Principles of the Doctrine of Christ of Christ!
From the Desk Of Stan Almendro
Repentance from Dead Works (Lecture 2)
We now move to what I believe, to be the VERY HEART of the Christian walk and that is “The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ”.
The importance of this series cannot be stressed enough as it is the total basis of our “Walking and Living (Not Talking) in the Truth of the Word of God” You might have not ever been introduced to these teachings BUT it is important that every believer be given instruction on this important doctrine.
The earlier in a Christian Life the better to avoid developing bad habits of a Hit and Miss Approach to our Christian Walk! Our lives are not a set of RULES of DOES and DON”S but it is A Walk with God where His Word (The Principles of His Doctrines) burns in our hearts!
A BETTER understanding of the word “PRINCIPLES” might make it easier for us to GRASP the worth of this truth and help us to also SEE the need to be governed by A Set of Principles and not a load of Does and Don’ts! Principle of Morality:
It represents a set of values that orientate and rule the conduct of a sound society. The law establishes an obligation in the individual's conscience that belongs to the cultural field in which such values are accepted. When this VALUE is at work we do not need an OUTSIDE force to make us live in LINE with the PRINCIPLE being addressed. The Moral, Ethical and Spiritual VALUE SYSTEMS are and become part of our own Human Behaviour pattern.
So the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ are WHAT God wants us and expects us to live by. It goes beyond Right and Wrong and even DEEPER than Good and Evil. It finds us Evaluating and DISCERNING Spiritual things with Spiritual.
To do this and LIVE by it we need to have a RELATIONSHIP with God that is TELLING, A HUNGER for His Word and THE ABILITY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HAVE OUR EYES OPEN TO THE WORD OF GOD. This goes beyond BEING fed like babies with BABY food but we get into the REAL issues of the SCRIPTURES and a DESIRE to really please God.
As mentioned in the Introduction the series of studies comprise the following an at the end of each study there is a Question Sheet(Available on request) which needs to be answered and returned to Whisper Bible College.
The series of studies are:
• Introduction to the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ.
• Repentance from dead Works • Faith Towards God
• Doctrine of Baptisms
1. Baptism into the Body of Christ
2. Baptism in Water
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
4. Baptism into Suffering
• Laying on of Hands
• Resurrection of the Dead
• Eternal Judgement
In this study we handle “Repentance from Dead Works: as read in Hebrews 6 verses 1 to 3: Hebrews 6:1-3 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit. In many ways it is a SIMPLISTIC doctrine BUT the problem lies in Human Nature to either NOT understand OR Not want to understand a very basic truth.
Let us look at the two sets of words which are:
• Repentance
• Dead Works
Repentance – What is it? Defined - repentance is to change one’s mind or purpose; to turn from one’s own way to God or to turn from the ways of the world (representing from sin, which is contrary to God) toward God (His righteousness and His kingdom). John the Baptist preached “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). When Jesus began his ministry after His public witness of being the Son of God (the Messiah), He began by preaching in much the same words as John the Baptist, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). In Mark it is recorded that Jesus began preaching the gospel when the time was fulfilled (meaning the God ordained time had now come) and He began preaching, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
” Here we are told to “Repent from Sin” In Hebrews chapter 6 we are told to “Repent from Dead Works” This again adds a new dimension (Angle) to the Matter so we have “Sin” and we have “Dead Works” and we are to repent from both.
Sin is the FRUIT of Our Sinful nature just as an apple is the Fruit of an Apple tree. This does and will always separate us from God and if we CARRY on in Sin and do not find forgiveness we will be Lost for ETERNITY.
We sin because we have a SINFUL nature so to stop sinning we have to have a NEW nature and that is why the Word of god says: “If any man be in Christ he is a new CREATURE. Old things have PASSED away.
So we put on the new nature by ACCEPTING Jesus in to our lives BUT what about the SIN we carry on with. This will become clearer once we explain a bit about DEAD WORKS.
Dead Works – What is it? (WORKD WE DO TO FIND FAVOUR WITH GOD)Romans 10:3 - For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Paul spoke here of Israel. Probably specifically referring to the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day. He, himself having been a Pharisee, understood their strict religious upbringing.
It was revealed to him that they, and himself at one time, were going about establishing their own righteousness separate and apart from God’s righteousness. They would not humble themselves and submit to God’s righteousness. The question then becomes, "What is God’s righteousness?" Think about and contrast Paul, a former Pharisee, and the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day and read what Jesus said to the Pharisees. John 5:39-40 - Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Jesus said that the Jews searched the scriptures because they thought that in them they would gain eternal life. The scriptures actually testified that Jesus was the eternal life they sought, but the Jews would not humble themselves and come to Him to obtain that life.
What became different between Paul and the religious leaders? We find the answer to this in Philippians. Philippians 3:9 - And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
The difference between Paul and the rest of the religious leaders was that Paul submitted himself to the righteousness of God. The letter to the Philippians tells us that God’s righteousness is through the faith of Christ. Paul, submitted Himself by refusing to be independent of God and un-dependent on God, and became completely dependent on Jesus, our God. He did this by repenting and turning His faith upon Jesus.
The righteousness of God is obtained, not by the works (Also can be DEAD WORKS) of the law – self-righteousness, self-effort, self-exaltation – but by the faith of Christ Jesus.
So Friends “Dead Works” is those things we do to FIND favour with God. It is not of Faith and is also Sin But not a PHYSICAL or EMOTIONAL sin but a way of us thinking we can FOOL God to let us into HEAVEN by what we do.
Our next study will show us what we need to do to overcome “DEAD WORKS (BUT repentance is vital). So we are told to repent from SIN and to repent from DEAD WORKS (A MORE SUBTLE SIN AS WE TRY TO FOOL GOD).
Repent is the KEY here and it is not CONFESSION.
We are always ready to confess and it makes us FEEL good in our own hearts and sometimes even in the eyes of others. Our CHURCHES are full of SUNDAY confessors who are prayed for and Monday the CYCLE of SINNING starts all over.
You see REPENTANCE means to TURN AWAY from (Stop Doing) and this is a decision we have to make to STOP. It is going to cost, there will be pain and a whole set of emotions that go with this.
What Should Lead a Man to Repent?
1. Conviction
2. Goodness of God
3. Godly Sorrow Acts 2:37 -
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Another way to express it is that we DIE to the DESIRES (Sinful) of the Flesh.
These sins and Dead Works are like FLEAS on a DOG.
Let us remember that FLEAS only exist on a dog that is alive – If that dog had to die there will be NO fleas because FLEAS do not live on a dead Dog.
We can carry on with the rest of our LIVES confessing then SINNING then confessing and all our energies and focus is on ourselves. We never GROW up in God and as Paul says in the Book op Hebrews “We Have Need That We are TAUGHT over and OVER where in fact we should be teaching others. Can we now see the IMPORTANCE of THE PRINCIPLE of “REPENTANCE from DEAD WORKS?”
This is the second of the ten (10) studies and with each study we will aim at bringing us to a place of understanding that The Right/Wrong concept of Christian living is SHALLOW and that our lives need to be GOVERNED by PRINCIPLES. (The LAW of God to bring us to a PLACE living in Him) By grasping the deep rooted desire of the HEART of God for us, His children, will better equip us in Rightly Dividing the Word of god and in many senses it will bring us to places of decision and a Life Style that will be to the Glory of God.
When we come to the END of this series it will only mean that we have been given a “Lot of Theory” and the challenge will be to look at each Principle and see how we allow ourselves to be GOVERNED by the Divine Word of God.
The process of APPLYING this Doctrine and in Fact the Word of God in full is a LIFE long and ongoing experience. We are encouraged in the Word of God “That we henceforth are no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4 verse 14).
Can I encourage you to take these studies seriously and God will break to each one of us “The Bread of Heaven”. He will multiply this bread as he did the Loaves and the Fishes and we will be a PART of feeding the multitudes.
Stan Almendro
Kind regards,
Yours in Christ