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Volume 7 ... #11
What Denomination Are You?
I Cor. 3 ... And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat:for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
(While one says, "I'm Baptist" and another says, "I'm Methodist", are ye not carnal?)
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
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There is one body of Christ, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.
Jn. 4 ... The woman saith unto him (to Jesus), Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
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When they come to you asking, "Where do you go to church?" They are either trying to trick you to condemn you or they are desiring to glory in your flesh.
Either way, the question shows that person to be very carnal, not spiritual.
It is usually divisive ... unless you happen to attend the same church group as the person asking the question ... He is trying to evaluate you, whether you are of God, but he does this by fleshly means and not by the Spirit of God.
He is saying, "If you are of God, prove yourself ..."
(He fails to see the proof is in the work and in that Spirit that is in us, but he, likely having not the Spirit in him, cannot see the Spirit that is in us. He wants to prove by fleshly ways ... where do you go to church ... by what authority do you speak ... what man commissioned you ... just like the Pharisees who came to question Jesus. But what he shows by asking the question is he is carnal.)
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It is also exactly the same as those who mocked Jesus when HE was on the cross ...
Matt 27 ... And they that passed by reviled HIM, wagging their heads, And saying, THOU that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save THYSELF. If THOU be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking HIM, with the scribes and elders, said, HE saved others; HIMSELF HE cannot save. If HE be the King of Israel, let HIM now come down from the cross, and we will believe HIM.
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Our works in God, our countenance in God, the Spirit that is in us shows who we are ... the evil one is "daring" us to "prove it".
When this happens to us, we commit ourselves to God who judges justly.
Heb. 12:3 ... For consider HIM that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
And just walk away from that questioning person.
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