The Doctrine of Christ
Before I begin this message, I would like to mention that the word "godliness" does not always has the same meaning in the Bible.
There are differences between the translation of the Bible in Portuguese and in English.
Some parts of the Portuguese Bible, where it is written: “mercy, compassion” in the English Bible it reads “godliness”.
And in some verses in the English translation where we read “godliness”, in Portuguese we read “righteousness”.
So, notice that everytime you see the word "godliness" in the verses of this post, it means mercy, compassion.
The doctrine of Christ is MERCY, COMPASSION.
"Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
"If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
"HE who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."
John 7: 16-18
Many of us don't know and don't follow the Doctrine of Christ, but doctrines of churches and men.
Jesus is the only one perfect in humility.
We must be careful to not let the Apostle Paul or any other human being remove our attention from the Doctrine of Christ.
1 TIMOTHY 6: 3-4
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, (godliness -> Portuguese: Mercy, compassion, pity)
he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,”
1 TIMOTHY 4: 7-9
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance."
Colossians 2: 8-10
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
When we have the knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ, we can identify false teachings.
Comparing teachings with the Doctrine of Christ can release you from heresies, wrong paths, sin, and danger.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."
2 Peter 2: 1
WORD WEALTH - HERESIES
haireseis (hahee-res-is); Strong's #139: Compare "heresy" and "heretical".
From haireomai, "to choose."
The word originally denoted making a choice or having a preference because of an opinion or a sentiment, it easily slipped into a mode of disunity, choosing sides, having diversity of belief, creating dissension, and substituting submission to the truth for self-willed opinions.
The dominant use in the NT is to signify sects, people professing opinions independent of the truth.
(From Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word NKJV)
Everyone who does not practice mercy and compassion, but practices partiality, loving and accepting only those who fit the standard of his own mind, this one does not follow the Doctrine of Christ.
LUKE 7: 40-47
"And Jesus answered and said to him,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
So he said, "Teacher, say it."
"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.
One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
"And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely
forgave them both.
Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped
them with the hair of her head.
"You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
"You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed
My feet with fragrant oil.
"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
With pride, practicing partiality, is not possible to lead ( serve) inside the Kingdom of God, on the contrary!
These are not following Jesus. They may be believers, but they are stagnated.
The evidence of knowing Jesus is having a total given heart able to consider the afflicted, acting with supernatural mercy and love.
Jeremiah 22: 15-16
“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink,
And do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
Then it was well.
Was not this knowing Me?” says the LORD.”
In this verse above we see a tip of what it is to know Christ.
Everyone who does not persevere in the Doctrine of Christ is not connected to God.
You may feel mercy and compassion here and there, but to ABIDE and to PERSEVERE in this is the BASICS to follow Christ.
2 John 1: 9
“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”
God is love. But not any kind of love, convenient; He is Agape Love. True Love.
A love that loves no matter what people do, say or are.
Everyone who does not maintain himself in this love, haven't been spending time with God.
1 John 3: 10
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”
1 John 4: 16
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
God is Love and Jesus is the Truth.
To walk in love is to walk in truth.
A believer who does not walk in love is being led by false doctrines and false masters.
(deceived by demons, that convince them to be full of themselves)
3 John 1: 4-8
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,
who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well,
because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth."
John 13: 35
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In the Portuguese dictionary, the opposite of “piedade” (mercy, compassion), is “impiedade” (wickedness)
Hosea 6:6
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
This Word is not talking about offerings of animals in the Old Testament only, it is talking about the principle that really matters, and what the Lord really wants. God is exposing His heart.
He doesn't want only efforts to please and to serve Him, He wants us to have mercy on people.
The Doctrine of Christ is easy to be ignored, and, only those who maintain themselves in it, reach the manifest glory of God and find more valuable pieces of inheritance.
To love our enemies and the ones who hate us, is, actually, the beginning of entering His manifest Glory.
To persevere in the Doctrine of Christ means to have compassion and more compassion, and the next day, after receiving a lot of disrespect, more compassion, loving and forgiving time and time again, no matter what the fault was.
The Glory of God is reached when persevering on loving the ones who hate us.
When we follow the Doctrine of Christ, we learn Agape Love and we enter into His manifest Glory.
Matthew 18: 10-11
““Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."
Matthew 20: 16
"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
Matthew 12: 7
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’
you would not have condemned the guiltless."
Luke 5: 32
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Titus 1: 15
“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled."
Matthew 6: 22-23
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Revelation 3: 5
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
There are differences between the translation of the Bible in Portuguese and in English.
Some parts of the Portuguese Bible, where it is written: “mercy, compassion” in the English Bible it reads “godliness”.
And in some verses in the English translation where we read “godliness”, in Portuguese we read “righteousness”.
So, notice that everytime you see the word "godliness" in the verses of this post, it means mercy, compassion.
The doctrine of Christ is MERCY, COMPASSION.
"Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
"If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
"HE who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."
John 7: 16-18
Many of us don't know and don't follow the Doctrine of Christ, but doctrines of churches and men.
Jesus is the only one perfect in humility.
We must be careful to not let the Apostle Paul or any other human being remove our attention from the Doctrine of Christ.
1 TIMOTHY 6: 3-4
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, (godliness -> Portuguese: Mercy, compassion, pity)
he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,”
1 TIMOTHY 4: 7-9
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance."
Colossians 2: 8-10
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
When we have the knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ, we can identify false teachings.
Comparing teachings with the Doctrine of Christ can release you from heresies, wrong paths, sin, and danger.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."
2 Peter 2: 1
WORD WEALTH - HERESIES
haireseis (hahee-res-is); Strong's #139: Compare "heresy" and "heretical".
From haireomai, "to choose."
The word originally denoted making a choice or having a preference because of an opinion or a sentiment, it easily slipped into a mode of disunity, choosing sides, having diversity of belief, creating dissension, and substituting submission to the truth for self-willed opinions.
The dominant use in the NT is to signify sects, people professing opinions independent of the truth.
(From Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word NKJV)
Everyone who does not practice mercy and compassion, but practices partiality, loving and accepting only those who fit the standard of his own mind, this one does not follow the Doctrine of Christ.
LUKE 7: 40-47
"And Jesus answered and said to him,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
So he said, "Teacher, say it."
"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.
One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
"And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely
forgave them both.
Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped
them with the hair of her head.
"You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
"You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed
My feet with fragrant oil.
"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
With pride, practicing partiality, is not possible to lead ( serve) inside the Kingdom of God, on the contrary!
These are not following Jesus. They may be believers, but they are stagnated.
The evidence of knowing Jesus is having a total given heart able to consider the afflicted, acting with supernatural mercy and love.
Jeremiah 22: 15-16
“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink,
And do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
Then it was well.
Was not this knowing Me?” says the LORD.”
In this verse above we see a tip of what it is to know Christ.
Everyone who does not persevere in the Doctrine of Christ is not connected to God.
You may feel mercy and compassion here and there, but to ABIDE and to PERSEVERE in this is the BASICS to follow Christ.
2 John 1: 9
“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”
God is love. But not any kind of love, convenient; He is Agape Love. True Love.
A love that loves no matter what people do, say or are.
Everyone who does not maintain himself in this love, haven't been spending time with God.
1 John 3: 10
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”
1 John 4: 16
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
God is Love and Jesus is the Truth.
To walk in love is to walk in truth.
A believer who does not walk in love is being led by false doctrines and false masters.
(deceived by demons, that convince them to be full of themselves)
3 John 1: 4-8
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,
who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well,
because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth."
John 13: 35
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In the Portuguese dictionary, the opposite of “piedade” (mercy, compassion), is “impiedade” (wickedness)
Hosea 6:6
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
This Word is not talking about offerings of animals in the Old Testament only, it is talking about the principle that really matters, and what the Lord really wants. God is exposing His heart.
He doesn't want only efforts to please and to serve Him, He wants us to have mercy on people.
The Doctrine of Christ is easy to be ignored, and, only those who maintain themselves in it, reach the manifest glory of God and find more valuable pieces of inheritance.
To love our enemies and the ones who hate us, is, actually, the beginning of entering His manifest Glory.
To persevere in the Doctrine of Christ means to have compassion and more compassion, and the next day, after receiving a lot of disrespect, more compassion, loving and forgiving time and time again, no matter what the fault was.
The Glory of God is reached when persevering on loving the ones who hate us.
When we follow the Doctrine of Christ, we learn Agape Love and we enter into His manifest Glory.
Matthew 18: 10-11
““Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."
Matthew 20: 16
"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
Matthew 12: 7
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’
you would not have condemned the guiltless."
Luke 5: 32
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Titus 1: 15
“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled."
Matthew 6: 22-23
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Revelation 3: 5
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
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