MOVING FORWARD…
INTENTION:
When we do grow and
learn in that correct knowledge of the Lord, we set a firm foundation to grow
and develop our relationship with the Father:
Trusting the
Father
( DOWNLOAD BIBLE STUDY AS PDF )
I.
TOPIC:
We want to look at what it is to be Moving Forward…
Being that we are striving and progressing in maturity: “Moving
Forwards to a Position of Perfection” (Hebrews
6:1).
That moment of “surrender” we have in believing in Christ
Jesus to be Born-Again becomes the blank slate which we learn about our God our
Father—to be “re-parented” by Him over everything we used to hold onto as “our
truth”. Now starting to live a Life from His Truth that becomes a healing of
our soul.
Just as a baby born into this world, they only have the
ability to take on (digest) their mom’s milk / formula (not solid foods). This
being a transition from being nourished through the umbilical cord in the womb.
Yet a baby does not live
into adulthood on milk / formula, but learns to incorporate (digest) solid
foods for their needs.
We too, as being newly Born-Again, start with the milk (“milk”
of the gospel) and transition to solid food (“meat” of the gospel)—but not just
any solid food, the correct solid foods (correct knowledge).
If that baby does not get proper healthy milk / formula (with
the necessary nutrients / nourishment), the baby’s growth can be stunted or
altered—not giving that person a proper foundation to grow up and live a
healthy life.
We also know, that in this world, we have an abundance of
junk food that may seem good and taste good, but only causes us health issues.
So even our solid-food diet needs to be nutritious to us.
The hurts and pains of
our upbringing in this world are from all those times we suffered from
soul-malnutrition and soul-junk-food. Our Tabernacle (Bible Study Lessons
012–017) longs to be filled with healthy to override the unhealthy.
The proper milk / formula and proper solid foods we have
access to for healing is Christ. He is our “Bread of Life” that forgoes the
junk of religion and those handed-down iniquities. Remember, it is not the
Bible that’s the “Bread of Life”, but Jesus—because there are things in the
Bible that do not correctly reflect Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit.
Setting down the foundation of the Lord is critical to us
growing in maturity as believers. And, if we forget to feed ourselves properly,
we can review the basics to stabilise / reinforce our foundation.
And if we find ourselves eating too much junk food or feeling
malnourished, we can fast (break) from those errors and get back to healthy
solids.
Let’s run through those foundational aspects (beginning
doctrines) of the Lord so that we CAN grow in maturity.
·
Refer also: https://cbadenhorst.blogspot.com/2017/05/moving-forward-to-position-of.html
II.
READING: Hebrews
5:7-14; 6:1-12 (RGT)
Who, in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and
supplications (with strong crying and tears) to Him Who was able to save him
from death. And He was heard because he feared.
8 And though He was the Son, he still learned obedience by
the things which he suffered.
9 And being consecrated, He was made the Author of eternal
salvation to all who obey Him.
10 And He is called by God “A High Priest after the order of
Melchizedek”, 11 of Whom we have many things to say which are hard to
understand because you are dull of hearing.
12 For though you ought to be teachers by this time, once
again you need us to teach you the first principles of the word of God, still
having need of milk, and not solid food.
13 For everyone who uses milk is ignorant of the word of
righteousness. For he is an infant.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of age; who
through long practice have their wits exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 Therefore, having left the
beginning doctrines of Christ, let us be led forward to maturity, not laying
again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith toward God, 2 the
doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead,
and eternal judgment.
3 And we will do this if God permits.
4 For it is impossible that those who were once lightened -
and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy
Ghost, 5 and have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the
world to come – 6 if they should fall away, would be renewed again by
repentance (seeing they crucify the Son of God to themselves again, and make a
mockery of Him).
7 For the earth, which drinks in the rain that often comes
upon it and brings forth useful herbs for those who till it, receives blessing
from God.
8 But that which bears thorns and briars is rejected and
near to being cursed (whose end is to be burned).
9 But beloved, even though we speak in this way, we are
still persuaded of better things concerning you and things which accompany
salvation.
10 For God is not unrighteous, so that He should forget your
work and labour of love which you have shown toward his Name. In that you have
ministered to the saints, and still minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you show the same
diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end, 12 so that you are not
slothful but followers of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the
promises.
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. The
Foundation of: Repentance from Dead Works.
Dead Works are anything that we do in trying to “keep God happy (pleased
/ appeased)”. For some, it may look like moral-living, self-righteousness,
philosophy, rituals, religion, adhering to the law, self-punishment, asking for
forgiveness, and/or any forms of self-achievement (i.e., “look what I did for
you Lord”). Where, in reality, all that those become are literally a waste of
time and energy. Everything we attempt is as “dung” (Philippians 3:8-9) and “dirty (menstrual) rags” (Isaiah 64:6)—unnecessary, useless, and gross. And this isn’t even about us trying
to achieve “God’s Standards” or the Law, but about us (in our own
sin-conscience) trying to “work / earn to be loved”. Hence why we must “purge
our conscience from dead works” (Hebrews 9:14) in trying to achieve for Them.
Romans
3:21-24 (RGT)
But now, the righteousness
of God has been made manifest without the Law, having been witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets; 22 that is, the righteousness of God by the faith of Jesus
Christ, unto all and upon all who believe. For there is no difference.
23 For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God; 24 and are justified freely by His grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
2
Timothy 1:6-9 (RGT)
Therefore, I remind you to
stir up the gift of God which is in you by the laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us
the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of self-control.
8 Therefore, do not be
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me (His prisoner). But share in
the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God.
9 He has saved us and
called us with a holy calling – not according to our works – but according to
His own purpose and grace which was given to us through Christ Jesus before the
world was.
Question: Do you still feel the need to try and
please or appease (live up to some self-defined standard for) God?
B. The
Foundation of: Faith towards God.
Again, this is a reminder
that it isn’t about our achievements, but by His Grace and His Faith. This
Grace and Faith gifted to us allows us to come to Him in belief of Christ
Jesus. It is not about OUR works or OUR Faith, but what He IS (Grace) and what
He DID (Faith). And when we believe, we access this same Faith as Jesus has.
And this Faith is simply demonstrating (manifesting) God out from us—this
ability to do so being from the Lord, because faith is a Fruit (His Fruit) of
the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23).
Ephesians
2:1-10 (RGT) {PoG}
And you were dead in
trespasses and sins 2 (wherein you once walked according to the course of this
world, according to the authority of the ruler of the air, even the spirit who
now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom all of us also once lived
in the lusts of our flesh, in fulfilling the will of the flesh, and of the
mind; and were, by nature, the children of wrath, just as the rest).
4 But God, Who is rich in
mercy, through His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead
by sins, has quickened us together in Christ (by grace you are saved) 6 and has
raised us up together and made us sit together in the Heavenly places in Christ
Jesus; 7 so that He might show, in the ages to come, the exceeding riches of
His grace through His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by {God’s} grace
are you saved, through {Christ’s} faith, and that not of yourselves. It
is the gift {they are gifts} from God 9 (not of works, lest anyone should
boast).
10 For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works; which God has ordained, so
that we would walk in them.
Hebrews
12:1-2 (RGT)
Therefore, seeing that we
are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also cast away
everything that presses down and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us run
with patience the race that is set before us; 2 looking to Jesus - the Author
and Finisher of our faith - Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured
the cross and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of
God.
Question: What areas do you see faith (the Lord)
manifesting in your life?
C. The
Foundation of: Doctrine (Teachings) of Baptisms.
Though rooted in the
baptisms (G907)
representing water baptism, Jesus Baptism, and Holy Spirit Baptism; this
baptism (G909)
refers to ceremonial washing to make a person clean. This law-based cleansing
is not valid, as we have been cleansed through the Blood of the Lamb—the
sanctification / sacrifice of Christ Jesus. Our filth (sins / iniquities) have
forever been removed at the Cross—now having a clear conscience before the Lord
when we sin. For the only reason we condemn ourself before the Lord is that we
haven’t fully grasped / comprehended / made tangible the truth that every sin,
and everything we do incorrectly (that causes hurt / pain in us or others)
truly has been forgiven us (long before we did anything, with Him knowing what
we would do).
Hebrews
9:6-15 (RGT)
Now when these things were
thus prepared, the priest always went into the first Tabernacle and completed
the service.
7 But only the High Priest
went into the second – once every year – and not without blood (which he
offered for himself and for the people’s sins of ignorance).
8 By this, the Holy Ghost
signified that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet revealed while the
first tabernacle was still standing.
9 It was a symbol of that
present time in which was offered gifts and sacrifices that could not make the
worshiper holy concerning the conscience, 10 but consisted only of foods and
drinks and diverse washings and carnal rituals imposed until the time of
reformation.
11 But Christ – being a
High Priest of good things to come – came by a greater and more perfect
Tabernacle (not made with hands – that is, not of this creation – 12 nor by the
blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood), entering in once to the Holy
Place and obtaining eternal redemption.
13 For if the sprinkling
of the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those
who are unclean (as touching the purifying of the flesh), 14 how much more
shall the blood of Christ – Who, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself
without fault to God – purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the
living God?
15 And because of this, He
is the Mediator of the new Testament, so that through death (which was for the
redemption of the transgressions in the former Testament) those who were called
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
1
John 3:19-24 (RGT)
For by this we know that
we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20 For if our hearts
condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart
does not condemn us, then we have boldness toward God.
22 And whatever we ask we
receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are
pleasing in His sight.
23 This, then, is His
commandment: that we believe in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one
another as He commanded.
24 For the one who keeps
His commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He
abides in us: by that Spirit which He has given us.
Question: Do you still condemn yourself with the
Lord? Do you still try to keep any other “commandments”?
D. The
Foundation of: Laying on of Hands.
There is a demonstration of kindness, empathy, and the Lord’s Power
when we “lay our hands” on someone. A gentle touch can bring comfort and
support to a person. But it’s also a means to heal and impart the Holy Spirit.
Pertaining to the Law, no
one was to touch a sick (unclean) person. So, this “violation” of the law is to
show that we have power over sickness and disease; eliminating the fear that we
would get sick from touching someone. And regarding the imparting of Gifts /
Holy Spirit (1
Timothy 4:14), a simple touch can open a pathway for a person to receive.
Mark
16:15-18 (RGT)
And He said to them, “Go
into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
16 “The one who shall believe, and be baptized, shall be saved. But the
one who will not believe, shall be damned.
17 “And these signs shall
follow those who believe: In My Name, they shall cast out demons, and shall
speak with new tongues, 18 “and shall take away serpents. And if they shall
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hands on
the sick, and they shall recover.”
Acts 19:1-7 (RGT)
And it so happened (while
Apollos was at Corinth) that Paul, when he passed through the upper coasts,
came to Ephesus, and found some disciples, 2 and said to them, “Have you
received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” And they said to him, “We have not
even heard whether there is a Holy Ghost.”
3 And he said to them,
“Into what were you baptized then?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “Truly,
John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they
should believe in Him Who should come after him; that is, in Christ Jesus.”
5 And when they heard it,
they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
6 So Paul laid his hands
upon them, and the Holy Ghost came on them, and they spoke the tongues, and
prophesied.
7 And there were, in all,
about twelve men.
Question: Have you witnessed the “laying on of
hands” manifest the Power of God / Healing / the Holy Spirit?
E. The
Foundation of: Resurrection of the Dead.
We are eternal beings in a
temporary body. It is not that we are born, then become nothing when we die; for
we exist outside and past this body for ever (all eternity)—whether with the
Lord, or separated from Them (in Hell). Our chance to believe is here and now. Death
is also never a punishment, but just a reality of this world we live in—death
simply being our transition out from this body; for the “body without the
spirit is dead” (James
2:26a). This is what happened to Uzzah when he touched the Ark (2
Samuel 6:6-7)—for it wasn’t God killing him, but that when he touched
the Ark, his spirit was transferred into the presence of the Lord (where his
body couldn’t go); thus, his body died because his spirit left it.
And though our bodies will
die, we will get new ones!
1
Corinthians 15:12-26; 51-58 (RGT)
Now if it is preached that
Christ is risen from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no
resurrection of the dead?
13 For if there is no
resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not
risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 And we are found also
false witnesses of God. For we have testified of God, that He has raised up
Christ, Whom He has not raised up, if it be so that the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not
raised, then Christ is not raised.
17 And if Christ is not
raised, your faith is vain. You are still in your sins.
18 And so those who are
asleep in Christ, have perished.
19 If it is only in this
life that we have hope in Christ, we are of all mankind the most miserable.
20 But now Christ has been
raised from the dead and made the firstfruits of those who slept.
21 For since by man came
death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 Yet, each in his own
order: the Firstfruits, Christ; afterward, those who are of Christ, at His
coming.
24 Then, the end, when He
has delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He has abolished all
rule, and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign till
He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that
shall be ended, is death.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye
at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall blow, and the dead shall be raised
up incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible
must put on incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this
corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed
up into victory.”
55 O death, where is your
sting? O grave, where is your victory?
56 The sting of death is
sin. And the strength of sin is the Law.
57 But thanks be to God,
Who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved
brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, abundant always in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
Question: Do you fear dying? Do you view death
as a punishment from God; or that there’s a “time” for a believer when “the
Lord wants us ‘home’”?
F. The
Foundation of: Eternal Judgement.
Every person is judged by
God’s Word in whether they believe in Christ Jesus or don’t believe in Christ
Jesus (Bible Study Lesson 040). There is absolutely nothing more a
person is judged on—none whatsoever—not our sins, nor what we did or didn’t do.
The Work we are Judged on is only this: “that you believe in Jesus Christ who
God sent” (John
6:29).
For those of us who do
believe, we exist in a perpetual and eternal relationship WITH the Lord. For
those that chose not to believe, they exist perpetually and eternally WITHOUT /
separated from the Lord (in Hell).
John
12:47-50 (RGT)
“And if anyone hears My
words, and does not believe, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge
the world, but to save the world.
48 “Whoever refuses Me,
and does not receive My words, has One Who judges him – the Word that I have
spoken. It shall judge him on the last day.
49 “For I have not spoken
of Myself, but the Father Who sent Me. He gave Me a commandment, what I should
say and what I should speak.
50 “And I know that His
commandment is life everlasting. Therefore, the things that I speak, I speak
just as the Father said to Me.”
1
John 4:15-17 (RGT)
Whoever confesses that
Jesus is the Son of God – God dwells in him and he in God.
16 And we have known and
believed the love that God has in us. God is love. And the one who dwells in
love, dwells in God, and God in him.
17 In this is that love
perfected in us: that we should have boldness on the Day of Judgment. For as He
is, even so are we in this world.
Revelation
20:11-15 (RGT) {PoG}
And I saw a great white
throne, and One who sat on it; from Whose face fled away both the Earth and
Heaven, and their place was found no more.
12 And I saw the dead,
both great and small, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another
book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged for those
things which were written in the books, according to their works {work of
believing in Him (John
6:29)}.
13 And the sea gave up the
dead who were in her. And death and {Hades} delivered up the dead who were in
them. And they were judged, each one of them, according to their works {work
of believing in Him (John
6:29)}.
14 And death and {Hades}
were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.
15 And whoever was not
found written in the Book of Life, was cast into the Lake of Fire.
Question: How can you reassure yourself that you
CAN have confidence (boldness) regarding Eternal Judgment?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. Galatians
5:1 (RGT) {PoG}
Stand fast, therefore, in
the liberty {freedom} whereby Christ has made us free. And be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage.
Ephesians
4:22-24 (RGT) {PoG}
As for your past life, you
are to cast off the old man {your unhealed / unhealthy self} who is
being corrupted through deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the
spirit of your mind.
24 And put on the new man
{your healed / healthy self}, who has been created according to God for
righteousness and true holiness.
Philippians
2:12-13 (RGT) {PoG}
Therefore, my beloved,
just as you have always obeyed me – not only in my presence, but now much more
so in my absence – work out your own salvation {healing that comes} with
fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who works
in you – both in your will and in your works – according to His good pleasure.
Colossians
2:6-15 (RGT) {PoG}
Therefore, as you have
received Christ Jesus the Lord {by believing}, so walk in Him {by
believing};
7 being rooted and built
up in Him and established in the faith {His Faith} as you have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware, lest anyone
spoil you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the traditions of
man, according to the principles of the world and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead, bodily.
10 And you are complete in
Him Who is the Head of all principality and power.
11 In Him also are you
circumcised, with circumcision made without hands, by putting off the sinful {unhealed
/ unhealthy} body of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in
baptism (in which you are also risen with Him through the faith of the working
of God, Who raised Him from the dead).
13 And you, who were dead
in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together
with Him, forgiving all trespasses
14 and blotting out the
handwriting of the ordinances against us which opposed us. He has taken it out
of the way and fastened it upon the cross.
15 And having disarmed the
rulers and authorities, and having made a show of them openly, He has triumphed
over them in it.
Thoughts: So, where do we go from here?
We continue the “healing”
that is overcoming and deconstructing our perceptions (mis-perceptions /
unbelief) of God. It is knowing that you truly have a secure relationship with
the Lord (no matter what). Christ set us free for freedom’s sake—for everything
we only thought we had to do for God, Christ did for us! There is freedom in
knowing that the Lord’s Love to us is UNCONDITIONAL—that there is nothing we
have to do to earn Their favour. Bondage is anything you feel you need to do to
“keep” God “happy” or at “peace”—this is conditional “love”.
From this, resting in our
relationship, we also rest in having believed in Him (which is how we received
Him). And this continuation of believing is not a fear we will stop believing,
but that we find the areas we get to trust the Lord in our everyday
life-journey—a believing Them over what we might have “trusted” and “relied on”
before. So much of our programming by this world needs healing; and often this
healing comes about by believing (trusting) the Lord over what “I may know”.
It becomes a
healing-journey where we heal those unhealed / unhealthy parts of our own self—those
“old man” parts that are the programming we get from this world that are
unhealthy to our own wellbeing, and unhealthy to our relationships. That flesh
(those unhealed / unhealthy) parts of us, are triumphed over because of Christ.
We renew ourself into a new way (“new man”) of doing things that overrides our
unhealthy programming, in the spirit of our mind, to work out our own salvation.
This process often involves feelings of “fear and trembling” because we are pushing
into something new that is of the Lord—this new is the “new wine” we don’t
immediately like, as it is replacing our “old wine” way of doing things that
feel natural and normal to us in which we got accustomed to (Luke
5:39).
The Lord longs for us to
have the freedoms from ourself we do deserve. One that focuses on our own
personal self. A self that knows they are Loved by the Lord no matter what
transpires in their life. A self that Loves self as the Lord Loves them. A self
that finds the freedom Christ set you personally free for. A life where we
finally get to “Just Be” ourself as being a part of Him.
And in doing so, it
becomes a saving of our soul (1
Peter 1:9)—the saving of the emotional turmoil we face within ourself, in
the here-and-now, on this earth.
If I am confident that
Christ actually did take all sin at the Cross...
This gives me the
freedom to explore each and every means towards the healing and freedom the
Lord desires me to live in. To not only swing the pendulum far and wide, but to
also make the mistakes I will. Letting go of the limitations of religion.
Promoting other
people's journeys.
·
Refer also: http://cbadenhorst.blogspot.com/2023/03/pendulum-learning.html
Question: How
can you personally keep “Moving Forwards to a Position of Perfection” from milk
to meat in your life?
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & SUPPORT:
A thank you to Kelly and Joshua who are inspirational in this life-journey. And to all the family, friends, sponsors, and donors who have fed into this ministry and outreach.
If you would like to support this ministry and outreach, you may do so via our website or at:
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