Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

In the Christian communities these coming day should be very special. In some Christian churches they still take time to remember that special weekend something happened which changed everything for the world.

Though most Christian communities have brought the accent to the birth of Christ and celebrate it on the heathen feast of the goddess Light, we should see the real light in the world and look up at the man who gave his life on the 14th of Nisan some two millennia ago.

It is the moment by which everybody could come a new creation. Through having become to the faith in Christ, it is like old things are past away and in  his name we have become a “new creation.”

Though we have the same body as that man from Nazareth and all the men around us, we can follow in the footsteps of the one teacher, rabbi Jeshua, who was loved but hated even more. Because of the action undertaken by that simple workers son some day in glory, we will trade this temporal, earthly  body as tent for an eternal heavenly house build not with human hands. Meanwhile, though we live in the same old tent we had in Adam, we are by the 2° Adam new tenants, a “new creation.” As followers of Christ we should have taken on new clothes and though we may have the same old physical brain, we should have been transformed in a new being. Every day again we should be working on our new construction and should we learn to think an entirely new way.

¡Jesús María! (Photo credit: supernova.gdl.mx)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim. ” (Romans 12:2 The Scriptures 1998+)
“For “Who has known the mind of יהוה? Who shall instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Messiah. ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 The Scriptures 1998+)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a renewed creature – the old matters have passed away, see, all matters have become renewed!1 Footnote: 1Rom. 6:2-22, Gal. 2:20, Eph. 4:22-24, Col. 3:10, 1 John 3:9-10. ” (2 Corinthians 5:17 The Scriptures 1998+)

As Jesus told us to pray to his Father we should give thanks to the Only One Elohim, the One having qualified us for the portion of or, to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in the light, who rescued us out of the dominion of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the ‘Son of His love’, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. It is this remarkable man, born -4 CT who is the image of the invisible God who went walking through many villages, along the lakes, in the dessert and on the hills, teaching the people to honour his Father who provided a solution against the consequences of the first sin of men. In Christ Jesus Jehovah God did find the first human being who managed to stay without sins. Like we all are created in the image of God, this one man was the only one who would become the first-born of all creation, figuratively existing before all of Gods New Creation,  because by this Jewish man all things were reshaped and everything from the past was destructed. He cruised the curse of death.

By Jesus his death on the stake he offered his whole being as a Lamb of God and final substitute for the payment of sins. As the payment for the sin of men was death, now live was given again to all who wanted to accept this ransom.  The old guilt is replaced by new forgiveness. By Jesus his action there has come forgiveness over all of us. Consequently, there is now no condemnation to the ones who are willing to give themselves in Christ Jesus. But than they really should not keep on to tradition following the world and having to be bound to human organisations or institutions. They should be liberated. Perhaps they want to have a label on their head, but that should not be the main point. Each one calling himself Christian should withdraw from every one who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from the apostles of Christ. In case the one in front of us, calling from the pulpit is not speaking according the teachings of Christ Jesus and not according the Words of God we should not listen to him or her, but only take Gods Word from the Bible at heart. The focus of those who recognise the man who died at the stake should be to try to live as him and to walk about and conduct themselves not according to flesh like most of the human breed likes to enjoy life. No, we do have chosen to meet each other as brethren and sisters willing to live according to the Spirit. We should not follow Pantheism or Buddhism or a set of special religion, but the mystical union of the believer with Christ in the Holy Spirit. For we know that this will lead to deliverance for us, through our petition and the provision of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, according to our earnest expectations, our  eager longing and hope, that in nothing we will be ashamed, but with all boldness we shall be able to stand underneath the wings of Christ in whom we have found confidence.

John MacArthur on Calvin's Pulpit (Photo credit: six steps )

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His. ”
(Romans 8:9 The Scriptures 1998+)
“There is, then, now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah יהושע, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the Torah of the Spirit of the life in Messiah יהושע has set me free from the law of sin and of death. For the Torah being powerless, in that it was weak through the flesh, Elohim, having His own Son in the likeness of flesh of sin, and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteousness of the Torah should be completed in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the matters of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the matters of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself1 to the Torah of Elohim2, neither indeed is it able, Footnotes: 1Or does not obey. 2John 15:5, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 5:18. and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His. ” (Romans 8:1-9 The Scriptures 1998+)

As we have chosen to follow יהושע Jeshua / Jesus Christ the Messiah, we should not be concerned to have a human label, being baptised than having to be a “Baptists!”, being renewed or being reformed than having to be “Reformed“, trembling at the Word of God, but therefore not having to be  “Quakers!” , following certain rules or methods, but not having to be a “Methodists”. Following the advice of Jesus to come together, to meet or congregate but not having to be “Congregationalists” we should come together as brothers and sisters in Christ. And the coming days we should even feel more united, because we should celebrate the moment Christ Jesus cut the chains of this world and liberated us for ever.

In the early days of Christianity there were congregations of believers, which came together to remember the moment that Jesus took the loaf of bread and shared it with those whom he called his brothers and sisters. United in Christ we have also become Brothers and Sisters in Christ (or Christadelphians) and remember the day Jesus died for our sins, to open the Gate to liberation for ever, to be able to enter the Kingdom of God as renewed bodies.

In our choice to follow Christ Jesus  we have become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

“Shimʽon Kĕpha, a servant and emissary of יהושע Messiah, to those who have obtained a belief as precious as ours by the righteousness of our Elohim and Saviour יהושע Messiah: Favour and peace be increased to you in the knowledge of Elohim and of יהושע our Master, as His Mighty-like power has given to us all we need for life and reverence, through the knowledge of Him who called us to esteem and uprightness. ” (2 Peter 1:1-3 The Scriptures 1998+)

“So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones and members of the household of Elohim,1 Footnote: 1Rom. 11:17-24, Isa. 14:1. ” (Ephesians 2:19 The Scriptures 1998+)

Having obtained a like precious faith, let us come together and gather in the name of Christ and let grace and peace be multiplied to us and all around us by a knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Therfore let us not look to find a church formed by men to mens wishes, but look for a community formed  and moulded by God to His Will. Like Abraham of old, we “seek a city, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:10). That is to say, we hunger for a godly community in every sense of the word. Law and order, peace and justice, truth and goodness, love and mercy, freedom and creativity. In one word — godly.
Jesus made it clear that He came to start just such a community on the earth. “I will build My Church,” He said, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The word He used is ecclesia, meaning “the community of the called out.”

“What, then is it that we have been called into?” To be sure, it is a community like nothing this world has to offer. The Bible refers to it in such comprehensive terms as The House of the Lord, the City of our God, and the Kingdom of Heaven. It is both local and global, as well as eternal. It is not institutional; but relational. It is gathered in the name of the Lord, governed by the word of the Lord, guided by the Spirit of the Lord, guarded by the power of the Lord, and garnished with the glory of the Lord.
And there is only one way into this Community; it is through faith in the Lord Jesus, evidenced by love for His people, which springs out of obedience to His word.

Do you want to belong to the world or to that community which  simply wants to follow Jesus Christ and his Father, as Jesus did, and honour his and our  Father  with full honour like the Supreme God of gods deserves?

Are you willing to come to this community that forms the Ecclesia as Jesus Christ wishes?

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Dutch version: Niet gebonden door labels maar vrij in Christus

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Read also:

1. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
2. Called Christian
3. Meetings
4. Congregate, to gather, to meet
5. What and why Ecclesia
6. The Ecclesia in the churchsystem
7. Brothers in Christ
8. If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life be
9. Salvation (soteria) deliverance and preservation wholeness or health.
10. A Great Gift commemorated
11. Manifests for believers #1 Sex abuse setting fire to the powder
12. Manifests for believers #2 Changing celibacy requirement
13. Manifests for believers #3 Catholic versus Protestant
14. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
15. Sense or nonsense of “Human Fragility”
16. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
17. Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America at war
18. My faith
19. Christadelphian people
20. Christadelphian Beliefs What Do Christadelphians Believe & Teach?

In Dutch:

1. Een groots geschenk om te herinneren
2. Bijeenkomsten een Ontmoetingsplaats voor hen die de Bijbel beter willen leren kennen.
3. Verzamelen of Bijeenkomen
4. Parochie
5. Congregatie
6. Pleidooi voor broederschap tussen christenen
7. Al of niet verenigen
8. Publieke overdracht van Manifest Gelovigen nemen het woord
9. Een Manifest voor Gelovigen
10. Publieke overdracht van Manifest Gelovigen nemen het woord
11. Manifestanten Protestant of Katholiek
12. Manifest “Gelovigen nemen het woord”
13. Manifest tot protestantse kerk
14. Niet winkelend
15. Sharia een kwaad voor Islam
16. Louise Weiss gebouw en Torens volgens Babels Ziggurat
17. Over Broeders en Zusters in Christus
18. Gericht op God
19. Navolgers van Christus
20. Christadelphians over heel de wereld
21. Gericht op Jezus
22. Wat leren de Christadelphians Wat Geloven & Leren de Christadelphians?
23. Intenties van de ecclesia
24. Al of niet verenigen
25. Verenigen
26. Een samenkomst of meeting
27. Toebehoren
28. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
29. Verzamelen, bijeenkomen, samenkomen, vergaderen
30. Kleine gemeenschappen voor geloofsvorming en verspreiding
31. Congregation – Congregatie
32. Maken van een kerk
33. Wat en waarom Ecclesia Wat is de reden waarom wij ‘ecclesia’ gebruiken in plaats van ‘kerk’?
34. Opbouw van een ecclesia
35. Opbouw van een ecclesia en  verbonden kosten
36. Organistie van de Broeders in Christus
37. Krachten voor de Ecclesia opbouw.
38. Christelijk Leven
39. Vrije keuze om te geloven
40. Welk deel van het lichaam ben jij
41. Leden in het lichaam van Christus
42. Eenheid van het  Lichaam van Christus
43. Laat ons samen komen
44. Het eerste op de lijst van de zorgen van de heilige
45. Geketend zijn door de liefde voor een ander
46. Karakter omgezet door de invloed van onze omgang
47. Een Groots Geschenk om te herinneren
48. Geen Wegvluchter

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