Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceive that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord
Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
It's usually hard for someone to understand just why it is that I left the mainstream church. They just don't seem to understand what I've come to see. That the theology of the church speaks to the forgiveness freely given by Jesus as though it were a scam. There was one Easter Sunday morning where I was sitting in the church I had been a part of for more than a few years. The pastor had just finished the traditional Easter message, that Jesus was crucified on the cross to take away the sin of the world. Not only that, but He was risen three days later, very much alive. Yet at the conclusion of his message, the pastor asked the congregation that if anyone had unresolved sin issues, to come forward for prayer. That was the last time I ever stepped foot in a church. The Jesus scam was alive and well. But what is this Jesus scam you ask? Well, think back to the early days of the mainstream church, where the church leaders decided that the forgiveness of the Lord could be used for church profit. Wait, the freely given forgiveness of God used for the profit of the church? Yes, and it's already been done for generations. The early church leaders decided that they could institute the practice of indulgences into the church. What are indulgences? Indulgences are fees paid to the church for the forgiveness of sin. If you felt that your bad behaviors or bad decisions were amounting to sin, then you could pay a fee to the church with the assurance that this sin would be wiped away. The Jesus scam in full effect. For its part, the church would preach, and continues to preach today, that it is sin which has separated us from God. Of course, back in the day all one would need to do is pay a simple indulgence fee and they would be right once again with God.
I debated quite a bit on the title for this page. I finally decided on the Jesus scam because this is exactly what the church is practicing. While they proclaim that Jesus died for the sin of the world, they do not practice what they preach. Instead, they speak to the lie that sin continues to be the issue in the lives of believers. That their sin has indeed separated them from God. To illustrate this point, they point to the words of the prophet Isaiah who has proclaimed that "Your iniquities have separated you from your God" {Isaiah 59:2}. Of course, this was years before the death of Christ Jesus on the cross. Years before He shed His blood for the forgiveness of that sin condition. But the forgiveness of God has never built a handsome church building. The forgiveness of God has never stuffed the church coffers with money. For this the church needed a way to a steady revenue stream. They found it with the institution of the indulgences created for mans forgiveness of the sin of mankind. This is what the Jesus scam is in a nutshell, mans forgiveness of sin. Man stepping into the realm of the Father and declaring that he has the power to forgive sin, and that forgiveness comes at a price. But the forgiveness offered us by the Father comes free of charge. For Christ Jesus has paid that price with His blood {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. But free forgiveness never built a church.
For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may becoming Gods righteousness in Him
Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5: 21, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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