Your enrollment in the Second 8th
Week Ministries Distance Learning Program begins with your study of the doctrine of Christ. In order for us to build our faith with the First
Generation Knowledge of Christ, which God issues to the Church in the form of
doctrine through living apostles, we must embrace it fully by allowing it to fully
persuade our choices of faith. This instruction in the faith assists believers
in making all the necessary connections for their faith to remain joined to
Christ in whom God has provided our redemption.
A first example of this would have
to do with the use of the tool of tongues. From past experience and studies
people adopt different understanding and habits with the tool of tongues. This
shows the persuasion of false indoctrination, which has removed this spiritual
tool from the value God set in it through Christ. Instruction is necessary to
reestablish the original value God put upon this tool for faith. Truth must now
be allowed to have full persuasion through daily application with the tool in
order for this false indoctrination to be uprooted. As believers begin to
exercise their faith with this first tool of the Second Covenant Priesthood,
they will begin to gain understanding of this tool from God's perspective. As
they learn how to function in their spiritual priesthood, which begins with
their use of this tool and continues with their study of the Foundation Series,
they will experience true and lasting spiritual growth as God bears witness to
Christ in this tool.
So we can see that there is first a
doctrinal cleansing that must take place before we can experience the spiritual
cleansing which takes place in our souls by the effectual working of the Holy
Ghost. This is the work of Christ which centers on the spiritual transformation
of our souls. The end result of our experiencing this work of spiritual
cleansing is the renewing of our minds which again is by the power of the
Spirit.
The unction, or anointing of truth,
then is the necessary instruction in the doctrine of Christ which enables us to
serve God with perfect faith. All past indoctrinations spoke about Christ
without understanding how God works in the soul or being able to equip
believers with this foundation knowledge which is essential for our learning
how to function as priests and our being able to testify of the reality of His
work taking place in our hearts.
The church today is in the same condition as Israel during
the times of Ezra. Each one speaking half the language of the Jews and half the
language of Ashdod (Neh.13:24,25). Ezra 9:2,6: "The holy seed have
mingled themselves with the people of the land.” [6] "Our iniquities are
increased over our head, and our trespass (against the covenant) is grown up
unto the heavens.” Similarly, each Christian comes into the assembly with the
vine of his own planting, speaking half truth and half error.
There are those who say they are apostles, who want to bring
healing and restoration to the church. However, they still speak half in the
language of faith and half in the language of Calvin, or Wesley, or Luther, or
modern philosophers, or so-called faith cults, or Assemblies of God, etc. That
system is still present in their thinking and in their approach to doctrine.
False knowledge sown into truth overthrows faith.
Ezra demanded that the Levites be cleansed by first
separating themselves from their strange wives. Christians must go through a
similar process by separating themselves from all false indoctrination. This is
done as the foundation of truth is laid in the heart (Dr. vonAnderseck E.
Doctrine and discipline for spiritual transformation (1984). Apostolic
Governance; Apostles’ Separation and Cleansing. Second 8th Week University
Press).
To say it another way, doctrinal
cleansing can be seen as the instruction necessary for a young boy to become
competent in a machine shop. There are certain connections he may have learned
in his past experiences of life which are not appropriate for his new job
functions. An example of this might be the word screw driver or hammer. When
first asked to grab a screwdriver he may lean upon his past experiences at home
and return with a butter knife. When first asked for a hammer he may return
with a screwdriver handle. While these tools were used in the past for driving
screws and hammering nails, they are not adequate or appropriate
tools for functioning in the environment of a machine shop in which the butter
knife would be bent and the screwdriver handle would shatter.
So then this young boy would have to
learn through new instruction that when a machinist needs a screw driver he is
referring to one of the correct size, shape, and length of handle for the job
to be performed safely and efficiently without waste or loss. These are things
he never took into consideration when trying to remove the battery cover from
his toys as a child. So also must those who are coming out of the False
Religious System be instructed in things they never took into consideration
when they were trying to function with Exigent Faith which was
normalized as the common Christian experience. This important re-education
is essential for our new vocation as priests of the Most High God.
