1. Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ. The principles of the doctrine of Christ were the teaching of the Law of Moses. Christ was born under Law; Grew up under Law; practiced the Law to the letter; taught the Law; died on the cross to abolish the Law and became God’s sacrificial Lamb to bring in the everlasting Grace Covenant we now live under.
2. Let us go on unto perfection. Perfection was the product of the Grace of God that flows from the cross at Calvary and is ministered to the believing soul by the power and omnipresence of the Holy Spirit.
3. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. Repentance under the Law of Moses required a man to bring sacrifices to the Priest and do as Moses commanded. Old Testament repentance makes a reference to obeying the Law of Moses and keeping it. Constant repentance without peace with God was the picture.
4. And of faith toward God – The faithfulness of the Old Testament Jew was to hear, learn, and practice the ordinances and teachings of Moses and Levitical Law. Under Law men struggled to learn and keep the Law and 613 commandments. Struggle alone was enough to cause men to miss God and thus becoming unfaithful. Under Grace the sacrifice of Christ took away human struggle and allowed man to receive an “inner moral work of the Holy Spirit”. Salvation and redemption were produced by such Grace that flows through the ministry of the Holy Spirit from the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary.
5. Of the doctrine of baptisms – Many ceremonial baptisms and not necessarily body immersion in water, many various washings of Levitical instruments, sprinkling of the blood and water with Hyssop as means of atonement. Dipping. These practices with water and blood of animals were many according to Jewish Law. Some baptisms were even customary by Jewish elders and teachers and not actual scriptural practice according to Law. Traditional influence and Talmudical based.
6. And of laying on of hands – Due to Christ’s atoning sacrifice and Israel’s final sin offering Great Grace and the ministry of the Holy Spirit birthed the Church upon humanity. Not for Jews only but also for the Gentiles. Impartation of sin with the laying on of hands by a Levitical priest was ministered upon sacrificial goats, lambs, turtledoves, pigeons etc. This method of impartation of sin to an animal sacrifice as a means of yearly atonement for faithful Jewish families in Israel was no longer needed.
7. And of resurrection of the dead – Resurrection of the dead has always existed in Biblical perspective. Body resurrection (raising from the grave) is the God given form of Eternal Blessing or Eternal Punishment and deals specifically with the physical make-up of the human being. The Pharisees and Sadducees were divided on the scriptural doctrine of resurrection of the body which is very vague in Old Testament records. Resurrection of the dead was proven to be realistic and actual through Biblical records of the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of Christ was the greatest of blessings in Biblical history. Today under Grace in the Church the body of Christ resurrection power is what morally and spiritually changes the sinner into a child of God. The actual body (physical) resurrection will unite with the redeemed soul in the Rapture of the Church.
8. And of eternal judgment – The Bible says Christ will come (again) in flaming fire taking vengeance upon those who obey not the Gospel. Jewish and Hebrew people of faith know the Messiah came the first time at Calvary - in suffering, death on a cross, and resurrection from the tomb. God’s determination of Judgment took place at that time and will not be a flood like the days of Noah but with fire from Heaven unlike anything known to human comprehension. Tribulation will take place after the Rapture. God’s wrath will be unleashed for seven years beginning in Jerusalem. Judgments will take place at the end of the great Tribulation and at the end of the 1000-year reign of Christ on planet Earth. The final Judgment of the Great White Throne will take place at the end of the 1000 years as Hell, and death, and the Devil himself are cast into the lake of fire and experience the “second death”.
9. And this will we do if God permit.
No comments:
Post a Comment