Denominations
According to Webster’s dictionary, the word denominations means; #1 the act of denominating; #2, a denominational system; #3, a class or kind having a specific name or value of different denominations; #4, a particular religious body, with a specific name, organization.
The word denomination is usually used to attach a name to a group of people according to their beliefs. It is predominately used to identify a certain religion, or cult, according to the #4 meaning above.
One would think that religion would be simple, but according to the world situation, it is not. Because of the many different denominations, religion is a difficult subject.
There was a warning addressed by Jesus concerning man’s input into God’s teachings in the New Testament.
Mark 7:13, Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such things that ye do.
There are many different beliefs, teachings, and practices with rules and regulations that are raised up by men. Sounds confusing?
1st Corinthians 14:33,For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
We are told that God is not the author of confusion, yet it seems like confusion is everywhere.
God has a specific purpose for men to believe what they will until a type of Elijah would come to prepare a new way, Hebrews 10:20, for all men.
John the Baptist, who was a type of Elijah, was raised up by God and prepared this new way for Jesus as the promised Seed, Genesis 3:15 and saying in Isaiah 7:14, that a virgin would conceive and bring forth a son who would be the savior of all men.
Malachi 4:5, Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming and dreadful day of the Lord: 6, and He will turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their father, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
In verse six, the word fathers are plural indicating that there are at least two fathers mentioned. One Father is the God of all the creation, including man. The other is an impostor called Satan, who plays the role of a savior, but deceives man. God’s purpose is to know who His children will join themselves to, the true Father or the fake father. Most people in a denomination just assume that they are truly worshipers of God, never realizing that their god, who they worship, might be an impostor. Many people aren’t equipped with the knowledge and understanding to know the difference. Most people have never read the Word of God, the Bible, and rely on the teachings within their denominations to tell them what it is that God requires of them. These people are open to deception. This is when “traditions of men come in:.
The Need of a Helpmate
In the Book of Genesis, we read that the man Adam needed a helpmate, Genesis 2:18. In all of God’s creation there was not a suitable companion for Adam. Why didn’t God use a female mentioned in the 1st chapter of Genesis to be a companion for Adam? Because Adam’s companion would be called a woman, Genesis 2:23, which suites God’s purpose in a much grander way.
Adam didn’t have anything to do with the building of the woman. In scripture, a woman is a type of a church, made up of many members. The Book of the Exodus tells us of the nation of Israel being set free from Egyptian bondage. The disciple’s statement found in the Book of the Acts says that these people were called the church in the wilderness.
Acts 7:38, This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke with him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give to us.
The church which was made up of the nation of Israel in the wilderness eventually was phased out. This church was a body of people who were in the physical fleshy realm and gives us a picture of an Exodus which would be fulfilled after the death, burial and ascension of Christ Jesus. If that were not to happen, then the Holy Bible would not be a book of God’s inspiration, 2nd Timothy 3:16, but a book just as any other book, full of fables. But it is a book of truth, and when read, it is like God breathing His life into us.
The days of the first Exodus, were the era of the first covenant. The Book of Hebrews, the eleventh chapter, mentions Godly people like Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses who had never received the promises or inheritance given by God, Hebrews 11:13. We can only receive an inheritance after someone has died. But who in the physical fleshy realm of men could qualify to fulfill God’s purpose? No one! Why? Because even if the most perfect and upright man could fulfill all the requirements of God, the best results would be another perfect man. This is the law of kind after kind. The best physical man who could be produced by men’s efforts could only bring forth another man. The Tree of Life, offered to Adam, was rejected so God was to use another way to raise man from his physical fleshy life to His Divine Spiritual Life.
WE Need To Enter Into The Divine Life
In the gospel of John, chapter three, we are told of a man Nicodemus who was a religious leader who lived during Jesus ministry. This man knew Jesus was a teacher who did many marvelous things and he knew that Jesus had to be sent by God. As humble and as gentlemanly as Nicodemus was, Jesus said to him” “for a man to see the Kingdom of God, he must be born again,” John 3:3. He probably kept the laws of the Old Testament as perfectly as any man could but he lacked understanding of the meaning of being born again. This man knew he had a physical birth but didn’t understand what it means to be born again, by being born of the spirit.
Even today, some don’t consider the different levels of life created by God in the Book of Genesis chapter one.
First, God had to raise the land out of the water. Now, because of the land which was submerged under water was raised, He could then bring forth the plant life. After the creation of the plant life, there is the creation of the animal life. After the creation of the animal life, there is man’s life consisting of male and female. These forms of life are a progression from a lower form of life to a higher form of life. There was one more process of life that God wanted to bring to man which was the taking of the Tree of Life, that is the highest form of life, eternal life. This life was rejected by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they took the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil instead of the Tree of Life. The goal in the Garden was for Adam to take the Tree of Life inwardly as his nourishing food, which is God’s life, His Eternal Life, the uncreated life.
Now, because of Adam’s disobedience, because God’s purpose was to create children according to the highest form of life, He would need another way, why? Because God needed the willingness and the cooperation of man. God will not force Himself on anyone, because that forced effort by man’s standards could be called rape.
We are told that God is a Spirit, John 4:24. In another place we are told that flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God, 1st Corinthians 15:50. So how will God make the transition, from the realm of men into the realm of God?
I Will Build My Church
In the Book of Matthew, chapter sixteen, Peter, a disciple of Jesus, knew by revelation, that Jesus was the Son of God. Because Jesus was the son of a fleshy mother as well as the son of a Divine Father, He had both lives within Him, He was a God man. Jesus could only enter into his glory, John 17:24, by being put to death on the cross and raised in resurrection. Men could only eliminate the life Jesus gained from His mother, His life of flesh and blood, when He was crucified on the Roman cross. Men could not destroy His Spirit within Him, Matthew 10:28. Jesus Spirit and His Fathers Spirit were mingled together, John 14:10. It was the Spirit within Him, which men couldn’t touch, which raised Christ in resurrection.
Jesus defeated Satan, by bringing Satan who had infected all men with the likeness of the flesh nature to the cross, Romans 8:3; Romans 5:12.
The church, which are His many member body of believers submit themselves to a spiritual death, burial, and resurrection as well.
Matthew 28:19, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism, which means total immersion, is like dying a piece of cloth, and pictures death and burial. Because of God’s mercy, we who submit to God’s command are reckoned as dead, along with the old man and creation, yet still alive, in Christ as the new man, and of a new creation, 2nd Corinthians 5:17, and a new covenant, Hebrews 8:13.
Romans 6:11, likewise, reckon yourselves as to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 6:5, For we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection: 6, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
All these verses spoken here are directly related to this side of the cross which is in resurrection. Christ was raised by the Spirit and authority of God, who is our real Father. This is our hope.
Resurrection
What is resurrection anyway? Resurrection is everything which is not of ourselves, or our natural life, and not based on our natural ability. Resurrection speaks of things beyond us, which we can not do for ourselves. Resurrection means that everything comes from God with His authority.
Just as God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam to build a woman, a suitable companion for Adam, God who does not change, Malachi 3:6, is doing the same today. He has caused a sleep upon mankind and is calling His body of believers or those who have a heart for God to Himself. Christ told Peter that He would build His church, a woman and companion, as a bride of Christ. This body is in resurrection as Christ was in resurrection. Not because of our goodness, talents, or sweetness, but because we are willing to put our lives, reckoned as dead to ourselves, but alive for God’s use. As we study and grow, we are breathing in the very life of Christ. God as our Father is raising up a companion for His Son who has the very nature as Christ, and kind after kind, to be of the highest life in the universe.
Do you have this kind of life in your denomination or cult? Do you read the Bible for yourself, or are you letting someone tell you what’s written? If that is the case, then you are not breathing in the Divine life through his word.
Jesus during His ministry answered questions by asking, ” have ye not read”, Matthew 12:3,12:5, 19:4; Mark 2:45, 12:10; Luke 6:3.
If we have been planted together with Christ, we need to grow just as a plant needs to grow by watering and special care, Romans 6:5.
1st Corinthians 3:6, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the growth.