THE CLASSIC FAITH: OUR TRADITIONAL FOUNDATION THAT WAS FOR ALL TIME 16 DEC 2014

While the World builds things that are designed to become obsolete or fail in a short time, the classic faith once delivered to the saints was designed by God, who is without change, to endure as well as to help the saints to endure. In the midst of modernism & change, the “old time religion” has the stigma of outdated. This short message is a reminder to Christians what that original foundation was, and what the traditions built upon it were. Hopefully, like the fans of coke largely rejected the new formula for “new Coke”, and forced the company to remake the old formula as “classic coke”, the Christians will demand that the traditional foundations be returned to.

SO YOU CAN IMPROVE ON GOD?? Because modern “Christians” seem to think that they can change—in their minds improve—the classic faith, like coke tried to improve their iconic coke formula, allow me to quote the Word of God on this: 2 THES 2:15, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” And 1 COR 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” And as final reminder for us to stick with the classic faith once delivered, here is Peter’s Spirit-inspired words, “I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” 2 PTR 3:2 This is why we see the early church sticking with classic faith: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, …” ACTS 2:42

SHARING ONE’S FAITH WAS A COMMANDMENT, The Classic Faith had MISSIONARY ZEAL. Christ’s last commandment was, “Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” MK 16:15 He had trained & prepared his disciples how to share about the Kingdom & its gospel. The churches have forgotten that all Christians were commanded to share the good news of Christ, not just paid missionaries in far off foreign lands. ACTS 5:42 shows the original formula for evangelism: Daily [everyday evangelism] in the temple [church gathering evangelism] in every house [house to house evangelism] they [every believer evangelism] ceased not [continuous evangelism] to teach [educational evangelism] and to preach [sermon-based evangelism] Jesus Christ [Christ-centered evangelism].

USING THE WORD FOR WISDOM. Reading the Words of God are wonderful, but there is a great deal more. They need to be applied & tested, and as we go through troubles and difficulties they become more meaningful. We gain maturity and insight in how to apply Scripture. Wisdom (from spiritual eating) is as important as physical eating, therefore we are reminded “Man shall not live by bread alone.” (A) We are told that He gave us Instructions in Wisdom: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him hath called us…”(B) And then we are told that life will further teach us: “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.”(C) “Turn you at my reproof [correcting lessons of life]: behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you. I will make known my words unto you.”(D) There are quite a few other verses that taken together also teach us that we are to read the Word, try to apply God’s Word, and then learn from the correcting lessons of life which brings maturity.(E)

BIBLICAL CONCEPTS FOR LIFE. GOOD COMMUNICATION> “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (F) MODERATION>”Be temperate in all things.” (G) HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR & LOVED TO SING JOYFUL SONGS> “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”(H) And “If any man be merry, let him sing psalms.” (I) This might be summed up “Be glad and sing.”(J) Some of these Biblical concepts are very strange to the modern church, for instance, they held all in common and lived together. One can see both individual ownership & communal ownership, in either setup, the communities of believers viewed themselves as parts of a single sharing community. Likewise, whether they lived communally or in separate homes, they viewed themselves as a single sharing community that worked together. This post could continue on by showing scriptures which teach: TRANQUILITY, PEACEFULNESS, HUMILITY, SINCERITY, FRUGALITY & INDUSTRY. 1 TIM 2:2 sums some of these up: “that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & honesty.” While this paragraph has not covered the numerous other Biblical principles & concepts… one verse sums up why we want to learn & mature from Scripture: “Fools despise wisdom & instruction.” PRV 1:7

OVERCOMERS. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”(K) “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give to eat of the hidden manna…”(L) “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.”(M) Wow! If we overcome the World & keep His works…He gives us power over the World. And finally, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”(N) In 1 JN chapters 2 and 5 a lot is written about overcoming the World. It talks about how FAITH (classic faith) overcomes the World (New World Order). Also of note is how transitory the World is: “And the World passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever.” (O) So we have come full circle in our discussion. The World builds transitory things—things built on foundations of sand…and those who abide in the classic faith are those who build on things that will endure forever.

BE BLESSED MY FRIEND.

(A) MK 4:4. (B) 2 PTR 1:3 (C) PRV 15:31 (D) PRV 1:23 (E) some examples are: 1 COR 11:28,31 and 2 TIM 3:16-17 (F) EPH 4:29 (G) 1 COR 9:25. (H) PRV 17:22 (I) JS 5:13 (J) PS 67:4 (K) ROM 12:21 (L) REV 2:17 (M) REV 2:26 (N) REV 21:7 (O) 1 JN 2:17