Going On Unto Perfection

"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." (Heb. 6:1-3)

Walking the path of a Christian I have heard the message of salvation all of my life from many different denominations. The basics of the message is that you are a sinner, but when you repent and receive the free gift of what Jesus did for you on the cross you can become a saint. That God will adopt you into His family. As wonderful as this message has seemed to me there area areas of the salvation message that just didn't line up with other scriptures.

The scriptures in Hebrew 6 (above) says that we are to go past the principles of the doctrine of Christ, of being a Christian, as well as the works involved of raising the dead. That there is greater maturity than this that goes beyond eternal judgment. Being a Christian for over 30 years, I have yet to see the dead raised to life. However, I have been to many funerals where Christians were burying the dead. According to scripture, until we can get past this doctrine we can't go on to maturity.

Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls…….(vs. 14) For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life therefore".

Interesting………scripture is telling us the atonement is for the soul of man by the blood to bring life back to the flesh. The Christian doctrines that I have been trained to believe is that my redemption by the blood of Jesus was for my spirit. That my soul and flesh would be redeemed someday when I got to heaven. Could there be a perversion of the truth of the doctrine of Christ that God's children have been taught and carried throughout generations? Let's ask ourselves some questions: Can God go against His own laws that He created? If He created the pattern that parents come first and then children throughout all creation why are we teaching that the doctrine of Christ, to be a Christian, is based on a sinner( child, stranger) choosing his father? That teaching does not line up with Jeremiah 1:5 or John 15:16.

Here's another question…….if the life of the flesh is in the blood when did we get the blood of Jesus in us? Without blood you can't raise the dead. When we use the word adoption into the family of God with the same understanding as we use the word adoption in our western cultural of taking a stranger into our home, and legally making them a part of our family, the scriptures don't line up. It is a wonderful act to adopt a child into your home; however, even though the child is given all the legal paper work rights to be your heir, the child will never have the blood rights to life or be able to reproduce a bloodline of your DNA. We teach a doctrine that says Jesus is the only real son of God, and the rest of the Christians are brought in by a western cultural concept of adoption that can only take care of themselves, but can't reproduce life of the Father's bloodline. All scriptures that refer to having the mind of Christ and that we are the body of Christ can't really be implemented if we don't also have his blood.

So, getting back to Hebrew 6, how are we suppose to be giving life to raise the dead if we don't have Jesus' blood in us? Lets look at some scriptures that talk about some of the works that the disciples did before Calvary. Matt. 10:7-8, Mark 6:13, Luke 9:1-2, Luke 10:9. In an account of three gospels we are told that Jesus sent his followers out to declare peace, preach the good news, heal the sick, and raise the dead. When they came back to Jesus the work was done. Luke 10:19 Jesus says, "I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

All of this took place before the cross. The disciples didn't even know or understand at this time of what the cross was all about. Yet, Jesus sent them out with the words of His message. That alone was enough to have visible manifestation of the sick being made whole and the dead being raised to life. What do you think the good news was they were suppose to go out and teach when at this time, also, the disciples did not realize that Jesus was the Son of God. We have been teaching a doctrine of Christ for over 2000 years that does little more than take care of our own salvation to heaven, yet within 3 years of Jesus' ministry, before the cross, people were being healed and raised from the dead by his followers. Why are churches full of sick people that are dieing? Is there a truth within us that we have denied out of ignorance and false teachings to God's word? Are we allowing the Bible to interpret itself, or are we interpreting God's words by the understanding of scholastic men?

Old Testament scripture has shown us that the tabernacle in the wilderness contained the power to transform life. The New testament declares that we are now the tabernacle of God with that same ability. The tabernacle was the first building that God told Moses to build. Before that His dwelling place was in Adam and Eve while they were in the garden. Man and God were one in the garden until Adam turned on Eve and accused her versus being a corporate body and interceding for her. Instead of keeping the character of God that was in him, Adam brought expulsion and death into the garden with his judgment and condemning words. He allowed fear to guide him, looking out for himself by hiding. When God ask him about eating from the tree he wasn't suppose to, he blames the woman (his soul mate), that God gave him had made him do it.(Gen.3:10-12).

When Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle in the wilderness it was to bring a place that God could reside with His people. Heaven brought to earth. It was a place that God's family would be transformed through unconditional love and the judgment seat of mercy. The Levitical Priesthood was for the purpose of interceding for the people, cleansing them with righteousness, and forgiveness of sins so that God could have a relationship with His children.

In the New Testament, Jesus says in John 3:13, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven". The words up and down are not considered to be directional words, but words that separate the supernatural, where God is, from the natural. In this verse the people are seeing heaven on earth. They knew of God residing in the Holy of Holies, but now Jesus (God), was walking among the people. It was a transition stage the people had to become accustom to. Jesus was not only God among the people, but that He gave the people the power and authority of who he is. It was no longer the job of the Levitical Priesthood to intercede for the remission of sins, but the power of the people as stated in John 20:20, "Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained".

Let me close this teaching with some scripture allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the word of God……..

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (I Corinthians 3:16-17). Ask yourself how do you defile the temple of God? Is it by what you eat or drink, or is it by taking the power given to you to walk and talk as your heavenly Father with love and mercy, but instead you use His word to bring judgment, condemnation, and destruction?

"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of the world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me. This he said signifying what death he should die." John 12:31-32. Jesus died for the death of judgment. According to this verse satan has no more power, and Jesus did not separate the works that he did for just those that believe on him, but for the just and the unjust.

"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:46-47.

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again" Matt. 7:1-2.

"Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Romans 14:13.

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30. Go back to the beginning of this teaching and ponder Lev. 17:11. What is real salvation? What did Jesus really complete on the cross when he said it is finished in John 19:30?

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God" Matt. 5:9.

May God bless you with His wisdom and love with this study.