The Seven Pillars Of Christianity
By
Joseph Molnar and William Rawls
Wisdom hath builded her house,
she hath hewn out her seven pillars. . .
(Proverbs 9:1)
The Seven Pillars of Christianity
Introduction and Preparation:
The seven pillars of Christianity are the essential basic truths which man is to believe about God, His Son, Man, and God’s plan to rescue a dying world. These pillars were hewed by the Son of God and revealed to man over a long period of time. They are not to be modified or distorted by any individual, or any denomination, but are to be accepted just as they were hewed and presented in the bible.
These pillars are not a list of the works we must do, the rituals we are to perform, the ceremonies we are to attend, or the liturgy we are to follow, but are the beliefs that all Christians are to hold in their hearts and minds. Correctly understood, these beliefs will compel us to love God and to obey His commandments.
These pillars are to be searched for, embraced, acclaimed, and loved by all who call upon the name of Ye’shua, the Messiah, the Son of God. (In Hebrew, Ye’shua means Our God ‘Yahweh’ saves’, and Messiah means the ‘anointed one’. Most English speaking Christians now refer to the Son of God as, ‘ Jesus, the Christ’.
Before beginning this study, you will find it helpful to know some of the things the bible says about the revelation of God’s truth. It says:
1. God will reveal to His people all the truth that is required to understand Him.
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29).
But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
2. God does not give His followers all truth at one time, but little by little as they use what they already have and continue to seek for more. He gives it to His followers who are drawn from the breast. Those who understand scripture know that the bible uses a ‘woman’ to describe a church. A virtuous woman is the true faithful church. A harlot is the unfaithful rebellious church. Therefore, one drawn from the breast is one who has ceased to feed upon the erroneous worldly doctrine of an unfaithful woman, that is, the church in Babylon (confusion), and feeds upon solid food, that is, the true spiritual understanding of God’s Word.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. (Isaiah 28:9-11)
3. God desires that we understand, not just the earthly meanings of the words in the bible, but comprehend the more important spiritual concepts. The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote to his flock in Corinth who remained carnal or worldly because he had been able to feed them only with milk and not the solid food that is essential for spiritual understanding. The author of Hebrews was confronted with the same problem as well.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: . . . I gave you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. But you aren’t ready for it now either! For you are still worldly! (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible)
For indeed, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the ABC of God’s oracles over again: it has come to this, that you need milk instead of solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being an infant, does not know what is right. But grown men can take solid food: And their perceptions are trained by long use to discriminate between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 New English Bible)
For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9,10)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13)
Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the spirit . . .
(2 Corinthians 3:15-17 New Standard Revised Version)
4. God does not want His truths maligned by unbelievers. Therefore as you learn and understand important spiritual truths from the bible, you must treat them as your dearest treasure. You are to keep them in the inner most part of your heart but willingly and eagerly share them with those who express a genuine interest.
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (Matthew 7:6)
So far we have learned: (1). That God will give to those who seek, all the truth they need to understand Him, (2). That God does not give His truth all at once, but precept upon precept as the believer continues to search (3). That to receive important spiritual truths you must feed on solid food and not just milk, and (4). That you must consider spiritual truth, your most precious treasure.
Jesus continually emphasized the importance of correctly understanding spiritual truths from God. One of the easiest to comprehend is from His conversation with the Samaritan women at the well. From this conversation we can readily see that true worship is spiritual in nature and that it must be correct, that is, truth as God revealed, not as man invented or twisted. Jesus told her.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (John 4:22)
Another of Jesus’ teachings, which illustrates the importance of a correct understanding of the bible, is presented in both Matthew and Luke. Jesus said:
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
(Luke 11:34 and Matt 6:23)
Because of difficulties in translating from Greek into English and the change of word meanings since the King James Version was written in 1611, it is indeed difficult to comprehend the important spiritual message Jesus was presenting. However, by applying 1 Corinthians 2:13 (comparing spiritual with spiritual) to this verse, His message becomes clear and precious.
Also, remembering the spiritual meanings of the underlined words will help you to understand other bible verses as well.
a. light God. His Righteousness; His knowledge; His
Character; The word of God; The path of the righteous.
(1 John 1:5; Psalms 119:105;
Proverbs 4:18; Matthew 5:14;1 Corinthian 4:1)
b. body The physical body, including
the mind. (Thayers
No. 4983, The body)
c. eye Understanding; The lamp or light of the body
especially the mind). (Ephesians 1:18;
Psalms 119:130 ; Revelation 3:18; Matt 13:15)
d. single Wholesome; correct; proper (Thayers No. 573,
good, wholesome, sound)
e. darkness The way of the wicked; An absence of any
knowledge of God; The unfruitful works of
unbelief; The power of Satan, (Proverbs 4:19;
Isaiah 50:10; Ephesians 5:8; Acts 26:18)
f. evil Incorrect; Corrupted; Improper (Thayers No.
4190, Bad condition, diseased)
Here is a paraphrase of Luke 11:34 in modern everyday English using the spiritual concepts of the underlined words.
The light, that is, the correct knowledge of God and His character in a person’s mind is his understanding. Therefore, when your understanding is wholesome, correct and proper, your whole mind and body is filled with the knowledge that enables you to walk (live all aspects your life) without stumbling (sinning). But, when your understanding is corrupted, your mind and body are filled with incorrect concepts or with no understanding of God at all, and you live a life of ungodliness and immorality. (Luke 11:34 Paraphrase)
From this teaching of Jesus, we see how crucial it is that we correctly discern spiritual truths of the bible. If our spiritual concepts are incorrect or if we ignore them, we will walk in darkness. In contrast, as we increase in spiritual understanding, and abide in the Father and the Son, we come into the glorious light of truth and righteousness.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18,19)
While it is important to read and study the bible, we must remember that a proper understanding of spiritual concepts cannot be obtained by own efforts, but is revealed to us by God’s spirit. Thus both study and prayer are required. If you have not done so, please ask God to give you a full measure of knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and discernment. God is pleased when we make these the desire of our heart. (Luke 11:13; James 1:5)
Hopefully by now, you see the importance of comprehending the more important spiritual concepts of the bible and are anxious to know the seven pillars upon which Jesus has laid as a foundation. One of the best indications that there are seven fundamental pillars is given in the Old Testament. ‘Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars’. (Proverbs 9:1).
This is another verse where the spiritual concept is difficult for the casual reader to grasp. In fact, because of Hebrew grammar, the whole ninth chapter of Proverbs is difficult to understand. In the Hebrew language, as in most European languages, many words have gender whether they are related to the sexes or not. In the Hebrew language, the word ‘wisdom’ is feminine. Thus, when ‘wisdom” is discussed, it is characterized as ‘she’. Here is why this gender blurs a clear spiritual understanding of Proverbs 9. Lets look at spiritual wisdom as defined by the Apostle Paul.
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:24)But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)
From these verses, we see that Jesus Christ personifies the wisdom God has revealed to man. With this understanding of wisdom, and using the appropriate masculine gender, we are able to paraphrase Proverbs 9 into Modern English so that its spiritual message becomes clearer. Here is a portion of this chapter.
Jesus Christ has built His house. He has hewn His seven pillars. He has prepared His food, has blended His wine, and has set His table. He has sent forth His servants with invitations: He calls from the heights of the city, ‘whoever is without understanding, let him turn in here’. As for him that wants understanding He says unto him, ‘Come, eat of My bread, and drink of the wine which I have blended. Forsake the foolish and live (Proverbs 9 paraphrased)
To those who have studied the four Gospels, it is easy to see that this verse presents the exact picture of Jesus and His message during His earthly ministry. Note that it says Jesus has hewn His seven pillars, that is, the seven most fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith. If we correctly comprehend these seven doctrines, we will be equipped to discern truth from error, and to reject false teachings. We will be able to present to others a clear understanding of the Father and the Son, and to lead them (with the aid of God’s spirit of course) into salvation, love, and service. Would it surprise you to learn that the seven pillars are presented in both the Old and the New Testaments? They are !
The first ‘representation’ of the seven pillars was given to the Hebrews in the plans for the Tabernacle. The seven lamps, placed on the Golden Lampstand within the Holy Place portray the seven pillars. These lamps shed their light onto The Table of Showbread, The Altar of Incense, and the veil before the Most Holy Place. The light from these lamps, as we have previously seen, represents God, His Righteousness and His Character shining on the Bread of life (The Table of Showbread). God’s whole plan of salvation is presented in the Tabernacle, and its services. Unfortunately, the deep spiritual meaning of the Tabernacle was quickly lost as man placed emphasis on the physical activities in it, rather than on the spiritual truths about it. The important spiritual concepts of the Tabernacle is presented in the Author’s pamphlet, “Seeing Jesus in the Tabernacle” and will not be repeated here. However, after you complete this pamphlet, we invite you to study the pamphlet on the Tabernacle and see how God, with love and patience has been beckening mankind with the same message of redemption since the fall of Adam.
Another representation of the seven pillars, this one in the New Testament, is given in the revelation to John. It presents a picture of Jesus among the lampstands representing the seven churches that are to give knowledge and understanding of God to the world.
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw on like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across His chest. (Revelation 1:12-15)
Another Old Testament picture of the seven pillars was given to the prophet Zechariah. In about 520 BC, the Hebrews returned to rebuild Jerusalem under Zerubbabel.. They began to rebuild the temple, but construction ceased as interest in worldly matters took priority. Consequently, God sent the priest, Zechariah, a vision. In his vision Zechariah saw a golden lampstand with seven lamps and a golden bowl on top. Two olive trees, one on the right and one on the left of the bowl fed golden olive oil into the bowl and seven golden tubes carried this oil to each lamp.
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof; and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts . . . with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the lampstand and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. (Zechariah 4) A sketch of this vision is given here.
In addition to the vision of the seven pillars, these verses also make it clear that God’s objectives on earth will not be achieved by man’s might nor by his power, but by God’s spirit. Man may be the channel through whom God works, but the results are the accomplishments of the spirit of God. Jesus confirmed this when he told His disciples they must stay attached to Him as branches are attached to the vine. “for without me, you can do nothing’. (John 15:5). Dear reader, please ask God to send His spirit to help you to receive and to fully comprehend the truth He so earnestly desires you to have.
The first and central
pillar of the Christian faith has been the central doctrine revealed to Adam,
to the
Patriarchs, to Moses and to the Prophets. The Lord
Jesus proclaimed it, and His disciples recorded it. It is repeated again
and again throughout the Bible. In the vision given to Zechariah,
it is the central
shaft to which the remaining lamps are attached. This first pillar in
its simplest form is: “There is but one God.” Not two, not three,
not four or more, but one! This one God is self-existing and
full of love. He is the source
of all life and the creator of all things.
After Adam sinned and God withdrew His presence, man loss the true understanding of God. In time, man created his own god. Some times his worshipped a god of stone, wood or gold, sometimes he had multiple gods, and in some cases man declared himself to be a god. Then beginning with Abraham, the one true God again began to reveal himself and His plan for man’s redemption. God’s revelation to Moses stressed that He was the only God. Jesus and his disciples, especially the apostle Paul reaffirmed this truth. “There is but one God!”
But Satan was not content to let this understanding of God go unchallenged. Having lost the battle to discredit God in heaven, and the battle to destroy Jesus’ mission on earth, Satan now works to remove from the minds of men, a true understanding of the one loving, omnipotent God. His plan is to replace the One true God with three Gods.
By presenting three Gods instead of one, Satan accomplishes the following: Gone is the wonderful ‘begetting’ of the Son by the Father. Hidden is the wonderful love between the Father and His Son. Immaterial is the Son’s faith that His Father would raise Him out of Death. Overturned, is the gift of the Father’s ‘spirit’ to His Son. Annulled, is the gift of ‘Life’ from the Father to the Son. Meaningless, is the ‘sending’ of the Son by the Father.
And most confusing of all is God’s promise of a savior who would die for mankind. “If Jesus was God, how could He die, for God is immortal! The answer of course is, God did not die. His Only Begotten Son Died, was separated from His Father, then raised out of Death as His Father had promised.
Praise such a wonderful God that could still love a rebellious people, who, with envy, hate, and malice, did torture and kill His only Son. May your eyes be opened to see the truth about The One God of the Bible. And may you see the enormous love God the Father still has for the disobedient people of this sinful earth. Praise God!
Here are but a few of the bible verses that tell us about the one true God.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31)
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. (Deuteronomy 4:35)
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (Mark 12:32)
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Now in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Jesus Christ, who himself made the same noble confession and gave his testimony to it before Pontius Pilate, I charge you to obey your orders irreproachably and without fault until your Lord Jesus Christ appears. That appearance God will bring to pass in his own good time – God who in eternal felicity alone holds sway. He is Kings of kings and Lord of lords; su. To him be honor and might for ever! Amen. (1 Timothy 6:14-16 New English Bible)
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)
How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not? (John 5:44 Revised Standard Version)
I am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no god besides me. I strengthen you although you don’t know me. So people from the east to the west may learn there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no one else. I make light and create darkness. I make happiness and create calamity. I the Lord do all these things. (Isaiah 45:5-7 American Translation, Beck)
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:6,7)
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1Timothy 2:5,6)
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (Romans 3:30)
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19)
These verse show that the authors of the Old and the New Testament clearly
understood that the creator of heaven and earth, the Father of the Lord
Jesus was the one and only true God. But, what about the nature of the
One and Only
True God? The nature of God is pillar number two.
The picture of God that Satan desires all humanity to see is a God who is harsh and demanding. One who intentionally with-holds pleasure and joy from his creation, who takes great delight in metering punishment; who permits natural disasters to kill and to destroy; who takes the lives of the innocent, and who is indifferent to man’s suffering.
Eons ago, Satan rebelled against God and his government. He declared God a liar and persuaded one-third of the angels to follow him. (Genesis 3:4,5 ; Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 28: 13-19 Revelation 12:7-10 ). The history of man is God’s effort to show the whole universe that Satan’s accusations are not true, and to lovingly win man’s affection and obedience by demonstrating His true nature.
God has revealed his nature to man through creation, through the patriarchs, through the Tabernacle, through the bible, and most completely by his only begotten Son, Jesus, the Christ (Ye’shua, the Messiah). He continues to reveal Himself through His spirit. God has revealed to man that more than anything He is a spirit of love. But He has also told us He is the self existing one, immortal, invisible, righteous, and unchangeable. He is slow to anger, but swift to forgive and to grant mercy. He loves righteousness, but hates sin.
God’s character
is also reflected in His instructions for our daily walk, the Ten Commandments.
His skill and
craftsmanship can be seen by a careful
look at the beautiful earth and all living matter especially the human
body. His awesome power can be seen in the mighty forces filling
the heavens. And
further, God has shown that it is His will, that all should come to repentance
and be saved. He desired this so much that he gave his only begotten
Son as the ransom for those who repent and accept the atonement
of Jesus for their
sins.
Here are some of the bible verses describing the nature of God.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)
God is love ; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God , and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
Now unto the King eternal, immortal , invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us (Ephesians 2:4)
For the LORD thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. (Deuteronomy 4:31)
For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the son of man. (John 5:26)
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father , he hath declared him. (John 1:18)
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And, it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Genesis 6:5,6)
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger , and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Psalm 145:8,9)
And of course, the verse that beautifully sums up God’s love for all
mankind,
]For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16,17)
The bible tells us if
we confess and repent of our sins and permit Jesus (Ye’shua
the Messiah) to wash us in His blood, we will become sons of God. It
is true that we will become sons, but we will become sons by
adoption. The bible also
tells us that God has another Son, not by adoption, but a begotten Son.
The bible further states that this Son is the only begotten Son.
We are not told,
nor do we comprehend, how God birthed or generated His Son: we accept
by faith that He did. Believing that God has one and only one
begotten Son and that
He is Jesus of Nazareth, is pillar three in the Christian faith.
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me , nor my No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5)
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14)
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son :In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:13-15)
The Lord became My Father at the beginning of His way. Long ago before any of his works, I was set up from everlasting, from the first, before the earth was. Before there was any ocean, I was born. Before there were springs, or sources of water, before the mountains were settled in their places and before the hills – I was born. (Proverbs 8:22-25)
Then said they unto him, Where is they Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. (John 8:19)
For more bible verses on The Only Begotten Son of God see the Author’s
pamphlet, “Seeking Jesus of the Bible.”
While many Christians
think of God’s
Son mostly in His form of flesh and blood, the bible tells us
considerable about the Son before He was born
in Bethlehem. The bible tells us that God brought forth His Son as the
first of His works, as the origin of His creations, and through
His son, He created
everything spiritual and physical.
The Father loved the Son and anointed the Son with His own spirit. Thus the Son became the ‘anointed one’ or Messiah, or Christ. They all mean the same thing: “that the Son possessed the same spirit as God His Father.
The Son is the image of His Father, the brightness of His glory, and the expressed image of His person. When God brought His Son to the angels, He instructed them to worship Him confirming the Son’s divinity. It was the Son who was the leader of the loyal angels in the war against Satan and the rebellious angels. The Son is the power and the wisdom of God. The Son has life in Himself, but this life was given to Him by His Father.
The Son loved the Father and constantly strived to do His Father’s will. When the Father explained the plan of Salvation, the Son willingly accepted His part. It was the spiritual Son who agreed to lay down all the power, glory, and honor that He possessed to take an earthly form flesh and blood. Because the Son existed as first a spiritual being in Heaven and then as a physical being on earth, He has what could be call a ‘dual nature’.
The spiritual son in heaven was divine, as the Father instructed the angels to worship him. The physical son on earth was human as evidenced by His feelings of hunger, fatigue, and grief. The spiritual Son not only agreed to suffer pain and humiliation as our ransom, but He agreed to be bound in a body of flesh and blood as King in His earthly inheritance, New Jerusalem, after the earth is made new.
The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deed of old. I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth. (Proverbs 8:22-24 New International Version)
He is a likeness of the unseen God, born before any creature, for it was through him that everything was created in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, angelic thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities-all things were created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16,17 American Translation, E. J . Goodspeed).
But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. . . . (John 14:31)
The Father loveth the Son , and hath given all things into his hand. (John 3:35)
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: (Acts 10:38)
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:15,16)
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, (Hebrews 1:3)
And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrew 1:6)
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:24)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ; (John 5:26)
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30)
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (Revelation 12:7)
It is the Son’s faith that His Father would raise Him from Death (Spiritual
Death not physical death) that the bible refers to as ‘the faith of the
Son of God’. It is the faith of Jesus, not our faith in Him that saves
us. We know from Ephesians 2:8, that it is not our faith that saves because
that faith would be of ourselves. The faith that saves is a gift, that
is, from a source other than within. The faith that saves is the faith
of Jesus, and this faith is given to us by God.
The Son, as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary made atonement for our sins and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our advocate. The righteousness of God covers born again believers so that they will appear spotless before the Father and inherit eternal life.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22)
Knowing that, a man is not justified by the works of the law; but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16,17)
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galations 2:20)
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Galations 3:22)
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
(James 2:1)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 2)
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelations 14:12)
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
God made mankind in His
own image, and designed him to live forever-as long as he trusted and obeyed.
Unfortunately,
Adam believed Satan rather then God
and disobeyed by eating from the tree of good and evil. As a consequence,
God removed Adam from His presence resulting in Adam’s Spiritual Death, and
God barred Adam for the Tree of Life, which he constantly needed to stay alive.
Thus Adam’s body of flesh and blood corrupted by sin died physically.
As a result, all of Adam’s descendants inherited his corrupt flesh and
blood: therefore are mortal. Man remains in this condition until he accepts
God’s offer of redemption and is born again, this time born of spirit.
The concept that all men are composed of a physical portion which will die and a spiritual portion, which is immortal, is not biblical. God made man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Man was given a free will, that is, he was free to choose the source of the influence that would rule his mind. There are two sources of influence in this universe, one from God and the other from Satan.
A person displaying a spirit (a mind set) of pride hate, greed, lust, arrogance envy, or lawlessness has permitted Satan to control his mind. A person displaying a spirit (mind set) of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faith, meekness, and mercy has permitted God’s spirit to guide him.
The born-again believer who abides in The Father and The Son will display the spirit of God in his earthly life and will have the desire, the wisdom, the strength, the courage, and the ability to overcome sin.
The concept that the inner man is a spiritual being separate from the physical being is from Greek mythology. It was adopted by the Romans, embraced by the Roman Catholic Church, and is taught by most Protestant Denominations. However, the bible teaches that when a man dies, his body returns to dust, to await the great judgement day when the Lord Jesus returns to gather His saints. Then the redeemed will receive new glorified bodies of uncorrupted flesh and blood and the unbelieving will become ashes.
Here are some bible verses describing mankind.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27)
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; (Isaiah 64:6)
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Genesis 3:22)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:20)
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof (Romans 6:12)
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28:29)
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:
(Revelation 22:2)
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachiah 4:3)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galations 5:22)
And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:22,23)
Too often man tries to ‘work his way to heaven’. However God has
made it very clear, that this is impossible. In the sight of God, the
noblest man on earth, if dressed at all, is covered with filthy rags,
but most often
he is both blind, that is does not see how depraved he really is, and
naked, that is, all of his unrighteousness is exposed.
But what does this all mean? It means that man cannot save himself. He must have a savior and the only Savior sent by our loving God is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It further means that the only way to this Savior is by God’s plan of salvation, without any help, modification or enlightenment from man himself. God’s plan of salvation is the seventh pillar.
The seventh pillar is
God’s Plan for the salvation of the human race.
It began back before time (the creation of the physical world) even before
Lucifer’s false accusations against God. Lucifer was the most glorious
of the angels and had received the greatest honor of all created beings.
But he became envious of the Son of God, and desired to be like God himself.
Lucifer
called God a liar, and said that he had a better plan. One-third of the
angels believed Lucifer and rebelled against God and His government.
To show the universe the terrible results of following Lucifer (now Satan), God created another world, the physical world of flesh and blood. The inhabitants of this world, the earth, had free will, that is the ability to remain loyal and obedient, or to follow Satan into disobedience (sin). We all know the story of Adam’s and Eve’s failure to remain obedient and the suffering that followed.
The Plan of Salvation began when the Father requested His Son to relinquish His honored position in heaven, and to take a body of flesh and blood, as Jesus the Christ (Ye’shua, the Messiah), to accept Spiritual Death as an atonement for man’s sin, and to endure physical death so that corrupt sinful flesh might be destroyed.
The Father promised to raise His Son to Life again, and to establish Him as Lord and King over an earth made new. This re-made earth will be inhabited by all who repent and accept Jesus, as their personal savior. There is no alternate method. You cannot work, talk, sneak, or bribe your way into heaven. Nor, do you obtain salvation as a birthright.
There is only one way to heaven and that is through the Lord Jesus. The repentant believing sinner who accepts Jesus as the atonement for his sin, is then ‘born again’-this time born of the spirit, and covered with a new fresh clean garment, the garment of God’s righteousness produced by the faith of His Son. God sees the repentant sinner as sinless and adopts him as a son. The adopted son now abides in the Father and in Jesus and the spirit of the Father and Jesus abide in the new adopted son. For a more detail explanation of God’s Plan of Salvation see the Author’s pamphlet “Seeing Jesus in the Tabernacle”.
This plan of salvation is not just a New Testament doctrine. The plan of salvation was devised by the Father and agreed to by His Son before creation. Some say that in Old Testament times, ‘men were saved by works and in New Testament times they are saved by grace.’ The bible does not teach such a doctrine.
It's true that man tried to alter God’s plan and obtain salvation by works, but God did not accept this strategy. Men have always been saved by God’s grace. The only difference is that in the Old Testament times, spiritual men looked forward with hope to the coming Messiah who would somehow save God’s people. In New Testament times we look back with love and thankfulness knowing not only our Savior’s name but knowing exactly how He became the atonement for us. For a more complete description of Jesus’ sacrifice see the Author’s pamphlet “Gethsemane”.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16,17)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9)
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: (Isaiah 14:12) (about Satan)
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:16) (about Satan)
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;i. (Isaiah 42:1)
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (1 Peter 1:18)
Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zecheriah 6:13) (about Christ)
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
(John 17:23)
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons , God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts (Galations 4:5,6)
There you have it! The seven most important beliefs of the Christian faith;
the foundation of the doctrines hewed out by the Lord Jesus himself. If you
have any doubt about this, you have simply to turn to the most loved and most
memorized verse in the entire bible, John 3:16. In this verse, John gives all
seven pillars in just the order they were hewed and presented.
| |
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| For God | ||
| So loved the world, that He gave | ||
| His only begotten Son | ||
| That whosoever believeth in Him | ||
| should not perish | ||
| that He gave |
It is the authors desire that this pamphlet (along with the spirit of
Christ), has helped open your eyes,
that is, given you a fuller understanding,
of The Seven Pillars of the Christian faith. And, may your
knowledge and
belief in them cause you to thirst for more of the living water.
God bless you and keep you. Amen
Dear Reader,
If you have been led to seek a deeper understanding of God’s Holy Word and you would like additional bible Studies, Please send your name, address, and telephone Number to:
Pamphlets by the Authors
Seeking Jesus Of The
Bible
Gethsemane
Seeing Jesus In The Temple
The Seven Pillars of Christianity