The Day; the Time; & the Hour! Not theological enquiry!

In regards to the tripartite nature of man and it’s rejection by many, attending to the falling away of the saints. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Theological enquiry will not serve the day!

We live in this day and at this hour. Despite the importance of what is taught across a wide spectrum of theological and experiential positions, we have to attend to today. So far as we are able to judge what is happening today and the most important reality which all saints have to attend to, here and now, is the Lord's soon return.

We hear all the time, and some of us assert it clearly; "This is the time of apostasy". Not that apostasy began just this morning, or that it will be fully revealed by this evening. Yet the apostles, Paul and John stated clearly that it was already in the world in their day. John speaks of it as "the spirit of anti-christ" and Paul speaks of it as a "falling away". One is the cause and the working of wickedness; the other is its effect. Taken together what is being spoken of is a mystery on the one hand, but is clearly 'grounded' in the claim that a man is coming into the theatre of the world who's appearing will be a conclusion of this effect; which will directly precede the Lords' return. Anything which makes it possible to understand what part the saints in the church today, may have in this falling away, must be of the most immense importance. More than this we need to be 'kept' and we need to 'keep' one another in truth and love.

One way in which God Himself makes provision for His children is to bring into the understanding of His children those things which are necessary for their day. Today there is a need to know how to stand and walk in this perverse generation where apostasy is more visible than at any other hour. For this reason alone I am certain in my own spirit that a fuller understanding of what a man is, and how he affects himself and others, will serve that need well.

A theological discussion won't serve that need. If we look to this way of walking we will inevitably, be tossed about by everything which has been said from the apostolic church until this very hour. Such a way of thinking will not satisfy the need to know today how God Himself is able to keep His children despite the hour in which we live.

Earnestly searching the Scriptures will have the same effect as earnestly looking into theology in this regard. This is because the Scriptures speak to all the ‘days’ of the church, not simply to 'this' day. No doubt we will find, if we look into prophecies and doctrines of Scripture, that they may in fact keep us personally, but these things will not keep others if they remain in ourselves alone. If we seek to teach from prophetic insight and present doctrines alone, and do not see that we have to discern the times and bear one another's burdens so that we can all walk, we will have missed more than the greater portion of our calling and The Father's will for our lives.

This subject of the nature of a man and The Father's dealings with men individually, is at the heart of the matter; precisely because the dichotomy of a man as having three distinct and real parts is revealed in this day. That is to say it has only been taught in the last 100 years or so. In days previous other things were given by God to keep the church in that day. If this teaching concerning the tripartite nature of a man and men is to have any purpose in serving God's will for our lives today, then it must speak to today's reality in the context of growing apostasy and not about past workings of God from which we have already benefited.

We really can benefit from 'looking' into the full nature of a man and men individually, but not if we focus on an apparent doctrine, which in any event, is no doctrine at all. The subject has been searched by others far more equipped than we may be and still it is rejected by the majority of saints. Indeed it is actively resisted by many. We need to look to effects in our day and not doctrines, so long as those doctrines do not touch upon the issue of life and the person of the Lord Jesus. Apart from sacred doctrines of eternal life as understood through Christ birth, sinless life, obedience unto death, resurrection, ascension into heaven and soon return; we should have no concern at being free in the knowledge of these things to lay hold of all that works for His glory and our good benefit.