WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY WE BELIEVE IT

In this printed message we are setting forth something of what we believe concerning the Bible and concerning the faith once-for-all delivered unto the saints. Our first message after this introduction will be the Bible. We believe in the God of the Bible, the Christ of the Bible and the Holy Spirit of the Bible. Therefore we believe in the eternal Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe in the ruin of the human race in Adam and that man’s only hope of redemption or recovery, is in Christ. The redeemed sinner is “God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good words.” Ephesians 2:10. “If any man be in Christ there is a new creation.” II Corinthians 5:17. We believe that the sinner is saved by the grace of God; by faith in the Lord Jesus; redeemed by the shed blood of Christ, the lamb of God, without spot or blemish.

“To us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.” I Corinthians 8:6.

As there is but one God and one Lord Jesus Christ, there is one and only one way to God, and that is called, in Hebrews 10:19 and 20, “the new and living way”, “by the blood of Jesus.”

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10. “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.

“For in that he died, He died unto sin ONCE; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.” Romans 6:10.

“Christ appeared ONCE in the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:26.

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in ONCE into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12.

“Christ also hath ONCE suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,” I Peter 3:18.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now at the right hand of God, as the glorified Man, seated in the heavenlies, far above all heavens. Ephesians 1:19 to 22 and Ephesians 4:10.

There He is the Head of the Church which is His Body. Members of this Body of Christ are identified with Him in death, burial and resurrection; are seated with Him in the heavenlies and there blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him. Ephesians 1:3 and 4 and Ephesians 2:6. These members are the children of God by faith in the glorified Christ. they constitute the “Household of God,” and are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:17 to 22. Only regenerated sinners. partakers of the Divine nature, God’s new creation, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

We believe that God has the walk of the believer, in accordance with Ephesians 2:10, and they that walk should be in the Spirit, fulfilling the righteousness of the law: circumspectly, in love worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called. Ephesians 4:1.

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

“Endeavoring to keep the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ONE body—and ONE Spirit—even as ye are called in ONE Hope of your calling—ONE Lord—ONE Faith— ONE Baptism—ONE God and Father.” Ephesians 4:3 to 6.

Here we are told, specifically and clearly, that, in this Divine age, there is ONE and only ONE Church, which is a Divine organism. We believe that obedience to Ephesians 4:3 is altogether impossible unless we acknowledge and act upon the Truth of God as to the ONE Church; and that no group of men have the Scriptural right to claim to be the Bible Church and demand obedience to a denominational church creed which differs from the sevenfold unity of Ephesians 4:3 to 6.

Inasmuch as there is more than one Church, one gospel and one hope in the Bible, but only ONE Church, ONE gospel and ONE hope in this particular Dispensation, we insist that all intelligent Bible study must be Dispensational Bible study. And that every true servant of Christ is under obligation, “to make all men see what is the fellowship (dispensation) of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. Ephesians 3:9

After several chapters of some fundamental Bible doctrines, we shall present a Dispensational Study of the Bible.

CONCERNING THE BIBLE

The learned Prince of Granada, heir to the Spanish throne, imprisoned by order of the crown, for fear he should aspire to the throne, was kept in solitary confinement in the old prison at the place of Skulls, Madrid. After thirty-three years in this living tomb death came to his release, and the following remarkable researches taken from the Bible, and marked with an old nail on the rough walls of his cell, told how the brain sought employment through the weary years.

In the Bible the word Lord is found 1853 times. The word Jehovah, 6855 times, and the word reverend but once, and that is in the 9th verse of the 111 psalm. Psalm 117:8 is the middle verse of the Bible. Esther 8:9 is the longest verse, and St. John 11:35 the shortest verse in the Bible. In the 107th Psalm four verses are alike, the 8, 15, 21 and 31. Each verse of the 136 Psalm ends alike. No name or word with more than six syllables are found in the Bible. The 37th chapter of Isaiah and the 19th chapter of II Kings are alike. The word girl occurs only twice in the Bible, in Zechariah 8:5 and Joel 3:3. There are found in both books of the Bible, 3,586,483 letters, 773,693 words 31,373 verses, 1189 chapters and 66 books. The 26th chapter of Acts is the finest chapter to read, the most beautiful chapter the 23rd Psalm. The four most inspiring promises are John 14:2, John 6:37, St. Matthew 11:28 and Psalm 37:4. Isaiah 60:1 is the one for the new convert. All who flatter themselves with vain boasting of their perfection should learn Matthew 6.

The Bible is God’s Word. The Bible not only contains the Word of God, but it is the very Word of God.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:16-17.

“By Inspiration”—The Greek word is “Theopneustos”, and is never used to describe any other writings or writers.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” II Peter 1:19 to 21.

“Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89. “The Word of the Lord endureth forever.” I Peter 1:25.

The Psalmist who said: “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven,” likewise said in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

It is a blessed thing to know both facts. Though settled in heaven, it will not profit the individual unless hidden and settled in the heart.

In this 119th Psalm read the following verses concerning God’s holy infallible Words: 9, 11, 16, 17, 25, 28, 38, 41, 42, 43, 49, 50, 57, 58, 65, 67, 74, 76, 81, 82, 89, 101, 103, 105, 107, 114, 116, 123, 130, 133, 139, 140, 147, 148, 154, 158, 160, 161, 162, 169, 170, 172. Also read verses concerning precepts, commandments, etc.

Men may have changed in their attitude toward the word of God; but His Word never changeth. As the Psalmist said: “Thy Word is very pure; therefore thy servant loveth it.” Psalm 119:140

“Thy Word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.”—Psalm 119:160.

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”—Psalm 119:103

Commit to memory these words found in Jeremiah 15:16;

“Thy words were found, and I was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.”

Think of the poisonous food which is going into the souls of men by way of the literature of the worldly and ungodly agents of Satan.

“I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary”—Job 23:12.

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”—119:105.

The world is a dark place because sin. It is a blessed thing to have a lamp and a light in such a dark place. “Is not my Word like as a fire? the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29.

“He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”—Psalm 107:20.

“But he said, Yea rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.”—Luke 11:28.

“The seed is the Word of God.”—Luke 8:11.

The sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.”—Ephesians 6:17.

“For the Word of God is quick (life-giving) and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”—Hebrews 4:12.

The expression, “The Word of the Lord,” is used forty-nine times in the prophecy of Ezekiel alone—many, many times in the Bible.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”— Isaiah 55:11.

God’s instruction to His servant is: “Preach the Word.”—II Timothy 4:2.

Also read Acts 4:4, Acts 4:29, Acts 4:31, Acts 6:2, Acts 6:4, Acts 6:7.

“Went everywhere preaching the Word.”—Acts 8:4.

Acts 8:14, Acts 8:25, Acts 10:44, Acts 11:11, Acts 11:19, Acts 12:24.

“They preached the Word of God.”—Acts 13:5. Acts 13:7, Acts 13:26, Acts 13:44, Acts 13:46. “And glorified the Word of the Lord.’’—Acts 13:48, Acts 13:49, Acts 14:3, Acts 14:25, Acts 15:7, Acts 15:35 and 36, Acts 16:32.

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”—Acts 17:11, Acts 17:13, Acts 18:11, Acts 19:10.

“So mightily grew the Word of God.”—Acts 19:20.

“I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all of them which are sanctified.”— Acts 20:32.

So the Christian is built up by the Word of God, after he becomes a Christian by hearing the Word of God and being born again by that incorruptible seed. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”—Romans 10:17.

“Chosen to salvation through belief in the truth.”—II Thessalonica 2:13.

“Of His own will begat He us with the Word of truth.”—James 1:18.

“Receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.”—James 1:21.

“Being born again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever.”—I Peter 1:23.

“As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.”—I Peter 2:2.

“Now ye are clean, through the word which I have spoken unto you.”—John 15:3; also Psalm 119:9.

“Sanctify them through thy truth; thy Word is truth.”—John 17:17.

As the Word of God is the seed which falls into good and honest hearts which gives life and as faith cometh through hearing this Word, it is the only seed which has in it the germ of eternal life.

The sinner becomes a saint by hearing the Word of God.

The saint grows by that same Word, is built up, sanctified, cleansed and equipped for service by it. It is part of his armour to stand against the wiles of the devil. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Our offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit wielded in the power of the Spirit. Christ used this weapon against Satan in the temptation—“It is written.”—Luke 4:4, Luke 4:8, Luke 4:10.

But Jesus said, “yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”— Luke 11:29.

“These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.”—John 20:31.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon sand: And the rain descended, and floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”—Matthew 7:24 to 27.

The Bible is the revelation of the one true God.

LUKE 24:44 TO 48:

“AND HE (CHRIST) SAID UNTO THEM, THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH I SPAKE UNTO YOU, WHILE I WAS YET WITH YOU, THAT ALL THINGS MUST BE FULFILLED, WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES, AND IN THE PROPHETS, AND IN THE PSALMS CONCERNING ME.

THEN OPENED HE THEIR UNDERSTANDING, THAT THEY MIGHT UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES AND SAID UNTO THEM. THUS IT IS WRITTEN, AND THUS IT BEHOOVED CHRIST TO SUFFER, AND TO RISE FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY; AND THAT REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME AMONG ALL NATIONS, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM. AND YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS.”

For more articles by Pastor J. C. O'Hair, visit the J. C. O'Hair Online Library.