Then the Laity will become more noble in character as were the Bereans, and with maturity, combine their faith with the Word allowing them to recognize when the leaders teach in ignorance of the Word. (acts 17:11, Heb. 4:2). Our Lord's Beacon: The Elementary Teachings of Christ Jesus digs into the fundamental teachings of the doctrine of Christ Jesus. Many writings about the basics of Christianity have been published but without full knowledge of these six elementary truths, while using the meat of God's Word, full maturity un a Christian's life will never be attained. If we as Christians are stuck in the milk, in God's eyes we are still yet infants since we are not yet acquainted with the teachings of the righteous. Furthermore, solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. One cannot use/digest solid food until one can fully digest the milk, and only if God permits it. (Heb. 5:13-14). Is today's church truly mature? Can today's church possibly be conducting itself and understanding good and evil as an infant, using only the milk of God's Word? Is the world influencing the church more than the church is influencing the world? Can everything in today's church be traced back to The Elementary Teachings of Christ Jesus?

Our Lord's Beacon

The Elementary Teachings of Christ JesusBy William T. Atkinson Mario P. Bruno

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 William T. Atkinson and Mario P. Bruno
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-6072-3

Contents

About the Authors / Introduction...........................xiWalk Toward Maturity.......................................1Repentance From Dead Works.................................14Faith Towards God..........................................28Predestination.............................................40Instruction About Baptisms.................................63Shed Blood Baptism.........................................64Water Baptism..............................................69Holy Spirit Baptism........................................76Laying on of Hands.........................................81Resurrection Of The Dead...................................87Eternal Judgment...........................................102The Great White Throne Judgment of God.....................103Bema Seat Judgment of Christ...............................111Conclusion.................................................115

Chapter One

Walk Toward Maturity

It is of the greatest importance for every child of God to thoroughly learn the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ, and not only learn them, but to live their lives according to these teachings. The fundamental or elementary teachings of Jesus Christ are these:

• Repentance from dead works

• Faith towards God

• Instructions about baptisms

• Laying on of hands

• Resurrection of the dead

• Eternal judgment

(Heb.6:1-2)

The sole purpose of the fundamentals are to help you obtain more of what God has to offer you and prepare you to go further into the depth of His Word and dig into the meat of His word.

In the pages and chapters that follow, you will not only be lead through the elementary teachings listed above in great detail, but also touch on some of the areas in which today's Christian church is having problems within those teachings. These problems are producing results in which many Christians miss out on experiencing the power and protection promised to them by God. Identifying these areas of difficulty will also explain why the Christian church is experiencing so many worldly struggles. As you will soon see, there is a tremendous amount of scripture referenced throughout, so we encourage you to have your Bible next to you as you read and let God help you walk toward maturity.

In different translations of the Bible, the words used in Heb.6:1 to define the elementary teachings are; beginning, fundamental, elementary and principle. However, the Greek word used in the original text is "arche", which literally translated means "chief", archaically defined as: "the most valuable".

It is a life and death decision whether or not Christians walk their earthly lives in conjunction with these very teachings! Why life and death? Because the choice they make will determine whether God will allow them to learn beyond these fundamental teachings, or not. (Heb.6:1-3) For beyond these fundamental teachings lies the greatest danger of ones ability to reject the Way of God!

If you learn these teachings, and begin to walk out your earthly lives in accordance to them, God will not only allow you to learn the meat of His Word, but He will actually lead you through them. Be Warned! If you choose to learn the meat of His Word before having a good grasp on the milk, you will be doing this on your own and He will not lead you. Taking on His meat before you are ready, before He allows it, opens a door that brings forth dangers of possible spiritual death, which hold a much higher rate of percentage than if you fully know and understand the milk first. (Heb.5:11—6:3)

To understand this concept is to compare it to a child. From the moment of conception, an infant is fed with what their digestive system is capable of handling. If the correct type of food is received it can be properly used to nourish the rest of the body. This begins with milk of the mother, or a formulated combination of ingredients. Later, some solids, such as cereals, can be safely added to the milk. If the solids are added too early, the infant will reject this addition, mainly because their digestive system is not able to handle the mixture of solids as of yet. Would you ever give an infant meat and potatoes before they were able to fully digest them harmlessly and properly? The same meat and potatoes, which can some day be used to strengthen their body, and continue their growth, could at this early time in life cause them great bodily harm simply because their little mouths, throats and digestive systems are not yet mature enough to properly handle solid foods. (I-Cor.3:1-2, I-Peter.2:2)

This is why parents who truly love and cherish their children would never do such a thing. They would never intentionally place their child in danger! This is important to understand, because God loves and cherishes His children and He would never intentionally place a child of His in danger! Yet, so many of His children, who believe they are living their lives according to His Word, find themselves in dangerous places and they cannot understand why.

If you think about it though, God's people, His children were always in danger. John the Baptist was beheaded, Jesus (His only begotten son) was whipped and crucified, Peter was crucified upside down, Paul was in prison, John boiled in oil ... the list goes on. So to say that God would never intentionally place a child of His in danger is sure ignorance ... isn't it? Keep in mind; it is spiritual danger that is being spoken of here, not physical. For our concern is no longer to be focused on our physical well being, but our spiritual. (I-Tim.4:8, Eph.6:12, Luke 12:4-5)

Many people find themselves in a place of both physical and spiritual dangers simply because, in their ignorance, they want to add to their "I'm a good Christian" list and dive into something that God did not call them to do. Why does this take place? It certainly is not because God intentionally places them in this danger. It happens because of outright disobedience and hypocrisy. It happens out of ignorance, when those with good intentions are taught in error and do not know any better simply because they took the pastor, teacher or leader at his word when they shouldn't. (Acts 17:11)

Likewise, it happens when they are fed, or feed upon themselves, the meat of His Word before they are able to properly digest it, which is doing so before God allows it. (Heb.6:3, II-Peter.3:14-17) The Word of God, His God-breathed Scriptures (II-Tim.3:16-17), speak clearly of the warning unto those who go beyond what they are able to digest in a healthy manner, and this warning should be taken very seriously. Just what warnings do the Scriptures give? To name a few:

• Only God allows us to go further. (Heb.6:3) What more warning do we need?

• The distortion of Scripture and the destruction of those who do so. (II-Peter 3:16)

• The carrying away of both laity and leader, to the point where they fall away because they think they stand firm, but do not. (II-Peter 3:17, I-Cor.10:11-12)

Seriously.... do any of you want to go before the Lord our God with any of those points weighing negatively on your back? Scripture is filled with examples of these things and what happens to those guilty of such things.

It starts from the very beginning. God did not allow Adam and Eve to eat the fruit, but they did, and their disobedience brought forth the fall that caused them to be cast out of the garden. (Gen.2:16-17, 3:6-23) It goes on through the time of Moses, with the children of Israel and how they provoked God after He rescued them from slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. For even after tasting the goodness of God and eating and drinking the same spiritual food and drink, they consistently erred in their hearts by wandering away from the Way of God. (I-Cor.10:1-11) It continues on through the times of Christ, (Matt.12:34, Luke 11:39-43, Mark 13:5-6, just a few) up until present day. (I-Tim.4:1-2, II-Tim.4:3-4)

To this day, the example of the Israelite people still holds true (I-Cor.10:1-12), because, just as so many of them were not allowed to enter into the Rest of God, many of us, to our horrific surprise, will also be found apaistia, which is the Greek word in the original text meaning; "in disbelief, without faith, faithless, faithlessness"! (Heb.3:8-19)

We are warned, to be very careful so there not be found in any of us an evil heart of faithlessness, in departing from the Living God, for we may be thinking we stand firm, but we should be careful lest we fall! These are words written unto us for our admonition, those of us whom the ends of the world may come upon. (I-Cor.10:11-12, Heb.3:12) When the end comes, whether it be the end of times or the end of one's life, being found faithless is damnable ... end of story. However, keep in mind that the faithlessness and disbelief we speak about is not the same of those of the world. Those of the world have never been enlightened, they have never known Christ and tasted His goodness. Until their end comes, there is still hope because God wants all men to be saved. (I-Tim.2:4) The faithlessness we speak of is that which is found in those who have not come to the end, who have been enlightened, who have known Christ and have tasted His goodness, who once had faith but tossed it aside like trash by publicly lifting Christ to open shame. For this type of faithlessness goes beyond forgiveness.

You do not want to be one of those who publicly lift up Jesus unto the world saying you thought He was the Way, but now, you no longer trust this to be true! If you do this you are putting Christ Jesus to open and public shame, and are crucifying unto yourself all over again the Son of God! (Heb.6:4-6) By doing this you will be stomping under foot the Son of God, you will be counting the blood of the covenant, which you were sanctified with, as an unholy thing, and in doing so, you will be insulting the Spirit of Grace! (Heb.10:29) Now you have slandered the household of God Almighty and you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit! This is a sin no one will be forgiven of, no one! (Mark 3:28-29)

Scripture tells us there will be those who would have been better off not to have known the Way unto righteousness, then, after knowing the Way, turn and depart from it. (II-Peter 2:21) When I first read this, it took me back for awhile, because I did not think there was anything worse then not having been given faith (Luke 17:5, Rom.10:17, Rom.12:3, Col.2:12, Heb.12:2) and new birth from above by the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), but Scripture says there is! Now I know this to be the Truth because Scripture clearly explains what it is talking about.

* * *

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (II-Peter 2:20-21—KJV)

* * *

The reason their beginning is better; a beginning of not having faith, nor new birth from above by the Holy Spirit, is because there is still time yet available for them to be given these blessings from God. However, once having been given faith (Rom.12:3) and new birth from above by the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), then slandering the Holy Spirit thus blaspheming Holy Spirit by; holding Jesus Christ up to open public shame, stomping upon His blood which washed you clean, sanctified you and set you apart from the world, you have committed the one sin which you will find no repentance from ... period! This, by far, is worse than having never been given faith and knowing Jesus Christ, in the first place! (Mark 3:28-29, II-Peter 2:20-21, Heb 10:29)

Let no leader of the church deceive you into thinking you are no longer capable of making the decision to slander/blaspheme the Holy Spirit!(Mark 3:28-29) God does not become a puppet master once we are called out. Each and every one of us, who have been given faith, (Rom.12:3, Rom.10:17) and new birth from above by the Holy Spirit (John 3:8) retain our free will and are capable of making the decision to slander the Holy Spirit! Only those having been predestinated conforming to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29) will never make the decision to slander/blaspheme the Holy Spirit. We will go over predestination more in the "Faith" section.

God takes this sin very seriously because this gift of faith and new birth is not only precious, because it cost Him His Son, but intimate. It is because of this gift we now have the ability to receive things from the Spirit of God (I-Cor.2:14), we now have the power to obey God (Rom.8:7), we have the ability to please God (Heb.11:6), and we now have the mind of Christ (I-Cor.2:16). These are all things that no one has without first being given faith and being born anew from above.

Nevertheless, do not be fooled, do not be lead away and do not let anyone tickle or tempt your itching ear. (I-Tim.4:1-2, II-Tim.4:3-4, II-Peter 2:1-3, II-Peter 3:16)There is no pastor, no teacher, no professor, no biblical scholar, no follower of Christ, who can honestly give anyone the assurance of their salvation being predestinated conforming to the image of His Son. Only the Spirit of God is able to give you the assurance as He bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God! (Rom.8:16) If they still insist you are unable to lose what Christ Jesus has done for you through your rejection, they then are dishonest brokers on your behalf.

This is why it is so important for all Christians to learn and ground themselves in the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ (Heb.6:1-3), and then begin walking in them. As you learn the milk of God's Word and apply it to your daily life, you will mature and your spiritual digestive system will grow strong enough to begin taking in the meat of God's Word. God will then, more often then not, allow you to leave the principles of the teachings of Christ and move forward into the meat of His Word. (Heb.6:1-3, note v3) Each and every child of God needs the meat of His Word if they ever want to continue growing and maturing. Without the meat, you remain an infant, incapable of telling the difference between what God sees as good and bad. (Heb.5:14)

The Lord God declared that our ways are not His ways, nor are His thoughts like our thoughts. This makes a big difference when Christians try to compare what they think is right to what God knows is right. (Isaiah 55:8) Now, it is true that God has given us the mind of Christ, (I-Cor.2:16, Php.2:5) but if a Christian remains in the infant state, feeding and having a hard time digesting the milk of God's Word, their capability to think as Christ thinks would be on the same level as how a child thinks compared to how an adult thinks. How often does a child understand and acknowledge that most disciplining actions are good and for their benefit? To them, being disciplined is bad, unfair, uncalled for, mean and unloving. As they grow more mature, they will have a better understanding, and may even be thankful that their parent or guardian cared enough to teach them right from wrong. (Heb.12:9-11)

Scripture says that there are many things to be spoken of; about Christ Jesus, about the church, about ones place and purpose within the Body, but they will be hard to understand and even rejected as long as you remain in your infancy. (Heb.5:11, II-Peter 3:16) It does not matter if you have been going to church for ten, twenty or maybe even forty years. It also doesn't matter if you have a position or title such as; pastor, teacher, deacon or board member. If you are yet in your infancy because you have become stagnant in your growth and do not fully understand the elementary teachings....

* * *

You yet have need for someone to once again teach you the principles of the Truths of God's Word all over again. You are yet in need of milk, not solid food! For anyone living on the milk is still an infant, having not become acquainted with any teachings about righteousness. Solid food is for the mature who constantly use it and train themselves to distinguish between what is good and what is bad! (Heb.5:11-14—NIV)

* * *

What God says is good and bad and what the world perceives as good and bad, for the most part, bear no resemblance to one another. If that scripture is looked at a little more, we can see that it is with constant use of solid food that one trains themselves to know the difference between what is good and bad. That solid food is for the mature, not the infant and that those living on the milk are infants and know nothing about the teachings of righteousness. This is very serious! This means that what God and the mature know to be good and bad also bears no resemblance to what the infants in God's Word perceive as good and bad. This is scary, because many within the Body of Christ, leader and laity, are yet infants. This means that many of the things going on in the church, that the infants see as good, are possibly and most likely bad in the eyes of God.

When silly quarrels, or maybe even heated arguments break out between members of the Body of Christ, such as, which persuasion one or the other was baptized in, which leader one is following after, these are signs these members are yet infants in Christ! (I-Cor.1:11-13, I-Cor.3:1-4) If these debates take place between leaders of the body of Christ there is some real trouble ahead for any laity under their direction! These are signs of worldly behavior, so called spiritual people acting as mere worldly people. Where there is yet jealousy among the members of the body of Christ, there remains worldly wisdom among them, wisdom God calls foolishness. (I-Cor.3:1-11, I-Cor.3:18-23) It has been way to long for the leaders of the body of Christ to be preaching and teaching about some of the milk of the Word to members having been members for years. For it is time to teach all the milk of the Word, then move on to the solid food, and let the members grow and mature unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:11-13)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Our Lord's Beaconby William T. Atkinson Mario P. Bruno Copyright © 2012 by William T. Atkinson and Mario P. Bruno. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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