Outline For Building-up And Equipping The Body Of Christ

This Biblical Christianity website encourages people to know and to live, God’s Word; thus enabling us to live now as God intended for us to live, and preparing us for eternal life in God’s kingdom.

Site Navigation:This left-column outline contains links to website pages and sources pertaining to helping the Body of Christ gain the potential for which God designed it. The menu below pages down to the individual sections of this outline from which you can navigate to other web pages. There is a fourth level to some of the third level or decimal elements of this outline that is hidden, to view this level click on the (c) symbol in the outline; to hide the fourth level, double-click upon it (I found out, the last time I checked, that Mozilla's Firefox browser doesn't support this fourth level expansion feature, sorry).

Stand Up For Jesus

To prepare God’s people to stand up to this kind of last-days deception that we presently face, our churches and or personal lives need to be patterned after the model that Jesus and Paul established.

The churches that Jesus and Paul established:

Jesus gives the pattern in His letters to the 7 churches, in chapters 2 & 3 of the book of Revelation, as to how our churches should have been setup, operated and maintained. Jesus purchased and established the Church with His own shed blood, it is His Church and He is the Head of It, He sets the model for it and checks to make sure that it is followed.

REVELATION 2:1-7…. To the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars [which are the messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, Who goes about among the seven golden lampstands [which are the seven churches]: I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars. I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

• Jesus tells His churches what He wants them to be doing and what He doesn’t want them to be doing. Therefore, we can learn what we ought to be doing and not doing by examining everything Jesus has to say to all 7 churches.
• The things that Jesus sees and approves of in the Ephesian church are: (1) their patient endurance even in the midst of laborious toil and trouble; (2) they don’t allow wickedness in the membership; (3) they critically check out those who come to them as ministers of Christ to see if they really are; (4) they are doing all of this to honor and glorify Jesus, and have not grown weary; (5) they don’t let outsiders like the Nicolaitans corrupt the membership.
• The one thing that Jesus found that needs to be corrected is their diminished love. This probably refers to the way that they conducted church; they may have become a little callused because of all the difficulties they had been confronting.
• To fail to make the necessary corrections sounds very serious to me – Jesus will remove their lampstand!

REVELATION 2:8-11…. And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again: [Isa 44:6.] I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty--but you are rich! And how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life. [Rev 3:10, 11.] He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death.

• Jesus finds nothing wrong at this church, but reminds them to be loyally faithful even if they must die for it and they will receive the crown of life.

REVELATION 2:12-17…. Then to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him Who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword:I know where you live--a place where Satan sits enthroned. [Yet] you are clinging to and holding fast My name, and you did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) in your midst--where Satan dwells.Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap and a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [to entice them] to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves up to sexual vice]. [Num. 25:1, 2; 31:16.] You also have some who in a similar way are clinging to the teaching of the Nicolaitans [those corrupters of the people] which thing I hate. Repent [then]! Or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it. [Ps. 78:24; Isa. 62:2.]

• The things that Jesus sees and approves of in the church at Pergamum are: (1) They are holding fast to Jesus as Lord and Savior; (2) and they are maintaining that faith in Christ is the only way of salvation.
• The things that Jesus finds that need to be repented of: (1) They were following Balaam’s tactics of enticing the Israelites with women of false religions to participate in their religious practices which included sexual activities; (2) and there were also some who were teaching the false corrupting doctrines of the Nicolaitans

REVELATION 2:18-29…. And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, Who has eyes that flash like a flame of fire, and Whose feet glow like bright and burnished and white-hot bronze: [Dan. 10:6.] I know your record and what you are doing, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your recent works are more numerous and greater than your first ones. But I have this against you: that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and who is teaching and leading astray my servants and beguiling them into practicing sexual vice and eating food sacrificed to idols. [1 Kings 16:31; 2 Kings 9:22, 30.] I gave her time to repent, but she has no desire to repent of her immorality [symbolic of idolatry] and refuses to do so. Take note: I will throw her on a bed [of anguish], and those who commit adultery with her [her paramours] I will bring down to pressing distress and severe affliction, unless they turn away their minds from conduct [such as] hers and repent of their doings. And I will strike her children (her proper followers) dead [thoroughly exterminating them]. And all the assemblies (churches) shall recognize and understand that I am He Who searches minds (the thoughts, feelings, and purposes) and the [inmost] hearts, and I will give to each of you [the reward for what you have done] as your work deserves. [Ps. 62:12; Jer. 17:10.] But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they say--I tell you that I do not lay upon you any other [fresh] burden: Only hold fast to what you have until I come. And he who overcomes (is victorious) and who obeys My commands to the [very] end [doing the works that please Me], I will give him authority and power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a scepter (rod) of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and [his power over them shall be] like that which I Myself have received from My Father; [Ps. 2:8, 9.] And I will give him the Morning Star. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).

• The things that Jesus sees and approves of in the church at Thyatira: (1) their growing love, faith, service and patient endurance.
• Things that Jesus found that needed to be repented of: (1) They tolerate in their midst a woman who claims to be a prophetess, even though she promotes the same practices of Balaam as the last church.
• We need to notice that those who reign and rule with Jesus during His thousand-year reign will have the tremendous power of a rod of iron, which will be needed to keep the society in complete control. This suggests to me that most of us who have lived in this tolerant American society with its equally tolerant churches, are going to be surprised and unprepared to meet the Savior and live in His kingdom.

REVELATION 3:1-6…. And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight. So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come. Yet you still have a few [persons'] names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy and deserving. Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. [Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1.] He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).

• There are only a few people in Sardis with whom Jesus finds no fault. With all the rest He can’t find anything good. Evidently they had drifted completely away from believing and proclaiming the Gospel, and were now gathering together for mere social reasons.

REVELATION 3:7-13…. And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the Holy one, the True one, He Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one shall shut, Who shuts and no one shall open: [Isa. 22:22.] I know your [record of] works and what you are doing. See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and guarded My message and have not renounced or denied My name. Take note! I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and learn and acknowledge that I have loved you. [Isa. 43:4; 49:23; 60:14.] Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you], I also will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial (testing) which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown. He who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never be put out of it or go out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of heaven, and My own new name. [Isa. 62:2; Ezek. 48:35.] He who can hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).

• This is the second church that Jesus finds no fault with. Note the things that Jesus commends, these are of utmost importance for all of Christ’s churches; such as (1) keeping His Word accurately and intact, (2) guarding against false teachings, and (3) holding fast to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.
• We should be on guard that we are not deceived into any of the practices that required repentance in the other churches.

REVELATION 3:14-22…. And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God's creation: [Isa. 55:4; Prov. 8:22.] I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [Hos. 12:8.] Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]. [Prov. 3:12.] Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).

• Proclaiming the true Gospel and the true Jesus are the Church’s main functions, and they should not be left undone or sacrificed for anything else. The Ephesian church had not let down on these functions or activities, but perhaps had developed a poor attitude in their much work. The church in Smyrna held to the main functions, and were able to hang on to a proper love attitude in the process. The church in Pergamum began to relax their hold on maintaining true doctrine and were allowing false teaching to remain in the church; and the church in Thyatira was also doing similar things. The church in Sardis was completely lifeless – it wasn’t radiating any truth about Jesus or the Gospel; while the church in Philadelphia was right up to par.
• When we come to the church in Laodicea we find something very different. Here was a church that was lukewarm, they were only radiating or proclaiming a very little truth about Jesus and the Gospel. Instead they were building a monument for themselves, and all the while thinking that they were pleasing God. It seems that the message that this church was preaching was so nauseating that Jesus threatens to spew them out of His mouth if they didn’t repent. Jesus then states that He would rather have them either cold or hot – probably indicating that He preferred that they stop referring to Him at all if they don’t change the corrupted message they were apparently proclaiming, because He didn’t want to even be associated with them in their present condition. We will consider this church in particular at the end of this outline.

Up to this point, Jesus our creator has shown us what He expects of His churches. Now let us see what God has revealed to the apostle Paul, whom He entrusted with the most information about the Church, about how they should function.

GALATIANS 1:1-2…. Paul, an apostle--[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of] men nor by or through any man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead--and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:

GALATIANS 1:10-12…. Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man's gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Paul’s instructions to Titus in his letter are based upon the foundation that Jesus laid in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, and then expands upon them according to the holiness of God and the revelation he received directly from Jesus. Here are the ground-level basics from the creator Himself and the apostle He entrusted with the most revealed-information about the Church, and how it should function – needless to say they should never be abandoned or corrupted!

TITUS 1:1-6…. PAUL, A bond servant of God and an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to stimulate and promote the faith of God's chosen ones and to lead them on to accurate discernment and recognition of and acquaintance with the Truth which belongs to and harmonizes with and tends to godliness, [resting] in the hope of eternal life, [life] which the ever truthful God Who cannot deceive promised before the world or the ages of time began. And [now] in His own appointed time He has made manifest (made known) His Word and revealed it as His message through the preaching entrusted to me by command of God our Savior; to Titus, my true child according to a common (general) faith: Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) and [heart] peace from God the Father and the Lord Christ Jesus our Savior. For this reason I left you [behind] in Crete, that you might set right what was defective and finish what was left undone, and that you might appoint elders and set them over the churches (assemblies) in every city as I directed you. [These elders should be] men who are of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable, the husband of [but] one wife, whose children are [well trained and are] believers, not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct or unruly and disorderly.

TITUS 1:10-2:1…. For there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle (vain, empty) and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. [This is true] especially of those of the circumcision party [who have come over from Judaism]. Their mouths must be stopped, for they are mentally distressing and subverting whole families by teaching what they ought not to teach, for the purpose of getting base advantage and disreputable gain. One of their [very] number, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, hurtful beasts, idle and lazy gluttons. And this account of them is [really] true. Because it is [true], rebuke them sharply [deal sternly, even severely with them], so that they may be sound in the faith and free from error, [and may show their soundness by] ceasing to give attention to Jewish myths and fables or to rules [laid down] by [mere] men who reject and turn their backs on the Truth. To the pure [in heart and conscience] all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted. They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind. BUT [as for] you, teach what is fitting and becoming to sound (wholesome) doctrine [the character and right living that identify true Christians].

False teaching needs to be exposed, not compromised with, but the modern tendency is to forgo all judgement and examination of doctrine and character, and to wittingly or unwittingly lend our support to their false beliefs by associating with them, even though the Bible forbids it.

John 6-11…. And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it]. For many imposters (seducers, deceivers, and false leaders) have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge (confess, admit) the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in bodily form.Such a one is the imposter (the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ) and the antichrist. Look to yourselves (take care) that you may not lose (throw away or destroy) all that we and you have labored for, but that you may [persevere until you] win and receive back a perfect reward [in full]. Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine [is disloyal to what Jesus Christ taught], do not receive him [do not accept him, do not welcome or admit him] into [your] house or bid him Godspeed or give him any encouragement. For he who wishes him success [who encourages him, wishing him Godspeed] is a partaker in his evil doings. (1 Cor. 5:9-13; Rev. chapters 2 & 3; Acts 17:11)

Have no association with men that requires us in any way to be less than loyally faithful to God and His Word. If we fail to do this we are in danger of contributing to "mentally distressing and subverting whole families," as Paul mentions above.

Titus 2:11-15…. For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world, awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed one), Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly His own, people who are] eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds. Tell [them all] these things. Urge (advise, encourage, warn) and rebuke with full authority. Let no one despise or disregard or think little of you [conduct yourself and your teaching so as to command respect].

TITUS 3:9-11…. But avoid stupid and foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and wrangling about the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile. [As for] a man who is factious [a heretical sectarian and cause of divisions], after admonishing him a first and second time, reject [him from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with him], well aware that such a person has utterly changed (is perverted and corrupted); he goes on sinning [though he] is convicted of guilt and self-condemned. See also: Phil. 2:12-13; 2 Cor. 13:5

Our only available source of truth that we can rely completely upon is God’s Word, so it needs to be guarded against being corrupted:

Jesus requires that His churches maintain the correctness concerning the Gospel and be loyally faithful unto Him, even if we must die for it! Then we must make disciples and continually build them up in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Savior and the grace of God (2 Peter 3:18). And it has been stated elsewhere that we must never stop proclaiming this truth, it’s the reason for our existence.

But the Church has always had those in it who, intentionally or unintentionally, try to bring into it opposing doctrines or teachings which have always needed to be guarded against – right from the very beginning. If they are not stopped early-on they become a gradual deteriorating and corrupting force that has the potential to eventually make the whole church completely worthless, and as we saw in the book of Revelation, cause Jesus to remove their lampstand.

The type of church that seems to be the most prevalent in our day is also one of the most difficult to deal with or correct, and it also closely resembles the church in Laodicea. The Christian pastors that set out to build this type of church usually start with the best intentions – to bring people into their church by offering them attractive and pleasing food and entertainment, with less talk about sin and repentance, and then build them up in Christ. But, all too often, whether over a short period of time or a period of years, in an attempt to keep the members happy and content the pastors or succeeding ones begin to present less and less about the Jesus of the Bible and the true Gospel until many who are true Christians are so weakened by a lack of spiritual food that they are not living as they should, and many in the congregation do not even know what it means to be saved or why they need to be. You can see how they could be in this miserable condition and still believe that they are pleasing God, but they are only pleasing themselves not God.

The human heart or soul, and mind or spirit has a very strong and natural tendency to satisfy the lusts and desires of the body that we live in. This is why, even as Christians, we need to be reminded and consciously on guard against any intrusion of anything contrary to the will of God to be suggested to us that can lead us astray. To offset this natural tendency is why we need to be continually reading through God’s Word, and learning to live according to it, below are some good Scripture examples to consider that show the importance of knowing and living by them.

PROVERBS 4:23…. Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

2 PETER 1:2-4…. May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

2 PETER 1:5-7…. For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), and in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), and in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

2 PETER 1:8-11…. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The same type of Battle (deception) is also going on in our Political system:

A woman called in to the Rush Limbaugh radio talk show on 5-11-2017 and asked what we can do to stop people from being deceived by the false news being broadcast by the far-left-main-stream media programs? Rush first said that he always believed that the best way was a well-informed public, but then seemed to indicate that he agreed that it wasn’t working very well. He then said that people ought not to believe anything the left says and that they should turn them off and not listen to them. He also said that he wished he had a better answer for her – thereby admitting that we have a very difficult enemy to battle with. Satan has always used this tactic – to lie about something, and then use another lie that is highly appealing to our desires to entice us to believe and follow the first lie (Gen. 3:4-5; 2 Peter 2:17-19). And if any of God’s people should point out from God’s Word that these are false and contrary to God’s Word, they will be very unpopular indeed and possibly suffer for it.

PSALM 127:1…. Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. [Ps.121:1, 3, 5.]

Let’s make sure we are doing the Lord’s work, and not our own!

The subtle way we are diverted from our best intentions can be explained from a close examination of the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy. But first let us lay some ground-work for some critical thinking as we bring this whole article into perspective:

God has given us a body that He intends for us to take care of and use to live for Him (1 Cor. 6:13). Sometimes conflicts arise in our hearts over what God has made our responsibility to do and what we want to do, resulting in anxieties and wrong thinking. If the conflict is over our knowledge that God wants us to "grow in grace and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 3:18a, and that this requires our daily reading and learning to live according to His Word; then know that the only way to resolve the conflict and eliminate the anxiety is to do what we know the Lord wants us to do.

Whatever it was that we wanted to do that caused the conflict can never be anywhere near as important as learning to know God and His will better, just try to think of one – there isn’t any. Jesus said "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life" Matt. 16:26a. On the other hand consider; "And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]" Gen. 5:24. What could possibly be better than that?

Satan uses our body and soul appetites to entice us out of the Biblical pathway into the world’s slippery slope of foolishness. "Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying: What are we going to have to eat; or, what are we going to have to drink; or, what are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:31-34). As we have already seen from the Scriptures in this article, our faith is built-up and strengthened in Christ as we learn of Him under His direction, and there is no better benefit than this that we can strive for.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9…. Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! [Ps. 37:4.] Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

What we have been considering in this whole article is, how Satan wages his battle for our minds and thus our souls, and how we are to respond. So let’s take a look at the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy to see if we can see an example of how the apostle Paul instructed young pastor Timothy to conduct this warfare.

1 TIMOTHY 6:1-5…. LET ALL who are under the yoke as bond servants esteem their own [personal] masters worthy of honor and fullest respect, so that the name of God and the teaching [about Him] may not be brought into disrepute and blasphemed. Let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful or scornful [to them] on the grounds that they are brothers [in Christ]; rather, they should serve [them all the better] because those who benefit by their kindly service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God), he is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, and protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.

God has placed us in this world and given us a body, soul and spirit and made us responsible for their upkeep and maintenance. This requires food, clothing and other resources which we have to grow, make or purchase. Sometimes we have to seek employment, and God has never been against indentured servitude as verse three clearly presents. We are all servants governed by some kind of contract, on occasion this is not much more than room and board with a little spending money. This is basically how God designed us to live, and He expects us to be content or satisfied with the basic essentials of food and clothing (verse 8) while living our lives under His direction and according to His Word. Problems sometimes develop when we step out of these guidelines such as verses 9-10 mentions.

^6:6-10[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied). But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing. For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.

^6:11-16But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christ like), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart. Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you to keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed one), which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it).

Paul admonishes Timothy to flee from the harmful distractions of craving more than the needful essentials, and "aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christ like), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart." Then adds the following duties and obligations.

"Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses." It’s as if Paul is saying, grasp hold of eternal life, hang on to it and don’t let go.

^6:17-19As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment. [Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others], in this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed.

Warn and advise the rich "so that they may grasp that which is life indeed." Storing up for a good foundation in heaven, not on earth. They should trust in God, not their riches. They should do good and be generous.

^6:20-21Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination. [For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. Grace (divine favor and blessing) be with you all! Amen (so be it).

All that God has given us in His Word is something to be known and guarded against corruption and error, and this takes time and effort as we have seen throughout this whole article.

Notice especially the worldly contradictions of God’s Word that is falsely called wisdom and knowledge that we are to turn away from! This is Satan’s greatest weapon to destroy Christian lives, and it is through learning and preaching God’s Word that this work of Satan’s is destroyed. "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one)," (2 Cor. 10:4-5).

The bottom ground-level line: What is life all about? Learning to know God and live for Him, according to His Word and will. Being content with what He chooses and following Him. God chooses according to His foreknowledge and our actions. (Rom. 8:29-31) "And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17).

We all have responsibilities in this world that we have to take care of and use our time to provide for, but beyond providing for a modest living, the rest of our time belongs to the Lord – as can be clearly seen in the next four passages of Scripture as well as the rest of God’s Word. Consider how much time, effort and money we waste on things we ought to be dead to! Is not this the reason that we are so impoverished and ineffective for Christ? God hasn’t changed, we have --- we have fallen away from basic Biblical guidelines that were given to us to prevent God’s people from being deceived, corrupted and lead astray into an unbiblical life style. This sometimes makes it difficult for God to help us because we first need to repent for not following His instructions in the beginning.

COLOSSIANS 3:1-5…. If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

GALATIANS 2:20…. I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me

GALATIANS 6:14…. But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!

1 CORINTHIANS 7:20-24…. Everyone should remain after God calls him in the station or condition of life in which the summons found him. Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ]. So, brethren, in whatever station or state or condition of life each one was when he was called, there let him continue with and close to God.

This may seem like a strange request, but isn’t Paul telling us this in order to protect us from being hindered from being built-up and growing in our new life in Christ by trying to make progress in this world instead? Look at the above Scriptures again, and you should be able to see that is exactly what Paul intends. There are times that we can do both, but we need to be sure that we have God’s approval to do so! If we lived this way, the extra time we would have would give us the opportunity to seek God and His will with our whole heart instead of being distracted by the things of this world. Failure to live this way has led many of God’s people into great difficulty, see the Scriptures below.

2 CHRONICLES 12:13-14…. So King Rehoboam established and strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name [and the symbol of His presence]. His mother was Naamah an Ammonitess. And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire.

HEBREWS 3:7-14…. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tried [My patience] and tested [My forbearance] and found I stood their test, and they saw My works for forty years. And so I was provoked (displeased and sorely grieved) with that generation, and said, They always err and are led astray in their hearts, and they have not perceived or recognized My ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them. Accordingly, I swore in My wrath and indignation, they shall not enter into My rest. [Ps 95:7-11.] [Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him]. For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end.

Stand Up For Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the Cross.

Lift high His royal banner; it must not suffer loss.

From vict-’ry unto vict-’ry, His army shall He lead,

Till ev-’ry foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone.

The arm of flesh will fail you --- ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor and, watching unto prayer,

Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.