Building A Foundation For The Glorious Church – Part 1

In This Series – The Elementary Principles of Repentance, Faith, Baptisms, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment will be discussed.
(6 Podcast Episodes are available for this series. Episode 1 covers Parts 1 and 2)

The foundational elementary principles referred to in the book of Hebrews is something every believer should know and understand so as to walk in the sound doctrine of Jesus Christ. This series is undoubtedly one of the most amazing teachings and revelation of scripture you may receive. Most Christians, when they read Hebrews 6:1-2 truly do not understand the significance of these first principles and how they affect their ability to step into the fullness of their birthright. I can attest that in 30 years of attending various churches, these elementary doctrines where never taught. They were touched on, but never taught.

In this seven (7) part series, you will learn and understand why Paul says in Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”  So, whether you have been sitting in a church a few years or many years, have left the church, or never have attended a church, but love Jesus and these principles are new to you; or, if you are a new believer in Christ Jesus and want to start out your walk on a solid foundation, you do not want to miss this series.

Building The Foundation Of Relationship

Ephesians 5:15-18 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do no be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Do you know what the will of God (Yahweh) is for you?

We currently live in a time where it is near impossible to walk circumspectly if our eyes are not solely focused on Jesus Christ. It is much easier to focus on the things of this world and if our focus is more on the things of this world, we will be deceived because the truth is that we are only seeing what this world would have us see. Don’t miss what God has for you! Redeeming the days means to be able to save people from sin, error, or evil– “the transforming power of God’s redeeming grace.”

The above scripture in Ephesians 5:5-18 was spoken by the Apostle Paul to whom? Christians! Yes, that means me and you. He spoke this to a group of believers that had been lulled, or dulled, in their senses and had fallen complacent in their walk with the One True God and were being led astray. There was division, backbiting, immorality, idolatry, etc. that was in operation within the church.

Ephesians 5:25-27 speaks to the mystery of Christ and the Church: “…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and clean her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

We are called to build our house (self/spirit, soul, & body) as a holy temple unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we get caught up in the word ‘holy’ and feel we will never measure up. Holy means to set oneself apart. In other words, decide who you want to serve and get off the fence. it is important that we each do a regular self exam in these days of evil and honestly evaluate where we lack the wisdom of Yahweh and where we have fallen prey to the foolishness of this world. We are called to be transformed by the power God’s (Yahweh’s) redeeming grace (Jesus Christ) through His Holy Spirit.

Building the foundation for a Glorious Church begins with having a true relationship and fellowship with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit of Truth. As in any relationship, it is a two-way communication line and there is a divine order to be established. Many Christians tend to pray alot, but they rarely take the time to wait and listen to God’s will for them. Let’s begin this study with some basic scriptures on who the Three are.

Who is God?

The Bible describes for us who God is. God is the All-Powerful Creator of the universe. The Lord is One in three divine facets, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is holy, loving, and perfect. God is totally trustworthy and safe. He alone is our salvation.

(Note: God is not the universe and the universe is not a God, so for those of you who have come in agreement with the new age saying, “the Universe this or that”, you will need to repent. This is idolatry and not of God.)

1) John 1:5 “This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.”

2) Psalms 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

3) Psalms 62:7-8 “My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah.”

4) Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

5) 1 Timothy 1:17 “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

6) Exodus 3:13-14 “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.”

7) Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

8) Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

Understanding the Nature of God

We can understand the nature of God in the way that He has revealed Himself. Though there some aspects of Him that will remain a mystery, we can understand His attributes.

1) John 4:24 “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

2) Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

3) Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless he shields all who take refuge in him.”

4) Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork…The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;…”

5) Psalm 50:6 “And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for He is a God of justice.”

Attributes of God

God is holy and perfect. He is righteous and pure. He is also a just judge who will rightly judge the world. Yet in mans wickedness, God has made a way for man to be right with Him through the sacrifice of His Perfect Son. 

1)  Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

2) Deuteronomy 4:31 “For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.”  

3) 2 Chronicles 30:9 “If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

4) Psalms 50:6 “And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah.”

5) Psalms 116:5 “The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” 

6) Exodus 34:5-7 “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

7) Psalm 84:11-12 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

God revealed in Jesus Christ

1)1 Corinthians 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

God has revealed Himself through the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not a created being. Jesus is the Second Person of the Godhead. Colossians 1, which talks about the supremacy of Christ reminds us that “all things were created through Him and for Him.” Everything is for Christ and His glory. In order to redeem His people from the penalty of their sins, God came down in the form of man to live the perfect life that we couldn’t. In His love God has made a way through the blood of His Son. God Himself poured out His wrath upon Christ so that the sins of His people could be atoned for. Look and see how God in His love has made a way to reconcile you to Himself through Jesus.

2) Isaiah 11:2-5 “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek or the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. (See The Seven Spirits of God)

3) Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”

4) John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

5) John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

6) Luke 8:19-21 “ Then His mother and brothers come to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And It was told him by some, who said, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.’. But He answered and said to them, ‘ My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’”

7) Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

8) Hebrews 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

9) Matthew 11:27 “I thank you, Father, lord of heaven and earth, that your have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seems good in your sight. All things are delivered unto me by my Father: and no one knows the Son, except the Father; Nor does any many know the Father, except the Son, and and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy lade, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

10) John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

God revealed in the Holy Spirit

From Scripture we learn that the Holy Spirit is God. There is only one God and He is the third divine person of the Trinity. He grieves, He knows, He is eternal, He encourages, He gives understanding, He gives peace, He comforts, He directs, and He can be prayed to. He is God living inside of those who have accepted Christ as their Savior.

He will work in Christians until death to conform them into the image of Christ. Rely on the Spirit daily. Listen to His convictions, which is usually an uneasy feeling.

His convictions will keep you from sin and from making bad decisions in life. Allow the Spirit to guide and help your life.

1) Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

2) 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

3) Ephesians 1:13-14 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.

4) John 14:15-17 If you love me, keep my commandments. I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you.

5) John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you.

6) Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.

7) Isaiah 11:2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

8) 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were unbelievers, you were enticed and led astray to worship idols that couldn’t even speak. For this reason I want you to be aware that no one who is speaking by God’s Spirit can say, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord. There are varieties of results, but it is the same God who produces all the results in everyone. To each person has been given the ability to manifest the Spirit for the common good. To one has been given a message of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the ability to speak with knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit; to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits; to another various kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all these results and gives what he wants to each person.

9) Romans 8:14 For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children.

10) Galatians 5:18 But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

11) 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.

12) 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

13) Acts 5:3-5 “Peter asked, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land? As long as it remained unsold, wasn’t it your own? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? So how could you have thought of doing what you did? You didn’t lie only to men, but also to God!” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it.”

14) 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

15) John 16:7-11 “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”

Thank you for joining me in this study. I hope you will continue with the full study, as we will next learn about the elementary doctrines spoken of in Hebrews 6:1-4. To be notified of new posts/teachings, please subscribe below. Blessings.

Norma Umphress