Jesus said that the Church has forgotten the FIRST WORKS of the COVENANT and is FALLEN, and needs to repent or else........................ We see that Jesus does NOT accept your faith if it does not contain the FIRST WORKS of the COVENANT.

What does Jesus mean when He said, "Remember therefore from whence you are fallen?"

Jesus is identifying a point of descent from following the Holy Spirit to following a seducing spirit (I Tim.4:1).

From following the doctrine of Christ as delivered through living apostles, to following the doctrine of men who are not apostles (Mt.15:3).

Jesus is identifying a point of descent from following the things which are from above to following the things which are from beneath (Jn.8:23).

From embracing the gospel of the grace of God in truth, to embracing the 'other' gospel which removes a Christian from the grace of God (Gal.1:6).

It is not in man's nature to be idle. It is in Satan's nature to take advantage of ignorance and give man false works which make believers feel productive for the kingdom of God.

These carnal works carry the 'emblems' of Christ, but not the 'pattern' of Christ. These carnal works describe HOW the Church has lost her FIRST LOVE for Jesus. Believers abandoned their FIRST LOVE when they took up these carnal works in an effort to 'do' something for God to 'prove' to themselves that they love God.

Even the evangelism of the false Church is an aspiration because it reflects the false gospel with the false tools and NOT Jesus Christ. These things are used to control spirituality and help the believer to find the meaning of Christianity without the 'thing's from above. This is how seducing spirits brought the faith of the people outside of Jesus Christ.

Because of the centuries of private interpretation of the Word of God and centuries of false indoctrination that was 'proved' and 'authorized' by those who were not apostles, the Church has accepted the traditions of historical orthodoxy to be the credible works of their first love and are puzzled as to WHY these things ARE NOT giving the life of God to the congregation.

Because the Church has built false confidence into the carnal works they are no longer capable of REMEMBERING the first works. This is why God is sending apostles again to instruct the Church concerning their responsibility with these works of faith.

The works of our FIRST LOVE are these:

GOVERNMENT ----- Government is part of OUR FIRST LOVE because we love God through honoring Jesus as the head of the Church. Jesus set apostles in place so we can join our faith to God through the instruction of doctrine that they give. God gives a measure of grace to the apostles to make known the mystery of the gospel. The apostle sets the foundation of the spiritual temple, Christ being the cornerstone and altar of our faith (Eph.2:20; Heb.13:10).

Seeing that the government is the spiritual contact point that God uses, we must follow the flow of the Spirit and also USE this contact point for our instruction in doctrine.

Apostles are those living stewards of spiritual government which God puts first in the Church (I Cor.12:28). The Church is in darkness because they have rejected spiritual government. They are expecting the Spirit to enter into the written word and enter into their worship, and give them function apart from spiritual government. He does not. Government also includes all of the callings.

God set the law of Jesus Christ (the law of grace and truth) in spiritual government. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to spiritual government. Through this contact we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (as to possess these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things.

TRUTH ----- We love God through honoring Jesus Christ as Truth, not our private interpretation of scripture. The truth of the mystery of Christ, the pattern that God set for our redemption. This foundation knowledge comes through living apostles who instruct the believers (Acts 2:4).

Living apostles do not just give a 'new depth' of meaning to the plan of salvation, they set the true pattern for it IN CHRIST. Truth is the contact point of our separation because God uses truth to join us to Him (II Thes.2:13).

We use truth (not precept and line) to separate ourselves from the world unto God. In the Old Testament types and shadows we see that God gave the priests function and beauty in the temple. So we see that truth that is IN Him is given for function (tools) and for beauty (fruit). We must use whatever God sanctifies as a tool. The false Church is in darkness because they don't know how to function with truth.

God set the law of Jesus Christ within the pattern of His truth. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to His truth. When truth comes through the headship of Christ we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (Truth possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

SPIRIT ------- God gave the Holy Spirit to the Church so that our FIRST LOVE can be made living. The Spirit enters into what God creates with Government and Truth (the temple and the pattern). The Spirit makes both living because the Son of God rose from the dead to provide Himself through these things for our faith. The Spirit of God does not give each Christian an independent temple of their own in which to worship God. Neither does the Spirit give each Christian an independent truth (their own way of seeing the meaning of Christ). We each walk out our salvation in a very unique way, using the same things. The Son of God does not change, His truth does not change, His government does not change.

GIFTS ---- God gave the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT to the Church so that we can LOVE HIM through these works. The Son of God rose from the dead to provide these things for our faith so that He could fulfill His promise to manifest Himself to us, and to fulfill the promise that we might know God. The gift of prophecy, the gift of a word of knowledge or word of wisdom, tongues with interpretation, discerning of spirits. God uses these to join our faith to Him through Jesus Christ.

God set the law of Jesus Christ (grace and truth) within the Gifts of the Spirit. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to His through this activity. When we partake of Christ through the Gifts of the Spirit we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (The Gifts possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

CALLINGS ----- God gave the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT to the Church so that we can LOVE HIM through these works. The Son of God rose from the dead to provide these things for our faith so that He could fulfill His promise to manifest Himself to us, and to fulfill the promise that we might know God. The callings make up the government of God with the apostles first. When the callings are confirmed and the brethren are partaking of the measure of grace that comes through the callings, they are able to grow by the grace God is dispensing. The grace of God is in the callings, Jesus is mediating the covenant through the grace in the callings, the Spirit of God makes it effectual.

God set the law of Jesus Christ (grace and truth) within the Callings. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to Him through this activity. When we partake of Christ through the callings we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (The callings possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

THE MANIFOLD GRACES OF GOD ----- God gave the MANIFOLD GRACES OF GOD to the Church so that we can LOVE HIM through these works. The Son of God rose from the dead to provide these things for our faith so that He could fulfill His promise to manifest Himself to us, and to fulfill the promise that we might know God. The manifold graces of God that come through dreams or visions or the manifestation of power or feeling the presence of God.

God set the law of Jesus Christ (grace and truth) within these manifestations. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to His through this activity that God grants. When we partake of Christ through these manifestations we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (The graces of God possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

PRAYER ------ God gave prayer to the Church so that we could LOVE HIM through these works. Especially tongues, but not exclusively tongues. God gave this form of contact (tongues) to bring edification and comfort to the soul, so that the Spirit could make intercession for our infirmities. We partake of Christ through this activity (work of faith).

God set the law of Jesus Christ (grace and truth) within prayer. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to Him through this activity. When we partake of Christ through praying in tongues we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (The graces of God possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

PREACHING ------ God gave to the Church the truth in the form of exhortation and preaching. God gave us truth so that we could love Him through the hearing of the exhortation of preaching. The Son of God rose from the dead to provide these things for our faith so that He could fulfill His promise to manifest Himself to us, and to fulfill the promise that we might know God. By the hearing of truth as we are exhorted to continue in the grace of God. We hear the teaching and preaching of truth in the assembly. We go to the assembly to come into contact with this necessary ingredient for our faith, and we use this contact as a tool for our faith to partake of Christ who is Truth. Thus we are continually cleansed by His Truth and confirm Christ.

God set the law of Jesus Christ within the pattern of His truth. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to His truth. When truth comes through the headship of Christ (not precept and line) we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

PROPHECY ---- God gave us prophecy so that we can LOVE HIM through these works. The Son of God rose from the dead to provide these things for our faith so that He could fulfill His promise to manifest Himself to us, and to fulfill the promise that we might know God. Prophecy is the utterance of Christ in the form of charity.

Rev. 19:10, ".........The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." We now testify of Christ and proclaim every one of us concerning this record, this pattern, this salvation.

I Cor.14:31, "For you may ALL prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted."

God is using prophecy as a form of contact between us and him and us and the brethren, joining us to Him and each other through Jesus Christ. The spiritual sacrifices of our prayers and prophecies are the reality of the Old Testament types and shadows. It was first fulfilled in Christ, and now in us as we follow His pattern of giving the knowledge of God through grace and truth.

Jesus loved us by giving us the words of His Father. Jn.17:8, "For I have given unto them the words (holy knowledge, ordered knowledge, not scripture, not precept and line) which you gave me and they have received them......."

Jesus said, "Sanctify them through you truth; your word (holy knowledge, ordered knowledge, not scripture, not precept and line) is truth."Jn.17:17.

Then Jesus said for us to love one another as He has loved us. Are you beginning to see what God provided for us to express charity? The foundation of truth (anointing of truth) is set in the heart and comes out of the mouth to confirm Christ (Rom.10:10). As truth confirms Christ it is also cleansing us.

When we are prophesying, we are prophesying concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ only. Truth represents only one kingdom, that of Jesus Christ. He is the PATTERN for our faith. We are confirming Jesus Christ, and the pattern that God set through Him. Remember, this is not knowledge without grace, but knowledge through the Spirit.

When God spoke to Moses, God was giving to Moses the PATTERN for all others to confirm. When the Levites performed their duties, they were confirming the pattern. When the children of Israel brought their sacrifice, they were confirming the pattern. When we offer our spiritual sacrifices of prophecy to God, we are confirming the pattern God set through Jesus Christ.

God set the law of Jesus Christ (grace and truth) within the activity of prophecy. This is why our faith can be made living by being joined to His through this expression. We are made partakers of Christ through this utterance and so again is manifested that we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things (Truth possesses these virtues). The things of the Son possess these powers in order to ALSO be confirmed by the expression of these things: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and charity. This is what it means to forbear one another in love. No aspiration enters here, no boast, no offense lies in these things. This is why we are to abide in the Truth, and we glorify the Father and His joy remains in us.

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your FIRST LOVE. Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, and repent, and DO the first WORKS. or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent," Rev.2:5.

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