God wants us to have a full grasp and understanding of the apostolic. We are looking at “grace for grace” in the context of grace and apostleship.
From the scriptures, we see that we have all received grace and apostleship. The apostolic cry, that is, the desire in the heart of the Father. And the desire in the heart of the father is that every one of us comes to a place where Christ is revealed to us, where we can say categorically that we have come to know Him.
There are three levels to this experience of Christ:
- Christ for us: This is our redemption.
- Christ in us: This is the indwelling life of Christ.
- Christ formed in us: This is our transformation. The progressive revelation of Christ must accomplish all of this in our lives.
The goal of the cry is that men come to a place where they have proper understanding of Christ, Christ is revealed,known and formed.
The goal of the curriculum is that every man comes to the full stature of Christ. The essence of the apostolic foundation is that everyone is built on the doctrine and fellowship of the apostles. The way to achieve this maturity is through labor.
Acts 2:42 KJV And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
In some translations, the word “fellowship” is rendered as “communion“. This communion is the breaking of bread and prayers; essentially, it is about learning and breaking the Word of God. It is the teaching and preaching of the Word, the ministry of the Word and prayers, just as the apostles refused to abandon the Word to serve tables. This is the tool God has put in place for the formation and maturity of the believer.
A preacher or a believer can be cajoled by the prophetic because they are not grounded in the apostolic. The apostolic keeps you in order. If you are grounded in it, you will not look for what is not lost. When a preacher tells you to bring salt or other items, know that they are not built on the apostolic doctrine. Their practice must stay within the boundaries of what Jesus has done and how the apostles carried out ministry.
The menu and diet of the apostolic curriculum are designed to produce a matured believer.
If this is done correctly, we will believe alike. Ephesians 4 tells us that we must come to the unity of the faith.
Ephesians 4:13 KJV Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The unity of the faith is not merely assembling in a large building for a combined service. It is a point where we believe alike because we have all submitted to the “knowledge of the Son of God”. This is a body of knowledge that produces a perfect man. If we arrive there, we believe alike and behave alike.
This knowledge must be taught because you cannot communicate what you have not received and become grounded in.
Consider medical doctors: two doctors from different schools can meet in an operating theater and work together because they submitted to the same curriculum. When a doctor moves to another country, they are subjected to exams to standardize their knowledge so they don’t cause casualties. In the same way, the church needs standardization of knowledge and practice so there are no spiritual casualties or arguments when lives and destinies are involved.
There are seven basic, fundamental things that must be taught. The first and most important subject is
- The study of Christ, or Christologia. This is the foundation of our Christian faith. If this is not taught correctly, you will not understand the Bible; you will interpret and apply scriptures wrongly. The correct revelation of Christ is the foundation of all Christian doctrine and teaching.
The scriptures are written with this understanding. When Paul went into the synagogues, he did not have Matthew to Revelation, He was holding the parchments of the Psalms, Isaiah, and Malachi. It is a waste of time to debate whether we should read the Old or New Testaments. You need the Old to understand the New. In the Old, the New was concealed; in the New, the Old was revealed.
Sometimes the New Testament quotes the Old but adjusts the wording to reflect the revelation of Christ. For example, Habakkuk said “the just shall live by his faith,” but the New Testament says “the just shall live by faith”. We operate by the faith of the Son of God. Where the Old used “Anointed,” the New uses “Christ”.
Habakkuk 2:4 KJV Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Romans 1:17 KJV For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Christ is the lens through which we understand Christianity and the scriptures. He is our compass and our navigation. When Jesus asked, “Who do men say that I am?” The answers betrayed the people’s lack of understanding. But Peter had a revelation.
Matthew 16:16-17 KJV And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Acts 2:36 KJV Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
“Christ” is not His surname; it is His mission,, and. He was called Jesus (Savior) from birth, but He was made both Lord and Christ. If you do not understand Christologia, you will struggle with Bible interpretation and application. You might even practice ministry like a voodoo doctor or an herbalist. To operate correctly in the prophetic, you must be grounded in the apostolic. Your perceptions and “revelations” must be subjected to the Spirit of Christ.
When the disciples wanted to call down fire like Elijah, Jesus rebuked them.
Luke 9:54-55 KJV And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Their idea came from a body of knowledge (Elijah), but it was not the Spirit of Christ. Christ is our standard. If we all gauge our experiences by the lens of Christ, our debates will be reduced because we will see and reason the same way.
The opposition in the world is specifically against “His Christ”.
Psalm 2:2 KJV The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed…
Acts 4:26 KJV The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
In the New Testament, they could say “his anointed” because Christ has come and he is glorified.
People are not offended by the word “God,” but they are offended by the name of Jesus and the conversation of Christ. The gospel is concerning His Son.
Romans 1:1-3 KJV 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;
Everything the prophets wrote, from Moses writing about Abraham and Isaac to the brass serpent in the wilderness, was pointing to the Son. The story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac is not just a Sunday school story; it is about God making His Son a ransom. The serpent on the pole was about the Son of Man being lifted up so that looking to Him brings life.
The church is built on this foundation.
Ephesians 2:20 KJV And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Christ is the centrality of our faith and scriptures. Every dream and revelation must be submitted to Him. If we do not learn Christ, we will become motivational speakers or corrupt our thoughts with worldly perspectives. While there is nothing wrong with expertise in finance, tech, or policy, we must declare our source. If we are giving an opinion, we should say so, as Paul did. But the Gospel itself is not an opinion; it is Christ, who is supreme.
Colossians 1:18 KJV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Christ is God’s vocabulary and dictionary. If you are looking for the meaning of anything regarding God, you will find it in Christ. You cannot exaggerate Christ. The study of Christ involves His deity, humanity, incarnation, resurrection, and lordship.
John 3:14-15 KJV And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
What the prophets were doing from day 1 is to actually point to Christ but they don’t have sufficient words and vocabulary yet because Christ is yet to be born.
The study of Christ involves: the deity of Christ, Humanity of Christ, the incarnation of Christ, the resurrection of Christ and the lordship of Christ.
- The Study about Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Salvation is a gift; you do not do anything to earn it, keep it, or maintain it. You did not need to fast for 21 days to be saved. Salvation is God’s plan and arrangement not ours. Christ cannot die again; He died once and for all. We did not “give our lives” to Christ; we had nothing to offer but wretchedness. We received His life.
The Apostles taught about salvation through Grace.
Salvation includes justification, regeneration, redemption, and adoption.
There is knowledge that produces salvation.
Luke 1:77 KJV To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.
Acts 4:12 KJV Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Romans 1:16 KJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Some people quote Philippians 2:12 out of context, thinking they must “work” to be saved.
Philippians 2:12-13 KJV Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
“Working out” your salvation means making the new life you have already received visible. It is about projecting Christ and manifesting that life in your conduct so the world is not in doubt that you are a believer.
In conclusion, we cannot use anything else to produce a believer. Money and healing are good, but after you get the money or the healing, you must sit down and learn Christ. You won’t be sick every day, but every day you need to learn Christ.
Miracles are supernatural interventions, but we do not live by miracles; we live by learning Christ.
Whether you are a CEO, a professor, or a governor, you are not too big to sit down and learn. The gospel is not segregated; it is the same for the richest man and the average man. Poverty, prosperity, or exposure must not make you outgrow your foundation in Christ. This study is not a trend or a topic that is “in vogue”; it is the message.
When you grow in this knowledge, your prayer list will change. You will stop asking for things already given and start interceding for others to stand complete in the will of God. We are not orphans; our Father knows our needs. But after the needs are met, we sit down and continue learning Christ.