Commandment Given For Equal Footing
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009Commandment Given For Equal Footing
When God gives a commandment to his Church, it is designed for the benefit of all, both the strong and the weak. It places everyone on equal footing. The spiritual strong may not need the commandment as they may already live the principle set out in the commandment, but the spiritually weaker require it, yet both are commanded to abide in it in order for the faithful to be blessed by it.
The act of giving a commandment sets out the blessings a person will gain by obedience. The blessings are the same for those who have no trouble following it and for those who struggle with it as they obey it. This is part of the equal footing given to all. This may sound as unequal, in that the weaker who work harder at it should get more or better blessings, but remember the parable in the Bible of the vine yard workers. Those who started the work late will get the same pay as the ones that started work earlier. This applies to those who inherit the Kingdom of God. The ones that started late in life as faithful, will inherit the same as those who began earlier in life. The wisdom in this is the blessings that God gives are far more and above any effort or work we do, awarding us far more than we can imagine.
The interesting part of the dynamics of commandments, is that it provides the spiritually strong a means to sustain, support, aid and help those who are spiritually weaker. This works through the principle of service and shows why service is an important part of being a true Christian. No one is ignored in God’s eyes and all are provided for in many ways that we cannot see or realize.
The reason that I spoke in terms of spiritually strong and weak is because of God’s requirement to establish every part of his plan in righteousness on the earth. It is the “establishment in righteousness” that allows us to spiritually gain and be blessed. Therefore, a commandment given by God is established in righteousness on the earth and in his Church by those who are spiritually strong. This is what occurred with the commandment of Baptism by Water. It was established, in its entirety, on the earth and for the Lord’s Church by one who was spiritually strong and righteous. That was Jesus Christ. Without establishing the commandment in righteousness, there would be no spiritual benefit and gain for that thing which was commanded.
In addition, the spiritually strong are the ones that maintain the power of the commandment in the Church for others to benefit spiritually. This says that if the leaders of this Church falter or fail to abide in the commandments as given by God, the membership of the Church will not receive the blessings the commandment was suppose to provide, simply because the “righteousness” is lost and without this righteousness, there are no blessings and spiritual benefit. This is part of the “spiritual service” the leaders provide to all church members and why they are important. Without the leadership to maintain the righteousness within the Church, all would fail, and this includes the failure if false and wrong doctrines were allowed into the Church. The protection of righteousness is important and is part of the reason why some get excommunicated.
Another part of this is making the “example”. Not only is the commandment established in righteousness, it is also establishes an “example”, by the spiritually strong. This principle of example provides a template for all who can follow. This is especially important for those who are working to become spiritually strong, they need an example to abide in, to follow, in order for them to succeed.
This is not all.
The power of righteousness that is crucial for us to benefit from the commandment, is not established unless that thing which was commanded is given in power and authority from God. Righteousness is not righteousness without proper authority and power. It will just not work. There may be goodness by those who have not received the power and authority from God, but goodness is not righteousness and goodness in itself cannot sustain anything in God’s law, only righteousness can do that. This is why God cannot accept the practice of “many churches”. Righteousness cannot exist in the “many varied doctrines” found in the many Christian denominations. There is only one faith, not many. Power and authority is therefore not given to those are are wayward from God’s commandments and Church.
This shows one reason why the early Christian Church fell into apostasy, all righteousness was lost when the last leader (Apostle) died. There was no person who was righteous enough to have the proper power and authority to maintain the commandments within the Church. The apostles were the ones who maintained the commandments for the Church and its members. They are the ones who possessed the keys.
When placed into the context of all Christian churches that exist on the earth, I believe you will hopefully see that a commandment will not work in places or in beliefs that have not been established in power and authority from God and in righteousness. No false doctrine or belief can work for any person when God does not give power and authority to falsehoods. Righteous is therefore, is again, not established in that thing.
Since no person can do all this by their own power and belief, full salvation is lost for those who refuse to abide in God’s true Church. Such as those who believe a church is not needed and think that all they need do is believe. Unfortunately, by these false beliefs, there is no benefit from the commandments as set out in the scriptures to those believers. This follows the scripture where Jesus Said “I do not know thee”. Simply, the commandments do not give blessings to those who are not set in righteousness, or in other words, those people who are not able to establish and keep the commandments in righteousness and in true power and authority from God. They fail to gain any benefit, even of they obey a commandment on their own outside the Lord’s true Church.
This is a reason why the Lord requires a “True Church” to exist on the earth, with his apostles and prophet, his manner of Church government. Those who choose not to accept the Lord Truth Church gains no blessings from God’s commandments, that becomes lost to them.
When God gives a commandment to his Church, it is designed for the benefit of all, both the strong and the weak. It places everyone on equal footing. The spiritual strong may not need the commandment as they may already live the principle set out in the commandment, but the spiritually weaker require it, yet both are commanded to abide in it in order for the faithful to be blessed by it.
The act of giving a commandment sets out the blessings a person will gain by obedience. The blessings are the same for those who have no trouble following it and for those who struggle with it as they obey it. This is part of the equal footing given to all. This may sound as unequal, in that the weaker who work harder at it should get more or better blessings, but remember the parable in the Bible of the vine yard workers. Those who started the work late will get the same pay as the ones that started work earlier. This applies to those who inherit the Kingdom of God. The ones that started late in life as faithful, will inherit the same as those who began earlier in life. The wisdom in this is the blessings that God gives are far more and above any effort or work we do, awarding us far more than we can imagine.
