Questioning the Authority of Pure Religion

‘And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, "I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me." And they reasoned with themselves, saying, if we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ “ (Mark 11:27-33 KJV)

'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.’(1 John 3:1-3 KJV)

'Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth ON the Son of God hath the witness IN himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.' 

(1 John 5:5-11 KJV)

'Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.' (Titus 1:15,16 KJV)

Be Agreed!

‘Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, you only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' (Amos 3:1-3 KJV)

'Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' (Matthew 18:19,20 KJV)

'And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.' (John 16:23,24 KJV)

'My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.' (1 John 2:1-6 KJV)

'Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.' (1 Peter 4:1,2 KJV)

Be agreed, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the joy of the Lord.

Mark 11:20-26

‘And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive, and ye shall have. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.'

(Mark 11:20-26 KJV)

When vanity in our temple is cured, and the sacrifice preserved, then we will have what Jesus said believers would!

According to Knowledge

‘Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not ACCORDING to KNOWLEDGE. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.' (Romans 10:1-3 KJV)

'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may KNOW what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.' (Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV)

'But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the KNOWLEDGE of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may KNOW him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:7-12 KJV)

'This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we HAVE FELLOWSHIP with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we HAVE FELLOWSHIP one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.'

(1 John 1:5-7 KJV)

'I will therefore put you in REMEMBRANCE, though you once KNEW this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.' (Jude 1:5 KJV)

Good to Know!

'He hath done All Things well'

‘And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done ALL THINGS well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.' 

(Mark 7:36,37 KJV)

'And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.'

(Romans 8:28,29 KJV)

'But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know ALL THINGS. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.'

(1 John 2:20,21 KJV)

'The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above ALL THINGS that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.' (3 John v.2,3 KJV)

'For ALL THINGS are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.'

(2 Corinthians 4:15 KJV)

'So likewise ye, when ye shall have done ALL THOSE THINGS which are commanded you...' (Luke 17:10 KJV)

So, likewise ye!

Separated FROM What?

‘Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, SEPARATED unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.' (Romans 1:1-7 KJV)

'According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, 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. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood hay stubble; every man's work shall 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. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; YET SO as by fire.'

(1 Corinthians 3:10-15 KJV)

(Read the entirety of Philippians 3 KJV)

'But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is THROUGH the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:7-12 KJV)

Separated from confidence in the flesh to be apprehended of Christ Jesus.

His Righteousness: Our Undeniable Part

‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.' 

(Matthew 5:20 KJV)

'That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' (Romans 10:9,10 KJV)

'If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.' (1 John 2:29 KJV)

'Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.' (1 John 3:7 KJV)

'In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.' (1 John 3:10 KJV)

'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. 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.' (Romans 12:1,2 KJV)