The Basics and the Simplicity of Christ

I have greatly enjoyed studying The Basics and the Book of Acts in our Men’s Bible Study. In 58 years of walking with Jesus and reading and studying the Bible, I have come to see the important things are what I call The Basics and The Simplicity of Christ. If you master the basics and do them over and over until you excel in them, you win. If you keep it simple, you win. Keeping the big picture with an overview of all gives you a broad base from which to draw. Having a broad base gives stability, balance, and long-term success. The Book of Acts brings all these elements together in the successful mission of spreading the gospel and the kingdom of God. In Acts we see God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven with an abundance of love, life, liberty, dominion over sin, sickness, and satan, and with all glory to God. They worked the basics, which is believing on the suffering Savior unto new birth, baptizing in water in identification with and consecration to the Savior, and being baptized in the Holy Spirit with supernatural power upon them to do the works of the Savior. They gave themselves to learn to be led by that same Spirit, so they actually went out and did the works of Jesus as he promised to do through those who believe on him (Mark 16:17, 18; John 14:12). In eating and fellowshipping together, they constantly remembered that they were partakers of his shed blood giving them covenant righteousness with God and dominion over satanic forces. They constantly remembered they had healing and deliverance from sickness and disease for themselves and for all through his broken body (communion – Acts 2:42). They practiced these basics and taught and duplicated them into the lives of others, who also practiced and taught. The Simplicity of Christ for them was faith in the suffering Savior. His work made them right with God and secured God’s full covenant blessings. With Jesus’ work for them and his power upon, they moved in supernatural prayer, healings, and signs and wonders, as promised to those who believe. With the promise that he would always be with them, they went out and shared boldly and freely with all – Jew, Gentile, black, white, male, female, rich, poor, bound, and free. The basics and the simplicity of Christ, consisting of understanding and applying the work of the suffering Savior with signs and wonders, and sharing with all, is what got the job done in the early church. This is still God’s sure answer for the world today. When we as believers deal with divisions as they did in Acts and get back to the basics and the simplicity of Christ, and focus on going forward with that, we will see great strides in furthering the kingdom of God (Acts 15:8-11). From the neighbor next door to the nations of the world, with God’s power we can reach all for Jesus.

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