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Training Our Senses to Know Good and Evil

As Christians we are not under law; therefore, the law does not govern our actions (Romans 6:14). This can be confusing to some because if the Ten Commandments are not the standard, what is? As part of our salvation, we are placed as sons (Ephesians 1:5 having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons). This means we are no longer under law (Galatians 4:1-5). A son is one who is mature and expected to act appropriately, not like a child. Now being in a position before God where we can mature, we are expected to train our senses to know the difference between what is wrong and what is proper.

But the solid food is for the mature, the ones through practice having trained the senses towards discerning proper and wrong (lacking in character). Hebrews 5:14.

The purpose of the gift of Pastor even teacher (Ephesians 4:11) given to the church is to bring us all to a oneness of faith (Ephesians 4:13) so that we are no longer inarticulate babblers. And inarticulate babbler is one who needs milk (Hebrews 5:13) for they cannot handle the meat of the Word of God and are tossed around by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men who seek to deceive the saints (Ephesians 4:14).

Today, let’s grow a little in our understanding. Let’s put off any law we may be trying to apply to ourselves and start to use the freedom we have in Christ to live righteously. That is, stop with the “Do Not” and start being who we are in Christ. God has given us a new mind by which we can discern His Will for our lives (Romans 12:2).

Christ told the disciples in […]

Training Our Senses to Know Good and Evil2023-11-25T08:07:01-08:00

Doctrine and Teaching

All Scripture has information for the saints today, but not all Scripture is for the saint’s practice. The Greek language uses two different words to describe these types of information. The first, often translated teaching, is referring to information that is to be learned but not to be practiced, where the other word means doctrine – that which is to be practiced.

Teaching – διδασκαλία (Information to be learned but not practiced)

  • Teachers teaching the precepts of man, Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Colossians 2:22
    1. The people draw near with their mouth and honor with their lips, but are far from Him with their hearts
    2. They reverence Him in vain
  • “Precepts” is used exclusively of the teachings of men. – A royal or Imperial ordinance
    1. Touch not, taste not, handle not, Colossians 2:22
    2. The elementary principles of the world system, Colossians 2:20
  • Have an appearance of wisdom in self made religion and self abasement and mistreating the body, Colossians 2:23
  • Teachings of Demons, 1 Timothy 4:1-6
    1. Speaking lies
    2. Having a conscience seared
    3. Forbidding to marry
    4. Abstaining from meats
    5. In contrast to good (well) teachings
  • The Time will come when men will not endure healthy teaching, 2 Timothy 4:3
    1. They will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts
    2. They will turn from the truth to myths
  • Within the Church
    1. Used of information that is to be learned but not practiced
    2. A separate gift from a Pastor, Romans 12:7 (Pastor is both a shepherd and a teacher)
    3. Information written before for our learning, Romans 15:4
    4. Pastors who labors in the Word and teaching, 1 Timothy 5:17
    5. Scripture is profitable for teachings, reproof, correction and child training, 2 Timothy 3:16
      1. Teaching – properly handling information that is to […]
Doctrine and Teaching2023-11-23T12:17:14-08:00

The Standard – Our Commandments

Believe on God’s Son1; love one another (other saints2) as Christ has loved us; abide in Christ, John 13:34,35; 15:1-4; 1 John 3:24, 25. These are the commandments for Christian’s today. Christians are not under any quality of law, but rather under grace3. This does not mean that there is no standard for a Christian or that a Christian may continue in sin without any penalty4. Grace is not a license to sin; rather, through grace we are provided the ability to act righteously. The law5 of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the standard by which we live. We fulfill the righteousness of the law of the Spirit when we are […]

The Standard – Our Commandments2023-11-23T14:10:31-08:00

The Proper Use of the Old Testament

Two types of doctrine are found in Scripture that are revealed through two Greek words used for different types of teaching; doctrine that is to be learned and practiced and doctrine that is to be learned, but NOT practiced.

“All Scripture is God breathed and profitable towards teaching, towards conviction, towards correction, towards child training in the righteousness” , 2 Timothy 3:16.

“Teaching” refers to information to be learned but not practiced. Conviction, correction and child training in the righteousness relates to doctrine that is to be learned and practiced.

“And having various gracious gifts according to the grace, the one given to you, whether prophecy, according as the portion of the faith, whether the one serving, in serving or the one teaching, in teaching…” Romans 12:6, 7.

“… and He gave the Apostles, and the prophets, and the evangelists, and the pastors even teachers…” Ephesians 4:11.

The “Pastor” and the “Teacher” in the Ephesians passage are the same person. It is the primary responsibility of the Pastor as the shepherd to teach doctrine that is to be learned and practiced; however, he is also to properly handle Old Testament information by teaching it as information that is to be learned, but not practiced. In addition to the Pastor properly handling the Old Testament information, God has proved others with the Spiritual gift of teaching who properly teach the value of the Old Testament information without abusing it by seeking to make it doctrine to live by in this day and age (Romans 12:6,7). This is not restricting doctrine to be learned and practiced to only a Pastor being able to teach it, but the Pastor is the primary method by which this type […]

The Proper Use of the Old Testament2023-12-10T07:25:07-08:00

THE PROCESS OF A TEMPTATION: HOW TO MANAGE BAD THOUGHTS

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “for though in the flesh we walk, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not pertaining to the flesh, but pertaining to the natural ability of God towards the tearing down of fortresses; pulling down logics and every high thing lifting itself up against the experiential knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought into the obedience of Christ.”

How do you control the thoughts in your mind?

So often we struggle with thoughts that are of a “lacking in character” type, which flood our minds all day long. Perhaps they are thoughts that we will never do because ultimately our conscience would not permit such an action; nonetheless, we struggle with them. Perhaps we would do them if the opportunity presented itself knowing full well that we should not be involved with that type of action. Or perhaps they are thought that seem to be impossible to resist. They take over our minds, making us feel guilty and unworthy before God for even allowing such a thing in our minds, not to mention actually doing them.
We need to remember that our battle is not a battle of the flesh; we are not waging war against fleshly enemies. Our enemies are spiritual and affect our way of thinking. When it comes to how we deal with thoughts in our minds we need to realize that the thought is not a sin, or even a trespass. The thought in itself is nothing until we make it something.
In James 1:12 we are told how we are tempted by a desire to do something that lacks in character. First, the lust has to enter your mind, hence, a […]

THE PROCESS OF A TEMPTATION: HOW TO MANAGE BAD THOUGHTS2023-11-23T12:48:41-08:00
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