Power Without Character

There are those who would say that being, or not being, 501c3 is of little or no consequence. God is still moving in power and saving people and healing people and He is doing it through incorporated 501c3 Ekklesia (Churches).

Yes this is correct God’s power is being shown through many, and in many, different ways in churches in the 501c3 System, but God’s power moving does not always carry with it God’s approval.

Jesus said there will be many that say to Him “Lord, Lord” did we not do many wonderful works in your name, but He will say to them to depart because He never knew them.

He was looking for His fruit in their lives. He is looking for His character to be shown forth to the World in the lives of His People, not just His power. God requires His character to go with His power, so that the use of His power does not bring something less than honor to Him and His Name, the Name of Jesus Christ.

Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mt 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The Corinthian Ekklesia (Church) had many gifts of God’s Spirit moving in their midst, but the body was a mess and Paul had to correct a lot of things. God’s power was moving in their midst, but God’s character and/or His fruit was lacking. Paul had to make it plain to them that all the gifts and power without the fruit and character of God is worthless.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, {vaunteth…: or, is not rash}

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; {in the truth: or, with the truth}

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. {fail: Gr. vanish away}

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. {done away: Gr. vanish away}

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. {thought: or, reasoned} {put away: Gr. vanish away}

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. {darkly: Gr. in a riddle}

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

Moses and Aaron did not believe the Lord enough and were not faithful to keep Him sanctified and Holy in the eyes of the people of Israel when Moses and Aaron struck the rock twice for water to come out of the rock instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord instructed them to do. They wheeled God’s power in such a manner that God was presented to His people in a fashion less than honoring to Him as God, so Moses and Aaron were disciplined for this transgression.

Nu 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed <0539> me not, to sanctify <06942> me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Nu 20:13 This [is] the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them. {Meribah: that is, Strife}

0539 Nma ‘aman aw-man’

a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 116}

AV-believe 44, assurance 1,  faithful 20, sure 11, established 7, trust 5, verified 3, stedfast 2, continuance 2, father 2, bring up 4, nurse 2, be nursed 1, surely be 1, stand fast 1, fail 1, trusty 1; 108

1) to support, confirm, be faithful

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish

1a1a) foster-father (subst.)

1a1b) foster-mother, nurse

1a1c) pillars, supporters of the door

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm

1b1a) to be carried by a nurse

1b1b) made firm, sure, lasting

1b1c) confirmed, established, sure

1b1d) verified, confirmed

1b1e) reliable, faithful, trusty

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in

1c1a) stand firm

1c1b) trust, believe

06942 vdq qadash kaw-dash’

a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 1990}

AV-sanctify 108, hallow 25, dedicate 10, holy 7, prepare 7, consecrate 5, appointed 1, bid 1, purified 1, misc 7; 172

1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated

1a2) to be hallowed

1a3) consecrated, tabooed

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to show oneself sacred or majestic

1b2) to be honoured, be treated as sacred

1b3) to be holy

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate

1c2) to observe as holy, keep sacred

1c3) to honour as sacred, hallow

1c4) to consecrate

1d) (Pual)

1d1) to be consecrated

1d2) consecrated, dedicated

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to set apart, devote, consecrate

1e2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow

1e3) to consecrate

1f) (Hithpael)

1f1) to keep oneself apart or separate

1f2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God)

1f3) to be observed as holy

1f4) to consecrate oneself

Some may say well what character of God or fruit of the Spirit is lacking when a body incorporates and becomes a part of the 501c3 System?  The answer is “Faith.”

Paul says to the Galatians one of the fruits of the Spirit is “faith.”  Faith is built on truth, the truth of God’s Word.

Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Ga 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1Ti 3:14  These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1Ti 3:15 and if I delay, that thou mayest know how it behoveth [thee] to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is an assembly of the living God—a pillar and foundation of the truth, – Young’s Literal Translation

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

The Ekklesia (Church) is the foundation of truth in the world today! Without the truth being in the Ekklesia (Church), the faith in the Ekklesia (Church) is not the true faith, but would be and is a false faith promoted by ever increasing seducing spirits building up to the final “Lie” of the Son of Perdition and his antichrist system.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. {withholdeth: or, holdeth}

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2Th 2:9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Jesus said,

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This is the “faith” that Jude said was delivered to the saints once for all, it is not changing and morphing for each generation.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once <530> delivered unto the saints.

530 apax hapax hap’-ax

probably from 537; TDNT-1:381,64; adv

AV-once 15; 15

1) once, one time

2) once for all

The gospel that is being preached by the majority of 501c3 System churches is something significantly less than the truth of God’s word and getting worse and worse day after day. Those in the 501c3 System that preach close to the truth of the original gospel are persecuted for it not just because of what they preach, if at all, but because they are violating the agreement that they made when incorporating not to preach many parts of God’s Word.