A Thorough Work

Today’s study is called “A Thorough Work.”  It is based upon a number of verses, such as this one:

Mat 21:28-31

And another, to look at this from a spiritual point of view.  Peter speaks of those who cannot cease from sin, as we discover in 2 Peter 2, and we read verses 20-22:

2Pet 2:20-22

The principle here is that in spiritual things, and even earthly things that have a spiritual meaning, it is better never to start something than to start it and not complete the task.  Now in things of the world, it is sometimes better to at least get some of the work done.  You’ve heard the expression “two out of three ain’t bad.”  And in some cases, that is very true.  In competitive activities, silver is better than bronze, after all.

But in non-competitive tasks, it is harder to find an example where a partial work is better than a complete one.  And in spiritual tasks, I cannot think of a single example where this is the case.  We are not, of course, talking here about cooperative labor.  During our feasts, on preparation days, we each do a part of the work to clean the building.  That kind of partial labor is, of course, of benefit, and in a domestic setting it’s often good or necessary to do parts of the work.

But spiritual tasks are usually individual ones, and if we do not complete the tasks to which we set ourselves, no one else will (or can, in many cases). And consider the testimony that this produces.

Phil 1:27

The idea for this study actually came to me during the camp meeting.  I was dusting the upper area of the building, and there were a few places that were hard to reach.  The temptation, of course, was to simply leave that area dusty, since it’s quite probable no one will ever see that spot – at least until the next time it is cleaned.  And then when moving objects around for cleaning you sometimes see dusty spots that it is certain no one will see until the next time they are moved.

But, and I believe I can support this Biblically, those are the most important areas to clean, from the point of view of the cleaner.  We read:

Mat 7:16-20

Mat 15:17-20

While Christ there is focusing on words, for this is the nature of His confrontation with the Pharisees, it is clear from the previous passage that it is certainly not limited merely to speech.  James describes this, more general, principle:

James 2:17, 18

The acts that we do outwardly, reveal the state of our faith.  And I touched on that matter before during a previous study, called “Acts of Worship.”  And I showed in that one that even mundane activities like cleaning one’s house, are really acts of worship if done in an attitude of praise.  And certainly, for those born again, it is Christ in us that does even these simple tasks, this is what it means to rely upon Him completely.  Christ does not do anything half-heartedly.  Nor does He fail at any task.  Christ Yahshua found as much worth in carpentry as in preaching the Word, because in both He was able to give a testimony of His Father’s glory.  It is the same with us in everything we do.  Now, this much was stated in my previous study, in terms of finding the spiritual value of the things we are doing… but I did not really focus on the manner in which that work is to be done.

In a sense, I assumed that every CSDA would do all the work they can to the utmost, and this is not an unreasonable assumption.  We are avid Bible students, and we read in the Word:

Col 3:23, 24

But, there are two reasons why it should be stated. First, to have it on the record for those who learn of us by reading online.  We do not assume that when someone hears the name “CSDA” they think of the Gospel and Victory over Sin. We tell them.  We must do the same here.  Even those who disagree with our doctrines have had to admit that when we go about something, we do it whole heartedly.  Second, by way of training for new contacts, new members, new students.  We have a new member of the Body after our last camp meeting, and in this we are rejoicing. And we find that these are always opportunities for us to review the basics.  It is true the Scripture says we are to, well, let us read that passage:

Heb 6:1-3

I think I mentioned this in one of the studies I did over the camp meeting, and as I pointed out then, “leaving” the principles of doctrine does not mean ignoring them or forgetting them.  It means we cannot stay there, we cannot fail to advance.  This has implications for the judgment of the living, a concept we reviewed in our last meeting this past week.

In my first sermon, “Run To Life,” I laid out very carefully the importance of teaching those whom we evangelize all that we know – at a rate they can handle. The goal is to perfectly follow the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth, and in order to do that we must have a perfect knowledge of His Character.  There was a heretical sect in the early days of the Church known as the Gnostics.  They taught one of the early forms of the once-saved-always-saved doctrine, for they believe (as many modern Churches believe) that once you have accepted Christ, your spirit is saved, even if your body continues to sin.  But the Scriptures teach otherwise.  We read in John’s Epistle:

1John 3:1-10

And further:

1Th 5:23

For the purposes of this study, however, I would like to focus on another aspect of their belief system. The Gnostics believed that they gained salvation by gaining knowledge.  Now, on the surface, this sounds very good… very similar if not identical to what we teach. But here is where we see the subtlety of it, the ingenuity of Satan’s deceptions. The Gnostics believed in salvation by knowledge, but by knowledge ONLY, and this is why they (and many modern Churches) have come to accept the OSAS doctrine.  “If you know something,” they reason, “you cannot unlearn it.  You know it forever. Therefore, if you have come to a knowledge of Christ as the Savior, you cannot lose that salvation.”  This is the difference between knowledge and faith.  Our faith is based upon knowledge, but it is certain that you can lose faith.  You can come to believe something differently than you did before, and in that sense you can certainly “unlearn” something by coming to accept it as no longer true.

Gnosticism, and OSAS, teach that the knowledge in human minds is absolute, whereas we teach that God’s truth is absolute, and we experience that based upon our faith.  This manifests itself exactly the way the Bible describes it: We gain knowledge of Christ as our savior, but as Peter said in that second passage of this study, we don’t set up a house in that knowledge.  We build on that knowledge, learning more and more, but our knowledge is different than a theoretical knowledge.  This may be a difficult thing to communicate so I will try to explain it this way:

I “know” the sun is 93 million miles or so away from the earth.  But how do I know that?  I know that because I have read it in a book. I have not tested that knowledge, so I have no experimental basis for that knowledge.  Yet, because it is accepted by most people who claim knowledge of such things, it is called “knowledge.”

On the other hand.  I  “know” that Yahshua is alive.  But how do I know that?  I also read that in a book, but I have tested that knowledge.  I have done impossible things because of that knowledge, and there is a change that takes place in the spirit that has His presence unmistakably stamped upon it.  Whether or not I can ever put that change into words is immaterial to the knowledge itself in the same way we can “know” pleasure or pain, and use words to describe them that can only be meaningful to those who have also experienced them.  If I try, for example, to explain the difference between blue and red to someone who has never seen, I will not be very successful.  Trying to explain the presence of Yahshua in the heart to the world is much the same way.

When I began to understand it, I had no words to describe it, nor a way of recognizing it, but the Bible speaks of such a thing in these terms:

Luke 24:30-32

I am taking some time on this topic, because I am attempting to explain something that even the Bible can only reveal by way of parable and example.  It is not a theoretical knowledge. We may read of it, and if we choose not to participate in it it does remain a theory, but the true faith is a practice. The true Christianity cannot be separate from the “works” that so many Churches treat as a dirty word.  It may be true that we are not justified by our works, but it is very clear that we are sanctified by them… not because our works please the Father for their own sakes, but He is pleased when we do a thorough work, as it refines our souls, and prepares us to dwell in His clear and undiminished light.

As it relates to the 144,000, if we are truly to “follow” the Lamb wherever He goes, and if we are truly to “walk” as He walked, as we read in 1John 2:6, we must do a work as He would do it.  Imagine if the plan of salvation had been half-done, or even mostly done, but with dust lying around un-wiped in the corners.  But we read of this:

Jer 50:33, 34

In the New Testament we hear:

Luke 3:16, 17

Now this is an interesting verse, particularly if one remembers the truth about the Judgment from a Christian’s point of view.  For the ungodly, the Judgment is something to be feared, because it means their destruction.  But for the Redeemed, the Judgment is something to welcome.  The personal judgment destroys sins within us, but leaves the spirit and soul intact, because these things have been changed into the likeness of the Creator.  And the universal judgment destroys all remnants of sin, cleansing all pain and sorrow from the universe.  Now only the true Christians can accept this completely, for in many false forms of Christianity there is always some patch of universe where sin and pain remain, permanently enshrined in the fires of the misunderstood “hell,” which the Bible says will actually be destroyed in the final judgment.

And this is how we perform these “acts of worship” that we do, whether it involves cleansing the dirt form the floors, or purging sin from the soul. One is a symbol of the other, and it is not by accident that a large portion of the jobs in this world involve fixing something that is broken, or cleaning something that is dirty.  We read from Genesis:

Gen 3:17-19

We do not know exactly how nature functioned before the fall. We do not know precisely how it will operate after the re-creation.  But we know that right now, in the physical world, things fall apart.  Even our skin must constantly replenish itself, and fragments break off of things... leaving dust and dirt behind. So that order may be preserved, it is left to us, the inhabitants of the world, to keep things neat and tidy.  This is not a negative thing, although the scriptures call work a “curse.”  It is a very special kind of curse, it is a curse “for thy sake” as Yahweh said to Adam.  That is a powerful thing.

So be attentive to what you do, even if it is a small thing.  Treat it as an act of worship.  And as you do so, do it thoroughly, as Yahshua accomplishes His purpose, even the redemption of our souls. Be attentive to how you live, with your thoughts and actions joyfully under your control, as we are instructed:

2Cor 10:5, 6

To conclude, I will read two passages. The first:

Heb 7:24, 25

The second:

Phil 2:5-8

Here we see the greatness of Christ, not that He was great by nature, although He was, but because despite this inherent greatness, He chose to make of Himself a Servant.  Let us, as His servants, and the servants of our fellow men, be just as great in what we do.

David.