“Follow Jesus, My Brethren, and Not the Church”

“Follow Jesus, my brethren, and not the church, for our Lord has never said to his disciples, “Follow your brethren,” but he has said “Follow me.” He has not said, “Abide by the denominational confession,” but he has said, “Abide in me.” Nothing must come in between our souls and our Lord.” ~C.H.Spurgeon~ The Prince of Preachers

Biblical Content in the Context of Biblical Emphasis is Our Biblical Imperative

Most of what Christians communicate has Biblical content. Subjects like predestination, grace,love,unity, God’s sovereignty are all typical examples of Biblical Content.

But any time we communicate Biblical Content but neglect Biblical Emphasis, we violate Biblical imperative.

What is Biblical Imperative?

“That in all things, Christ might be preeminent.”

“I am determined to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified.”

To put it another way,

Jesus said,”I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.”

The entirety of Christianity begins with the redemption of mankind.
Jesus is the only way to the Father, He is the only truth that leads us to the Father, He is the only life we can obtain with the Father, for we are all already dead in trespasses and sins.

Even discipleship means nothing without Christ.

“I am the Vine and you are the branches, without Me you can do nothing.”

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Preacher.
What could you possibly have to say that would have more meaning or relevance aside from Jesus Christ ?

“Fal$e Teacher$” song writer Shai Linne shares his beliefs

My fellow Christianblogger, “Ink Slinger”, posted a a dialogue by the author of the rap song,”Fal$eTeacher$”.
Shai Linne responds to an open letter about his song, his Biblical rational, and his beliefs.
May Christ be preeminent in our hearts,lives,and ministry.

THE INK SLINGER

Hey Brad,

This is Shai Linne. I’m writing to reply to the recent open letter you wrote in response to my song, “Fal$e Teacher$“. In that song, I referred to Paula White, among others, as a false teacher. I’m glad that you responded because it serves as a reminder to us all that this discussion involves real people with real families and real souls. Therefore, this is not something that should be taken lightly. It’s very serious. Before I directly address the substance of your open letter, I first want to commend you for a few things that encouraged me as I read it. Continue reading —>

Shai’s is a gracious yet uncompromising response, written in the spirit of Ephesians 4:14-15: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness…

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What Is the Gospel? | The Resurgence

http://theresurgence.com/2012/02/28/what-is-the-gospel

If you are not familiar with Pastor Mark Driscol, Mars Hill Church in Seattle  Washington, U.S.A., please let me introduce you to this growing ministry.
Mark knows Jesus personally, that is very clear, and he wants us to know Jesus as well.
Consider this a portal to knowing Jesus.

Because He first loved us.
Christ Centered Teaching

The Love of God – The Supreme Apologetic – The Context of The Gospel

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

What is the love of God and why is it important?

Where do the doctrines of God’s love and God’s Holiness rank in importance in Christian theology ?

The love of God is the heart of the gospel and represents the linkage between all of God’s attributes as they relate to mankind .

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

(John 3:16)

 The love of God is the supreme apologetic of all our theology.

So why is it that Christianity has always been in peril from legalism?

The book of Galatians is a wonderful rendition of God’s grace, but it was written to Christians who had wandered from the pure truth of the gospel.

Moral-ism, the idea that we earn favor with God by our good works, had taken hold of the Galatians church.

In a world that seems to be growing darker by the day, we need to shine as beacons of light like never before.

We need to embrace and then reflect God’s love to the world as revealed in Christ.

Our message must be the fullness of all the purity and brilliance found in Christ’s expression of love to us on the cross.

Our self centeredness desires moral-ism, pride, legalism and self-righteous exaltation.

The tendency toward Legalism among Christians is , as one brave pastor has put it, “not only prevalent, but it is the norm.” ( Dr. Tim Keller)

We need to revisit the gospel continually in order to be reminded of the cost, so we will remember what we owed, in order to love Him as He deserves, …

with our all.

Not because our salvation can be lost, but because we can loose sight of the fullness of what Christ did for us.

MAY GOD GRANT US A REVIVAL OF THE AWARENESS OF HIS GREAT LOVE.

MAY WE REFLECT GOD’S GREAT LOVE TO A WORLD THAT IS LITERALLY DIEING FOR LACK OF AWARENESS OF HIS LOVE.

We are told we need the GOSPELIZATION of all our theology.

That everything needs to point to Christ and His Supremacy.

Supremacy is a matter of emphasis, supreme emphasis in this case.

The following is an outline of  Christian theology as represented with Biblical Emphasis as the context.

Biblical Emphasis is what God has revealed in the Bible as a whole to be of greatest importance.

First and of foremost importance is the fact that God is love.

The second is like the first in that it is how God showed His love for us when He sent His one and only Son. (John 3:16)

Christian Theology in the Context of Biblical Emphasis – Gospelization

God Is Love.  – 1 John 4:8 , 1John 4:16

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God Created Us To Have A Relationship With Him. – Genesis 1:27

“So God created man in his own image,
   in the image of God he created him;
   male and female he created them”

Sin Separated Us From Our Perfect And Holy Creator.  – Isaiah 53:5,6

“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
   and by his wounds we are healed.
 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all.”

God Loved Us And Came To Save Us In The Personage Of Jesus Christ. – 1 John 4:10

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Christ Died For Us And Then Conquered Death For Us Before We Knew Him. – Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God Offers Salvation As A Gift To All Who Receive It By Faith In Christ As Lord And Savior. – Ephesians 2:8,9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

God’s Salvation For Us Takes Place In Our Hearts. – Romans 10:9,10

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

God Comes Into The Heart Of The Believer To Seal Us As His Own Forever. – Ephesians 1:13,14 – Ephesians 4:30 – II Corinthians 1:21,22 – 2 John 1:2

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

God’s Spirit In Us Is Love. – John 7:38

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

God’s Spirit Works In Our Hearts To Change Our Desires And The Result Is Growth In Love For Him.  – Philippians 2:13

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

We Love And Serve God Because He First Loved Us. – 1 John 4:19

“We love because he first loved us.”

Genuine Love For God Results In Motives That Please God.- 1 Corinthians 4:5 and 16:14

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

“Do everything in love.”

Motives That Please God Result In Works That Honor God. – 1 John 5:2-5

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Related articles

• Legalism,License, and The Love of God (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)

Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine – God is Love

No theme of the Bible is so constant as this.
God is love. (1 John 4:8 and 4:16 )

In the old testament book of Micah we read,”He delights in mercy,” (7:18), and in Micah 6:8 we are told that God wants us ,“To love mercy, “.

God is love, and the ultimate Biblical Emphasis is to reflect His love shown to this world in the personage of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Tell them about Jesus. Live like Jesus. Serve like Jesus.

“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)

Any doctrinal theme can be emphasised and taken out of it’s Biblically Intended Emphasis.

If any Christian teacher can talk about any subject from the Bible for long without relating it all to Jesus Christ, the teacher is probably teaching mere morals and rules.

But Christianity as Christ instituted it is a relationship.

“Rules without relationship breed resentment,” someone has said.

The famous Scottish Journalist,Thomas Carlyle said it well,
“What this town needs is someone who knows Christ other than by hearsay.”

Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine – The Numbers Are In – Its About Jesus

Solus Christas Emphainein – Emphasize Christ Alone

Many Christian denominations share the same foundational doctrinal beliefs and values.

Much has been said about the need to emphasize one doctrine or the other and why to do so.

Not enough is being said about Biblical Emphasis in Doctrine as is demonstrated by a survey of The Bible.

For instance – If we take all the verses of the New Testament, about 7,956, and divide that number by the amount of times the Authors, under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit mentioned Jesus Christ.

Taking into account there are many different names for Jesus ,some of which are Christ, Son, Savior, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Teacher, Jesus Christ, Master,and Lord. A word search in a digital Bible will reveal about 2,143 such references to our Lord.

7,956 x .2694% = 2,143.34 Which means the New Testament authors under divine inspiration of God’s Spirit reference at least one of Jesus Christ’s names about 27% of the time.

So we should always ask ourselves, “When we teach God’s Word are we using Biblical Emphasis?”

The Bible really is about Jesus. He is the way back to God.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6