In Matthew 3:9, it is written, " 9 And think not to say within yourselves, aWe have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. " It has been established, in the church bulletin, below, that the children of Abraham are the spiritual children of God, that is, Christians, members of the church. What does the Bible teach about the children of Abraham? In 1 Corinthians 11:17-19, it is written ( please read through verse thirty-four to get the immediate context ), " 17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, aI hear that there be divisions among you: and I partly believe it. 19 For athere must be also 1heresies among you, bthat they which are approved may be 2made manifest among you. " The apostle Paul ( see 1 Corinthians 1:1 ) wrote ( see 9:1 and 16:21, for example ), here, that religious division is heresy. One important lesson we learn, from this passage of Scripture, is that those who are not approved, in a local congregation of the church, are called heretics by God. Furthermore, in Matthew 18:7, it is written, " 7 Woe unto the world because of 1offences! for ait must needs be that offences come; but bwoe to that man by whom the offence cometh! " The Bible teaches that false brethren, those who are unapproved in the local congregation, cause offenses in that local congregation. Additionally, in Acts 20:30, it is written, " 30 Also aof your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. " Thus, those who are disapproved speak perverse things in the local congregation to draw away disciples after them. Also, in 1 Timothy 4:1-5, it is written, " 4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed ato 1seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 aspeaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience bseared with a hot iron; 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from 1meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 for it is 1sanctified by the word of God and prayer. " This means that those who are disapproved in the local congregation speak lies in hypocrisy, for example. Again, in 2 Peter 2:1-3, it is written, " 2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be afalse teachers among you, who 1privily shall bring in 2damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their 1pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be 2evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with 1feigned words 2make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time 3lingereth not, and their 4damnation slumbereth not. " Those who are disapproved in the church are false teachers who bring in damnable heresies, for example. There are divisions, or heresies, in the church because of the existence of false teachers or false brethren. Thus, the Bible clearly teaches that anyone who is not a member of the church, or is a false brother or sister in Christ ( see Galatians 3:26, 27, for example ), is a heretic.
God says that a Christian is a member of the church of Christ who speaks, for example, true doctrine, for in Ephesians 4:25, it is written, " 25 Whrefore putting away lying, aSPEAK EVERY MAN TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR: for bwe are members one of another. " Those who are approved or genuine, Christians, will be made manifest in the local congregation, by virtue of the heresies or factions that exist in the local congregation. Implied in this observation is that all those who are members of religious denominations, parties, or sects, are not speaking true doctrine. Moreover, it is also implied that all those who are members of religious denominations, parties, or sects, are not Christians. God says that we can identify a heretic by what he or she says about the Bible. A Christian is not going to claim once saved, always saved, for example. That is what a heretic would say.
Jesus ( see Matthew 4:23 ) said in 7:15-20, "15 aBeware of false prophets, bwhich come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are 1ravening wolves. 16 aYe shall know them by their fruits. bDo men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so aevery good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth 1evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth 1evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 aEvery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. " Jesus said that we will know false teachers by their evil fruit — their false teaching, for example. Jesus did and taught, for in Acts 1:1-3, it is written, " THE former treatise have I made, O aThe-oph´-i-lus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 auntil the day in which he 1was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost bhad given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 ato whom also he 1shewed himself alive after his 2passion by many 3infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. " Contrast the holy example of Jesus ( see Acts 3:14 and 1 Peter 2:21-25, for example ) with that of the scribes and the Pharisees, which Jesus ( see Matthew 23:1 ) condemned in verses two and three, which read as follows, namely: " 2 saying, aThe scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye 1after their works: for athey say, and do not. " In this same chapter Jesus repeatedly condemned the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites. Jesus said that hypocrites do not practice what they preach. Hypocrites want to tell others what to do, but they do not want to do those things themselves. Why? There is pleasure and a sense of power and pride in telling others what to do. Hypocrites want the control of telling others what to do, but they do not want to be controlled by others by being told what to do. Hypocrites and deluded into thinking that they are always right. The Bible teaches that Jesus, for example, is always right, for in Hebrews 4:14, 15, it is writen, " 14 Seeing then that we have a great ahigh priest, that is passed 1into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, blet us hold fast our profession. 15 For awe have not an high priest which cannot 1be touched with 2the feeling of our infirmities; but bwas in all points tempted like as we are, cyet without sin. " Again, in 1 John 5:17, it is written, " 17 aAll unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. " Jesus, the prince of the kings of the earth ( see Revelation 1:5 ), never had a global audience during His 3½-year earthly ministry ( see Matthew 5:1, for example ), but He is the Savior of the world ( see 1 John 4:14, for example ), in the sense that all those in the world who obey Him ( see John 3:16, 17, and 36, for example ), are saved and added by Him to the church.
The New Testament church consists of lively stones. This is the only assembly where you will find the children of Abraham. Please seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read ( see Isaiah 34:16, for example ). Please search the scriptures daily ( see Acts 17:10, 11, for example ). 🕮
Please read the church bulletin, below:
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