First Principles
My husband received once…the greatest need for our day is a return to first principles.
Hebrews 5:12 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”
We need to be taught in the fundamentals of the Scriptures.
Of course we need to be born again before we can really learn of Jesus (Ephesians 4:20)….but once we are born again, we need to learn from the milk of the Word….and grow.
(I fear that many believe that the “milk of the Word” is all about God’s love….and although HIs love is great and true….the basics of Scripture is Christ.
From the beginning to the end…God points to Him…and our part in Him. His Word…for He is the Word. His Purpose to have a people for His name sake. His great call…down through the ages, to men, to follow and know Him. His descent to earth to become our Savior from sin. His death and resurrection…for He accomplished both death to sin and life to God for us….and His great intercessory power for HIs people.)
Romans 16:25-27 “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”
But the first principle I am going to speak about here….is the cross…my (our) personal cross…that the Lord Jesus told us Himself about….by denying ourselves, picking up our cross (which is anything of God’s Will that cuts across my will)…and following Him. (Matthew 16:24)
But when we have done that….and we no longer resist His Will in anything (this is not instant obedience, but final obedience. We have determined to follow Him, no matter what it costs us.)
Then, we are ready to go on in the fundamentals of Christ….then we become the living sacrifice:
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
The member of the Godhead we present our bodies to is the Holy Spirit. He has come to transform us…sanctify us….set us aside in all our ways, thoughts, actions, words,….to God.
And He works in us to:
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
How amazing is our God! He commands that we be not conformed to this world….but He just does not command….He gives grace….to renew our minds, to see the evil of this world…not just in general….but in particular where our walk is concerned.
How do we know whether this course of action….or this person,…or going to this place is right?
There are many “bad” things we absolutely know to stay away from…the scriptures are very plain about these…..but there are also many things which may be right for some….but not for me. These are called personal convictions.
Our minds being renewed (In the Greek means renovation. We all have thoughts of renovating a house, kitchen or other room. There is always a lot of tearing out….building up…replacing new for the old.) So it is with our minds.
They are renewed….for the Holy Spirit has come and gives us His thoughts. “Old things are passed away…behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Many of the “old things” that need to be replaced are “conformity to the world”.
We often grow up comparing ourselves with others around us….at home or school or work. The “fads” of the times….in clothes, and speech. The morals of the world…and (sadly) sometimes even the church we attend…
…all these are “old things” which need to be renewed by His Holy Spirit and the Word of God, when we are born again….and are beginning to follow Him.
For now, we are His child…His servant….His friend. And we can not be a friend of the world, if we are a friend of God. (James 4:4 “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?…”)
(We are not friends of the world, we are lights to it…showing His light from within us.)
The means is always the same….deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow the Lord Jesus.
The cross we carry is a daily cross. It first deals with our wills….but once we truly will to do and be His Will, (and this is often called “being crucified with Christ”)….
…..then, we willingly pick up our cross in love to Christ…and carry it day by day….for it deals with our minds and hearts….our lives, our affections, and our attitudes, bringing us into union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
(One of my favorite songs is
“Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand.
The shadow of a mighty Rock within a weary land.
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way.
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.
I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.”
We must come to the place that we would not give up our cross for all this weary world.
I will cling to it…till I can place it down at Jesus feet for a token of my love.
While Christ is our pattern…each of us will be us,…for time and for eternity.
That is what the Lord wants….for “us”…the “us” He created…the “us” He saved…the “us” He is forming into His character….to come after Him.
The first Principle we always need to learn is that Christ not only saves us…but teaches us….leads us….and empowers us….through this world.
Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
The first principle we need to learn….is to yield to this working….and become renovated for His Purpose, under the teaching of the cross He gives us.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 