Peace in Christ.
It all starts with us professing ourselves as “wise”....and then we become fools. We must see ourselves first as fools instead so that we may be wise.
We are own worst enemy as we think ourselves as “wise” to go to a man-based church where they are keeping and serving their external church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas rather than keeping and serving God’s commandments that are written internally upon our hearts.
Rom 1:22-24 KJV
(22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
We exchange the glory of God (of which we are supposed to shine to the outside world) for an “image” made like corruptible man….the people of the outside world. The nations around us have their self-governing and self-judging handwritings…their “constitutions,” etc…and do not know God nor keep His commandments.
The nations around us that have their “images”…their governing documents that they rule by…are comparable to the animal kingdom as they only go after earthly things.
We must not go after the nations in this thing. We must not also have handwritings established ( a “molten image”) in our church gatherings to self-govern ourselves by. The outside nations do this…and we must not copy them and do likewise.
(23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
We must not attend a man-based church. Just by sitting together with them we are defiled. We think ourselves as "wise" in going to their gatherings. But we are sinning against our own mortal bodies as we become "one flesh" with them in their mortal destruction.
(24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
His people change their glory (as we are to shine forth His glory to the outside world) into a likeness of an ox that eats grass.
Why an ox that eats grass? Because all FLESH is as grass. We mortally perish when we keep and serve a man’s handwriting rather than His writing which is upon our hearts.
To “eat” = 'âkal - A primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively): - X at all, burn up, consume, devour (-er, up), dine, eat (-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in . . . wise (-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.
They “burn” us up in God’s wrath when we keep and serve them. -They eat up our mortal flesh as we perish away to the grave for keeping and serving them.
Psa 106:19-20 KJV
(19) They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
(20) Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
His laws are in our minds and they are written in our hearts. Why are we subjecting ourselves to man’s external church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas?
Heb 8:10-12 KJV
(10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
(11) And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
(12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
In vain though do we worship Him where they are teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. We set aside His commandments in order to keep the transmissions of men...their handwritings which are passed down from one generation to another for them to keep also.
Mat 15:8-9 KJV
(8) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
(9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
We are dead with Christ from the “rudiments”…the founding principles …of the world.
The outside world has their handwritings…such as constitutions…to self-govern and self-judge themselves by. They are basic fundamental principles contain in their handwritings. We must not copy the outside nations in this thing. “Learn not the way of the nations” by having a man’s handwriting at the core of our church gathering.
Jer 10:1-5 KJV
(1) Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
(2) Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
The statutes of the people are empty. They are dead…just as a tree that is cut out of a living forest. Their handwritings are the work of the hands of a workman…a writer…a church scribe.
(3) For the customs (STATUTES) of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They make it precious in the eyes of many. They are a source of funds also. They fasten it with nails and with hammers …that is, they repeatedly preach words/teachings by their “wise men” to support their handwritings…hammering it in the ears of their listeners so that they do not move out of their churches. It becomes established in their gatherings.
(4) They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
They are upright as the palm tree. Church handwritings of ordinances look righteous to those who keep them but they have no life in them. They do nothing for our mortal bodies to keep it alive. They have to be carried from one generation to another. They are not a living being like our God is.
(5) They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Why would we have these things (statements of faith, church constitutions, church by-laws, etc, etc, etc) in our church gatherings? Why go to a man-based church where they are keeping and serving their external handwritings? Why go and subject yourself to their commandments of men contained in their handwritings when we have His “handwriting” written upon our hearts already?
Col 2:20-22 KJV
(20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Church handwritings are devoted to destruction….and we perish along with them when we go and keep and serve them. All are to PERISH with the using up of them….the using of the commandments and doctrines of men in their man-based churches.
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas are “devoted for destruction”. We must not bring this abomination into our house…our church house….or we also become designated for destruction like it.
Deuteronomy 7:26
And you shall not bring an abomination into your house and become designated for destruction, like it; you are to utterly detest it, and you are to utterly loathe it, for it is something devoted for destruction.
We need to KEEP AWAY from the things devoted to destruction. The handwriting of church ordinances are devoted to destruction …and we perish along with them when we keep and serve them rather than keeping and serving our God’s commandments which are written upon our hearts.
Joshua 6:18
But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.
The “elements” …the founding principles that are contained in church handwritings…burn. These “works” burn us up…we mortally perish… when we keep and serve them.
Every man’s work shall be revealed by fire. If a man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved..yet as by fire. He shall suffer the loss of his flesh…his mortal body.
When we keep and serve the works of man’s handwritings of ordinances, we perish along with them. We become devoted to destruction along with the thing that is devoted for destruction. We mortally perish under the wrath of God when we keep the commandments of men rather than His commandments.
1Co 3:12-20 KJV
(12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
(13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
(14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
(15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The works of the hands of a church scribe burn us up. The works burn…..and so do our mortal bodies which are the temple of God as the Spirit of God dwells in us.
If we defile the temple of God (through the keeping and serving of the thing devoted to destruction), God destroys us. Our spirits are saved but as through the fire of His wrath upon us.
(16) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
(17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Let us not profess ourselves as “wise” in this world and become fools. We must first see ourselves as fools so that we may be wise.
(18) Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
The wisdom of this world that is contained in man’s handwritings is foolishness with God. He takes the wise in their own craftiness.
Many think that it is “wise” to go to a man-based church and keep and serve their doctrines and commandments of men. But they perish with the using up of them. They burn us up in His wrath. God takes the wise in their own craftiness. They see themselves as “wise” and so get caught in man-made church where they become fools.
(19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
(20) And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
He takes the “wise” …as many think it is “wise” to keep and serve the church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas. It has a “show of wisdom” in will worship and false humility. Many are falling for their show of wisdom in their participation in their man-based churches. They appear “wise”…so they think of themselves.
Col 2:21-23 KJV
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
(23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Our church rulers…our learned preachers…do not understand the Scriptures as their “vision of all” has become as the words of a book that is sealed. They cannot “read” it for it is sealed so that they cannot understand it.
Isa 29:10-13 KJV
(10) For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
(11) And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
The lay person….the unlearned… also cannot understand it.
(12) And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
In the man-based churches, they are preaching…keeping and serving…. their church handwritings of ordinances/dogmas rather than God’s laws which are written upon our hearts. Their hearts are far from Him.
The heart is where His laws are written.
If our hearts are far from Him, then we are not keeping and serving His commandments that are written there when we are keeping man’s handwriting of church ordinances/dogmas instead. Their fear towards Him is taught by the precept of men.
(13) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
