4, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.”
Note: Law brings wrath and death, Christ brings truth and grace.
2Co 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
Note: Although Jesus was rich in Heaven, yet for our sake He became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich. The preachers and followers of the false gospel called prosperity gospel want to get rich in this world.
2Co 12:9, “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Note: To the suffering saints, remember the Word of Jesus Christ, My grace is sufficient for you.
(19). The Cross of Christ
1Co 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”
Note: Megachurch evangelists make void the Gospel by cleverness of speech (such as something good is going to happen to you) and worldly theatrics and social activities and fashionable trappings.
Gal 6:12, “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
Note: Those who will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ desire to make a good showing in the flesh.
Phl 3:18, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.”
Note: False prophets, false teachers, and false brothers are enemies of the cross of Christ.
Gal 6:14, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Note: For believers there is nothing to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which brings salvation and eternal hope. Some who profess to be Christians boast “America First”, absolute military and economic power, wealth, technology, nuclear weapons, their empire and glory.
(20). The Mystery of Christ
Eph 3:4, “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.”
Note: Christianity is the mystery of Christ, and that is not a problem.
Col 4:3, “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned.”
Note: The glorious Gospel of God is the mystery of Christ.
Rom 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.”
Note: The mystery of Christ was revealed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that whosoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins and become the children of God to inherit the Kingdom of God.
Col 1:27, “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Note: Christians do not know fully the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The super powers are nothing in comparison to the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Col 2:2, “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.”
Note: Oh, children of God, do you have a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself? Words cannot describe the mystery.
(21). The Unfathomable Riches of Christ
Eph 3:8, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.”
Note: The Gospel of Christ is the unfathomable riches of Christ.
Rom 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
Note: Secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers, do not think lightly of the riches of God’s kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?!
Rom 9:23, “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.”
Note: Oh saints of God, do you know we are vessels of mercy to make known the riches of His glory, which He prepared beforehand for glory?
Rom 10:12, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him.”
Note: Under the Great Shepherd, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, all are one Flock, the children of God.
Rom 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
Note: The biggest problem of secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers who think they know so much; but they know nothing of the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are God’s judgments and unfathomable His ways! Just as an ameba cannot and does not know both the wisdom and knowledge of man.
(22). The Fullness of Christ
Eph 4:13, “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Note: The fullness of Christ covers a great deal: the fullness of Divinity, the fullness of wisdom, the fullness of power, the fullness of perfection, the fullness of glory, etc.
The unity of the Christian faith is not to join the One World Religion, but the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Rom 15:29, “But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.”
Note: No Christian has yet receive the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. Spiritual self-satisfaction is dangerous. We grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and strive forward.
Eph 1:10, “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven and which are on earth—in Him.”
Note: How great is Christ that He might gather together all things in Heaven and which are on earth in Himself.
Eph 3:19, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Note: To be filled with all the fullness of God we need to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. Poor intellectuals, there is something that passes knowledge. Do you know what it is?
Col 1:18-20, “He is also Head of the body, the Church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in Heaven.”
Note: It is the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Jesus Christ, and to have first place in everything, whether things on earth or things in Heaven.
(23). The Kingdom of Christ
Eph 5:5, “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.”
Note: The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world. The Kingdom of
Christ is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal and glorious. Most things in the world you cannot know with certainty. This one truth you can know with certainty: no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the King of Christ and God. To be covetous is to be greedy. Among others, a greedy man cannot enter the Kingdom of Christ and God. What do you think about greedy Wall Street and Washington and Hollywood executives, corrupt and fraudulent doctors and hospital owners, lawyers, bankers, insurance and industry and other executives, etc.?
Act 8:12, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.”
Note: God treats men and women alike. You pay attention to the evil religions that discriminate and oppress women and girls.
Act 28:31, “preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”
Note: Openness in Greek is parrēsia which means boldness; confidence; freedom in speaking; unreserved in speech; without concealment; without ambiguity or circumlocution; without the use of figure of speech; fear and fearless confidence; assurance; frankness; bluntness; publicity; – which occurs 32 times in the New Testament. Unhindered in Greek is akōlytōs which means without hindrances; freely; no man forbidding him; not restrained; – which occurs 1 time only in the New Testament.There should be international laws to have religious freedom and freedom of speech enforced by the United Nations. Any nation that forbids religious freedom or prohibits freedom of speech will be sanctioned and kicked out of the U.N. Two thousand years ago apostles and disciples were able to preach and teach concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. You might not know in American public schools Bible reading and prayer are not allowed.
2Ti 4:1, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom.”
2Pe 1:11, “for in this way the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Rev 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Note: The day is coming when the angel sounds, the kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.
(24). The Fear of Christ
Eph 5:21, “and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
Note: Most people hear about fear of God, they do not know the fear of Christ.
Rev 6:12-17, “ I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Note: May I remind secularists, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers, the wicked and unbelievers, warmongers and terrorists, can you stand the wrath of the Lamb?
Eph 6:5, “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ.”
Jer 10:7,“Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
Indeed it is Your due!
For among all the wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.”
Mat 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”
Act 9:31, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
2Co 5:11, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.”
2Co 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Note: Most people know what is defilement of flesh, and they do not know about defilement of spirit. Sin defiles spirit, disobedience defiles spirit also.
(25). The Day of Christ
Phl 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Phl 1:10, “so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.”
Phl 2:16, “holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”
Rom 2:16, “on the day when, according to my Gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”
1Co 1:8, “who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2Pe 3:18, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Note: The Day of Christ is the most important day in the history of the universe, because on that Day Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and the dead and reign with the saints forever and ever.
(26). The Affection of Christ
Phl 1:8, “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Note: Affection in Greek is splagchnon which means tender mercy; pity or sympathy; heart of mercy; a feeling of caring; – which occurs 11 times in the New Testament.
Phl 2:1, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion.”
Th 2:8, “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”
2Co 7:15, “His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.”
Note: Christians must have affection and compassion for each other.
(27). The Sake of Christ
Phl 3:7, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
Note: Sake in Greek is dia which means for the cause; by reason of; because of; in every way; by the merit of; for the benefit of; purpose; – which occurs 512 times in the New Testament. For the sake of Christ, Christians must do many things otherwise would not do.
Rom 9:3, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
2Co 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
Eph 3:1, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—”
2Ti 2:10, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”
Phm 1:9, “yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—”
(28). The Circumcision of Christ
Col 2:11, “and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.”
Rom 15:8, “For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers.”
Phl 3:3, “for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
Rom 2:28-29, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.”But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Gal 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”
Note: Circumcision in Greek is peritomē which means the extinction of passions and the removal of spiritual impurity (Strong’s Concordance); – which occurs 36 times in the New Testament. Do not misunderstand, the Biblical terminology may be different from ordinary terminology. The circumcision speaks here is not the circumcision of the flesh, but the circumcision of the heart. By the Spirit, Christians have the circumcision of the heart, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. It means by faith working through love.
(29). The Peace of Christ
Col 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
1Th 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1Pe 1:2, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
2Jo 1:3, “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
Note: Peace in Greek is eirēnē which means rest; quietness; a state of tranquility; assurance of salvation; felicity; – which occurs 92 times in the New Testament. It is a wonderful thing to have the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. Jesus says, Jhn 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” To have the peace of Christ is not to let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You cannot find such peace in the world. Luk 21:26, “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” In Greek fainting is apopsychō which means heart failing; – which occurs only 1 time in the New Testament. I am an M.D. Could it be heart failure? Is it possible because of fear of the expectations of the things which are coming upon he world, increasingly more people suffer heart failure, heart attack, other heart diseases and as well as mental and psychiatric diseases? Most Americans live in fear, fear of many many kinds: Fear of nuclear war, fear of economic collapse, fear of depression, fear of terrorism, fear of violent crime, fear of corruption, fear of deficits and debts, fear unemployment, fear of losing home, fear natural disaster, fear of man-made disaster, fear of accident, fear of bombing, fear of explosion, fear of poverty, fear of homelessness, fear of racial conflict, fear of riots, fear of discrimination, fear of deflation, fear of inflation, fear of food shortage, fear of legal injustice, fear of losing freedom, fear of catastrophic disease, fear of bankruptcy, fear of epidemics, fear of death …….
(30). The Steadfastness of Christ
2Th 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”
1Th 1:3, “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”
Col 1:11, “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously.”
2Pe 3:17, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness.”
Note: Steadfastness in Greek is hypomonē which means cheerful endurance; patience; perseverance; constancy; – which occurs 33 times in the New Testament. Steadfastness of Christ produces steadfastness of hope and patience joyously.
(31). The Presence of Christ
2Co 2:10, “But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ.”
1Th 1:3, “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”
1Ti 5:21, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”
1Ti 6:13, “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate.”
2Ti 4:1, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom.”
Note: Presence in Greek is prosōpon which means face; person; countenance; appearance; before the face of one; – which appears 73 times in the New Testament. The Word of God wants Christians to do anything, work of faith, and labor of love before the face of God and Christ, that is in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.
(32). The Name of Christ
1Pe 4:14, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
Jhn 20:31, “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Act 2:38, “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Act 3:6, “But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
Act 4:10, “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”
Note: Name in Greek is onoma which means the cause or reason named; the name by which a person is called; title; by authority or power of; – which occurs 228 times in the New Testament. Jhn 20:31, “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” It is by believing we may have life in the Name of Christ. So there is no other name under Heaven whereby we may be saved. When we say by the name of Christ it means by the authority and power of Christ. The name of Christ is the most glorious, highest, holiest, and the greatest power in Heaven or on earth.
(33). The Reproach of Christ
Heb 11:26, “considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”
1Ti 6:14, “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Isa 25:8, “He will swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
For the LORD has spoken.”
Isa 51:7, “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose heart is My law;
Do not fear the reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revelings.”
Col 1:22, “yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—”
Note: Reproach in Greek is oneidismos which means such as Christ suffered from his enemies; discredit or disgrace; blame or disapproval; – which occurs 5 times in the New Testament. Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Saints consider the suffering shame for the sake of Christ greater than the riches of the world.
(34). The Teaching of Christ
2Jo 1:9, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.”
Note: The teaching of Christ is supreme in Christianity, not theologians, not any church, not any man, not the pope. All the teachings of Apostles are subject to the teaching of Christ. The teachings of the Apostles are not their own, but the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Act 28:31, “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”
Col 3:16, “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Heb 6:1, “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”
Note: Teaching in Greek is didachē which means doctrine; instruction; that which is taught; opinion; – which occurs 30 times in the New Testament. The teaching of Christ is the teaching God, absolute and ultimate. You should never compare the teaching of Christ with the teachings of theologians or scholars. You should always use the teaching of Christ to measure and test the teachings of men. Why? For Jesus says, Mat 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” The teaching of Christ is the highest, supreme, absolute, final and ultimate.
(35). The Resurrection of Christ
Act 2:31, “he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.”
Act 26:23, “that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Rom 1:4, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1Pe 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1Pe 3:21, “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Note: Resurrection in Greek is anastasis which means a rising from death; raising to life again; rising from the dead; rising again to life; – which occurs 42 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Is it not true all founders of religions are dead and buried? The Crucifixion and the Resurrection are the two cardinal doctrines of Christianity. One follows the another. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the two cardinal doctrines of Christianity. In crucifixion Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross. In resurrection God demonstrated the power of Christ to save all who come to Him to the end.
(36). The Coming of Christ
1Th 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2Th 2:1, “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.”
2Pe 1:16, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”
Mat 24:30, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.”
2Pe 3:12, “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”
Note: The second coming of Jesus Christ is the most important event to take place in the whole universe. The whole creation is waiting, waiting for the ONE WHO is coming to judge the world and reign with the saints forever and ever.
(37). The Judgment Seat of Christ
2Co 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Rom 14:10, “ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
Jhn 3:19, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
Jhn 5:22, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.”
Jhn 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Note: Jesus Christ is the coming Judge of the living and the dead. You will not come into judgement if you believe the Word of Jesus and believe God sent Him into the world to save sinner. You will have eternal life and have passed out of death into life.
No one can avoid the judgment seat of Christ. No president, prime minister, politician, pimp, prostitute, militarist, supremacist, imperialist, capitalist, hegemonist, monopolist, or terrorist can escape the judgment of God.
(38). The Revelation of Christ
Rev 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.”
Rom 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.”
1Co 1:7, “so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Eph 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
1Pe 1:7, “so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1Pe 4:13, “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
Note: Revelation in Greek is apokalypsis which means manifestation; disclosure of things before unknown; uncovering; appearance; a laying bare; making naked or apparent; making known; – which occurs 18 times in the New Testament. What is known does not need to be revealed. The revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past is the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ that sinners may be saved by grace.
(39). The True Knowledge of Christ
Col 2:2, “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance ㎡of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.”
Col 3:10, “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—”
2Pe 1:3, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
2Pe 1:8, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Note: Knowledge in Greek is epignōsis which means precise and correct knowledge; – which occurs 25 times in the New Testament. True knowledge is real knowledge, knowledge of the truth. It is ironic that secularists and unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers do not have true knowledge. What is the value of the knowledge E=mc2 when Einstein was at his dying moment? What is the use of Wall Street knowledge to a dying man? On the contrary, the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to a dying man is not only useful but more precious than all the United State Bullion Depository at Fort Knox.
(40). The Testimony of Christ
Rev 1:2, “who testified to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
Jhn 3:33,“He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.”
Jhn 5:32, “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.”
Jhn 5:34, “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.”
Rev 20:4, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Note: Testimony in Greek is martyria which means witness; record; report; solemn declaration; – which occurs 32 times in the New Testament. The testimony of Christ is true because He is the Word of God. Those who give their testimony of Jesus are also true.
(41). The Authority of Christ
Mat 28:18, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.”
1Co 15:24, “then comes the end, when He hands over the Kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”
Jhn 17:2, “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.”
Col 2:10, “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.”
Rev 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
Note: Authority in Greek is exousia which means power; right; liberty; jurisdiction; strength; privilege; rule; ability; force; capacity; token of control; power to command; – which occurs 102 times in the New Testament. Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth, and over all and above all.
Christianity is Jesus Christ, the Person of Jesus Christ, all about the Truth of Christ, the love of Christ, the work of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, the Gospel of Christ, the Word of Christ, the blessing of Christ, the mind of Christ, the law of Christ, the blood of Christ, the body of Christ, the head of Christ, the sufferings of Christ, the glory of Christ, the meekness and gentleness of Christ, the obedience of Christ, the power of Christ, the grace of Christ, the cross of Christ, the mystery of Christ, the unfathomable riches of Christ, the fullness of Christ, the Kingdom of Christ, the fear of Christ, the day of Christ, the affection of Christ, the sake of Christ, the circumcision of Christ, the peace of Christ, the steadfastness of Christ, the presence of Christ, the name of Christ, the reproach of Christ, the teaching of Christ, the coming of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the judgment seat of Christ, the revelation of Christ, the true knowledge of Christ, the testimony of Christ, the authority of Christ, and some more.
Christianity is perfect. Christianity does not need reform. It is Christians who have to be alert and not to deviate from the right path. 1Ti 4:1-3, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”
Note: Fall away in Greek is aphistēmi which means to depart; to draw away; to depart from; to make stand off; to cause to withdraw; to remove; to desert; to become faithless; to withdraw self; to refrain; to stand off; to stand aloof; to go away; – which occurs 20 times in the New Testament. Heb 3:12, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” An evil heart of unbelief is so evil that one would reject the truth, reject the light, and reject Jesus Christ. Secular academics, false prophets, hypocrites and unbelieving theologians spread false doctrines and advocate evil practices of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, demon worship, etc. to deceive and mislead many.
Now, you have learned a lot about the things of Christ through the Scriptures cited above. You know the words. Do you understand what you are reading? If not, ask the Lord to open your eyes and enlighten you. In His light you will see the light.
Eph 1:9-12, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the Heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
Note: Christianity is the mystery of God’s will, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the Heavens and things on the earth. Apparently, this is not easy to grasp and understand in a human mind.
Early Christians called Christianity the Faith (substantiated by the previous Scriptures) also called the Way. Act 9:2, “and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul, an enemy of Jesus Christ, was looking for anyone belonging to the Way, both men and women, that he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”
Note: Way in Greek is hodos which means a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding; the way in which one walks; the way of life; – which occurs 100 times in the New Testament. The original Greek word “way” used by Jesus in Jhn 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” is the same original Greek word “way” used in Act 9:2, “and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”
Christians belong to the Way of Jesus, the Faith in Jesus. All other religions (man-made or self-made religions) do not belong to the Way, do not have the same Faith. So it must be made clear now, why Christianity is not a religion as any religion. The authority of Christ is the highest, fullest, complete, absolute, supreme, final and ultimate.
IV. CHRISTIANITY IS THE FAITH IN AND OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST.
Jhn 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Note: Man’s heart is greatly troubled, troubled by a number things, real or unreal, present and future; the more troubled in the last days. It is not enough to believe in God, we must also believe in Christ. I purposedly focus my attention on Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the cause and center of Christianity. Jesus Christ is the central message of the Bible. Mat 17:8, “And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.” Let our vision be no one except Jesus Himself alone.
The Christian faith is NOT produced or developed by tradition, reason, conscience, custom, education, public opinion, scientific inquiry, conclusions of philosophers, or convictions of authorities, party, church, or government. The supremacy of Christianity is the words and teaching of Jesus Christ.
Act 3:16, “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.”
Note: The central person and the central message of Christianity is Jesus Christ. Christianity cannot exist without Jesus Christ. Without Christ there is no Christianity. The induction into Christian discipleship is on the basis of faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ. Secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers and unbelievers have no right to call themselves Christians because they do not believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of mankind.
The following is an interesting historical story how an Ethiopian eunuch became a Christian:
Act 8:26-39, “But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.”
Note: Although an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, was an important man, he could not be baptized (the initiation Christian rite) until Philip was sure the eunuch believed with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. No matter who you are, you disqualify yourself to be a Christian if you do not believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There are many Western leaders who profess to be Christians, and yet they lie, lie, and lie; kill, kill and kill; rob, rob, and rob. According to the definition of Jesus Christ, in fact they are children of the Devil.
Rom 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.”
Note: Christianity is the revelation of the mystery of Jesus Christ which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading peoples of all nations to obedience of faith.
Christianity is the Faith in Christ, leading believers to obedience of Faith.
Mar 1:15, “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”
Mar 16:16, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
Act 2:38, “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Jhn 8:44,“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Christians not only believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, Christians must also obey the Son of God, the Savior of the world. To believe and obey Jesus Christ is to see life and to receive the eternal life.
Deu 27:10, “You shall therefore obey the LORD your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”
Note: Obey in Hebrew is shama` which means to listen to; to hear; to hearken; to give heed; to yield to; to give ear; to regard; to render obedience; to follow the commands; to do what are told; – which occurs 1,169 times in the Old Testament. Christians believe and obey Christ.
Jhn 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Rom 2:8, “but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”
2Th 1:8, “dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
Heb 5:9, “ And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
1Pe 1:2, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
Note: Obey in Greek is hypakoē which means to listen with compliance or submission; – which occurs 15 times in the New Testament. We must obey Jesus Christ in the fullest measure. To obey the Gospel, to obey the truth is to obey Jesus Christ.
Not all who call themselves Christians are Christians.
Act 6:7, “The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
Note: Faith and obedience go together. Christians believe (have faith) in the Son of God and at the same time obey Jesus Christ. Become obedient in Greek is hypakouō which means to obey; to hearken; to listen; to submit to; to heed a command; to conform to authority; to follow the commands; to comply with; – which occurs 23 times in the New Testament. To become obedient to the faith is to obey Jesus Christ as the following Scripture says:
Jhn 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Heb 5:9, “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
1Pe 1:2, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
The following historical story illustrates the Christian Faith, not a religion.
Act 13:5-12, “When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.”
Note: The proconsul believed when he saw the magician went blind and his own eyes saw the power of God.
What Christians do with the Christian faith?
(1.) Believe in the faith.
Who and what to believe:
Rom 3:26, “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Note: To believe in Jesus is to have faith in Jesus. To believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, who came down from Heaven, to die for our sins on the cross, to rise from the dead the third day, to ascend to the highest Heavens, to prepare a place for His followers, and to come again to judge the world, to become the King of kings and Lord of lords, and to reign with the saints forever and ever.
Jhn 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
Jhn 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Note: This is the core of the Gospel, the good news and great news for all sinners. If you believe in Jesus Christ, the Judge of the living and the dead, you will not be judged. It means you will not be condemned to be sent to Hell. If you do not believe in Jesus the Son of God, you are already judged, it is a matter of time when you go to Hell.
Jhn 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Jhn 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Note: You may be shocked, it is not enough to believe in God. The Jews believe in God and they are not saved until they receive Jesus Christ as their Messiah. All religions believe in gods, false gods. If you believe in a false god or false religion, not only it will not do you any good, false faith and false religion will lead you to destruction.
(2.) Follow in the faith.
Faith is not passive, faith requires action.
Mat 16:24, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Note: To believe in Jesus is to follow Him. Faith requires action. To follow Jesus one has to deny himself. To deny oneself is take up his cross.
Jhn 10:26-28, “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Note: People who do not believe Jesus and they do not follow Jesus because they are not sheep of Jesus. If you are Jesus’ sheep, you will hear His voice and follow Him. To believe is to follow. It is impossible if you say you believe in Jesus and yet you do not follow Him.
Rom 4:12, “and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”
(3.) Grow in the faith.
Fruitful Growth in the Faith
Luk 17:5, “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Note: It is important to know that faith can increase, faith can grow.
Eph 4:15, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
2Th 3:13, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.
1Pe 2:2, “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”
2Pe 1:5-11, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Note: As your faith grows, it will add to you virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
2Pe 3:18, “ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Note: Christians grow in two areas: grace and knowledge of our Lord.
(4.) Grow strong in the faith.
Faith can grow strong.
Rom 4:20, “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
2Co 10:15, “not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you.”
Note: It is important to know not only faith grows, faith can grow strong.
(5.) Live by the faith.
How to live by the faith?
Gal 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
Note: Christians live in the flesh, not only live by faith, but also live by the faith of the Son of God. To live by faith as opposed to live by sight or by feeling. To live by the faith means according to the faith in Christ Jesus.
(6.) Continue in the faith.
Faith is a continuity.
Act 14:22, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.”
Note: Christians not only believe in the faith, they continue in the faith. Continue in Greek is emmenō which means to remain in; to persevere in anything; to hold fast; to be true to; to abide by; to keep; to maintain without interruption; to keep going without stopping; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. In spite of many tribulations, Christians continue in the faith. A Christian life is like a journey from this world to the Heavenly City. Jesus Christ mentions about those whose faith is temporary. Those who believe for a while cannot be true Christians.
Mar 4:16-17, “In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”
Luk 8:13, “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.”
A believer who falls away, is only temporary, is not a true Christian. A person who believes for a while is not a true believer. A true Christian continues in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel.
Col 1:23, “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under Heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
(7.) Test if you are in the faith.
2Co 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”
Note: To test if you are in the faith is to examine yourself. How important it is to test and examine yourself. Test in Greek is peirazō which means to try; to prove one’s character and steadfastness of faith; to assay; to go about; to attempt; to make a trial; to scrutinize; to discipline; to try; to endeavor; to tempt; – which occurs 42 times in the New Testament. Examine in Greek is dokimazō which means to prove; to discern; to try; to allow; to test; to scrutinize; to recognize; to deem worthy; – which occurs 24 times in the New Testament. What is worst is that you do not know yourself. Recognize in Greek is epiginōskō which means to know; to perceive; to take knowledge of; to have knowledge of; to know well; to know accurately; to know thoroughly; to find out; to ascertain; to understand; to recognize a thing to be what it really is; – which occurs 48 times in the New Testament. Know Thyself is the Ancient Greek aphorism. The test is: Do you know that Jesus Christ is in you? If you are full or hungry, you know it yourself. Others could not know. You can know whether Jesus Christ is in you or not. How? Rom 8:9, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” If you have the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, you belong to Christ. If not, you do not have Jesus Christ in you. If you are not sure, most likely you do not. If not, you can pray and ask the Lord to give you the Holy Spirit to come into your heart.
Eph 1:15, “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints.”
If you have the faith in the Lord, you will love all the saints.
(8.) Stand firm in the faith.
1Co 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Note: Stand firm in Greek is stēkō which means to stand fast; to persevere; to persist; to keep on standing; to stand erect; not to sin; – which occurs 17 times in the New Testament. Many church members do not act like men. Christians, be strong. You can be strong by feeding on the Word of God and filling of the Holy Spirit.
Eph 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Note: Christians are under attack by the schemes of the devil. Without putting on the full armor of God it will not be easy to stand firm against the devil.
Eph 6:13, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
Note: The evil day will come to any Christian, taking up the full armor of God is necessary to resist in the evil day and stand firm.
2Th 2:15, “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”
1Pe 5:12, “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”
Note: Hold on to the teaching of Christ and receive the grace of God will make you stand firm.
(9.) Become obedient to the faith.
Act 6:7, “The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
Note: Remember, Christianity means to have the Faith in and Obedient to Jesus Christ. To practice Christianity is to believe and obey Jesus Christ.
Tit 3:1, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.”
1Pe 1:14, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”
Note: Christians must be obedient children of God, do not be conformed to the lusts of the world; conform to the Will of God which is the highest good of a Christian life.
(10.) Testify for the faith.
Jhn 15:27, “and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
Jhn 18:37, “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Act 20:24, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the Gospel of the grace of God.”
1Jo 1:2, “and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—”
1Jo 4:14, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
Note: Testify in Greek is martyreō which means to bear witness; to bear record; to give testimony; to give a good report; to prove by word and deed; to give an account of; to declare to be true; – which occurs 96 times in the New Testament. To testify for the faith is to testify to the truth which is in Jesus Christ and to testify solemnly the Gospel of the grace of God.
(11.) Attain to the unity of the faith.
Eph 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
Note: Attain in Greek is katantaō which means to come to; to arrive at; to reach; to gain; to achieve; to obtain; – which occurs 13 times in the New Testament. To achieve the unity of the faith should be the goal of every member of the Body of Christ. I recall seeing a big thermometer at a prosperity gospel church with big red numbers in how many millions of dollars they want to attain. So many strive in this world to attain worldly successes of money, wealth, fame, position and possession. To attain the unity of the faith is to achieve the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Christian unity is the unity of the faith in Christ. The One World Religion seeks organic unity under the leadership of Satan. Just as denominationalism divides Christianity, so the One World Religion (ecumenism) seeks to replace Christianity. To attain to the unity of faith requires a process and progress. The process is to submit everything to Jesus Christ, the progress is to conform to the Image of Christ.
Phl 1:25, “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”
Note: Christian progress is to have joy in the faith.
(12.) Contend for the faith.
Col 1:23, “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Jde 1:3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
Note: Contend earnestly in Greek is epagōnizomai which means to struggle for; to assert; to state as truth; to claim; – which occurs only 2 times in the New Testament. It is the duty of Christians to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and contend earnestly for the faith. This is what I am trying to do.
(13.) Obtain confidence in the faith.
1Ti 3:13, “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
Note: Obtain in Greek is peripoieō which means to purchase; to get for oneself; to acquire; to lay by; to preserve for oneself; – which occurs 3 times in the New Testament. Confidence in Greek is parrēsia which means boldness; cheerful courage; sense of assurance; – which occurs 32 times in the New Testament. Christians who have conducted themselves well and serve the Lord with sacrifice will have greater confidence in the faith and in the presence of Christ.
(14.) Love in the faith.
Tit 3:15, “All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.”
Jhn 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Rom 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
Rom 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.”
Rom 13:10, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
1Co 16:14, “Let all that you do be done in love.”
Note: Love in Greek is phileō which means to treat affectionately and kindly; to like; to approve of; to be fond of; to have affection for; to delight in; to be kindly disposed to one; to cherish; – which occurs 25 times in the New Testament. Those who love Christ invariably also love the brotherhood. We must love in the faith and without hypocrisy.
(15.) Strive for the faith.
Phl 1:27, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”
Note: Strive together in Greek is synathleō which means to labor with; to seek or work jointly; to wrestle in company with; to help; to assist; to endeavor; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. When I was young I was striving for the faith of the Gospel, to my surprise a white missionary from South Africa wanted to use his car to make money out of our evangelistic trips to small towns.
(16.) Nourish on the Words of faith.
1Ti 4:6, “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the Words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”
Note: Nourish in Greek is entrephō which means to feed on; to educate; to form the mind; to grow in; to sustain with; – which occurs only once in the New Testament. Christians must be constantly nourished on the Words of the faith and of the sound doctrine.
(17.) Keep the faith.
2Ti 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”
Note: Not many can say like the great Apostle Paul at the end of his life. Christians should imitate him because he imitated Christ.
Rev 14:12, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Note: To keep the commandments of God and our faith in Jesus, perseverance is required.
How to keep the faith and what to do?
Act 15:29, “that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
Note: Christians must abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. In a modern day, it is an easy thing to abstain from things sacrificed from idols and idol worship. But money, power, and pleasure have become new idols in Western nations.
Jhn 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
Jhn 14:23, “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
Gal 5:1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Col 3:1, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
1Ti 6:14, “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jas 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
1Pe 1:13, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1Pe 2:12, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
1Pe 3:16, “and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
1Pe 4:8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
1Pe 4:13, “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
1Jo 2:3, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
Jde 1:21, “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”
Rev 22:11, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”
Note: To keep the faith is to keep yourself from idols, from blood, from fornication. To keep the faith is to keep Christ’s commandments. To keep the faith is to keep the Word of Christ. To keep the faith is to keep standing firm. To keep the faith is to keep seeking things above. To keep the faith is to keep oneself unstained by the world. To keep the faith is to keep sober in spirit. To keep the faith is to keep excellent behavior. To keep the faith is to keep a good conscience. To keep the faith is to keep fervent in your love. To keep the faith is to keep on rejoicing in Christ. To keep the faith is to keep yourself in the love of God. To keep the faith is to keep yourself holy.
Those who denied the faith have fallen away from the faith.
1Ti 4:1, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”
1Ti 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
1Ti 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1Ti 6:21, “which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”
1Pe 1:14-15, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”
Note: Christians are obedient children of God. Christians do not be conformed to the former lusts in ignorance, but like the Holy One Jesus Christ who called us, be holy ourselves also in all our behavior. Lust is the most deadly form of ignorance.
Rom 6:16-18, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Note: Obedient to the faith is obedient from the heart to that form of teaching, the teaching of Christ.
Jhn 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Act 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Act 5:32, “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Rom 2:8, “but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”
2Th 1:8, “dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
2Th 3:14, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.”
Heb 5:9, “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
Heb 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
1Pe 1:2, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
Note: To obey Jesus Christ is to obey the truth, obey the Gospel.
V. CHRISTIANITY IS A MYSTERY, AND THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM.
Christianity is a mystery, but NOT mythology or myth. Mythology or myth would be a problem. Christianity was NOT emerging from various traditions, myths, customs, fables, cultural development, histories, superstitions, etc. of surrounding nations.
1Ti 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.”
Note: Manifest in Greek is phaneroō which means to appear; to show; to make actual visible; to become manifest; to render apparent; to make known; to become known; – which occurs 55 times in the New Testament. The Mystery of Christ was God manifested in the flesh. Mystery transcends nature, reason, human intellect of understanding. The Mystery of Christianity is God manifested in the flesh of Jesus Christ. And that is not a problem, for God is the greatest Mystery of all mysteries.
Unbelieving theologians insist God and man are too incompatible in their attributes to be conceived as co-ordinated in a Being. But their ignorance is apparent because great is the mystery of godliness. We do not know how Jesus Christ is very God and very Man, we believe as it is written in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ is both God and Man.
Mar 10:27, “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
Luk 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
There are many things I do not know but they are true. I do not know God created innumerable stars and knows each one of them and names each one of them. I do not know the number of hairs on my head. I do not know why secular academics and unbelieving theologians have an evil heart of unbelief. Besides, the Bible makes it clear: 2Jo 1:7, “ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Secular academics and unbelieving theologians may not know this, according to the Word of God they are deceivers. Those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (God manifested in the flesh) are deceivers and antichrists. This is not a problem for believers, and this is a problem for unbelievers. There is no contradiction in God as in men. The unity of Godhead is beyond the intellectual capacity of unbelievers just as man is beyond the comprehension of an ameba. The so-called rational logic and analytical criticism (and even higher criticism) are junk toys in ascertaining the divine and the spiritual and the supernatural.
Unbelieving theologians are amazing that they suggest Jesus Christ expresses His thoughts syllogistically. They do not have the mind of Christ and they don’t know the mind of Christ. They are ignorant of Christ the Wisdom of God. 1Co 1:24, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the Wisdom of God.” That is the problem of unbelief and ignorance. Eph 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation in the knowledge of Him.” To know God, one needs the Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation.
Secular academics and unbelieving theologians are flatly wrong to analyze omniscience as knowing all that it is possible to know. The omniscience of God means not only God knows all that it is possible to know, it also means God knows all that it is impossible to know. God knows all and everything. God is not bound by space and time or environment, or anything or anyone. Jesus Christ explains explicitly, Mat 19:26, “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mar 10:27, “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
Luk 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luk 18:27, “But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
Note: Impossible in Greek is adynatos which means not possible; incapable; impotent; could not do; unable to be done; – which occurs 14 times in the New Testament. Possible in Greek is dynatos which means able; capable; powerful; that can be done; – which occurs 36 times in the New Testament. Skeptics and unbelievers err greatly because of their ignorance of infinity. Unbelievers are unable to deal with the concept of eternity and infinity. God has no limit in power, knowledge, wisdom, ability, etc. God is not delimited or restricted by anyone or anything, time and space. For there is nothing impossible with God. In God’s mind, the word “impossible” does not exist. It does not mean God does not know the impossible, impossible does not apply to God.
Secular academics and unbelieving theologians question the conflict or contradiction of Jesus dual nature: His humanity and divinity. There is nothing peculiar about the humanity of Christ. There is nothing peculiar because Jesus was hungry, thirsty and He slept and wept.
It was not by deificatory process that Jesus Christ became God. Jesus Christ the Man did not become God. Jesus Christ was God before He became Man. God became Man in the person of Jesus Christ. Man never became God. Unlike the Chinese civilization that believes all great men after death became gods. Even your dead ancestors became gods. And so Chinese worship the dead and their ancestors. Jhn 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” In the beginning before the existence of the universe, before the existence of time and space, the Word was. Jesus Christ was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Jesus Christ was not only historical, He was eternal; from everlasting to everlasting; without beginning and without end.
The existence or being of God does not need to be established by science, theology, philosophy, history, tradition, theophany, miracle, sign, wonder, a posteriori reflection, a priori reason, research, angel, man, or anything. The existence of God is not contingent upon anyone or anything. God exists by Himself. He is the Self-Existent Eternal God.
Gen 21:33, “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.”
Deu 33:27, “The Eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’
Note: The Everlasting God is the same as the Eternal God. Everlasting and Eternal means the same thing, there is no difference.
Num 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Job 36:26, “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.”
Psa 115:3, “But our God is in the Heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.”
Rom 1:18-32, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Note: I have studied the works of secular academics and unbelieving theologians, as the Bible says, they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. There are people not only they do not want to know the truth, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Suppress in Greek is katechō which means to hold back; to retain; to restrain; to hinder; to detain; to hold down; to withhold; to put down; to press down; to prevent from being known; – which occurs 25 times in the New Testament.
With respect to Jesus’ humanity:
Mat 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Unbelievers think Jesus’ humanity and Christ’s divinity are not reconcilable. Here lies the mystery of godliness:
1Ti 3:16, “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.”
Isa 53:2, “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”
Phl 2:6-11, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Christ is the mystery of God. Christ is infinitely more than a man, and no less than God Himself. The wonder of wonders, Christ is the perfect Man and the perfect God. This is the mystery of godliness, Incarnation, God became Man in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both God and Man. Is this a problem of Christianity? No! Christianity is exactly unlike all other religions or any religion.
Incarnation means God became Man in the person of Jesus Christ. Incarnation does not mean the Man Jesus Christ became God. Jesus Christ preexisted before He became a Man. In the beginning Jesus Christ was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was always God.
It is more than through Jesus that God speaks. In time past God also spoke through His servants the prophets. Heb 1:1-3, ”God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed Heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the Word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
When Jesus speaks, God speaks. Unlike the servants of God His prophets, Jesus is the Word of God. Secular academics and unbelieving theologians highlight Jesus’ confession of ignorance, Mat 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” It is important to recognize when Jesus said this He was in humble state on earth that day and hour of His second coming He did not know, it was said before the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Listen to what Jesus says after the Resurrection: Mat 28:16-20, “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” By that time Jesus already knows that day and hour when He returns. Listen also to the last recorded Word of Christ, Rev 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Jesus says He is coming quickly, therefore He must know when He is coming.
Col 2:2, “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.”
Note: This is not an oppressive dogma. To know Christ Himself is to have a true knowledge of God’s mystery.
Jesus has the highest authority over the interpretation of the Old Testament. Jesus often corrects the misconception and misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the doctrines the Jews were familiar. With authority, Jesus would say: But I say to you.
Mat 5:22, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery Hell.”
Note: Jesus points to the seriousness of words, angry words or defaming words.
Mat 5:28, “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Note: Jesus introduces a new doctrine that no prophet of old ever thought of. Man and woman can commit sin in the heart. The truth of Christ puts all people under condemnation, and no one can escape the judgment of God. No one can stand before God, if the Judge of the living and the dead just judges only the thoughts in man’s heart.
Mat 5:32, “but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Note: Under the definition of Jesus, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity or infidelity, makers her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. In Western nations probably overwhelming majority of people who call themselves Christians commit adultery. In America you even hear ministers who have been married several times. This is most serious, decree from the highest authority has consequences for eternity.
Eph 5:5, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.”
1Co 5:11, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
Rev 22:15, “Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”
Note: We believe “the dogs” do not mean the canine animals. Of course in Heaven there are no dogs or any animals. The dogs refer to homosexuals and sodomites. Notice, liars are outside of the Holy City too. We believe astrologers are sorcerers. Chinese Christians beware of ancestor worship, idol worship, Fengshui, etc. Once I watched two Taiwanese leaders who claim to be Christians and yet they publicly on TV burned incense and worshiped idols.
Mat 5:34, “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by Heaven, for it is the throne of God.”
Note: Watch out the government which forces you to make an oath.
Mat 5:39, “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
Note: If resistance of an evil person is prohibitive, how much more are warmongers who attacked other countries and killed peoples and robbed their wealth; and owning of guns are wrong for Christians; and terrorist acts like those committed in public on TV in Hong Kong, and Islamic terrorists, etc. Christians must be non-violent.
Mat 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Luk 6:27, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”
Note: This is the highest Christian morality. Love does no wrong.
Mat 12:6, “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.”
Note: Jesus is greater than the temple, just like the builder is more honorable than the building.
Mat 17:12, “but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Note: Elijah was a servant of God, but Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Read the Gospels and see how the Lord of Life suffered at the hands of the wicked. Jesus said this was before the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.
Mat 26:29, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s Kingdom.”
Note: We the latter-days saints will also drink the new fruit of the vine with our Lord in our Father’s Kingdom.
Luk 4:25, “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.”
Note: In comparison to other widows, there was only one widow which was different and distinguished. It seems to say you can be the different, do not follow the crowd.
Luk 9:27, “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God.”
Note: Peter, John and James saw the Kingdom of God during the Transfiguration.
Rev 2:24, “But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.”
Note: The Lord Jesus Chris just wants Christians to hold on His teaching; He places no other burden.
1Ti 3:9, “but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”
Note: Mystery in Greek is mystērion which means hidden thing; secret; thing not obvious to the understanding; – which occurs 27 times in the New Testament. Indeed, you cannot hold to the mystery of the faith without a clear conscience.
Mystery is not a problem, God is the greatest of all mysteries. In fact, if God is plain like John Doe, that would be a problem.
Rom 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.”
Note: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is made known according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past. If mystery is without revelation, that would be a problem. Christianity is a mystery but not a problem because it is revealed by Jesus Christ.
1Co 2:7, “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.”
Note: The Gospel of Christ is God’s wisdom in a mystery which God predestined before the ages to the glory of believers.
Eph 3:3-5, “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.”
Note: The Gospel of Christ, Christianity, is the mystery of Christ, it has now been revealed to His holy apostle and prophets in the Spirit.
Col 1:26-27, “that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Note: The riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in believers, the hope of glory.
Christianity is the mystery of the faith. Christianity is a mystery, and this is not a problem. Christians hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. God is the greatest mystery. Jesus Christ is the mystery of God. By mystery it does not mean a myth. Christianity is not a myth such as many man-made religions are.
Dan 2:47, “The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a Revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
Note: Mystery in Aramaic raz which means secret; something concealed; a truth cannot fully understand; – which occurs 9 times in the Old Testament. God is the Revealer of mysteries and He reveals mysteries.
God does not owe man an explanation. God does not have to justify Himself before man.
Secular academics and unbelieving theologians insist the problem of evil invalidate the existence of God. They reason: How can the omnipotent, omniscient, and complete good God allow evil to exist? Since evil exists, therefore God cannot not exist. How a just, omnipotent, and loving God could permit evil to exist in a universe He created? The Bible does not seem to answer this question clearly and directly.
Some softheadedly suggested that God did not create a perfect universe. The Word of God rejects this statement. I would rather examine the explanation of Jesus’ parable of Wheat and Tares. ‘An enemy has done this!’ The enemy is the Devil who tried to tear down the work of God. Evil comes from the Devil. It is simple minded to think evil has no existence of its own; evil is the existence of the Devil. See Jesus’ explanation, Jhn 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The nature of the Devil is evil.
As to the concept that God provides man with free will to make a choice, and thus creates the possibility and even necessity of evil–this is another big topic which we are not going to dwell in this article. Suffice to say the existence of the Devil and the resulting evil make wrong choices possible. God in His infinite wisdom and knowledge allowed even the Devil to exist. Who is so self-righteous to venture God’s anger by asking Him why have you done so? Who are you to concede what is the best of all possibilities? In fact, the greatest evil is to reject the truth, reject Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Man’s greatest problem is not his head, but his heart, the evil heart of unbelief. Christianity is a mystery of Christ, and that is not a problem.
In the drama of the universe, God acts in His power and glory, wisdom and knowledge, love and mercy — for the benefit of mankind although undeserving. The underlying problem of secular academics and unbelieving theologians are their ignorance and evil heart of unbelief.
Isa 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. For as the Heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
How can the finite challenge the Infinite? How can the transitory challenge the Eternal? How can the changeable challenge the unchangeable? How can the complete stupidity challenge the Supreme Wisdom? How can a maggot challenge the Almighty God? God’s thoughts and God’s ways are higher than those of secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers as the Heavens are higher than the earth.
Without darkness how can I appreciate Light? Without death, how do you appreciate eternal life? Heaven is more heavenly when you know about the fiery Hell. God is so wonderful in comparison to the Devil who is so evil. If there is good only, then you cannot discern good and evil.
Although evil comes from the Devil, man sins and rebels against God deserves all the sufferings and consequences. God does not like evil but tolerates it until the end time. In the Grand Plan of God for the universe, God moves events and things according to His timetable. God is still on the throne, everything will be all right.
Jesus sheds the light why evil is tolerated and granted believers to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 13:24-30, “Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The skeptics say we can understand why God tolerates the good (wheat) and the wicked (tares) to coexist in this world until the Judgment Day. They argue why did God allow the Nazis to kill 6 million Jews and the Japanese soldiers to kill 35 million Chinese in the wars of aggression known as World War II? Some say why the good God allows millions of babies killed by abortionists? Why the good God allows innocent babies to suffer deadly and incurable diseases? Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? Why did evil befall on good people?
I do not know. I admit ignorance of multitude of things happening in the world. If anyone knows everything, he would be God. I see or watch countless evil things happening in the world in my short lifetime. I think evil is a mystery. Evil comes from the Devil. I know God has two types of will, directive will and permissive will. I do not believe God directed evil Japanese to commit genocide, sex slavery, slave labor, and many other atrocities. I can only rationally believe God allowed the evil committed by the Japanese soldiers, but I do not know why. There are infinite things in the world which we do not know why they happen more than the stars in Heaven. One thing is clear to me, I know man has evil intent and is prone to evil. There are many evil things men are responsible and cannot pass the buck to the Devil. I think it is a laughingstock for some preachers to blame the devil for the evil deeds done by American presidents. I equally do not know why some bad things happened to my life which I do not blame God for them. Events in this life and in this world are so much convoluted, complicated and confounded. Some things you may consider like curses turn out to be blessings. Some things you may deem to be blessings turn out to be curses.
For the children of God, this is a greater mystery than the mystery of evil. Rom 8:28-39, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Note: The mystery greater than the mystery of evil is the mystery that we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. Cause in Greek is synergeō which means to work with; to help with; to work things together; to put force power together; to assist; to unite; to effectuate; – which occurs 9 times in the New Testament. God can be the first cause, the last cause and every cause. God causes all things to work together, individually and collectively, for good to those who love God. If you love God, don’t worry about evil; for God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. Evil is not greater than God. Nothing is greater than God. If God is for us, who is against us? The love of Christ is greater than evil. Even tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword cannot separate us from the love of Christ. Christians are conquerors not losers. Every Christian can be convinced, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is comforting to know that God knows the end from the beginning. The omniscient, omnipotent, holy, faithful and good God knows the end of the world from the beginning. The story is like this: In the beginning God created the Heavens and earth and created the first human couple, Adam and Eve. God put Adam and Eve in the perfect Garden of Eden. Seduced by the Devil, unfortunately men sinned and rebelled against God. Since then the world is the situation of Paradise Lost and cursed. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son into the world to save the lost souls. God called the Jewish and Gentile believers to be His children of the Kingdom of God. The present Heaven and earth will be destroyed by fire at the end time. Jesus Christ will return to reign with saints forever and ever. Satan, his agents, and all the wicked will be judged and sent to Hell, the Lake of Fire, to be tortured forever and ever. Evil and evildoers and everything filthy will be eliminated forever and ever. The righteous will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, the Holy City, the New Jerusalem where God and the Lord Jesus Christ will be with the saints as the Household God in blessings and happiness, peace and holiness forever and ever.
Jhn 1:5, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Note: All men, whether Jewish or Gentile, are under sin. All who are under sin are in darkness and do not comprehend the Light.
Rev 13:10, “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
Note: Where there are persecution and tribulation, the perseverance becomes a test to the faith of the saints.
Jde 1:3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
Note: All children of God share the common salvation, saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Christians have a duty to contend earnestly for the faith. Contend earnestly in Greek is epagōnizomai which means to earnestly contend for; to strive and struggle; to contest; to state as truth; – which occurs 2 times in the New Testament. Christians need to strive and state the Christian faith is the truth openly and freely.
Dan 6:5, “So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
Note: It is interesting that the enemies cannot find legitimate grounds for accusing Daniel, for Daniel was upright, not corrupt or greedy. They could only find chance in connection with the rules of Daniel’s religion, for Daniel did not worship idol or other god.
Hos 5:7, “They have betrayed the honor of the LORD,
bearing children that are not his.
Now their false religion will devour them
along with their wealth.”
Note: Very meaningful and significant statement of truth, false religion increases wealth. Once I was passing a temple of false god, people were buying tickets to get in. I called attention and said to people, Look superstition makes money. In fact that was the richest temple in Shanghai. But false religion devours.
Act 25:19, “but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.”
Note: Yes, Jesus was dead once; but He is much alive, and alive forevermore. Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead and He is able to save all who believe in Him to the end.
Act 26:5, “since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.”
Note: The strictest sect of any religion cannot save you from your sins, and save you from eternal death in Hell.
Col 2:23, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”
Note: Man by nature has lust and fleshly indulgence which self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body have no value or no use. Roman Catholic monasticism cannot save or sanctify its believers and practitioners. No one can save himself from sins except by the power of God.
Jas 1:26-27, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Note: Pure and undefiled religion of a man bridles his tongue, gives aid to orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep himself unstained by the world. No religion can help you to do that. You cannot do good in order to be saved. No matter how much good you do cannot save you from your sins. After you are saved, you are required to do good.
In what way does God make known Himself?
Luk 10:22,“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
1. Jesus Christ reveals God.
Jhn 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
Note: Explain in Greek is exēgeomai which means to declare; to tell; to draw out; to unfold; to make known; to make understandable; – which occurs 6 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ has made known God.
Jhn 3:13, “No one has ascended into Heaven, but He who descended from Heaven: the Son of Man.”
No one, no prophet can reveal God as Jesus Christ reveals God. Because no one knows or has seen God as the Son does. Jesus Christ has descended from Heaven, no one has ascended into Heaven.
2. Jesus Christ reveals God to whom He wills to reveal Him.
Jhn 6:65, “And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
Secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers do no know God because Jesus Christ does not reveal God to unbelievers and the wicked. They have no knowledge of God.
3. No one can have the depth of the knowledge of God.
Rom 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
Note: As much as one may think he has the wisdom and knowledge of God, he knows very little.
4. No one can know God fully all at once.
Exo 33:18-23, “Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
Note: The servant of God, Moses was allowed to see the back of God only.
5. Jesus Christ reveals God in a progressive manner.
Col 1:10, “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Note: A Christian walks in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. One’s knowledge of God can be increased, just like your faith can be increased.
6. The law was a shadow of the good things to come.
Heb 10:1, “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.”
Note: The Mosaic law was a shadow of the good things to come. The good things to come include truth and grace in Jesus Christ.
7. The Substance is Christ.
Col 2:17, “ things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Note: Christians may be revealed many things, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come. The substance is Christ. To know Christ is to know God. If you have the knowledge of Christ, you have the knowledge of God. To know Jesus Christ is to know God. If you do not know Christ, you know nothing about Christianity.
8. Full and perfect revelation is yet to come.
1Co 13:10-12, “ but when the Perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
Note: The best a Christian can know now is in part. When we see the Lord the Perfect face to face, then we will know fully just as we also have been fully known.
Jde 1:25, “to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Note: The consummation of the revelation is to the only God our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
VI. SOME WORLD RELIGIONS
I just go through mentioning the names of some religions. I am aware some religions are more primitive or superstitious than others. Truth offends people. Our mission is to tell the truth in the light of the Word of God. Believe it or not is up to you. We do not want donation. We do not seek anything from you. I have no desire to make comparative religion analysis. However, we do believe in religious freedom; in any country, under any system of government, a person is and should be free to choose and practice his/her religion. We know this is not the case in the world today, in certain countries to be a Christian can be beheaded by the ruling governments. We believe in a modern world, the United Nations should have a charter to require all member nations must comply to the clause of religious freedom. Any nation that practices monopoly of religion and persecutes other religions will be kicked out by the United Nations, to be sanctioned and ostracized of non-cooperation from all member nations that uphold the principle of religious freedom.
It is reported there are an estimated 4,200 different religions in the world. Here only a few is listed: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, etc. We will not do classification of religions nor explain the system of beliefs of each.
Every religion must have object of worship, espouse some standard of morality and belief in afterlife. If religion is defined as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods; immediately you encounter the problem of classification of monotheistic religions versus polytheistic religions. If a religion is defined by believing in one God, then all the rest that believe in many gods are not a religion by definition. If you believe in one true God, then all other gods are false.
All world religions are man-made or self-made, except Christianity is the revealed religion.
Most religions arose from fear of deity or ghost or the dead. For the Chinese, every great or powerful man died automatically became a god. Confucius taught, Fear gods and shun them. To the Chinese, every elder of the family who died turned into an object of worship. Most religions are polytheistic in nature. The Greek mythology portrays gods as powerful personalities engaged in conflict with each other like humans. Many religions worship the objects of creation such as heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars) and earthly objects (sea, mountain, tree, animals), etc. Gods become the creatures of human imagination. Men made gods in the image of man.
Christianity is not a product of evolution, the acme resulting from all other primitive religions. Christianity has no relations with any other religions except Judaism, which is its fulfillment.
The major difference between Judaism and Christianity:
Judaism is represented by Moses, the servant of Jehovah. The Old Testament is all about Judaism. God revealed Himself to Moses:
Exo 3:13-17, “Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Note: God reveals to Moses, His name is ‘I AM WHO I AM’. It seems to say ‘GOD IS WHO GOD IS.’ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is the LORD. The LORD in Hebrew is Yĕhovah which means JEHOVAH; the EXISTING ONE; the proper Name of the one true God; the Eternal One; name of the Supreme God; the God of the Hebrews; the God of the Heavenly hosts; Adonai; – which occurs 6,825 times in the Old Testament. God wanted Moses to lead the Israelite out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of flowing with milk and honey.
Mar 12:26, “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’?”
Jhn 1:17, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
Note: The Old Testament can be called the dispensation of Law under Moses, while the New Testament is the dispensation of grace and truth through Jesus Christ.
Luk 24:27, “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
Note: Most disciples did not know that beginning with Moses and with all the prophets in all the Scriptures speak about Jesus Christ. Probably the reason they do not know is because the name of Jesus was not identified in the Old Testament.
Jhn 5:46, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.”
Note: This statement of Jesus certainly would surprise the Jews who considered themselves disciples of Moses. They certainly would not know that Moses wrote about Jesus.
Luk 24:44, “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Note: All things written about the Messiah in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Jesus Christ had fulfilled all the things written about Him in the Old Testament. The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament.
Mat 5:17, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”
Note: Abolish in Greek is katalyō which means to throw down; to destroy; to overthrow; to dissolve; to bring to no nought; to disunite; to demolish; to render vain; to subvert; to annul; to abrogate; to discard; to loosen down; to deprive of success; – which occurs 23 times in the New Testament. Fulfill in Greek is plēroō which means to complete; to fill full; to make full; to fill up; to fill to the full; to consummate; to make complete; to carry out; to accomplish; to carry through to the end; to bring to realization; to perform; to execute; to bring to pass; to make replete; to ratify; – which occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets; He came to fulfill the law. Jesus made it clear that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. So the Old Testament of the Jews is fulfilled in the New Testament of Christians.
There is no salvation in the Law, Moses could not save anyone.
Act 13:38, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”
Note: There is no grace or Gospel in the Law. The Law only brings wrath and death to sinners. But through Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all, both Jews and Gentiles. Through Jesus Christ, everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is freed from all things, from which we could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Oh, God’s Chosen People, may God open your eyes to see the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Act 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Note: Above all, under Heaven, there is salvation in no one else, except the name of Jesus Christ. We can be saved only through Jesus Christ.
Act 24:14, “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.”
Note: Sect in Greek is hairesis which means a heresy; a party or disunion; tenet; dissension; faction; a religious denomination; – which occurs 9 times in the New Testament. Interestingly, the High Priest with Elders of Judaism, with an attorney brought charges to Governor Felix against Paul by saying Paul was a real pest who stirred up dissension among all the Jews regarding a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. The Jewish establishment accused Christianity as a sect of Judaism, a heresy. Paul admitted that according to the Way which he served the God of his fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law that is written in the Prophets. Even more interestingly, Felix had a more exact knowledge about the Way than Paul’s accusers. Corrupt Felix was hoping that money would be given him by Paul. Felix left Paul imprisoned. Christianity is the Way, not a sect of Judaism.
Rom 10:4, “ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Note: End in Greek is telos which means finality; termination; ending; closure; conclusion; result; the limit; fulfillment; final lot; aim; purpose; goal; outcome; – which occurs 41 times in the New Testament. Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. To everyone who believes Jesus Christ had fulfilled the law and obtained the righteousness of God. So every believer is justified by faith in Jesus Christ. This is the gift of God. This is the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rom 10:9-13, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
Note: Confess homologeō which means to profess; to admit; to acknowledge; to agree with; to assent; to concede; to speak out freely; not to deny; to tell or make known; – which occurs 27 times in the New Testament. Believe in Greek is pisteuō which means to put in trust with; to have faith in; to commit one’s trust to; to commit to; to place confidence in; to trust; to think to be true; to be persuaded of; to consider to be true; – which occurs 244 times in the New Testament. To be saved one has to confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Mouth and heart have to agree. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. If you call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved.
Gal 2:16, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Note: This Scripture sums up the difference between Judaism and Christianity and between the Law of Moses and the truth and grace in Jesus Christ. The Jews must know once and for all: No flesh will be justified by the works of the Law. A man is not justified by the works of the Law. We may be justified only by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”—
Note: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Moses was a law giver, but Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. Redeem in Greek exagorazō which means to ransom; to buy off; Christ frees the elect from the dominion of the Mosaic Law at the price of His vicarious death; to buy up; to rescue from loss; – which occurs 6 times in the New Testament. Christ redeemed believers from the curse of the Law. Tit 2:14, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
Rom 3:24-26, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Note: The redemption which is in Christ Jesus was accomplished as a propitiation in His blood through faith. Propitiation in Greek is hilastērion which means expiation; making atonement; an expiatory sacrifice; mercyseat; a means of appeasing and placating; – which occurs 3 times in the New Testament. The death of Christ on the cross was not as a victim, but as a propitiation or expiatory sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of all believers. At the present time, God is just and the Justifier of anyone who has faith in Jesus.
1Co 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us Wisdom from God, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption.”
Note: Jesus Christ is our Great God and Savior, who became to us Wisdom from God, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption.
Eph 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
Note: In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins and trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
Heb 9:12, “and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Note: The eternal redemption was obtained through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, He entered the holy place once for all.
Heb 9:15, “For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Note: Mediator in Greek is mesitēs which means one who intervenes between two, in this case, between God and man; arbitrator; internunciator, intercessor; a go-between; reconciler; – which occurs 6 times in the New Testament. The Roman Catholic Church makes Mary the Mother of God, the Mediator. Mary is not Mother of God and no Mediator. It is useless for Roman Catholics to pray to Mary to ask for help or mercy. The new covenant is the New Testament, and the first covenant is the Old Testament. Jesus Christ being the Mediator of the new covenant to those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Eternal redemption brings about the eternal inheritance.
Phl 3:9, “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Note: No one can earn the righteousness from the Law, but through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith is freely given to all who believe in Jesus Christ. That is good news.
2Th 2:13, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
Note: No believers can thank God enough, because God has chosen us from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth of Christ.
The Transfiguration
Mat 17:1-8, “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”
Note: Luk 9:30-31, “And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus, during the Transfiguration; they were speaking of Jesus’ crucifixion to take place at Jerusalem. Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of the world was the main topic of their talking. God was speaking in Heaven to let Moses and Elijah, Pete and James and John know: Jesus is God’s beloved Son, with whom He is well-pleased. The disciples were terrified by the voice from Heaven. Jesus touched them and they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. The perspective of Christianity is the vision of Jesus Christ Himself alone. We look to no other.
Moses was a servant of God, Jesus is the Son of God.
Moses was a Law giver, Jesus is the Redeemer.
VII. CHRISTIANITY IS THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
God is not a mystic or mental abstraction. God is not a man. God is not the sum total of all sentient beings. The God of Christianity is absolutely different from all other gods of all religions. Revelation is the direct disclosure of God’s truth to mankind before unknown. Revelation is necessary not only desirable, for without it all men grope in the dark. Man by his efforts and wisdom cannot find God. Since man cannot find God, God came down from Heaven in the person of Jesus Christ to find and save the lost.
In what way does God make known Himself?
Heb 1:1-3, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed Heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the Word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
God spoke long ago in many portions and in many ways, at sundry times and in divers manners, at various times and in various ways, many times and in many ways, at many times and in various ways, at many times and in many ways, at different times and in different ways, in various portions and in various ways, in many and various ways, by divers portions and in divers manners, in many parts and many ways. The Scripture cited above succinctly sums up the divinity and deed of Jesus Christ.
It is wrong to say that God intersected human affairs.
“The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God.”
Psa 103:19, “The LORD has established His throne in the Heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.”
No nations or people can prevail over God. The sovereignty of God rules over all, over everyone and everything.
God reveals Himself in His Word:
(1.) God is a consuming Fire.
Deu 4:24, “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
(2.) God is a compassionate.
Psa 116:5, “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.”
Deu 4:31, “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”
(3.) God is gracious.
2Ch 30:9, “For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
(4.) God is mighty.
Job 36:5,“Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.”
Note: Mighty in Hebrew is kabbiyr which means strong; valiant; great; powerful; large; extraordinary; omnipotent; – which occurs 13 times in the Old Testament. The reason I don’t like secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers is because they think they are mighty in knowledge and understanding.
(5). God is a righteous Judge.
Psa 7:11, “God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.”
Note: Those who are dismayed in the injustice of courts and governments, cheer up for God is the Righteous Judge.
Psa 75:7, “But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and exalts another.”
May God put down more and more evil and arrogant leaders.
(6). God is the King of all the earth.
Psa 47:7, “For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with a skillful psalm.”
Note: The most scary scene in the world today is that some Western leaders speak, act and think as if they are the kings of all the earth!
(7). God is holy.
Psa 77:13, “Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?”
Note: The concept of Holy is peculiar and particular and distinctive in Christianity. Holy in Hebrew is qodesh which means sacred; hallowed; set-apart; separate; exalted; divine; – which occurs 591 times in the Old Testament. God is holy, that is His nature. Roman Catholics blaspheme God by calling the pope Holy Father.
Psa 47:8, “God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.”
Isa 6:3, “And one called out to another and said,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Rev 4:8, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
Note: The God of Christianity is the Lord God, the Almighty, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME. There is no other.
(8). God is Ruler over the realm of mankind.
Dan 5:21, “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is Ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.”
Note: Western powers some others think they are exempt from the rule of God. God rules over the realm of mankind.
(9). God is righteous.
Dan 9:14, “Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.”
Note: Righteous in Hebrew is tsaddiyq which means just; lawful; right; true; – which occurs 235 times in the Old Testament. Rev 16:7, “And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Righteous in Greek is dikaios which means just; morally right; upright; faultless; equitable; holy; virtuous; – which occurs 96 times in the New Testament. God by His nature is righteous. God cannot be unjust or wrong.
(10). God is able.
Mat 3:9, “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.”
2Co 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Note: To be able in Greek is dynateō which means to be powerful or mighty; to be efficient; to have power; – which occurs 3 times in the New Testament. To be able means nothing is impossible. God is able to do the impossible.
(11). God is true.
Jhn 3:33, “He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.”
Note: True in Greek is alēthēs which means truthful; which can be trusted; not false or wrong; conformable to reality; faithful; trustworthy; – which occurs 26 times in the New Testament. God is true, and every man a liar. The Devil is the first and greatest liar. The children of the Devil are liars and killers even today. There is no truth in them.
(12). God is Spirit.
Jhn 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Note: Spirit in Greek is pneuma which means that which is vital and invisible and independent; the breath of life; the Holy Spirit; – which occurs 380 times in the New Testament. The word Spirit is hard to define because God is indefinable. Listen to the explanation of Jesus: Luk 24:39
“See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” A spirit does not have flesh and bones. God is Spirit, but God is able to appear in human form. The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of grace and supplication, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of prophecy, the Holy Spirit of promise.
(13). God is faithful.
1Co 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Faithful in Greek is pistos which means sure; true; trusty; worthy of trust; that can be relied on; trustworthy; trustful; loyal; – which occurs 69 times in the New Testament. 1Co 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
(14). God is wiser than men.
1Co 1:25, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
Note: If the foolishness of God is wiser than secular academics, unbelieving theologians, scientists and philosophers; imagine how much wiser would be the wisdom of God than any man. By the way God does not have foolishness or weakness at all..0
(15). God is the Head of Christ.
1Co 11:3, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
Note: The theologians who teach co-equal in the Trinity must be wrong.
(16). God is only One.
Gal 3:20, “Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only One.”
Note: One in Greek is heis which means a primary numeral; a cardinal numeral; being alone; not two; – which occurs 329 times in the New Testament. The Christian faith is ONE: One God, One Father, One Lord, One Teacher, One Leader, One Master, One Savior, One Spirit, One Faith, One Baptism, One Body, One Hope, One Pearl, One Thing, One Shepherd, One Flock, One Mediator, One Mind, One Man, One Bread, One Sacrifice, One Offering.
One God, One Lord, One Spirit, One Truth and One Faith is all about Christianity. There is no plurality in the things of God.
(17). God is Light.
1Jo 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
Note: God is Light and there is no darkness. God does not tolerate other gods. Light does not tolerate darkness. God is pure and holy, nothing mixed.
(18). God is Love
1Jo 4:8, “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
1Jo 4:16, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Note: I think the love of God is most surpassing knowledge. Have you ever thought why God so loves the unlovable mankind?
(19). God is good.
Psa 73:1, “A Psalm of Asaph.
Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!”
Mar 10:18, “And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”
Note: It used to be man has shame at sinning. In the last days, perilous and dangerous time has arrived, people sin boldly without shame. World leaders lie, lie, and lie; kill, kill, and kill; rob, rob and rob without shame. Western media openly and publicly make fake news, fake reports, and spread lies without shame. Famous people commit sexual immorality and corruption without shame. There is nothing good in mankind. Only God is good.
The living God expressed Himself or made Himself known:
(A.) Through His creation.
Gen 1:1, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.”
Gen 1:21, “God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.”
Gen 1:25, “God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.”
Gen 1:27, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Psa 97:6, “The Heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen His glory.”
Act 17:24, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.”
Rom 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Note: The wonder of creation reflects God’s power and wisdom, glory and love. Even the snowflake surprises me, not to mention countless stars above, the intelligent design of the universe.
(B.) Through His Spirit.
Act 5:32,“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Rom 8:9, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
Rom 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Rom 8:16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.”
1Co 2:11, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”
1Co 2:14, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
1Co 6:11, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
1Co 12:3, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”
Gal 4:6, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Phl 3:3, “for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
1Jo 4:2, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”
Note: Many pastors fail to explain the Holy Spirit even speaks today and directs our lives for the glory of God.
(C.) Through His Word.
God reveals through His Word written in the Old and New Testaments.
Mar 7:13, “thus invalidating the Word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”
Mat 15:6, “he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the Word of God for the sake of your tradition.”
Luk 5:1, “Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the Word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.”
Luk 8:11, “Now the parable is this: the seed is the Word of God.”
Luk 8:21, “But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it.”
Luk 11:28, “But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it.”
Act 4:31, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the Word of God with boldness.”
Act 6:2, “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables.”
Act 6:7, “The Word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
Act 13:7, “who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God.”
2Co 4:2, “but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
Eph 6:17, “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
Phl 1:14, “and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear.”
1Th 2:13, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
2Ti 2:9, “for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the Word of God is not imprisoned.”
Tit 2:5, “to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored.”
Heb 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Heb 6:5, “and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come.”
Heb 13:7, “Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
1Pe 1:23, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God.”
2Pe 3:5, “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water.”
1Jo 2:14, “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”
Rev 1:2, “who testified to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
Rev 1:9, “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and Kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
Rev 6:9, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.”
Rev 19:13, “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”
Rev 20:4, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Note: If you are a saved believer and do not know how wonderful the Word of God is, I suggest you begin to read the Gospel of John and the Book of Romans 100 times first and then study and search the whole Scriptures. Strong’s Concordance is a great tool and free on the Internet.
(D.) Through His prophets.
How God revealed through His servants the prophets is a long historical record written in the Old Testament.
2Ki 17:13, “Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.”
2Ch 29:25, “He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets.”
2Ki 17:23, “until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.”
2Ki 21:10, “Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying.”
2Ki 24:2, “The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets.”
Jer 25:4, “And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.”
Jer 35:15, “Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.”
Dan 9:10, “nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.”
Amo 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing
Unless He reveals His secret counsel
To His servants the prophets.”
Luk 1:70, “As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—”
Act 3:18,“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”
Act 3:21, “whom Heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”
Act 10:43, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Act 28:23, “When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the Kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.”
Rom 1:2, “which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.”
Eph 3:5, “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.”
Rev 10:7, “but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”
Note: We have a lot to learn from God’s Holy Prophets.
(E.) Through His power.
From the creation of Heavens and earth ages ago to the eternal Kingdom of God, the power of God is manifest. God rules in power and glory.
1Sa 10:18, “and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.”
Note: How God brought Israel up from Egypt, how God delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the Egyptians and all kingdoms, and how they went through the wilderness to the Promised Land, etc. manifested the power and glory of God.
2Ch 20:6, “and he said, “O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the Heavens? And are You not Ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.”
Note: The history of the state of Israel is replete with the details of the history of the power of God, and how God protected the sons of Israel from their mighty enemies and delivered them from the hands of powerful nations repeatedly too many times to count.
Psa 62:11, “Once God has spoken;
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.”
Psa 106:8, “ Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name,
That He might make His power known.”
Dan 2:20, “Daniel said,
“Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.”
Mat 22:29, “But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Mar 12:24, “Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?”
Rom 1:16, ”For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
1Co 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1Co 1:24, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
1Co 2:5, “so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
2Co 6:7, “in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.”
2Co 13:4, “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.”
2Ti 1:8, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.”
1Pe 1:5, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Note: Study Biblical history and world events and watch the sovereign power of God. The Lord is coming soon.
(F.) Through great things He has done.
1Sa 12:24, “Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”
Note: Great things God has done are what men usually call miracles, signs and wonders.
1Ch 17:19, “O LORD, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things.”
Job 9:10, “Who does great things, unfathomable,
And wondrous works without number.”
Job 37:5, “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.”
Psa 71:19, “For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the Heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?”
Psa 106:21, “They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt.”
Psa 126:2, “Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
Psa 126:3, “The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad.”
Jer 33:3, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Joe 2:21, “Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.”
Mar 5:19, “And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
Luk 1:49, “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.”
Luk 8:39, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”
Note: Among all great things God has done for me, the good Lord saved me from death many times.
(G.) Through the works of God.
Psa 66:5, “Come and see the works of God,
Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.”
Psa 66:3, “Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You.”
Psa 78:7, “That they should put their confidence in God
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments.”
Jhn 6:27-33, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal. Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’ Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of Heaven, and gives life to the world.”
Jhn 9:3, “Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Rev 15:3, “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!”
(H.) And finally through His Son Jesus Christ.
Jhn 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Jhn 20:31, “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Act 2:22, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—”
Act 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Mat 16:16, “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Mar 1:1, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Jhn 6:46, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
Rom 1:4, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1Jo 4:15, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
1Jo 5:11-12, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”
1Jo 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
If religion is defined as the human relation to a supreme being or gods, because of the fact that man cannot by his own efforts find God, so
you wonder why there are so many religions and there are so many ways to god or gods. The concept of religion cannot and does not fulfil its requirement until you first settle down if there is one God or gods. Whether you believe in a monotheistic God or polytheistic gods influence the kind of religion you may adopt. Since man cannot find the true God, so he gropes in the dark. Consequently, the multiplicity of gods and religions were born in the minds of men. Men created gods in the image of men, so to speak.
The common failure of all man-made or self-made religions is to describe God in terms of human ideas, imagination, delusion and illusion. The God of Christianity reveals Himself. Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal God, and reveal God to whomever He wills. Man by his efforts cannot find God. Scientists cannot use scientific instruments to find God. God is not an object to be studied under microscope, telescope, or with any device or instrument. Scientists cannot explore the invisible or unknowable. Philosophers cannot use human wisdom to find God, for God is beyond human understanding just like an ameba is not equipped to understand man.
Job 11:7-8, “Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
They are high as the Heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?”
Note: In fact, God has no depth therefore unfathomable. God has no limit therefore God is immeasurable. What can man know?
Job 37:23,“The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.”
Since man cannot find God and cannot approach God, so God must reveal Himself or make Himself known. Incarnation is God became Man in Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, sinless because the virgin was conceived by the Holy Spirit, holy and perfect. Jesus Christ was perfect God and perfect Man. Incarnation meets the need of mankind to know God for Jesus Christ reveals God. To know Jesus Christ is to know God.
Jhn 1:14-18, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
Incarnation means God became Man in Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ did not become God. Jesus Christ preexisted before He became Man. Jesus Christ was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Religion is thought to be moral, but not necessarily. For that reason there exists evil religions with evil practices. Primitive religions have simplistic views of morality. What they consider morality may be in fact just self-interest. A correct concept of morality exceeds far and higher and beyond self-interest. Since all man-made religions are without divine revelation, so their founders, leaders, or teachers made up what their religious values and practices.
Christianity does not supplement any faith or religion. It is a facetious fallacy to assert Christianity is a product of Eclecticism – the sum up of all that is good in all religions and philosophies. First you need to understand that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism. Judaism began with the patriarch Abraham, institutionalized by Moses. All the Jewish prophets spoke as God Jehovah wanted them to speak. Judaism was not influenced or affected by surrounding nations and cultures. God called Moses to lead the Jews exodus from Egypt. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai and then and there gave the Law to Moses. The Mosaic Law is the basis of the Jewish religion. In the beginning the Jewish state was ruled by theocracy. Moses and prophets of old wrote about the coming of Messiah. In the New Testament Jesus Christ the Messiah appeared. The dispensation of the law of Moses was replaced by the dispensation of grace and truth in Jesus Christ.
Jhn 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
Revelation is the direct disclosure of God’s truth to mankind before unknown. Revelation is necessary not only desirable, for without it all men grope in the dark. The revelation of Jesus Christ is true, faithful, and worthy of acceptance.
Jhn 1:9, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”
Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal God. Christianity begins with Christ and His apostles. The central message of Christ is usually understood as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The twelve apostles and early disciples were the firsthand witnesses of the testimony of Jesus Christ. The ministry of Jesus Christ was culminated by the dying on the cross, the resurrection from the dead, the ascension to the highest Heavens. Jesus Christ sent down the Holy Spirit to guide and lead the apostles and the early church to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord is the sole Representative of Christ on earth. The holy apostles and holy men were moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write down the Words of Christ, the miracles He performed, etc. to complete the New Testament.
Heb 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Note: God spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways — that is the Old Testament. In these last days God has spoken to us in His Son Jesus Christ — that is the New Testament.
Yes, Christianity is the only Revealed religion, the absolute religion. One cannot conduct scientific experiment or inquiry to find God or the truth of God. One cannot by human wisdom discover God or the truth of God. The wisest man and most able man do not know the way to God.
Rom 3:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.”
Note: The Jews thought they were better than Gentiles because they were children of Abraham. But the truth revealed in the New Testament, both Jews and Gentiles are charged to be all under sin. Those who are under the law without redemption will perish under the law. Those who are without the law without repentance will also perish without the law. No one can be justified by the work of the law. No one can be saved without faith in Jesus Christ.
Luk 2:25-32, “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your Word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES,
And the Glory of Your people Israel.”
Note: Not a few impostors would quote this Scripture: My eyes have seen Your salvation. Jesus Christ is our salvation. Jesus Christ is the Light of Revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of God’s people Israel.
Revelation in Greek is apokalypsis which means manifestation; appearing; a laying bare; making naked; a disclosure of truth; instruction of things before unknown; enlightenment; an uncovering; making known something that was a secret; – which occurs 18 times in the New Testament.
Men believe in religion thinking their god or gods can save them. Weak and helpless men need to depend on a powerful god or gods. Apparently man, nature, Sun, Moon, etc. is not endowed with salvation. Man cannot save himself, so he seeks salvation like a drowning man grasping on the weed. A desperate man instinctively cries out and knows how to pray, how to ask for help or mercy. Man is not born with the knowledge of salvation. The desperate need of man breeds the births and multiplicity of religions and many gods.
Jon 2:9, “But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation is from the LORD.”
Note: Salvation is from the LORD; not from man, not from nature, not from any church or institution, or anything else.
The revelation of God explains and proclaims the way of salvation.
1Pe 1:5, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Act 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Man hungers for the good news of salvation. Man makes careful searches and inquiries. What shall a man do to be saved? How can his sins be forgiven? How to be delivered from the power of sin? How to receive the eternal life? When can a man be saved? Where can a man find truth? The hope of salvation is in the heart of every man. How can man obtain salvation? What can lead man to salvation? A god who does not have power cannot offer salvation.
Rev 19:1, “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.”
Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.”
Note: The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Jew or Gentile no difference.
Eph 1:13, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
2Ti 2:10, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”
Note: All who are saved in Jesus Christ receive not only eternal salvation, but also eternal glory.
Revelation serves many purposes:
1. To reveal the knowledge of God.
Mat 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Eph 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
Note: Revelation enables a sinful man to have the knowledge of God. All man-made religions only deceive and mislead its followers.
2. To reveal things to come.
Rev 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.”
Note: Through prophecy God speaks of things to come in advance. All false prophecies will never come true.
3. To reveal the way of salvation.
Act 16:17, “Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”
Psa 50:23, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”
Note: Jesus Christ is the Way of salvation, to receive Him is to come to God for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
4. To reveal the mystery of the Gospel.
Rom 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.”
Col 4:3, “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the Word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned.”
Note: The mystery of the Gospel is the mystery of Christ which was not disclosed in ages past. This is the mystery of Gospel, whoever repents and believes in Jesus Christ will be justified before God, receiving the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
5. To reveal the righteous judgment of God.
Rom 2:5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
Note: The righteous judgement of God will fall upon those who reject Jesus Christ the Son of God.
6. To reveal a light to the Gentiles.
Luk 2:32, “ A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Isa 42:6, “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations.”
Note: The Gospel is to be preached to all nations as a light to lead them to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world.
7. To reveal the mystery of Christ.
Rom 16:25-27, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”
Note: The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been made known according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past. Christianity is the mystery. Christ is the Mystery of God. Our duty is to obey the truth and obedience of faith.
Jhn 10:1-18, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I AM the Door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the Door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I AM the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I AM the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one Flock with one Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Note: The Scriptures cited above is the “Magna Carta” of Christianity, by decree of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is the Door of Christianity. He who does not enter by the Door into the fold of the sheep, but climb up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. Founders of all religions who came before Jesus are thieves and robbers. They do not enter by the Door, they climb up some other way (other than the Way), they are thieves and robbers of human souls, so to speak. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd and He laid down His life for the sheep. Jesus has other sheep, other than the Jews, the Gentiles. Jewish and Gentile Christians will become one Flock with the Great Shepherd. Jesus did not die a victim on the cross, He laid down His life on His own initiative. Jesus has authority to lay it down, and He has authority to take it up again. Jesus rose from the dead so that all who believe in Him might have the eternal life. When Jesus rose from the dead, He declared: Mat 28:18, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
Note: All Authority has been give to Jesus Christ in Heaven and on earth by the Lord God Almighty. No man and no one is higher than Jesus Christ in Heaven and on earth. Christians not only believe in Jesus Christ but also obey the commands of Jesus Christ. The Lord promises to be with Christians always, even to the end of the world.
Gal 1:13-16, “For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood.”
Note: Judaism in Greek is Ioudaïsmos which means Jewish religion; Jews’ religion; the Jewish faith and worship; religion of the Jews; – which occurs 2 times in the New Testament. Paul testified that he was brought up in Judaism. He thought he was extremely more zealous for his ancestral traditions by persecuting the Church of God. When God revealed His Son Jesus Christ to Paul, he preached Jesus Christ among the Gentiles without consulting any man. Here it is clear that Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he did not learn from man. Gal 1:11-12, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” The glorious Gospel that all the apostles preached is a revelation of Jesus Christ. So Christianity is not a man-made or self-made religion; it is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is of greatest importance to know that Christianity is not an extension of Judaism. Christianity is not an outgrowth of Judaism. Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism, just as the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Mat 5:17,“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Fulfill in Greek is plēroō which means to complete; to make full; to fill up; to end; to render full; to fill to the full; to consummate; to carry into effect; to realize; to bring to realization; to bring to pass; to accomplish; to make replete; to satisfy; to make full; to perfect; – which occurs 100 times in the New Testament. No man can fulfill the requirements of the law, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for all who believe in Him in order to obtain the righteousness of God. One of the last words of Jesus on the cross was: “It is finished.” The redemption is accomplished, it is a gift of God to all who come and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. For this reason it is useless and unprofitable to compare Christianity with all other world religions.
I have neither interest nor desire to make comparative religious analysis. Why?
It is an exercise of futility to compare candle light of all other religions with the Sun of Righteousness of Christianity. What is a raindrop in the ocean? What is the use of comparing a drop of water with rivers of living water?
Psa 40:5, “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.”
Pro 8:11,“For wisdom is better than jewels;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.”
Isa 40:18, “To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
Mat 13:45-46, “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Note: I am not a merchant nor a rich man. I am a seeker of the truth. I have found one pearl of great value, that is, the Christian Faith, Christianity. I found all secular academics and philosophies rubbish and empty words, empty conceit, empty deception, and empty chatter. I am not going to waste my time and effects on useless myth and talk. Largely in consequence of this fact, human knowledge of what it really proves is still far from definite and compete, at best speculative and tentative, and men draw most contradictory conclusions from all fields of human endeavor. Why should I waste myself on what is temporary and useless in exchange of what is precious and eternal? I have watched and witnessed some of the most evil and negative influences and impacts on the world and mankind by some evil and destructive religions.
Some benign religions accept the reality of evil, insist that man must improve himself. Jesus Christ does not accept reform, Christ proclaims rebirth or regeneration.
Jhn 3:3-8, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Note: Man is sinful by nature. Human capacity to reform cannot save him from his sins and death. No amount of reform is sufficient. Jesus says you must be born again, to have a new nature and a new life. Mat 7:17-18, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.”
Tit 3:4-7, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Note: This is how you can be born again. First admit you are a sinner unable to save yourself. And no one and nothing can save you. Secondly, God loves you even you are a sinner. God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. Jesus is able to save you. Jesus Christ died for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous. Jesus Christ rose from the dead to justify all who believe in Him. Thirdly, If you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God you may be saved. We are saved by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to send His Spirit into your heart to live in you and to lead your life. From now on you follow Jesus Christ, witness for Him and wait for His second coming to judge the world and to reign with the saints forever and ever.
VIII. RELIGIOUS WARS
Many religious wars were fought throughout history. War is not waged because peace cannot be obtained without it. In fact, all so-called religious wars had a political motive, to enslave and subject the other groups. Great religious wars include Muslim Conquests, the Crusades, German Peasants’ War, French Wars of Religion, Thirty Years’ War, Eight Years’ War, Buddhist Uprising, etc.
Does a religion that instigates war to force itself on others prove to be a false and evil religion? Yes. The religious founder who boldly practiced violence and forced peoples to choose between his bible and his sword proved himself to be an false prophet and his religion an evil and false religion. For a bad tree bears bad fruits.
Even in a true religion such as Judaism there were many hypocrites.
Mat 23:23-35, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of Hell? Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”
Some misunderstood and thought Jesus only spoke nice words. In fact, Jesus never treated religious hypocrites nicely and frankly called them hypocrites, blind, whitewashed tombs, uncleanness, lawlessness, sons of those who murdered the prophets, serpents, brood of vipers, sentenced to Hell! Jesus never flattered the corrupt religious leaders and hypocrites.
Jesus never advocated a war on behalf of Christianity. In fact, Jesus condemned all wars. For Jesus says, Mat 26:51-56, “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.”
Note: Jesus’ crucifixion by the wicked was to take place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets. There is no use to resist it. And Jesus also explains the consequence of violence: All those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
Does true religion cause intolerance? Certainly not.
You may be surprised that Jesus never advocated a political revolution to overthrow the Roman Empire that ruled Israel during Jesus’ time on earth. To say Jesus was a revolutionary is a lie from the bottomless pit. What does John the Baptist advise soldiers: Luk 3:14, “Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” Jhn 18:36-37, “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a King. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” The Kingdom of Christ is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 5:38-45, “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Note: Christianity is the most non-violent religion in the world. However, in the last 500 years Western powers in the name of Christianity had done the most evil deeds, injustice, lies and murders and robberies under the guise of Colonialism, Imperialism, Militarism, and Capitalism. Even today Western powers, Japanese resurgent militarism and Islamic terrorism are responsible for 99 percent of evil, troubles, injustice, poverty, oppression, difficulties, problems, and wars in the world.
Rev 17:14, “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Note: The Lord Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, will win and end the last war in the world. The Sovereign King will then rule with the saints forever and ever in the Kingdom of Heaven.
As a principle, Christianity is not for wars. Rom 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
Note: Christians pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. We watch and witness how destructive and deadly are all the wars of aggression, expansion, oppression, sanction, intervention, interference, exploitation, etc. instigated and conducted by Western powers since the end of World War II and more recently by Islamic terrorists.
Heb 12:14, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”
We are not here to dwell on the subject of war whether it is justified for Christians to participate in wars or not. We believe it was justified for Christians to participate in just wars and wars against aggression such as World War II. It was right and proper to fight against the brutal aggressors Japanese militarists and German Nazis. It is all wrong to engage in unjust wars of aggression, expansion, oppression, sanction, and exploitation conducted and instigated by Western powers after World War II.
Luk 23:33-34, “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”
Note: Even on the cross suffering in the hands of the wicked, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them…” The same Jesus who also says, Luk 6:27-31, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
The teaching of Jesus Christ is so wonderful and spiritual that put even His enemies to shame:
Mat 5:38-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
The followers of Christ, Christians, are supposed to go the second mile in life. Christians are to do more good than unbelievers. Jesus Christ wants the children of God to be perfect as the heavenly Father is.
Mat 5:43-48, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Christianity is not worldly, but heavenly.
Jhn 18:33-39, “Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My Kingdom is not of this realm.”Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a King. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”
Note: The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world. The Kingdom of Christ is not of this realm. The Kingdom of Christ is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingdom of truth.
Rev 17:14,“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Note: In the last war of the world, the Lamb (Jesus Christ) will win and overcome the enemies, because He is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and only those called and chosen and faithful will be with Him. Jesus Christ will reign with the saints forever and ever.
IX. CHRISTIANITY IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
Salvation is personal.
Relationship with Jesus Christ is personal.
A good example is the Conversion of Saul.
Act 9:1-22, “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from Heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”
2Ti 1:12, “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
Note: Apostle Paul suffered many things for Jesus, but he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for he knew whom he had believed and he was convinced that Jesus Christ is able to guard what Paul had entrusted to Him until that day. So does every true believer.
2Ti 4:7-8,“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Note: Approaching the end of his life, Apostle Paul says: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. No wonder the crown of righteousness will be laid up for him. Each Christian will be awarded according to his deeds.
Salvation in Christ is personal. Zaccheus is a good example.
Zaccheus Converted
Luk 19:1-10, “He entered Jericho and was passing through.And there was a man call ed by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Note: Zaccheus realized of his sins and repented and recompensed. Repentance is faith in action. Zaccheus gave half of his possessions to the poor, and gave back four times as much as he defrauded anyone of anything. Western powers in the last 500 years have robbed and defrauded, robbed and defrauded many nations and do not pay back. Europe and America and Japan had robbed China of priceless national treasures worth US $100,000 trillion dollars since the infamous Opium Wars, they have not returned what belong to China.
Act 17:24-28, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
Note: The boundaries of Western powers, the United States, Japan, etc. were not determined nor appointed by God, they were robbed and grabbed by military conquest. Christians live and move and exist in God.
Exo 15:2, “The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will extol Him.”
Note: Among all other religions, their believers somehow would never consider their God, their strength and song, and their salvation. There is a great physical and psychological distance between their god and themselves. Now some man-made religions also learned to sing songs, instead of mourning and groaning in their religious services.
Psa 23:1-6, “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to green meadows, he leads me to quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full. Surely your goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of LORD forever. ”
Note: The Word of God pictures the Lord God is the Chief Shepherd of His followers or children.
Psa 27:1, “A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?”
Psa 18:2, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psa 18:46, “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation.”
Psa 31:14, “But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”
The Lord God is our Rock and our refuge, not Peter the rock of Roman Catholic Church. The highest regard of divine reality in the Christian faith is personal. Christianity is the personal relations of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, with His believers and followers. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God. Jhn 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”
The greatest and highest and noblest Summum Bonum of a Christian life is to do the will of God.
Heb 10:7-10, “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.” After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Mat 12:46-50, “While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in Heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Jhn 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s home are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
So Christianity is the Household of God, the Household of the Faith. The Lord God Almighty is the Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Believers or followers of Jesus Christ are the children of God. Ever more intimate, whoever does the will of the Father of Jesus who is in Heaven, he is also the brother and sister and mother of Jesus. In the Kingdom of Heaven,
2Co 6:16, “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”
Imagine what glory In the Kingdom of God, God will dwell with His children and walk among them; and God will be their God, and they shall be God’s people.
Eph 2:18-22, “for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a Holy Temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
Rev 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.”
Note: God will dwell among the believers, His children.
1Ti 3:15, “but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the Household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the Pillar and Support of the truth.”
Note: The Church of the living God is the Household of God, the Pillar and Support of the truth.
Jhn 20:17, “Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.‘”
Note: How personal it is, My God and your God.
Jhn 20:24-29, “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
Rev 21:7, “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”
Jhn 10:29-30, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are One.”
Note: Christ and the Father are One. The Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit are ONE, the unity of the Godhead.
Jhn 17:20-23, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”
Note: This is the great mystery: Christians (Jewish and Gentile) are one in Christ, even as God is in the Son, and the Son is in God. In Christ, Christians of all generations are perfected in unity. Christians may be in God and Christ.
Mat 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Note: In Christianity, God is presented as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery. The Roman Catholic Church committed blasphemy by adding Mary, the so-called Mother of God, the Holy Mother.
Rom 12:4-5, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Note: Christians are many members in one body, the Body of Christ, not religion, not one world religion. The Body of Christ is One.
1Co 12:12-14, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
Eph 4:4-6, “There is one Body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one Hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
Note: Christianity is portrayed as One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Jhn 17:11,“I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.”
Note: Jesus Christ wants His followers and believers to be One even as God the Father and the Son are ONE.
Jhn 12:26, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
Jhn 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Note: The Bible teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are One. Believers are one with Christ. God, Christ, and His children will be one together for eternity. Christianity has no resemblance to all other religions. One religion is even more degrading and worst because it teaches Paradise is where its followers will spend sexual pleasures with many virgins for eternity. That is the reason they are willing to die for their religion!!!
The Heaven, the Paradise, the Holy City, the New Jerusalem is what other religions cannot imagine. 1Co 2:9,
but just as it is written,
“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
If you want to know the difference between Christianity and all other religions, no one can do better than Paul made in the midst of the Areopagus inspired by the Holy Spirit:
Act 17:22-31, “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
It is most ludicrous that the Chinese (including the Asians) who worship many gods and the dead brought them fruits and cakes, drinks, etc. because their gods needed them. It may offend many to say all religions are nothing but “worship in ignorance.” You do not need to listen to me or anyone else, but you must listen to the Living One who has the the keys of death and of Hell.
Rev 1:17-18, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I AM alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
Act 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Note: There is salvation in no one else except Jesus Christ; for there is no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved.
What are Christians to do after being saved?
Heb 10:22-24, “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”
1Ti 6:14-16, “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”
Note: Christians do not embrace the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Believers keep the commandment of the Lord without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our eyes are fixed on the second coming of Jesus Christ. The most important event to take place in the universe is the second coming of Christ. The sovereign God rules according to His time table. Jhn 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Christians must trust and obey. 1Co 13:13, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” To the King of kings and Lord of lords, be honor and glory and eternal dominion. Amen.
Now you have learned a great deal about the Christian faith in Jesus Christ, would you like to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and accept Him as your Lord and Savior?
You can do it right now wherever you are. Come now!
WILLIE WONG THOUGHT
WILLIE WONG
AUGUST 7, 2025
https://williewong.cw.center/wp-admin
Copyright © 2018 – 2025 by Willie Wong en