Part Four: The Resurrected Church—Built on Solid Rock

"The hammer smashed against the nail, and there were crucified in that instant

The first man, Adam

Adam's race

The fallen self

The wall of division between heathen and Jew

All governments

Principalities

Powers

Rule ... and

Dominions.

Yes! Crucified upon the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!"¹⁶⁶

"The hammer smashed against the nail. And with it,

All law

All rules

All ordinances

All holy days

And

All ritual

Were crucified upon the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord!"¹⁶⁷

The resurrected church recognizes that the purpose of Christianity is for mankind to learn how to serve God in spirit and in truth in order to do his will and give glory to him. Christianity provides an opportunity to mankind to learn how to become true worshippers of God which bear and retain spiritual fruit. True worshippers of God have purified their hearts by faith: they diligently seek the Lord through continual study of, belief in, and obedience to all of God's Word and thereby are filled with the wisdom (the truth) and Spirit of God. Said another way, true worshippers are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: they have the Word of God written in their hearts through continual study of, belief in, and obedience to all of God's Word. True worshippers do righteousness: they do always those things that please God the Father. The union of the truth of God and the Spirit of God—twofold witness of God—in true worshippers is evidenced by their charity towards others (neighbors); they bear and retain spiritual fruit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Through this process of study, belief and obedience, true worshippers grow from babes in Christ, unskillful in the word of righteousness, to mature sons and daughters of God, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil: they become attuned to the Spirit of God such that they are led by the Spirit of God. The short-term benefits of Christianity include freedom from the bondage of corruption, from the bondage of the fear of death, from serving sin, and from the oppression of the Devil. What's more, the short-term benefits of Christianity include forgiveness of sins, the adoption as children of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God—the power of Christ exerted on our behalf, the love of God, the wisdom of God, the Spirit of God, the blessings of God, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. The long-term benefits of Christianity for true worshippers is to receive an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that fades not away, and reserved in heaven: have part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him in the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven to a new earth.

DRAFT V2010-06-28T4:47:26 PM