For Us, Against Us

 Mark 9:40
 For he that is not against us is on our part.

All doctrine is not critical to having eternal life. The Doctrine of the Church concerning Jesus Christ, who He is, and why He came to earth is essential to salvation. There are other teachings that are important and hinge on the person of Christ, but it is important to know that knowing Jesus to be God and coming to save sinners through His death and resurrection is crucial and essential to our beliefs and eternal salvation. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9). A church that does not hold to this sound doctrine, is not part of the universal church of Jesus Christ that encompasses all who believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior of the heart. They are against sound doctrine and people should be warned of their false teachings. God has a plan for each believer to fulfill the mission of the gospel of Christ. The world is filled with churches that seek to fulfill that mission. As believers, we desire to fellowship with those who are like-minded and share the same core values. Therefore, we may choose to attend and be a part of a particular church. If you don’t agree with those core values, then it is probably best to find a place where you can be effective in ministry to do what God has called you to do. We are too close to the end days and Jesus will soon be returning. We have kingdom work that needs to be done. We don’t have time to be fussing over non-essential doctrine. He that is not against us is on our side.

Keep the Holy Faith

 Jude 1:20,21
 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…Keep yourselves in the love of God.

Whether it is the end days or the sunset days of our personal lives, we are constantly aware of mockers, who desire to bring division and twist the word of God to appease their own appetites for the sinful things of this world. The last times or in the last days will be similar to the days of Noah. The teachings of the world will seep into the church, and many will be deceived by the grain of truth that is embedded into the teaching. The admonition is to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us discernment to see what is truth and what is false. The center of truth is to stay in the love of God, be grounded in sound doctrine of the teachings of Jesus. His word is truth and our faith is holy because He is holy. We are to resist and denounce the works of the devil, and proclaim the gospel to all who will hear it. Many have turned from the truth and have become reprobates in their minds and hearts, and refuse to accept Jesus as God and the Savior of the world. We may not be able to successfully change the political climate and social perversion of our culture, but we can stand against the evil of the day, share the grace and love of God, show others the way to the cross and lift up Jesus in this messed up world.

The Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

There will come a day when the wheel of time we stop and ceases to turn, that Jesus will be all that remains. He who controls time and space will be sitting on the throne . He is the Lord of all, King of kings, His Name will be lifted up on high and all will recognize that He is God. All will worship Him, will see the folly of their way and the deception of Satan. The atheist, the agnostic, worshipers of false religions, and all who refuse to believe in Him will fall to their knees and confess that He and He alone is the only way to eternal life. Those who believe already have bowed their knees, kneeling at the foot of the cross, confessing their sinful state and asking Jesus to save them from eternal damnation.  Confessing the Name of Jesus and believing that He is God and the Savior of the world. The Christian has humbled himself before God can now approach the throne of God and speak Jesus to the Father. For in the Name of Jesus, all is well, and we can trust in His Name to do all things according to His will.

Bow The Knee

Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Many see Christianity as an arrogant religion. Those who claim the Name of Christ proclaim that Jesus is the only way to have have eternal life, in other words, get to heaven. Such teaching flies in the face of those that think that there are many ways to have eternal life after death. That the path to heaven is made possible by having faith in what you believe, and to follow its teachings. Jesus, says, “I am the way, the truth, and life, and no mans comes to the Father except through me.” This declaration of Christ has portrayed the followers of Christ as bigots. Not willing to accept or tolerant the belief that obtaining eternal can be achieve by other means other than through Christ. It is the foundation truth of Christianity that Jesus is God, who came in the flesh and dwelt among us. He being fully God and fully man died for the sins of humanity that we might have access to the Father. I stand not in judgement of others who claim otherwise, but to believe in Jesus, is to believe that what He is is truth. Ultimately, every religion will bow the knee and acknowledge that He is Lord, and the only way to have eternal life.