Additives to the Faith
Through self-empowerment, black nationalism, feminisim, economic independence, esotericism, mysticism, new self-identifiers, and the pursuit of the "higher self," a different gospel is being preached. We who name the name of Christ must come back to a pure profession of faith. There have been many additives to the Christian faith, more than what can be addressed in a single post. Many of which are motivated by the desire for self-glorification through appealing to the needs and wants of others. While offering a sense of belonging, continual feelings of insufficiency cause one to go further out from Christ to find more of what they think they need.
In a simple Google search, the word 'Additive' is defined as --a substance added to something in small quantities to improve or preserve it. As a result, the question arises, how can we ever improve upon something that has already been perfected in Christ? How do we improve upon a Kingdom that never ages and in which one greater than us established? Moreover, if we knew the composition of its government, its King, and its citizens, might we be able to improve where necessary? The corruptible world and its tools or techniques are not sufficient to improve things that are incorruptible. Yet many seek to make this glorious gospel work for us Christians the way the flesh and the pagan religions of the world work for the heathen.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain… But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” -1Tim. 6:6, 9-10
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“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” -Mt. 6:24
Therefore, whatever we are working for, even lusting after, is what we are serving. What are we working for; where is our worship going? To what do we esteem honor? Is there contentment in the faith without additives? Do we still testify in our hearts, as we testified after our conversion and infilling, even as Mary exclaimed:
“For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.” - Lk. 1:49-55
All groups claiming decent from the ancient Israelites, are these things still GREAT to you? You claim that it is the flesh, ancestry, bloodline, genealogy, that we are to give attention to. Perhaps we do not know what truly makes us the seed of Abraham. Since Abraham was said to have believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, so too would we be declared righteous through believing God. As our forerunner and father of faith, Abraham believed in God and was accounted righteous. The same is true if we believe God sent His son to bear our sins, died and rose again, that we should live in newness of life in Him and through Him. We have thereby been declared righteous. The old saying goes, like father, like son.
God declares us righteous through believing and not through working. Many of us are not the elect of Israel, those of Jewish decent. We are Gentile (of other nations than Israel), children of Abraham after the order of faith, and not by keeping the law or in circumcising the flesh, first given to Israel. Moreover, not by God having created us, but by faith in Christ Jesus, we are the children of God. (See Gal. 3: 6-9, 26-29; Eph. 2:11-13; Rom. 11:25-28).
“He [Jesus] came unto his own [Israel], and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Are we seeking distinction by socio-physiological entitlements, or the exaggerating of rights? In Jesus, there is no distinction between nations, race, state or condition of service, or gender. No distinction in that we are adopted irrespective of these things to share in one marker - the faithful. As time is existent in this world and therefore we heed it, so too do these things exist, and we acknowledge and give place to them (See for further detail: Mt. 17:24-27; Rom. 13:7-8). However, in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is no time but eternity and no markers among men other than faithful.
Those claiming Christianity and yet their beliefs and practices fall under New Age, by fixating on themselves they have turned from the faith and have lost the character of Christ altogether. Their pursuits come with selfish motives and demonic practices. They say that it is about the spiritual, and we must not neglect, but rather give attention to self or the will of the flesh.
God has made us kings and priests (See Rev. 1:6); we are ambassadors for Christ (See 2Cor. 5:20). Great acknowledgment was also given to Israel when it was said, "ye are gods". The word of God came to no other people except them (the laws, covenants, and promises). They were His chosen people above all nations (See Jn. 10:34-35). Now the Word of God (Jesus) has been made flesh given to all, while consumed only by some. Though these things are true of the Christian, we do not take our eyes off the Creator to look at the created, after having partaken of his body (the bread) and his blood (the wine).
God came from heaven to earth in the form of a man. He graced us to move from sinners to saints, hell-bound to heaven if we endure. Yet we have forgotten the character behind that sacrificial demonstration mentioned in Phil. 2:5-11. Our high-mindedness, pride, and self-idolatry have led to a new age movement. As children of the Most High God, we ought to walk on the raging of that water rather than swim in it.
Finally, having been adopted by God through Christ, we now bear His name. We also receive all the rights and privileges as any natural-born son and are heirs to all that God has. There is no insufficiency, there is no lack, He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (See Eph. 1:3). Then should we take all that has been given at our request and squander it? Or should we neglect the things given to us in Christ and do nothing with it but bury it? Or perhaps make it something not like God, but an image like unto us? We must love Him more than ourselves and prefer Him above all others.
