Chapter 1
THE UNCHANGING GOD
So you want to be a Christian. You have attended the bible studies, or the crusades, and you have been baptized. Now that the baptismal water has dried off, you have the rest of your born again life before you to be a Christian.
Or maybe you have been watching the many Christian televangelists, or listening to the Christian radio programs, and you gave, or want to give your heart to the Lord, and now what?
How to live every day for the Lord, is a problem that many new, and some old Christians face.
This book has been written to help you live every day for the Lord. The method is to use the doctrines of the Bible as instructions for every day life. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Allow me to make three assumptions at this time:
1: As a Christian, you are seeking instruction in righteous living.
2: You are wondering whether or not you can walk perfectly before God.
3: You want to know more about Christianity.
Well, that is what the scriptures are given for. For doctrine, and correction in righteous living. A doctrine is a teaching, a biblical or scriptural teaching on a single subject.
Examples: Jeremiah 10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Hebrews 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
In order to live as a Christian should live, you must understand, and follow the biblical doctrines on every
aspect of your life.
You may or may not believe it yet, but as you read this book, you will find that God has given doctrines;
teachings, and instructions on every aspect of your life as a believer.
As a believer, you may belong to a particular denomination or non-denominational group of believers.
The majority of believers belong to the same denomination as their mother, or father. A large number of believers are members of a group where they first received bible studies through a friend, or a crusade. Some Christians (I will use the word Christian and believer interchangeably) move around from one denomination to another, based mostly on the bonds that they have formed with friends of the other denomination, or because they have discovered some error in their own denomination, and conversely some truth in another denomination.
Finding truth and errors among Christian denominations should come as no surprise to a Christian. After all, there are thousands of Christian denominations, each with a separate set of doctrines. They may, and do agree on some doctrines, but what makes a denomination a denomination, is a set of beliefs, and members of a congregation who hold these set of beliefs as biblical truths.
As a believer, you have the task of determining which set of doctrines is biblical. It does not take a math whiz to figure out that if two denominations hold two distinct sets of doctrines as truth, that both cannot be right. If one set of doctrines are right, then the other set is erroneous.
Also, keep in mind that many denominations share large amounts of doctrinal truths in common. This book will help you to examine many of the doctrines from a biblical point of view. We will not examine doctrines from a denominational point of view, but rather from a biblical point of view.
Rather than look at what each denomination teaches on a particular doctrine, we will look at what the Bible
has to say.
Here is how we are going to do this:
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
If you understand this text correctly, you will get the idea that doctrines are to be taught to those who
understand the basic teachings of salvation. If you do not understand this teaching, it will be covered as we go along. For now we will focus on the method of teaching doctrine: line upon line, precepts upon precepts, here a little there a little.
What this means is that when we start to study, we will look for the same lines (line upon line) in more than one book of the Bible (here a little, there a little) and we will consider the same precept (precept upon precept).
As a believer, there are some texts that you may have already known from the Bible. Here are a few examples of texts that you may have already known:
Malachi 3:6; For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
These are more than just catch phrases, they actually mean something, and will form part of the keys to help us understand doctrines.
If it is true that the Lord does not change, and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, then the doctrines will be the same in Old Testament scriptures, as well as in New Testament scriptures.
This is an example of precept upon precepts. It is not the totality of what the Bible has to say about God never changing, but that will do for now. As you will notice, the texts come from different books, (here a little, there a little) but they say the exact same thing: God does not change.
THE UNCHANGING GOD
So you want to be a Christian. You have attended the bible studies, or the crusades, and you have been baptized. Now that the baptismal water has dried off, you have the rest of your born again life before you to be a Christian.
Or maybe you have been watching the many Christian televangelists, or listening to the Christian radio programs, and you gave, or want to give your heart to the Lord, and now what?
How to live every day for the Lord, is a problem that many new, and some old Christians face.
This book has been written to help you live every day for the Lord. The method is to use the doctrines of the Bible as instructions for every day life. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Allow me to make three assumptions at this time:
1: As a Christian, you are seeking instruction in righteous living.
2: You are wondering whether or not you can walk perfectly before God.
3: You want to know more about Christianity.
Well, that is what the scriptures are given for. For doctrine, and correction in righteous living. A doctrine is a teaching, a biblical or scriptural teaching on a single subject.
Examples: Jeremiah 10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Hebrews 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
In order to live as a Christian should live, you must understand, and follow the biblical doctrines on every
aspect of your life.
You may or may not believe it yet, but as you read this book, you will find that God has given doctrines;
teachings, and instructions on every aspect of your life as a believer.
As a believer, you may belong to a particular denomination or non-denominational group of believers.
The majority of believers belong to the same denomination as their mother, or father. A large number of believers are members of a group where they first received bible studies through a friend, or a crusade. Some Christians (I will use the word Christian and believer interchangeably) move around from one denomination to another, based mostly on the bonds that they have formed with friends of the other denomination, or because they have discovered some error in their own denomination, and conversely some truth in another denomination.
Finding truth and errors among Christian denominations should come as no surprise to a Christian. After all, there are thousands of Christian denominations, each with a separate set of doctrines. They may, and do agree on some doctrines, but what makes a denomination a denomination, is a set of beliefs, and members of a congregation who hold these set of beliefs as biblical truths.
As a believer, you have the task of determining which set of doctrines is biblical. It does not take a math whiz to figure out that if two denominations hold two distinct sets of doctrines as truth, that both cannot be right. If one set of doctrines are right, then the other set is erroneous.
Also, keep in mind that many denominations share large amounts of doctrinal truths in common. This book will help you to examine many of the doctrines from a biblical point of view. We will not examine doctrines from a denominational point of view, but rather from a biblical point of view.
Rather than look at what each denomination teaches on a particular doctrine, we will look at what the Bible
has to say.
Here is how we are going to do this:
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
If you understand this text correctly, you will get the idea that doctrines are to be taught to those who
understand the basic teachings of salvation. If you do not understand this teaching, it will be covered as we go along. For now we will focus on the method of teaching doctrine: line upon line, precepts upon precepts, here a little there a little.
What this means is that when we start to study, we will look for the same lines (line upon line) in more than one book of the Bible (here a little, there a little) and we will consider the same precept (precept upon precept).
As a believer, there are some texts that you may have already known from the Bible. Here are a few examples of texts that you may have already known:
Malachi 3:6; For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
These are more than just catch phrases, they actually mean something, and will form part of the keys to help us understand doctrines.
If it is true that the Lord does not change, and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, then the doctrines will be the same in Old Testament scriptures, as well as in New Testament scriptures.
This is an example of precept upon precepts. It is not the totality of what the Bible has to say about God never changing, but that will do for now. As you will notice, the texts come from different books, (here a little, there a little) but they say the exact same thing: God does not change.
Chapter 2
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
The word Christian means “little Christ.” As little Christs, Christians reflect the image of God, just as Jesus Christ reflected the image of His Father. Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: The word Christian first appears in the book of The Acts of the Apostles.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The name Christian was given at about 40 A.D. That would be approximately 7 to 10 years after the death of Christ. If they were called Christians for the first time in Ephesus at approximately 7 to 10 years after the death of Christ, then what were they called before 40 A.D?
Before Christians were given their own name and handle, they were considered another sect of Judaism.
There were several sects of Judaism, and now among them was a sect who believed that Jesus was the Son of God, who was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and that He was the promised Messiah. This sect grew into what we now call Christians.
Yes it is true, a Christian is one who believes that Jesus is the Messiah, and Christianity is a branch of Judaism.
Jesus, who was a Jew, and his apostles, including Paul, all Jews, founded Christianity in the city of Jerusalem.
So it will come as no surprise that many of the practices, behaviors, teachings, and lifestyle of Jews should be found among Christians.
Although most Christians are non-Jew /Hebrew, Christianity remains a very Jewish religion.
Paul wrote: Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
If the non-Jew / Hebrew is grafted into a Jewish tree, and fed from the Jewish root, it should stand to reason that the fruits will resemble Jewish fruits. If the tree is an olive tree, then the fruits should be olive fruits, and not oranges.
Remember, the root stayed the same. Some of the branches were broken off, and a few branches were
grafted in, but the root stayed the same.
So spiritually, we do not have two trees. God is not running two spiritual systems. We do not have the church and Israel. We have one tree. We have one Lord, one faith. The church did not replace Israel. If we have one tree, then spiritually speaking (which is what matters to God) the church is Israel. The tree and root of which Paul is speaking is in fact Christianity/the church. It is into the church that the gentiles are grafted. Otherwise, we would have two spiritual trees, each tree with its own fruit.
None Hebrew Christians are said to be citizens of the nation of Israel: Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Another reason why the fruits of Christianity must be Jewish, is that the early Christians taught exclusively from the Old Testaments scriptures (The Jewish bible).
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to
whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out
of the law of Moses, and [out of] the prophets, from morning till evening.
The letters written by Paul are mainly letters written to correct errors and behaviors that crept into the early church. Paul does not make up any new laws or rules for Christianity, but rather, he takes his doctrines from the Old Testament scriptures.
In order for the early Christian church to verify that the doctrines given were scriptural, they would search the Old Testament scriptures to see if these things were so.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with
all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The word scripture in the above texts refers only to the Old Testament writings, since there was no New Testament yet assembled.
As we continue in this book, we will use scriptures from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This will help establish that God does not change.
Earlier we read a verse that said Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We stated that this helped established a doctrine of an unchanging God. We used another verse to help establish that doctrine. One verse or chapter alone cannot establish a doctrine, but we can establish the context in one verse or chapter. Before we proceed, let us examine the context of the verse from which we formed the doctrine of the unchanging God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
In this context, we are told that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We know when today is, and we know that forever includes the future, but in this context when exactly is yesterday? In this context yesterday can be anytime before the cross, and as late as yesterday.
And so, we are told that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, thus we should not be moved by
strange and different teachings. In this context what does not change are the doctrines of Jesus Christ.
The teachings found in the Old Testament, should thus be the same as those found in the New Testament.
Here is an example of how the teachings in the Old Testament and the New Testament are the same, and
Jewish in origin: Leviticus 17:14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Leviticus 17:15 And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
It is from parts of this text in Leviticus, that the apostles write this text in Acts. The underlined statements are the same.
Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from
fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
We will revisit this text again later in this book. There is more there than we see at first glance. However, these few verses do help us to understand that the teachings of the Old Testament, and that of the New Testament, are the same. Thus, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, and we should not be moved by strange and different teachings.
If this is so, and the doctrines of Jesus are the same yesterday, today and forever, then we have established our first fact: That Christianity will resemble biblical Judaism.
Christians are often referred to as “saints.” Here is a good biblical definition of a saint/Christian:
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
A saint/Christian is a person who keeps the commandments of God, and have faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
Now, do you still want to be a Christian?
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The name Christian was given at about 40 A.D. That would be approximately 7 to 10 years after the death of Christ. If they were called Christians for the first time in Ephesus at approximately 7 to 10 years after the death of Christ, then what were they called before 40 A.D?
Before Christians were given their own name and handle, they were considered another sect of Judaism.
There were several sects of Judaism, and now among them was a sect who believed that Jesus was the Son of God, who was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and that He was the promised Messiah. This sect grew into what we now call Christians.
Yes it is true, a Christian is one who believes that Jesus is the Messiah, and Christianity is a branch of Judaism.
Jesus, who was a Jew, and his apostles, including Paul, all Jews, founded Christianity in the city of Jerusalem.
So it will come as no surprise that many of the practices, behaviors, teachings, and lifestyle of Jews should be found among Christians.
Although most Christians are non-Jew /Hebrew, Christianity remains a very Jewish religion.
Paul wrote: Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
If the non-Jew / Hebrew is grafted into a Jewish tree, and fed from the Jewish root, it should stand to reason that the fruits will resemble Jewish fruits. If the tree is an olive tree, then the fruits should be olive fruits, and not oranges.
Remember, the root stayed the same. Some of the branches were broken off, and a few branches were
grafted in, but the root stayed the same.
So spiritually, we do not have two trees. God is not running two spiritual systems. We do not have the church and Israel. We have one tree. We have one Lord, one faith. The church did not replace Israel. If we have one tree, then spiritually speaking (which is what matters to God) the church is Israel. The tree and root of which Paul is speaking is in fact Christianity/the church. It is into the church that the gentiles are grafted. Otherwise, we would have two spiritual trees, each tree with its own fruit.
None Hebrew Christians are said to be citizens of the nation of Israel: Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Another reason why the fruits of Christianity must be Jewish, is that the early Christians taught exclusively from the Old Testaments scriptures (The Jewish bible).
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to
whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out
of the law of Moses, and [out of] the prophets, from morning till evening.
The letters written by Paul are mainly letters written to correct errors and behaviors that crept into the early church. Paul does not make up any new laws or rules for Christianity, but rather, he takes his doctrines from the Old Testament scriptures.
In order for the early Christian church to verify that the doctrines given were scriptural, they would search the Old Testament scriptures to see if these things were so.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with
all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The word scripture in the above texts refers only to the Old Testament writings, since there was no New Testament yet assembled.
As we continue in this book, we will use scriptures from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This will help establish that God does not change.
Earlier we read a verse that said Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We stated that this helped established a doctrine of an unchanging God. We used another verse to help establish that doctrine. One verse or chapter alone cannot establish a doctrine, but we can establish the context in one verse or chapter. Before we proceed, let us examine the context of the verse from which we formed the doctrine of the unchanging God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
In this context, we are told that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We know when today is, and we know that forever includes the future, but in this context when exactly is yesterday? In this context yesterday can be anytime before the cross, and as late as yesterday.
And so, we are told that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, thus we should not be moved by
strange and different teachings. In this context what does not change are the doctrines of Jesus Christ.
The teachings found in the Old Testament, should thus be the same as those found in the New Testament.
Here is an example of how the teachings in the Old Testament and the New Testament are the same, and
Jewish in origin: Leviticus 17:14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Leviticus 17:15 And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
It is from parts of this text in Leviticus, that the apostles write this text in Acts. The underlined statements are the same.
Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from
fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
We will revisit this text again later in this book. There is more there than we see at first glance. However, these few verses do help us to understand that the teachings of the Old Testament, and that of the New Testament, are the same. Thus, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, and we should not be moved by strange and different teachings.
If this is so, and the doctrines of Jesus are the same yesterday, today and forever, then we have established our first fact: That Christianity will resemble biblical Judaism.
Christians are often referred to as “saints.” Here is a good biblical definition of a saint/Christian:
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
A saint/Christian is a person who keeps the commandments of God, and have faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
Now, do you still want to be a Christian?
