3 Pillars for Eternity

By Deacon-X

It is not important for an author of a Christian book to get recognition from the status quo when dealing with Gods Word. For John the Baptist made it plain to future believers when he said, He must increase and I must decrease. Thus, the authors identity will remain as his pen name, Deacon-X.

More important is the message from the sixty-six books contained in the Bible that leads a lost soul from condemnation to justification, sanctification, and future glorification. All because Jesus died for lost sinners like you and me, of whom I am chief.

This is a book not by a pastor, missionary, or Bible college professor, but an ordinary working stiff who refused to follow Gods leading and settled for second best in the things of Christ for most of my pilgrimage. It took an illness to pry me away from my worldly pursuits and write down and record a few of my old and newer ministry messages on sections of my three favorite Bible books, Genesis, Johns gospel, and Romans.

Dont expect it to contain proper grammar but proper truth from this nameless conservative believer who was taught in the spirit of 2 Timothy 2:2 in a non-denominational gathering.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449775018

Deacon-X

The author was born September 23, 1946; born again in September 1979, after hearing the gospel for the first time at the age of thirty-three. His first ten years as a believer, he attended a denominational gathering and then moved to a meeting where all the gifted men shared the preaching and teaching. “Deacon-X” grew and hopefully did his share.

Book preview

Forward: How, What & Why Bother?

In 1989 after 10 years of being a very nominal believer and depending on a pastor and adult bible teachers, to advance my growth as a Christian, an event came that changed my spiritual life. A very rich believer annually paid for a dozen couples or more to show the Jesus movie in various countries worldwide for Campus Crusade for Christ . My wife and I were chosen to go on a 3 week screening of the Gospel of Luke film in Mexico. While I was there it struck me how much more most of the Christians knew their bibles more than I did. We came back from Mexico and I was on fire with a renewed thirst for the word of God like we first experienced at conversion.

Just about the same time my home church had gone through 3 pastors in my first decade as a believer. One was not a good enough preacher, one was very loving but a poor administrator and the third was a good administrator but too cold some thought.

If the flock would have read their bibles they would have realized no one man has all the gifts and I had to learn in the future that all saints in the universal & local church have a gift that needs exercising. This was impossible where we were!

On top of all this the gathering had only one or two saints attend the midweek prayer meeting and the Sunday night gospel meeting was scraped which I never understood. So here we were on fire wanting more of God’s wisdom from his word and getting starved instead of being fed. It was then I got invited to attend a bible study and gospel meetings with a small group of believers some of which used to attend my existing church. They had no pastor but they all knew their scriptures light years ahead of me. To make a long story even shorter I left my first denominational meeting to attend this small gathering of Christians. That was 20 plus years ago. I had to learn it was my responsibility to grow in the things of God and not someone else’s to feed me milk.

Now to the heart of the matter about my book. I was in happy fellowship with this gathering of believers when God in his wisdom allowed me to have one of the Muscular Dystrophy illnesses. The last couple of years I was not strong enough to attend meetings. I knew I would wither on the vine spiritually as well as I was physically if I didn’t force myself to stay in the book. I had kept copies of my old Gospel messages and ministry so I decided to gather some of them in the form of a book. From past experiences I knew it was the only way to keep my soul happy. I was not concerned if it got published for I could leave copies for my grandkids, believer’s, friends & neighbors on a CD in this computer age.

So now after a year of tackling the 16 chapters of Romans, and finishing all 21 chapters of John’s Gospel for this book, which took a couple of earlier years, I finally finish my work on the first biblical book…Genesis chapters 1 to 11.

This first of the 66 books that make up the complete cannon of Scripture I didn’t fully engage in. But I decided to limit my writings to the all important first 11 chapters of Genesis. What is my purpose in doing so? Well, it’s not because I’m a scholar. It was because just like Romans is the Magna Charta of the New Testament and John’s Gospel proclaims the deity of Christ to the world, Genesis also helps keep this soul of mine on a solid foundation. This is not an easy thing in this 21st century with technology fueling entertainment, comfort, and materialism, laced with sin to defeat and devour God’s people. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t admit it’s a daily struggle for me and that at times, to my shame, I’ve come under the spell of this cosmos and it’s Princes trap only to seek forgiveness for my sin from the Lord.

God sure knew what he was doing when he gave regenerated man a conscience more strongly overseen by His indwelling Holy Spirit. Fortunately this signaled the need of my repentance, confession and necessary re-communion with God.

I’m speaking of the need to retain continuous fellowship with our Creator so we can remain steadfast, grow and learn more about the God of the Bible. Sin in anyone’s life will block the deeper things of God he wants to reveal to us in his word. I am not speaking of salvation, but sanctification for a true believer‘s sins are forgiven, past, present and future. If you manage by some miracle to get though some of my thoughts that I begged, borrowed, and stole from more godly men than me you’ve accomplished something.

If you are to learn anything on your way through this introduction and beyond it will be because of the contribution of others who came before me and their desire to learn and teach. It is our responsibility to do the same for weaker and newer believers.

You will also discover as your pass through its pages that there’s no rhyme nor reason nor pattern in my style of writings. Just forget about the poor grammar and try to appreciate my blue collar down to earth approach. Having looked at chapter after chapter you will discover it consists of a hodgepodge of various methods of teaching. You’ll find a ministry approach in one chapter, a commentary vein in another and sometimes a comparative thought process rounding off yet another, all inter twined with a thread of Gospel. Putting pen to paper is the simplest way I forced myself to stay in the book. Making the truths of the Bible, your truths and practices is the only way, along with prayer, to keep one’s soul happy, and especially mine. Thus writing this book was my means of preservation do to unfortunate and unwanted isolation.

So let us press on to the introduction of Genesis Chapter 1 and I hope you benefit from some of my thoughts down on paper regarding the 3 pillars of scripture before you. As you read on I pray it won’t take you long to realize how these 3 books are pivotal in our preparation for our earthly walk and a home in eternity. So let’s begin and look at the introduction of Why Genesis.

Why Genesis Chapters 1 to 11?

Most scholars and theologians for centuries have credited, and rightfully so, Moses as the author of the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch. It is obvious to me, taught by the Holy Spirit through the word of God and by godly men, that God couldn’t have chose anyone better than Moses. Just look at Moses life! He was trained as a prince of Egypt to one day become their Pharaoh. He had an upbringing which entitled him to all the learning and wisdom of the greatest civilization of that day Egypt. Moses rejected it all but yet was prepared through his princely training to embrace the greater wisdom of God and record this divine wisdom for man and eternity. And then there was Mount Sinai. What communication there must have been between the creator of the universe and this well humbled Shepherd of Israel. One originally thought Moses was destined to rule over the worldly greatness of pagan Egypt. Instead he became a privileged servant of the most high and true living God. If anyone’s was more qualified to record divine history and creation please let me know. So why has this author decided to devote the first 11chapters of the book of Genesis as the topic of my first 11 chapters in my book, 3 Pillars for Eternity? And why did I stop at Chapter 11 knowing full well the book of Genesis contained 50 chapters of important godly events, people and history?

We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

So why? Let’s put it this way. If you were a lost soul on a stranded desert island with pages of a KJV Bible, blowing to and fro on a windy beach, and you gathered up enough pages to read, dissect, and learn from ,I would hope they’d be the following: The first 11 chapters of Genesis, the Gospel of John, and the Epistle to the Romans. Why start with Genesis? It’s foundational and been cast aside as mere myth by unregenerated men on the pulpits of Christendom.

Yet it has been properly defended by the true Churches of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and their many regenerated teachers. But as the age of grace moves on its defenders are becoming few.

When I was a little boy, and a young lost soul, there was many a time I would look up to the heavens and gaze on the immenseness and the number of stars in the sky. Nearly every time I engaged in this practice I would quietly ask myself what’s it all about? Why am I here? And why must I die when I grow up? Like countless others my true understanding of these questions were answered by the dictation of the Holy Spirit through God’s man Moses, the apostle John and the apostle Paul in the cannon of scripture. But the foundation of it all was clearly laid in the book of beginnings, the book of origins, the book of all sources, universally known as Genesis or in the Hebrew as Bereshith.

Where else does one find the story of creation, the fall of man, brother killing brother, Adam’s genealogy, the chaos of sin, the worldwide flood of catastrophe, Noah and his genealogy, the nations of the world and their different languages. It’s been said for countless ages that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than the God of the Bible and his creation. God bless them that stand on the Word of God alone and do not try and fit the Bible into the science of the world. To those who say Genesis 1 to 11 is a work of fiction and a fairy tale I ask you this based on your logic? If Genesis is a mere fairytale then wouldn’t Christ be a mere fairytale. God forbid as Paul said many a time. If the fall of man is mythical then why was it necessary for Jesus to die for our sins? If Noah’s Ark is an exaggerated work of fiction so then is the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ? Once again God forbid. Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, and Noah are not just fictitious characters of the novel but their existence is substantiated in 15 of the 66 books that make up our Bible. Jesus himself spoke about Noah, the flood, Adam, and Eve.

When I was a young child I used to sing the song, Yes Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. As an adult I know Jesus loves me because he was willing to die on a cross for me.

But Jesus through his word, specifically Genesis, made me aware that Gods Creation took six literal days. These days of Creation each were 24 hours in length just like a modern day. The ancestry and chronological time frames layout the world’s beginning and early world history. The flood in Noah’s time was worldwide in scope and killed all animals and mankind on the face of the earth.

How else would I have obtained the answers to my question except through divine inspiration recorded in Genesis?

The whole purpose of God’s creation was foundational for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ man’s redeemer. Why would we need to seek Gods redemption through his Son if we didn’t know the truth about the fall of man through Adam and Eve along with sin and death? Yes Genesis and all scripture is historically accurate simply by its divine nature yet woven through and through with godly characters, honestly portraying their triumphs and faults, and most importantly mans need of God’s salvation. God’s history is man’s history and it is not finished yet. What God started in Genesis He will culminate in the Revelation and the common thread throughout from start to finish is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Col. 1: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

How blessed is mankind to have at our disposal 66 books of the divine origin the first being Genesis, the book of beginnings. Let us begin with a slight detour to the King James translators code and then on with the book of beginnings.

The King James Translators Code

One of the first things I learned as a young Christian is the code the King James translators implemented to distinguish the three main names of God in the holy writings or the Old Testament. You will see the importance of knowing what attributes of God are contained in the three main names of God. It will become evident for all believers, young and old, why I am tackling this subject before Genesis 1 2 & 3. The three primary names of God found in the Hebrew text are: Elohim, Jehovah or more accurately Yahweh, and Adonai. Elohim speaks of God as our Creator and appears in the Old Testament over 2500 times. In our KJV (King James Version) the true English translation we always know that the Hebrew scribes were speaking of God as Creator when we see the word God spelled capital G. lower case o.d. It is also a plural word, yet it is singular when it speaks of the one true God. In the plural sense it not only speaks the one true God, but also it is a generic term and is used for false gods. Example: Egyptian and pagan life less objects falsely worshiped in false religions. In Genesis 1:26 and God (Elohim) said; let us make man in our image. So this Hebrew word of God conveys the unity of one God, and the plurality of the Godhead speaking of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

This is better known as the Trinity a fundamental Christian doctrine. The next name of God coded by the King James translators was Yahweh or more commonly known as Jehovah. It is mentioned over 5300 times in the Holy writings. Yet Yahweh is correct and I haven’t got the time or inclination to explain further, so please use the one you want. Yahweh/Jehovah speaks of the holiness of God, one who hates sin but loves the sinner and this second primary name of God further speaks of the Eternal God of self existence. This name is easy to spot. When you see the word LORD, or GOD in all capital letters that’s the word Jehovah/Yahweh. This is a singular word for God.

The third main name for God is Adonai and it means sovereign or master emphasizing his Lordship. It is used to over 300 times in the Old Testament, and is found in both singular and plural forms. Adon is the singular form and is used for man-made rulers such as kings, queens and judges etc. There is one exception in Psalm 110 which is not our topic of this day, but I challenge you to examine it on your own.

The plural use of the Hebrew word Adonai is for God. It is always spelled with a capital L and o.r.d. in lowercase letters….Lord.

I realize this is a limited explanation of the King James code found in the Old Testament. However, this limited explanation of the code still should allow you to recognize the three different primary names for God. Elohim, Jehovah/Yahweh, and Adonai.

You can spot the three different Hebrew names for God in the King James version of Joshua7:6 & 7.

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD (Jehovah/Yahweh) (Holy/self- existent) until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord (Adonai) (sovereign/master) GOD (Jehovah/Yahweh), wherefore hast thou at all brought his people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God (Elohim) (creator/all-powerful), we had been content and dwelt on the other side of Jordan!

Now when you read your old testament in your King James Bible’s you will be able to recognize the basic three names of God and their characteristics. You will recognize right away; Are they speaking of God the Creator, the holy self existing God or God the sovereign master. Knowing this code allows you to understand how the evil one deceived Eve in the Garden plus much, much, more. With your knowledge of this code let’s move on to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 & 2… Creation: Days 1&2

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

To-day I would like to suggest there is a similarity in God’s 6 day creation of this earth we inhabit and the new creation found in the salvation of the believer. The creation and conversation experience is a comparison between earth and man. What was God to accomplish on day 1? Well we see the earth was without form, void and darkness covered the deep. The earth was in a dead state. The unregenerated man is also in the same state. Dead to the things of God and on the road to judgment. Then the Holy Spirit of God moved.

In day 1 God said let there be light: and there was light. It was good and God made the light day & the darkness night.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and righteousness, and of judgment:

9: Of sin, because they believe no on me;

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Cor 6:14 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The first day of creation is a picture of the work of God in us regarding mans salvation. When lost souls realizes their sinful condition and receives the light of the gospel for themselves. They repent and become born again by faith in Christ’s finished work on Calvary. Day 1 is only the beginning of God’s creation and day 1 of the child of God is likewise the beginning. Day 1 There was light.

Gen 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Remember God’s handy work on day 2. Let there be a firmament or expanse. The waters were divided from the waters. God divided the waters from below and above. God called for a separation. Likewise God calls the new believers to separation. Separation from their old nature. Dead to self and alive to Christ.

2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

15: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16: And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18: And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my son and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The unequal yoke is a truth one may not fully grasp as a new believer. There are 5 spheres which the believer may fall into an unequal yoke. It also might take years before a believer is convicted they are in one. It is much easier to say out of one than get out of one later. The first two are the most common and should be known and obeyed by most believers.

1:The matrimonial yoke: The domestic partnership: Marriage is a picture of Christ and his church. How can God bless such an alliance? Only saved couples and unsaved couples can unite in marriage in God’s eyes. But never a saved to an unsaved person. What communion hath light with darkness? If one of the partners becomes saved after marriage that’s a different matter. God allows this yoke to continue.

2: The Commercial yoke: The business partnership:

Amos 3.3 Two can only walk together if they are agreed.

If a professing Christian is truly born again his unsaved business partner will never be raised to the believer’s business standards. The Believer will always have to operate at the unsaved partner’s ethic level. What has righteousness have to do with unrighteousness?

3:The fraternal yoke: The social partnership: Now the aims of some of these groups may be to promote happiness and mutual well being. But the end for the believer may not justify the means. How can a truly born again believer compromise their actions and faith in such an endeavor. What does Christ have with belial?

4:The ecclesiastic yoke: The religions partnership: Church fellowship should be restricted to those who have been saved by God’s grace. There are systems out there that don’t preach the gospel but salvation by works. They have unregenerated men in the pulpit that condemn lost souls to hell with their false teaching. They claim the Bible contains the word of God but is not fully his word etc. How can a church government in a Bible believing assembly yoke themselves to a ministerial board. Some board members are cults and have works doctrine preachers in their midst. But what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? How can these worship together or serve together? How can you share in these things with a homosexual clergy? How can you share a pulpit when there is a woman speaking? You can’t if you are true to the word of God. Ref: 1 Tim 2:9 & 1 Cor 14:34-38

5:The philanthropic yoke: The service partnership: The Bible teaches we are to be good and helpful to our fellow man. But Christians are not to partner with organizations such as service clubs to do it. What’s wrong with doing well? There is no harm in ploughing. Ploughing is good. But God prohibition forbids the yoking together of the oxen and the ass. This is a picture of the saved and the unsaved. They can’t properly pull together. What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

Day 2 of creation pictures the call of separation for the believer. It is time to obey God’s call in our lives for the days are evil and the Lord will return soon.

Creation: Day 3 & 4

We will continue the comparison between God’s creation of this world and the new creation of regenerated man. In day 1 we explored light a picture of salvation. Day 2 was a day of division a picture of the believer’s call of separation. We will now look at day 3 where God created land, sea & vegetation.

Gen. 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10: And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11: And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon earth: and it was so.

12: And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13: And the evening and morning were the third day.

Here we have a picture of the believer bearing fruit. Notice in verse 9 that only after God created dry land that was separated from the seas did the land yield its grasses, herbs & fruit.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17: And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

As believers we can only bear fruit when we are separated from the world, the flesh and the devil.

The flesh being our greatest enemy especially our own. We have to starve that old nature and feed the new one we have in Christ. We need to be grafted in to the one true vine daily, our Lord Jesus Christ. Being grafted to our own talents, gifts & resources will lead to a barren Christian life. Saved yet by fire our work or lack of it will be judged at the Lord’s bema seat.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

We must ask ourselves. How do we believers want to enter heaven? In full blossom or an empty branch and by the skin of our teeth. In creation separation leads to fruit bearing. It is the same in man the new creation. We must bear fruit for it is not an option if we want to share in Christ’s perfect peace and joy.

Gen. 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16: And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17: And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,

18: And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19: And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

On day 4 God created the heavenly bodies. It was the day of illumination. We as believers must have lives that shine for God.

Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We read in verses 14 to 19 of Genesis 1 that God gave us the sun & moon plus countless stars. The stars are a picture of the believers. The sun is a picture of Christ who is our light. The moon reflects the suns light, which is a picture of the church. The earth is a picture of the world. We know from school that, during an eclipse of the moon, the earth gets between the moon and the sun blocking out the suns light. This is what happens to a believer when the world gets between them and God’s son. It also has the same effect on a bigger scale when the world gets between Christ and his church. A world without Christ is a world in darkness.

A new or discouraged believer must not be an island unto themselves like a single isolated star. He or she must find a Bible believing church for fellowship first and friendship second. A place of teaching and not entertainment. One that shines forth light and life without compromise. A place of learning and growth so the believer can mature in Christ.

On the 4th day God created our heavenly bodies. A picture of illumination. We have to ask ourselves, is my Christian walk shining bright for Christ and his church? We pray it is.

Day 1: Light and salvation.

Day 2: Firmament and separation.

Day 3: Land, sea, vegetation and fruit bearing.

Day 4: Illumination and shinning for God.

Do we show forth this new creation? I pray we do, for the days are evil and the Lord is coming back soon. Amen.

Creation: Day 5, 6 & the 7th Day of Rest.

We will now continue our comparison between the creation and the new creation from day 5. That day God spoke into the existence the sea life and the winged fowls.

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the water bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21: And God created great whales, and ever living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22: And God blessed them, saying Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply I the earth.

23: And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

The fifth day was a day of progress. A day of growth as God filled the sea’s teaming with life and the sky’s with fowls of the air. God’s creation was full of abundance and the creatures would multiply and be fruitful.

The believer is also to progress in faith and be fruitful and multiply God’s kingdom here on earth.

The new Life’s path begins with the babe in Christ and should end in maturity in the things of God.

1 Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25: And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We all know or should by now that the Christian life is not a sprint but a long marathon race. In many cases those who started fast out of the blocks failed to be self-disciplined for the long haul and sadly their faith becomes shipwrecked. Slow and steady will result in many receiving the prize at journey’s end.

Rom 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.

2: And be no conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Progression and growth to maturity in Christ also requires sacrifice and self-denial. Thousands of sermons and ministry have been preached on Romans 12:1&2.

For this message we will let the word of God speak for itself and only say this. That our lives should be alive for Christ and not be a dead religion like the sacrifices of old. The fifth day a day of progress and growth.

On the sixth day God created 3 fold. It was the day of purpose for man’s creation.

Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25: And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon earth.

27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29: And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30: And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31: And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Verses 24 & 25 God created the animals that walk, crawl and slither on this earth.

Verses 25 to 28 God created mankind both male and female.

Verses 29 to 31 God made provision for humanity by ordaining man’s dominion over every living thing. We need to pray for these animals rights extremist. They need to get saved. They need to read these verses. Finally they will be able to appreciate a good T-bone steak. (Yes man didn’t become meat eaters until after the flood) I know that!

God made the animals. God made mankind and God gave man dominion over and provision from his creation. But God also wants to create a 3-fold purpose in his new creation the believer.

In verse 26 and 27 God says let us make man in our image (plural-our) this proves a tri-une God in the persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God in 3 persons. But our image here means more than physical appearance. It refers to man’s spiritual resemblance to the characteristics of God. This is impossible in man’s fallen state. But with salvation comes justification, which is instant and eternal.

God develops our character through sanctification, which is an ongoing process. God’s first strand in this 3-fold cord is companionship or fellowship with him. Even when we sin he provides the means of restoration.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth