My hope is built on nothing less 

Than Jesus blood and righteousness; 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood; 

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in Him be found.  

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock, I stand

All other ground is sinking sand. 

All other ground is sinking sand.

                                                                     WORDS: Edward Mote, 1797 – 1874

Giving thanks is a characteristic of being filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:20).

As a characteristic of being filled by the Holy Spirit, giving thanks is not a once a year thing.

Spirit filled thanksgiving is always being thankful for all things. That takes in a lot of territory.  It is also very convicting.

If we believe that God is sovereign, that He is always in control, then we can be thankful for the bad, as well as the good, if we love God and are the called according to His purpose.

Note:  What is the opposite of being thankful? 

Does this mean that griping or complaining is sin?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Holy Bible, Book Divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine:
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Saviour’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward.

Mine to comfort in distress,
Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner’s doom;
O thou holy Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine!

                                                                                           – John Burton

Note: This is one article in a series which builds on one another.  It would be helpful to the reader’s understanding to scroll back and review the previous articles in this series.

Neo-orthodoxy uses biblical terminology but assigns other meanings to biblical terms.  The only way to detect this error is to ask an individual what he means by what he says.

 One must know which Bible doctrines are load bearing walls for the house of Christianity.  The definition of load bearing doctrine must not be compromised, else the house of “Christianity” become red tagged.  

There are some Bible doctrines that Christians can agree to disagree about.  Changing a fundamental (load bearing) doctrine will cause the house of Christianity to collapse, and change what was a church into a religious cult.

Calling a pastor to your church is not to be taken lightly.  The candidate must be examined and asked to define what he believes. He should have the endorsement and recommendation of Bible believing individuals and/or ministries.  He should be proven in his obedience to the written word.

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, hath not God.  He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” (II John 6, 7, & 9-11)

• The social gospel (elimination of social injustice) is what is left when one ceases to believe in the Biblical message of redemption through the shed blood of Christ.  We are saved by grace through faith in the literal death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus plus nothing.  
• I have literal sin which produces literal guilt, which results in literal judgment, and produces literal death.  I need a literal God who literally loves me enough to literally save me from my literal sin, by literally sending His literal Son to literally die in my literal place, and to be literally buried and literally rise again from the literal dead, and who will literally dress me in His literal righteousness, thus literally forgiving me my literal sin, and literally granting me eternal life, literally making me a literal son and literally allowing me literal access into His literal presence.
• Do you take the Bible literally?

It is my understanding that your religion believes that the Jesus of Scripture is a prophet.  A prophet is a messenger from God.  Do you know what message Jesus Christ delivered to mankind?  What did He say about mankind?  What did He say about Himself?

If your religion believes that Jesus is a prophet, don’t you think you should know what His message is?   You can find that message by reading the Bible.  Obtain a translation of the Bible to study this. Do not use a paraphrase.

It will be helpful for your study to get a red letter edition of the New Testament.  A red letter edition has all the words that Jesus spoke high-lighted in red letters.  A red letter edition of the New Testament will make it easier for you to find His specific message.

Be sure to examine the context around His specific words, because the context always sheds light on the meaning of the passage.

If you have access to the internet, it will be easy to find a red letter edition translation.  Just search for “KJV – New Testament red letter edition” and you can begin your study today.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God…….And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.  John 1:1,2 & 14.

What is your concept of God?  Webster’s dictionary defines god as: 1) Any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over people and nature; esp. a male deity,  2) an image that is worshiped; idol,  3) a person or thing deified or excessively honored and admired,  4) in monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe, eternal, all powerful, and all knowing; Supreme Being; Almighty.  

Obviously, if we call ourselves Christian, definition #4 should be the concept of God that we have.  This concept has been warped so much by our departure from the Bible that even the idea of one God has degenerated into “the gods of Christianity”.

Some serve the “genie” god and believe in the “magic” properties of prayer.  If one repeats a formula often enough, in the right order, and on the proper days, this god will suddenly appear and grant the petitions desired without fail.  Matthew 6:7 says; but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Some worship the “vending machine” god. This god will dispense anything one requires, including salvation, if one but only puts in the correct change and pushes the desired button.  Ephesians 2:8&9 declares, however; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Others are not so zealous and they worship the god that they keep in a container in the back corner of the pantry.  This is the “coffee can” god and he is let out of his container only on special occasions.

Finally there is the god that is good for religion only. This is the “simpleton” god that can’t spell or write his own name.

The apostle Paul preached to the men of Athens about the UNKNOWN GOD.  Paul declared him to be; the God that made the world and all things therein (Acts 17:23 & 24).  If you want to know Him……read His Word.  This unknown God is the God of the Bible.