Scripture: Hebrews 6 v 1- 2: "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,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."
When we leave behind our sinful life after being born again and baptised, we have many things we once trusted in that we now discover are actually useless. My faith in God's ability was so strong, and still is, that I put my whole life in His hands by cancelling all life insurance policies, and dependence on medical aid. This was in 1980 and I have never needed any of it to this day.
There are many verses of scripture that warn us not to trust dumb idols that neither hear nor speak as they cannot help us. In other words they are dead works, totally useless to Christians. God is saying that He both hears and speaks and can help in times of trouble.
Psalm 115 v 4 - 8: "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."
Looking a bit deeper we find that every superstition falls into the category of dead works which are basically religious things we liked and trusted before we knew what Jesus had done for us. For instance how many people have a medal of St Christopher in their car or round their necks to keep them safe and prevent accidents? It is a dead work. That medal has become a dumb idol that cannot help you. It never could.
Another dead work is attending a church where there is more preaching about self-motivation than on being born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit. We are supposed to die to self and serve the Lord. So all self-motivation, self-sufficiency, being a self-made man or woman, are just selfish and oppose true Christianity. If they don't preach the true and full gospel of Jesus Christ, they are just a community centre.
Before she was born again in the 80's, a dear friend of mine approached the minister of the local Methodist church. She said to him that she needed to be saved. He ummed and aahed then said he had an urgent appointment elsewhere and fled. A month later we met in a school tuckshop. Somehow she managed to figure out I was a Christian. She followed me home, to my surprise.
She told me she needed Jesus in her life. An hour later she left, glowing, born again, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues. She has been an amazing intercessor throughout all these years. She only told me about the Methodist minister yesterday!
Jesus Christ is alive in your heart promising He will never leave you. Promising to protect you and your family day and night; to bring healing, deliverance, comfort and blessing to you all. He says we must have no other gods just Him only. When we put faith in anything other than Him, and it fails, God gets the blame.
Jesus wants us to put away foolish things. He wants us to do the first works like repentance, salvation, baptisms, and basic doctrines which are called the first principles of the oracles of God. These form our entrance into citizenship of Heaven.
Then the Lord wants to teach us new and important things that we will need when facing the end times. Instead of squabbling about commas and nitpicking over small academic translations, let us rather get on with the business of saving souls.
Jesus wants us to 'go on to perfection'. This means a complete makeover of our imperfect lives. We need to work with Him daily to keep our hearts, mind and flesh free of worldly affairs which distract us from the real purpose of God.
He wants us to be disciples of Jesus. Walking as He walked in spiritual communion with His Father, guided by Him to open blind eyes; heal the lame; raise the dead; walk on water; cleanse the lepers; expel demons, and in laying down His life for us. He did not do these things in His stature as Son of God but as Son of Man.
He laid aside His crown for a manger to be born as one of us so that as He applied God's power to overcome the world, we could learn it too. We just need to put faith into action and trust Him to touch people's lives through us, to heal or deliver them. We do not have to be ordained priests to do these things. Just believers who really believe.
I have no idea how far these Bible studies go or how many lives are blessed or affected by them. My faith is in God to obey Him by doing these blogs and its up to Him who receives them, believes them, puts them into action or forwards them to others. Our life is in Jesus Christ and outside of Him we have no life.
Jesus will bring you to the task or ministry He has for you when you are ready and in the right state of heart and mind. He will discipline you and send you to the ones who need Him most. He will give you the words to say, and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power to change people's lives for the better.
So ask Jesus to show you the dead works in your life, home, car or office and get rid of them. Burn books, photographs and periodicals that offend the Holy Spirit. Delete x-rated material off your phone, laptop or tablet, and reset your mind to resist using curse words. Remove everything linked with superstition, idols of other religions, charm bracelets, shell necklaces and windchimes. These windchimes are used in Buddhist temples as are prayer beads, called Rosaries in the Roman Catholic religion.
Deuteronomy 7 v 25 - 26: "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing."
If we continue in wrong doing, the Father stops hearing or answering prayer. He is warning us to beware of dead works, to eliminate them out of out lives. There are curses upon them that are deadly, demonic and block His anointing.
James 5 v 12 : "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation."
Put your trust in Jesus and watch the blessings and abundant life flourish. Eliminate everything that causes you to stumble, and delay the blessings of God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we do so many foolish things to protect or save ourselves. Please teach us and show us what we really need to do to enjoy Your divine protection always. Turn us into true disciples, Lord, so we may fulfil all Your will. In Jesus' name. Amen.