The Voice of Truth: Conforming to God's Standard of Morality

By Neville Earl Walker

In view of the behavioral inconsistency with doctrine by born-again believers, this book serves to offer guidelines so that earnest believers who speak of eternal life will also behave in a manner that relates to their expectations. As Christians, we previously lived in nonconformity to the things that the Bible encourages. Now, our new lifestyle should demonstrate the teaching of the Bible to Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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 (1 Jn. 2:1516). Love of the world involves fleshly lust and selfish pride. It is the most challenging antagonism that can distract a believers walk with the Lord. To be enthralled by worldliness means that he or she is deceived, and such worldly pursuit can only lead to separation from God. In light of the deceiving elements that lead to destruction, The Voice of Truth purports to edify believers . . . for the perfecting of the Saints and the unity of the faith. The lifestyle of Saints must adopt the attitude of pleasing God, not ourselves. Our behavior must conform to doctrinal principles through love as the body of Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 30, 2009
• ISBN: 9781450018760

Neville Earl Walker

Neville Earl Walker, author of the book “Making Wise the Simple,” is called of God and was baptized with the gift of the Holy Spirit. He continued faithfully in the Lord’s service under the leadership of that same Holy Spirit and Bishop Vivian B. Burke, pastor. Neville Walker demonstrated inspirational leadership and commitment to the ministry, served on the board of trustees and was elevated as an ordained deacon in 1982. He was also appointed vice president of the Church of Jesus Christ National Youth Ministry. As an officer of the Sunday School Committee, he oftentimes taught Sunday school. After a change of residence, he continued in the Lord’s service under the leadership of Bishop Doctor Walter Glen McKoy D.D. He was promoted to the office of licensed minister in 1992 and an ordained minister in 1995. His spiritual gifts and function in the church includes Bible teaching and Biblical counseling. Neville Walker was instrumental, in working in partnership with Bishop McKoy, in instituting the “Ministry of Nurture.” His present vision from the Lord is to focus on reaching this world’s “lost sheep” and to edify the Body of Believers through evangelism, Bible teaching, counseling and writing of various books as tools toward reaching those who are far off in place and time.

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CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

HOLINESS, PERFECTION, AND UPRIGHTNESS ARE DISTINCTIVE QUALITIES OF SAINTS

CHAPTER TWO

SAINTS STAY PURE BY REJECTING CORRUPT THOUGHTS AND AVOIDING WRONG JUDGMENT OF OTHERS

CHAPTER THREE

IT IS REQUIRED OF SAINTS TO ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCES OF EVIL

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neville Earl Walker, author of the book Making Wise the Simple, is called of God and was baptized with the gift of the Holy Spirit. He continued faithfully in the Lord’s service under the leadership of that same Holy Spirit and Bishop Vivian B. Burke, pastor.

Neville Earl Walker demonstrated inspirational leadership and commitment to the ministry, served on the board of trustees and was elevated as an ordained deacon in 1982. He was also appointed vice president of the Church of Jesus Christ National Youth Ministry. As an officer of the Sunday School Committee, he oftentimes taught Sunday school.

After a change of residence, he continued in the Lord’s service under the leadership of Bishop Doctor Walter Glen McKoy D.D. He was promoted to the office of licensed minister in 1992 and an ordained minister in 1995. His spiritual gifts and function in the church includes Bible teaching and Biblical counseling.

Neville Earl Walker was instrumental, in working in partnership with Bishop McKoy, in instituting the Ministry of Nurture. His present vision from the Lord is to focus on reaching this world’s lost sheep and to edify the Body of Believers through evangelism, Bible teaching, counseling and writing of various books as tools toward reaching those who are far off in place and time.

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INTRODUCTION

The Voice of Truth is written in volumes, 1 through 7. This is an inspirational work done with the purpose of communicating biblical truths to edify sincere believers who are faithful in serving the Lord. The teachings and instructions that are communicated in this series of books are directed to believers who are members of the church (the body of Christ). In reading these volumes, believers may accept the teaching in order to enhance their walk with the Lord. The church, as an organism, has guidelines and tenets, as do most organizations, to which its members must adhere.Jesus Christ as Lord, is the head of the church. His doctrine is the sole principle that governs the walk of the believer. Everyone who loves the Lord finds himself or herself challenged with the task of selecting a place of worship from an enormous variety of religious groups and systems that claim to be the church. Some of these enterprises have misrepresented the teachings of Jesus Christ and in so doing have led believers to indulge in principles and standards that do not reflect living by faith. These volumes, however, hope to edify and protect sober-minded believers from the deception or restriction engineered by the devil’s plan to mutilate the body of Christ (church). The Bible tells us that the devil is as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). One of his devices used in this venture is to infiltrate the church with self-serving men and women as well as false teachers. These egocentrics and unlearned in the word of God allow themselves to be used by the deceiver to twist Christ’s doctrine in justifying their own means, thereby deceiving many. The Bible authenticates this concept thus: Children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Eph. 4:14).

The demonic deception that targets the church can be seen today in the behavior of some who identify themselves as Christians yet openly indulge in immorality, albeit in many cases in an ignorant way. In spite of their ignorance—which is not an excuse—such unethical behavior coming from believers who acclaim their status as members of the body of Christ is undoubtedly unacceptable.

Demonic deception is communicated in any one of these possible theories:

1.   Men who are deceived in their interpretation of the scriptures promulgate the gospel with false biblical teachings.

2.   Believers who are overburdened with personal responsibilities that preclude their attending Bible teachings and worship services may ultimately have their learning influenced by the impious behavior of others who profess having faith in Jesus Christ.

3.   Pastors who look but do not see and who hear but do not listen, for fear of losing members or for their greater love of money.

In order for the souls of born-again Christians to be saved unto eternal life, they must live by the standards revealed in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. When a believer walks incompatibly with Jesus’s doctrine, he or she must receive amorous correction from the church leadership. The leadership’s purpose must show feelings of concern to guide the believer back unto the right path. If this is not happening, then either one or more of the three aforementioned hypotheses has come into play, or the believer is lost in the crowd of too large a congregation.

In view of the behavioral inconsistency with doctrine, these volumes of books serve to offer instructive and uplifting guidelines so that earnest believers will not only speak with assurance of eternal life but also behave in a manner that relates to their expectations. One’s lifestyle, which was previously lived in nonconformity to the things that the Bible encourages, should now evolve to live righteously, having been changed by means of transformation (born-again). The new lifestyle should be expected if they are taught to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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 (1 John 2:15-16). Love of the world, which involves fleshy lust and selfish pride, is the most challenging antagonism that can distract a believer from focusing on God. In one’s walk with the Lord, to be enthralled by worldliness means that he or she is deceived, and such worldly pursuit can only lead to separation from God.

In light of the deceiving elements that lead to destruction, The Voice of Truth purports to edify believers for the perfecting of the saints and the unity of the faith. God imparts in us the conviction of the gospel to liberate hearts from bondage in order to serve Him in spirit and in truth. The devil, on the other hand, is always at work, seeking to turn the heart of man away from God. In order for us to defeat the devil’s effort, the truth in God’s word must be revealed to all believers. The Bible states, If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

The Birth of the Church

After Peter’s affirmation that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus declared, Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Jesus’s declaration suggests that the birth and growth of the church will consist of born-again believers who have received the revelation of the Christ and in a confession of faith declare that He is Lord and Savior (Son of the living God). Such confession must be made publicly by means of repentance and acceptance of water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38). The believers’ sincerity when professing their faith in Jesus Christ would be confirmed at some point by the infilling of the Holy Ghost, complete with the initial signs of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives bold utterance. Upon being baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit, the believer’s lifestyle must from then on begin to manifest the fruit of the Spirit to highlight his or her spiritual lifestyle in their walk with the Lord.

In His declaration of kingdom building, Jesus identified the church as His own (My church), which signifies that the church is a living body, conjoined with Christ as Head, and cannot function or exist separate and apart from His Lordship.

The church is analogous to a building, which is built on the foundation of the doctrinal teachings of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone (Lord and Savior). All believers born into the church must be erected (fitly framed together) upon that foundation (the gospel of Jesus Christ) and groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:20-21).

We are a holy temple; our bodies house the Holy Spirit, and wherever we go, we stand as a representative of Jesus Christ. The doctrinal foundation unites all believers in faith and knowledge and makes them reject false teachings and doctrines. When God created humanity, He instructed it to eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was in the midst of the garden, for in the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die. The devil then brought false doctrine to Eve through the serpent and told her, Ye shall not surely die. Humanity’s nonrejection of such false doctrine led to its defeat by sin and death. To avoid a similar calamity that will destroy us on a personal level, born-again believers must reject false doctrines.

The apostle Peter describes the church as a spiritual house, which is built up of believers who are lively stones. The church is thus one body built on one foundation through one baptism and has one Lord, one faith, and one hope. As members of this one body, we must protect the foundation (the gospel of Jesus Christ) from being distorted or altered by the devil’s deceiving effort that comes to mislead us through lies, doubts, fears, and spiritual wickedness.

Jesus’s revelation of the church’s inception cannot be replaced or made void by anyone claiming to have some other revelation or prophecy. Any revelation or prophecy one may receive pertaining to the church must confirm and be in agreement with the original doctrine: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:17-19).

When we all agree doctrinally, our spiritual maturity grows unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ in all believers (Eph. 4:13). Even though the church branches out into various local assemblies, we must maintain oneness by means of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. The Bible indicates that after the church emerged on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), this oneness persisted diligently, as they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer (Acts 2:42).

The New Covenant

Peter’s confession, which Jesus described as a revelation from the Father, might have been the inauguration of the new covenant. This potential birth of the dispensation of the church demonstrates how God would write (reveal) His laws in the hearts of believers, as was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. The act through which God makes His covenant with believers was evidenced by the apostles and those with them speaking in tongues through the infilling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In Peter’s case, he did not receive the Holy Spirit at the same time of his confession because Jesus was still with His disciples.

As the church establishes itself through its many branches, we also find other organizations originating and claiming to be the church. Some of those organizations, referred to as denominations, have failed to promulgate the doctrine of Jesus Christ, based on what they are building on as the true foundation. This failure became evident through the various religious beliefs that have emerged out of those denominations. Their different approach to the gospel has caused convicted souls to be denied the truth, and rather than shining as lights in a darkened world, they themselves continue to walk in darkness. Through the apostle Paul, the Bible states thus: According to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:10-11).

The fact that members of any religious organization continue to exhibit a worldly lifestyle suggests that such an organization may be in error. Their miscalculation of the gospel could probably be by them having an intellectual understanding instead of a revealed understanding of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Rather than building on the foundation according to God’s plan through Jesus Christ, they have erected their structure on unfounded concepts of men. As a result, their perception of salvation is imparted without revelation, inspiration, or vision from God. Consequently, for these denominations, the Bible states, "Now if any man build upon this foundation [Jesus Christ] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work will be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is" (1 Cor. 3:12-13).

Imparting biblical knowledge to brethren, who are of the body of Christ, is extremely important if they are required to apply themselves obediently. There can be no diversion from the truth; we need the interpretation as revealed by the Holy Spirit, not an intellectual version. We see this diversion from the true foundation starting to take shape from the time of the early church when Jewish believers tried to compel the Gentile believers to circumcise their foreskin in an effort to attach this Jewish custom to saving grace. The apostle Paul intervened against this practice and showed that salvation is achieved by faith in Jesus Christ, for by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20).

God is the author of our salvation and determines the means by which we atone for our sins. He laid down the principles concerning how we should live to please Him. Seeing that we are created in the image of God and after His likeness, God expects us to be like Him. Similarly, when we plant corn, we expect to reap corn. This explains that God’s principles are founded on how He would act under the circumstances (lovingly, compassionately, mercifully, faithfully, and justly). Apparently, some find it hard to accept some principles of the doctrine, and not only avoid them, but also persuade others to do likewise. We should be mindful of the examples we follow and not take it for granted that because a person holds a high office in the church, he or she speaks gospel truths. Jesus declares, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. He also entreats us to enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction (Matt. 7:13).

After Jesus established the church and returned to His throne in glory, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all Christian believers. Thereby, with the Spirit’s help, born-again Christians will be more able to live up to the expectations of God. In addition, the Bible teaches that God also ordained the church’s leadership so that, through its ministry in union with the help of the Holy Spirit, believers may attain spiritual unity and maturity. Working together with God in obedience establishes unity in the doctrinal standard of morality, which dictates how we should live. Unity in standard expresses that there is unity in