POEMS TEACHING ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

By Maurice Dyson

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Abiding
I am the vine, ye are the branches:
he that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5

Abiding is restful and needful
For those who have trusted the Lord
Constructive, attractive, and fruitful
A walk that cannot be ignored

It characterizes behaviour
A worshipful state of the mind
Imparting an excellent flavour
Ingrained in the doctrines we find

Abiding is always desirous
The keeping of righteous commands
The scriptures should truly inspire us
And hallow our travel and stance

 

Assemblies
To the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect.
Hebrews 12:23

Assemblies in our history
Are called out to their places
There is but one, a mystery
Which has a unique basis

A Body and a Bride to be
Is being formed intently
It will attain its destiny
In manner providently

The local church is pivotal
For fellowship and teaching
Its witness clear and credible
For any it is reaching

 

Assurance
For I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day.
2 Timothy 1:12

Assurance is the confidence
Of having right relations
It rests upon experience
In line with revelations

The witness of the Paraclete
The God who dwells within us
Is likened to a courtroom seat
Where grace prevails for winners

Assurance is the certainty
Of hope in the hereafter
It fends off insecurity
In God’s immortal chapter

 

Dispensations
That in the dispensation of the fulness
of times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven,
and which are on earth; even in him;
Ephesians 1:10

Distinctive throughout history
Are ages that we see
The church age was a mystery
Until its infancy

The former age of Israel
Has yet to run its course
It must go through a certain spell
With God its sole resource

The church has no predicted span
Its term will end one day
And then like ages as they ran
So time will have its way

 

Grace
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.
Ephesians 2:8, 9

God’s righteousness and justice
Must first be satisfied
His attributes attest this
Since Jesus Christ has died

The Father’s well beloved
Did all that God desired
So life has been recovered
With garments well attired

Now love can be extended
To those He calls His own
A glory never ended
Outpouring from His throne

 

Imputation
For he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

The sin of man the day he died
Was passed down onto all
So we are born unsanctified
Resulting from the fall

The sin of every one of us
Was reckoned onto Christ
His perfect life of righteousness
Is very highly prized

His righteousness becomes our own
The moment we believe
We are accepted at His throne
With love we there receive

 

Judgment
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord,
that we should not be condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31, 32

Judgment is one thing we must understand
Recognised openly, not underhand
Judgment for Christians is purposely done
When every trespass was laid on the Son

Judgment is vital in daily routine
Motives or actions do not go unseen
We have a conscience that must be alert
If disregarded it leads onto hurt

Christians will answer for all they have done
When they are judged by the all-seeing Son
His true assessment will settle each place
Works done in light of His wonderful grace

 

Union
For in him dwelleth all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily, and ye are
complete in him, which is the head
of all principality and power:
Colossians 2:9, 10

Unions may take a particular form
Human or heavenly founded
Absolute unions outlast any storm
Others survive till they’re grounded

Union with Christ is a doctrine revealed
Sealing our perfect salvation
Wrought by the Spirit, indelibly sealed
Ever a solid foundation

It is a comfort in pain or distress
Shining beyond human reason
Filling a purpose we can’t even guess
Yet we shall see in due season

Thus is our union with Jesus the Lord
Started the moment we trusted
Waiting in heaven with all He has stored
Treasure with jewels encrusted

 

Conscience
Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22

Conscience is essentially
The means we have of knowing
Starting out from infancy
With knowledge steady growing

Conscience must be understood
Its role is so incisive
Found defiled or counted good
In keeping or divisive

Consciences will never lie
Their witness never partial
They remain the day we die
With evidence they marshal

 

Blindness
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come
into this world, that they which see not
might see; and that they which see
might be made blind.
John 9:39

Spiritual blindness is now commonplace
As it is so documented
It is a factor no one can erase
Till we become gospel-centred

Spiritual blindness, albeit in part
Has been imposed on a nation
When the Lord comes He will lighten their heart
With a profound acclamation

Spiritual blindness is banished and gone
When a soul turns to the Saviour
Biblical teaching must then follow on
So we may live in His favour

 

Blood
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

The life of flesh is in the blood
As scriptures have asserted
From early times well understood
Both practiced and adverted

The blood of calves and blood of goats
Could not bring sin’s removal
As scripture states and often quotes
Not meeting God’s approval

A covenant has been ordained
With victory completed
The blood of Christ is now proclaimed
With sin and death defeated

 

Bread
I am the living bread which came down from heaven:
if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world.  
John 6:51

Bread is the food for our bodily needs
Both for the wise and the simple
When Jesus spoke of His words and His deeds
He used a spiritual symbol

That which is eaten and that which we drink
Serves as a clear illustration
Spiritualizing them both is the link
Language of assimilation

As we partake of the life-giving bread
It feeds the spirit within us
We have communion with Jesus the Head
Blood-bought and reconciled sinners

 

Conviction
And when he is come, he will reprove the
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:8

A threefold conviction we read in the text
Is such a prediction that could leave us vexed
Related to trusting it cites unbelief
Without heart adjusting it brings only grief

With righteousness lacking and judgment ahead
No plan we are tracking can waken the dead
To all unbelievers the message is clear
Yet many deceivers have captured their ear

The perfect solution for those who are lost
Has banished confusion at infinite cost
The gift of salvation is offered today
A clear invitation for sheep gone astray   

 

Darkness
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12

Darkness is ever around us
Seeking to trap or confound us
If there is darkness within us
We are not sanctified sinners

Darkness may not be suspected
If we have not been corrected
Sin unconfessed must be stated
Lest it go on unabated

Spiritual darkness existing
Only affects those resisting
Jesus the Saviour is waiting
Trust in the light He is stating!

 

Days
But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love;
and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:8

A day is linked with life and light
While others speak of death and night
It is important that we see
The day of Christ with clarity

We spend a day span on the earth
Beginning from our time of birth
It is the day wherein we choose
To shun or heed the gospel news

The day of Christ we contemplate
Will rouse believers as they wait
For when they hear the trumpet sound
The church of God is no more found

 

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