Friday, November 22, 2013
Pentecost
The Rapture Trumpet
The Doctrines & Teachings Contained Herein are taken from Godly Men and Women of the Church, including this Witness and Church Literature from 1842 - present and are Ordained by Scripture & Experienced in the Church:
"My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." Psalm 45:1
The Two Appearings of Christ at His Second Comming
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit Promised
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem
Study Text: Joel 2:21-32
The Most Holy Place
It was a joyous occasion indeed when the High Priest, once yearly, entered the Tabernacle to atone for sin. He passed through the outer court where he washed in the basin, typical of our salvation. He then passed through the Holy Place Most Holy Place Most Holy Place
In His Old Testament Separation from the People
In the tabernacle, there were two chambers and a thick veil separating the people from the height of divine favor as revealed in the Most Holy Place
In the Approval of Him by the People
Surrounding the people's desire for perfection in Godhead was a mass of ritual, many ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. - Hebrews 9:1. On the Day of Atonement, the congregation gathered en masse--individual atonement was not permitted. The sacrifices must be prepared according to exact specifications and error could not be allowed. The garments of the High Priest must be proper, for they were patterned after things heavenly. - Hebrews 9:23. It all revealed an exactness of detail which foreshadowed that perfect sacrifice and perfect Spirit where one day to be given were. When they were come, ordinance and ritual would be removed, the worldly sanctuary would be replaced by temples in the bodies of all men (1 Corinthians 3:16), and "whosoever will" could come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
In the Effects of Him on the People
The entrance of the High Priest into the Most Holy Place high point
JOEL SPOKE OF HIM
The Prophet spoke from the standpoint of existing Judean conditions. The good effects of Jehoshaphat’s reign disappeared in the apostasy of his son who married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel. Judah
He vividly described the calamitous famine which had devastated Judah Judah
The Latter Day Rain
The prophet's prayer was answered by Jehovah. Relating first to their material blessings, their fields would become green and their harvests would be bountiful. But they were to realize more than that. The God would shower their fields with water would also fill their souls with rain. He would manifest Himself perfectly in judgment by the terrible signs which precede and accompany the day of the Lord.
The fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that was manifested in the initial outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost stretched into the first century and broke in periodic intervals during the Middle Ages and the Reformation until He was poured out again the its latter rain fullness near the close of the Nineteenth Century. For more than 90 years the outpouring of the Pentecostal power has been the most phenomenal development in Christendom. It was for some years confined to the various Pentecostal groups, but in recent years it has leaped the barriers of denominational lines and many of he oldest and largest churches are receiving the Spirit in His fullness, accompanied by the significant signs of speaking with tongues, healing the sick and other miraculous manifestations of power that has always been a by-product of the Pentecostal experience.
The Spirit as the Producer of Prophets or Preachers
A study of the word "prophet" in Greek and "preacher" in Latin reveals that their meanings are essentially identical. Thus we recognize that the advent of the Spirit upon "whosoever will" is a gift accompanied by marked mental and psychological changes. The Holy Spirit chooses from the young and the old men who will preach the Word. The desire of the Godhead is to find those who will strive be obedient to the Pauline command, "Be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
As the Giver of New Ambitions (Dreams and Visions)
While the idea of the Holy Spirit's giving dreams and visions of the glories of the Kingdom of God is not to be minimized, it is also true that when one receives the Holy Spirit, his ideals, desires and philosophies are changed. He is given new goals, new ambitions, new dreams and visions of that which he wishes to accomplish in the power of the Spirit. These blessings are to be poured out regardless of age, sex, or social status. The only distinction mentioned is the implied "whosoever will." Thus it is with the Holy Spirit as with the Son of God, of whom the Apostle says, "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision, barbarian, bond or free; but Christ is all, and in all." The gift of the Spirit is as wide as the world in its offer, and without national distinction. There isn't a single case in the Old Testament of a slave's receiving the gift of prophecy, but these dreams and visions are for whosoever meets the standards--even servants and handmaids.
THE FATHER PROMISED HIM
(Luke 24:49)
It was not an accident on the part of the Godhead, but rather one that had been planned from eternity. Jesus had first made this announcement on Passover evening (John 14:16-26), but it was not fulfilled until the Day of Pentecost. These words from Luke were probably spoken on the day of His ascension and indicate anew the importance of their tarrying and receiving the Spirit, who would:
Be the Perfecter of Holiness in the Church
The grand design of the scheme of redemption is to perfect holiness in the hearts and lives of God's people. As the humble servant Eleazer went into Mesopotamia to find a suitable bride for his lord, Isaac, so the Holy Spirit works in the world today. He is ever teaching men the things of Christ; ever filling their hearts with more love, ever lifting their souls to the heights of His Holiness--"without which no man shall see the Lord."
As the Presenter of the Church to Christ
The church was once like an exposed infant on the day of its birth "in loathing of its person" (Ezekiel 16). If this were not true, it wouldn't have needed a Redeemer. It is His death which secures our ultimate holiness. Through it we are reconciled to God and made custodians of the Holy Spirit. We are redeemed from the curse of the Law that "we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Until the great day when the church is removed, the Holy Spirit will ever be busy purifying and keeping. All dross will be purged; all sin will be abolished and it will possess spotless glory. The elect of the church will be the bride of Christ.
JESUS SENT HIM
"I send the Promise of My Father"
He told them. From Christ's newly given, divinely imparted life shall proceed, as from the innermost depths of His consciousness, illimitable supplies of refreshment. Each soul will be like a rock smitten in the thirsty land, from whichcrystal rivers of life-giving grace will flow. All of the many Old Testament references fall short of this remarkable expression. This river is health given; one flowing for the healing of the nations and the "baptizing" of "whosoever will," everywhere.
As the Comforter Who Dwells in Us
(John 15:26)
This Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and His witness will be that of the Father Himself. He possess, communicates, and applies the truth; for He is the Spirit of truth. The Comforter is not at a distance from us, rather He is always in those who would receive Him. "He dwells with you, and shall be in you." said the Christ.
As the Giver of Power for Witnessing
(Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit is God Himself; thus He possesses the omnipotence of the Godhead. He is the Christian's strength. The word "witness" actually comes from the Latin "martyr," thus all of us are to be martyrs at heart, sent out into the world to reach and win souls. We are to be so endued with this Power that the Holy Spirit becomes our obsession. The greatest opportunity of a Christian is to be a powerful witness; one with the martyr spirit.
The Holy Spirit Given
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4
STUDY TEXT: Acts 2:1-11
SACRIFICES AND RITUALS NO MORE
From the time God slew the first animals in Eden
The Veil Was Rent from Top to Bottom
No longer was it worship by law; grace was established. No longer was it worshipby human mediators; Christ, the eternal High Priest, was Intercessor. No longer would the people be separated from the Holy Place
The Blood of Christ Was Offered in Heaven
The New Testament everywhere sets forth Christ as the perfect sacrifice. He is the worthy One. The Jews couldn't outwit Him; Herod couldn't stop Him; Pilate couldn't take His life. He sad His life was His own, He would lay it down, and on the third day take it up again. Thrones were His toys, and kingdoms His playthings. Heaven was His throne and the earth was His footstool. The grave was the only pillow on which He could rest His head, while His eternal Spirit, with His eternal blood in a vial, soared up to that tabernacle not made with hands; to that mountain of myrrh and that hill of frankincense. There He met the demands of divine justice; there He was accepted; there the price for sin was paid; there He became a ransom for many. On the third day, He took up His body again from its pillow of the grave, and arose, holding in His hands the keys of hell and death. Because He lives, we shall live also. Christ gave Himself for us. Can we do less for Him?
All May Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
If the new dispensation is ruled from a throne of grace, the old must have been ruled from the throne of law. But now God has no pleasure in sacrifices and offerings. He calls men to His grace. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me." No one is excluded. Though he be as ignorant as a Barbarian, or as lacking in knowledge as a Scythian, the lowest class of the Barbarians, yet he can come and drink of the waters of life freely. With grace there is no respecting of persons. To the rich, grace says, "Ye sold yourselves for naught, and you will be redeemed without money." To the poor, grace say, "Ye that have no money, come buy and eat, yea, buy wine and milk without money and without price." To come into the Most Holy Place
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
Its Historical Significance
The word "Pentecost" is a Greek one, meaning the fiftieth day. From the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel was commanded to number seven Sabbaths, which would make the seventh Sabbath the forty-ninth day, and on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath , Israel
On the fiftieth day, centuries before, the Law was established. On this fiftieth day, Grace was enthroned. It is said that more Jews attended the Feast of Harvest, or Pentecost, than any other. Multitudes of them, of all nations, were present for the Holy Spirit's descent, and their presence forecasts an even greater day when that great congregation, "which no man can number, out of every nation, kindred, people and tongue" shall stand before the throne of the risen Christ, and witness His eternal enthronement as "King of kings and Lord of lords."
The Phenomenon Which Accompanied His Advent
(Acts 2:2)
Every word of the verse is suggestive. It happened "suddenly." There was a "sound." It came from Heaven. It was not an ordinary occurrence. Human ears had not previously been graced with this noise. It was "heavenly," suggestive of the plain to which the believer's mind had been lifted, for only properly tuned minds hear heavenly sounds. It was "mighty"--suggestive, not of commonplace power, but rather of regal omnipotence. It was "as wind"; not the cool, gentle breeze of twilight; but rather that rushing, conquering, mighty wind of the Godhead. That wind is mysterious, going wherever it will. One can hear and feel it, but never see it. As we can know the wind is blowing by the senses of sound and feeling, so we can know the Spirit is moving, by using the same senses.
The Phenomenon Which Accompanied Him
It was fire; fire in cloven tongues. Is this in itself suggestive of a new era? Could it be that the Shekinah fire of the Most Holy Place Mt. Sinai , or that hovered over the Tabernacle, or that filled Solomon's Temple
But there was more than fire. There was a 'filling." Their cups were made to run over The river was flowing from their hearts. It plowed new channels with its rushing splendor. Cutting its way into 3,000 souls, they, who just fifty days before had crucified the Christ, found themselves saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Could it be that Peter's words to the multitude, "Him ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain," suggest that many of the converts played active roles in His crucifixion? If it be true, does it not beautifully illustrate Christ's "love your enemies" philosophy and His power "to save to the uttermost them that believe," even if it includes those who killed Him? Within one hundred and fifty years after this outpouring the Christian church had permeated the whole Roman Empire to such an extend that if the Christians had abandoned the cities, they would have become howling deserts. This triumphant march was simply in accordance with Christ's promise. The world saw that Christians loved one another, and the world was consequently converted.
HIS EFFECT ON THE GATHERED JEWS
The fifteen countries stated remind us of the Babel Jerusalem
They Were All "Amazed"
The speech was about the wonderful works of God. It is estimated that 1,000,000 Jews had gathered about Jerusalem
The Multitude Was "In Doubt"
The wording suggests that the condition was a state of being. One can travel "to" a city, then he goes "into" it, then he is "in" it. So is it with unbelief. Doubt is a unique state of mind. One goes into it because of a series of events which, to him, defy logic. After reaching this state, one is said to be "in doubt." Such was the case with those Jews and proselytes. To hear uneducated men speak their language defied logic; it was unreasonable; and their minds moved "in" a state of doubt. "From where did these men get their wisdom? How did they know that about which they spoke? Surely they must be full of new wine." So multitude asked:
"What Meaneth This?"
Peter didn't have a tongue which was rich like gold, or sweet like honey; he possessed no soothing speech to allay the prejudices and captivate the passions of so diverse a multitude. His lips had been ordinary; his words were uttered in rugged Galilean. He began in the only way he knew, tracing their history and quoting Scripture. The murmuring subsides; the mob becomes a congregation; his words begin to rush like streams of fire. That fire burns away prejudice; it encamps about the people's hearts. Now it touches the quick and burns in their very souls. One might think that in that throng there was but one min (that of the preacher). That one mind permeated thousands of beings; pricked thousands of hearts; humbled thousands of souls. Here a head bows; there starts a groan; yonder rises a deep sigh. At length, from the midst of the crowd, a brave soul who could stand no more cried, "What shall we do?"
HOW TO RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST
Repent
The call of the Gospel is universal, and everywhere it says first, "repent," or "wash your hands ye sinners." Of necessity it is a first step. There must be a changing of the mind, a drastic altering of course; a crisis experience, in which one turns fro sin to righteousness. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." Until this experience is realized, human nature is perverted; the inner man is alienated from God. But of those who hear the Gospel and repent, He says, "He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."
Be Baptized
The wording here suggests more than that outward sign of water baptism. Jesus when speaking to Peter about his death asked him, "Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of and be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized?" The Bible teaches that His death not only paid for the sins which we commit; His sacrifice also provided for the crucifixion of the Ademic sin nature, the drive or propensity to evil. "The old man is crucified with him," Paul said, and Jesus spoke of His crucifixion as a baptism. Thus we realize that Peter is also stating the necessity of a crisis experience of heart purity, or sanctification, as a prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit. To turn from sin to heart purity and holiness is one of the most blessed and honorable experiences to which a believer can come.
And Ye Shall Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost
He is for all people. He makes the church of Jesus Christ
The Personality, Universality and Work of the Holy Spirit
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." John 14:16
STUDY TEXT: John 14:16; John 16:7-15; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 10:29; Acts 5:3 and Matthew 12:31-32
THE HOLY SPIRIT, A PERSON
References to the Holy Spirit should never be neuter. He is not an "it," and all Scripture relative to Him in that gender are about the baptism or His original outpouring. There are no Scriptures referring to Him, as an "it."
His Is a Comforter, Who Abides with You Forever
(John 14:16)
Comforter comes from the Greek word, paraclete, meaning "one called alongside to help." Christ certainly is a personality and the same word is used of Him in 1 John 2:1, thus we know the Holy Spirit is also a personality.
He Has Personal Reactions
1. He may be lied to.-Acts 5:3
2. He may be blasphemed and sinned against. -Matthew 12:31-32
3. He can be grieved.-Ephesians 4:30
He Is Christ's Successor
(John 14:16 and 26)
None but a person can take a person's place.
Personal Pronouns Are Used About Him
(John 16:13-15)
He Does the Work of a Person
1. He convicts of sin. - John 16:8
2. He fills with power. -Acts 1:8
3. He reveals truth. -John 16:13-15
4. He gives the soul its spiritual new birth. -John 3:3,6,8
5. He gives spiritual gifts. - 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
6. He will resurrect our bodies. -Romans 8:11
He Is an Equal Part of the Godhead
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19
1. The Holy Spirit is omniscient. - 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
2. He is omnipotent. - Luke 1:35
3. He is omnipresent. - Psalm 139:7-10
4. He is eternal. - Hebrews 9:14
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE WORLD
There is a sense in which the entirety of creation may be ascribed to the Spirit. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (or spirit) of his mouth" (Psalm 33:6). The creation of man is ascribed to the Spirit. Job said, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty have given me life" (Job 33:4). In the Genesis account of Creation, the Spirit is seen actively engaged in the work of creation, for "the Spirit of God moved" (Genesis 1:2). The power of the Spirit is revealed in the preservation of nature, Isaiah said, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it" (Isaiah 40:7). The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in the warm sunshine, in the precious lily, in the beautiful rose, in the fragrant daffodil. He comes in Spring and Summer glory, bringing life and beauty, and He come in the biting Winter wind, leaving death in His wake.
The Holy Spirit is universal in His relation to men. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness because I go unto my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8,11). He deals with sin belonging to man; of righteousness, belonging to Christ, and of judgment, belonging to the devil. Jesus said, "The Spirit of truth...shall testify of me" (John 15:26). Peter said, "And we are his witnesses of those things; and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:32). The Holy Spirit is ever bearing witness of Christ and His finished work to the men in a sinful world.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
In Dealing with Individuals (Whosoever Will)
The responsibility of the Holy Spirit is to regenerate the dad conscience of the lost soul (Hebrews 10:22 and 9:14). Jesus made it very clear when in the night he told Nicodemus that he must be born again, not of the flesh, but of the Spirit (John 3). The individual must see himself as a prodigal in a far country and return home. Then the Holy Spirit removes the claims of sin, issues the papers of pardon from the throne of God and on Christ's behalf, and then He escorts the believer away from the judgment seat and the sin curse into complete freedom and full citizenship in the kingdom of God
From spiritual deadness, He gives birth to life. This work of the Spirit is definite and was provided for by Christ on the cross. Paul said that without this work we are none of His (Romans 8:9). It is the Spirit which bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God.
In Cleansing from Inherited Sin
It could easily be said, in terms of chemistry, that the blood is the cleansingagent, that the Holy Spirit is the catalyst which brings about the reaction, and the soul of man is that on which the precious blood of Christ reacts.
The blood plus the Holy Spirit (catalyst), plus the soul, yields sanctified man. It is further evident that the degree of our faith and the degree of our willingness determine the degree to which we receive the enduement with power.-Matthew 9:29 and Romans 12:3. When one receives Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, he receives "all the fullness of God" potentially, but actually he receives on that which his faith appropriates. It further follows that one must know light before he can walk in it. The work of sanctification is provided only for the children of God, this it is called their "inheritance" (Acts 26:18).
For this is the "will of God, even your sanctification," and only family members have a right to the "will" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The work of sanctification is for the members of Christ's body--His church (Ephesians 5:25-27). It is the positive removal of sin by that grand crisis experience.
In the Enduement with Power from on High
In the wording of our Discipline, "the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer (Acts 1:5; 8; 2:38-39). "Since the Bible teaches that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and that thetemple of God
The Evidence of His Presence
We believe that the "initial" (or first) evidence of the reception of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (John 15:26-27; Acts 2:1-4; 8:17; 10:44-46; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7). We do not believe this is the only evidence of the Spirit's baptism, but that it is the initial evidence, just as it occurred in the repeated accounts of the Spirit's outpouring in the Acts of the Apostles. But there will be other evidences spelled out in our lives--the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), power to witness for Christ, power to endure the testings of faith and the oppositions of the world. We believe that the initial evidence of speaking with tongues is for everyone who receives the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Spirit and we distinguish between this initial manifestation and the gift of tongues, which is not given to every Spirit filled believer.
The Baptism, A Gift
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a work of grace in our hearts, rather through grace, it is the receiving of the promised gift by individuals in the church. There are three gifts for the individual in this connection: 1. The gift of the Father (John 3:16), which is Jesus, the Redeemer of the lost world. 2. The gift of Christ Himself to sanctify and cleanse the church (Ephesians 5:25). 3. The gift of the Holy Ghost coming from the Father and the Son to dwell in the cleansed temple of the sanctified believer. The Scriptures set forth three baptisms which have one aim. 1. The baptism of water unto repentance (Matthew 3:11). 2. The baptism of blood unto death done by Christ Himself for us as individuals (Romans 6:1-6). In it the "old man" is crucified and we die with Christ unto sin once for all time, and remain dead to sin by remaining under that baptism of His blood. 3. The baptism with the Holy Spirit as received in the upper room. These baptism are a part of the normal experience which the love of God expects all men to receive.
The Gifts of the Spirit
We believe in the gifts of the Spirit as forth by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14; we believe that they are 'set in the church' by the Spirit; that He retains custody and control of the said gifts or 'enablements,' distributing and operating them 'severally as he wills' and we desire that our people may so live under the control of the Holy Spirit that these gifts may be manifested or used through consecrated individuals in the worship services where, when and as they are needed; but all to the glory of God and the edifying of the body of Christ and in accordance with the directions and decorum set forth in the chapters referred to above.
Sanctification
The Rapture Trumpet
Sanctification
Sanctification As Crisis and Process
"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14
Study Text: Philippians 3:1-14
The Christian life is initiated by momentous spiritual experiences. A dead and sinful soul is enlightened to the Gospel, moved to repentance and faith, and thus brought into living union with Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. There are several immediate consequences of this union: The believer is justified by faith (Romans 5:1, 9); He is regenerated (Ephesians 2:1, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23 ); He is adopted into God's family (Galatians 4:4-7); He is baptized into the Church which is the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12 -13).
These are amazing experiences, though many Christians are so familiar with these terms and ideas that they have ceased to be awed and thrilled by them. Perhaps more amazing still, however, New Testament writers everywhere insist that these are only the commencement experiences of the Christian life. They are infancy experiences in a life which is to grow and develop toward spiritual maturity. They are experiences that are associated with the start of the Christian race. Everywhere in the New Testament there is deep concern and sorrow for those who, having been born again and having started the race, are so slow to grow up and so slow to press on in the Christian life. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Hebrews 5:12-14).
The plea for progress in the Christian life pervades the New Testament. Amongst many Scriptures, note carefully the following: "Follow after charity" (1 Corinthians 14:1); "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him" (Colossians 2:6-7); "Let us go on unto perfection" (Hebrews 6:1); "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2); "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
The Philippian passage which is the basis of our present study powerfully presents this plea for progress. It is the more powerful because Paul includes himself as still in need of spiritual development and progress after over twenty-five years of Christian experience on the deepest and highest levels: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14.
If St. Paul
Immediately prior to the statement which we have quoted in full, Paul mentions some of the things which are included in a developing Christian life. In verses 7-8 he recalls his own conversion, giving a revealing insight into what repentance and faith in Christ meant for him--the abandonment not only of outward sins, but also of self-trust in all its forms, racial, family, moral, and religious. (He had not been a prodigal son, but an elder brother!) He had "suffered the loss of all things" and "counted them but dung" that he "might win Christ." Thus had he started the Christian race.
In verse 9 Paul mentions one aspect of the immediate consequences of winning Christ: justification by faith. As we have seen, there are other aspects, but this would appear to be the aspect which seems to have seized hold of the mind of Paul, as later it did of Luther. Then, in verse 10, he touches upon some features of the developing Christian: "that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." It is to be feared that with most of us the things which Paul here mentions are only words and phrases which roll off our tongues. In actuality they are real spiritual and practical elements within a developing and progressive Christian life. Let us ask ourselves these questions: How truly and intimately do we know Christ? To what extent do we know experimentally the power of His resurrection? To what degree do we have fellowship in Christ's sufferings? Are we, in character and conduct and service, really conformed unto His death? To ponder such questions with an honest and prayerful mind might lead us to see how infantile we really are, and how little progress we have made in the spiritual marathon on which at our conversion, we made a start.
PERFECTION AS THE FINAL GOAL
(verses 11-14)
In these verses Paul is evidently thinking of the racing stadium which was a popular feature of most Greek cities, and especially of the foot-race. “The purpose of the race was to reach the goal opposite the entrance, or to run up andback, and this once or even twice” (W. Hendriksen).
Notice that in verse 14 the Apostle mentions “the mark” and the “prize.” These two things were the objectives in the race. The goal was a pillar which marked the end of the race-course. The prize was the award given to the winner of the race. “This prize was a wreath of leaves. At Athens
Thus, goal and prize, though not synonyms, nevertheless were necessarily link together. There were different aspects of the same thing. Attaining the goal brought the prize, but there could be no prize without the attainment of the goal.
Now St. Paul 5:28 -29 and Rev. 20:11-15).
Literally translated Paul’s words are: “If haply I may attain unto the out-resurrection of the dead.” This is evidently and event that is to precede the general resurrection of the dead, and it is a special reward of glory and honour for all those believers who reach the goal of the race. This is the prize. It is believed that the companies of people described in Revelation 4:4-11; 5:8-14; 7:9-17; 14:1-5 are various groups of those believers who reach the goal and receive the prize.
But what is the goal which St. Paul
The goal of perfect Christlikeness can only be reached by a process. And there is more to that process than the time element. We must beware of the idea that progress in Christlikeness is inevitable. Man and women do not inevitably become Christlike simply because they grow older any more than men win races if they lounge about the starting post. If a man is to win a race he must have a certain temper or frame of mind. He must fix his heart on winning. He must be as St. Paul
PERFECTION AS A CRISES EXPERIENCE
( verse 15 )
In this fifteenth verse, St. Paul appeals to his readers that they endeavor to have a frame of mind like his own: “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.” That is, let us get our eyes on the goal of final perfection and press toward true Christlikeness. Yet in his appeal he makes use of a phrase which, on first sight, seems to contradict what he has already said: “Let us, as many as be perfect…” A moment before he had denied perfection: now he affirms it, not only of himself, but also of some of his readers.
Can one, then be perfect and imperfect at the same time? John Wesley says “Yes!” and devotes an entire sermon to proving it, showing “In what sense Christians are not, and in what sense Christians are perfect.” Opponents of the Wesleyan view have adopted various expedients to disprove the distinction, but the Wesleyan position is a sound one, being in harmony with the facts of experience, confirmed by other portions of the Scriptures, and has scholarly backing. Dr. R. Newton Flew, for example, states: “Paul distinguished between absolute perfection, which was reserved for the future (I Cor. 13:10 ; Phil. 3:12 -14), and a relative perfection which he regarded as realizable by himself and his converts. Indeed, that relative perfection was the goal of apostolic work (Col. 1:28; 3:14 ; 4:12 ; I Cor. 2:6, Eph. 4:12 -13)” (The Idea of Perfection in Christian Theology). Like wise Dr. W.E. Sangster writes: “Paul had a double idea of perfection in mind: a perfection absolute, celestial, and seen as some distant goal to which he pressed; and a perfection relative, terrestrial, and capable of achievement by all who receive the gift of new life in Christ. Only…as this distinction is kept in mind can coherence be found on this theme in the Pauline writings” (The Path to Perfection).
Thus, there is a perfection on the way to perfection. There is a state of heart and life which St. Paul
In the first Corinthian epistle Paul uses similar terminology. He declares: “We speak wisdom among them that are perfect” (I Cor. 2:6), implying that some Christians are “perfect” NOW, long before they arrive at the goal of total Christlikeness. In another verse in the same chapter (1 Cor. 2:15 ) he speaks of these as ‘spiritual’ people. Then, he states that not all regenerated people are spiritual: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (I Cor. 3:1). These statements make it unmistakably clear that even whilst we are running toward the goal of final perfection, we may be in a condition of heart and life which is designated as “perfection” and “spirituality.” Furthermore, not all born-again people are in this condition of heart and life. Some, though definitely “in Christ,” are nevertheless ‘babes” and “carnal.”
To revert again to the analogy of the runner in a race: there is one thing vital to every runner who hopes to succeed, namely, perfect fitness. Unless he be in perfect health and fitness he will be impeded and thwarted in all his endeavors.
This is what St. Paul
One question remains: Why is it that some Christians have perfect spiritual fitness (as St. Paul
It is the teaching of the Wesleyan or Holiness movements that this perfect spiritual fitness is brought about by the experience of ‘entire sanctification,’ which is an ‘instantaneous, definite, second work of grace.”
We believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood, not alone for our justification and the forgiveness of actual transgressions, but also for the ‘complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution, subsequent to (or after) regeneration, ‘the new birth’…This is the negative side of sanctification of the heart so as to make it possible for us to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul….It is the crucifixion of the ‘old man’…the destruction of the ‘carnal mind’…the purging of the fruit bearing branch that ‘that it may bring forth more fruit….It is the ‘cleansing from all sin’---‘from all unrighteousness.’”
One of the basic texts upon which this teaching is grounded is 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” This great statement embraces the following facts:
Sanctification is a experience which is subsequent to conversion, for this Pauline prayer is made on behalf of Christian believers. Compare also our Lord’s prayerfor His people in John 17:15-19.
Sanctification is a definite, instantaneous experience. The word “sanctify” is in the so-called aorist tense, and it implies not a continuous process but a single definite act. The same is true of the word ‘sanctify’ in John 17:17, and also of other occurrences of this word. It points to the fact that there is an experience of sanctification, subsequent to regeneration, which is a momentary and instantaneous experience.
--Work in Progress-
Sanctification As Cleansing and Consecration
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1
Study Text: Genesis 21:9-14; 22:1-12
--Work in Progress-
Sanctification in Character, Service, and Conduct
"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2
Study Text: Romans 12:1-21
--Work in Progress-
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