The Good Of The Father (Never Close Enough)

 

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me 

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

The other day at the gym I was listening to a country music version of the old hymn "A closer walk with thee."  One verse in particular got me to thinking, "I'll be satisfied as long as I walk, Dear Lord, closer to thee."  Closer to God?  Anyone who has ever attended one of our mainstream churches for any length of time will recognize these words.  Growing up in the church, I learned to walk closer to God.  To do this, however, meant that I needed to live my life in a way that He approved of.  Of course, anyone who has ever attempted to live a life totally pleasing to the Lord knows that there will be obstacles along the way.  We're only human, and all too often that freedom of choice God has created us with can get in the way of living a God favored life.  Again, if you've ever spent time in the church, you know and have heard these words in one sermon or another.  I know that I have.  What got me thinking about the words of the hymn was not the fact that I could walk closer to God, but in the knowing that today I walk IN HIM.  The apostle Paul speaks to this truth in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  In his heart, Paul knew that it was no longer he who was alive and thriving, but Christ Jesus who lived through him.  If I were still in the church, this verse might have sounded a bit far fetched.  Jesus in me?  Christ alive in a sinner?  How is this even possible?  Well, it's not possible, if not for Jesus.  For it is Jesus who took our sin upon Himself at the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Were it not for the work of Christ on the cross, my sin would forever be before me.  But this has never been Gods plan for me, nor for His children.  This is why a hymn such as A closer walk with Thee sends the wrong message about the truth of the Father.  We do not simply walk closer with Him.  We walk IN HIM.  Jesus has declared our union life with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Of course, this is not the message which we will receive from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

My mother was a huge fan of the old hymns when I was growing up.  I can still see her singing to herself as she worked around the house.  So it is that I was exposed to these hymns from an early age.  The message was clear.  God is with us.  We can walk with Him.  Come unto us Lord.  Of course, I never in my life heard one of these old hymns that proclaimed our life in Him.  So it is that the authors of these hymns followed the path of centuries old church theology.  That all have sinned and that God could never be within reach of sin.  Of course, I now know that there are indeed scriptures that speak to our life in the Father.  These are indeed the same scriptures which have been around for thousands of years.  So the question remains, did the church get it wrong or did they simply choose to ignore that which was in front of their noses?  One thing is for certain, God has never changed {To The Hebrews 13:8}.  This leads me to believe that those in the church simply chose to ignore that which was in front of them in favor of the centuries old church narrative.  This is also the reason that I struggled to accept the truth of the Father as it was revealed to me through a dear friend of mine.  I had never before heard of the concept of living within God.  Was it even possible?  Well, I have come to know that not only is it possible, but that it is how I now live each and every day.  In fact, if I could I would rework that old hymn from A closer walk with Thee to...As I walk in Thee.  But, that wouldn't fit the narrative.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Love Like No Other)

 

And we know and believe the love which God has in us.  God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him

First Epistle of John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

For some reason, I found myself watching a match making reality program the other day.  As far as I could tell, the purpose of this charade was to bring together single people with the intent of matching them with someone compatible with them.  This would have been the usual boring fare except for one young lady who claimed that her motivation for appearing on the show was to "Find someone to love me for who I am."  Now, this struck a chord with me because I myself have felt this way at times in my own life.  I mean, who doesn't want to be loved, right?  Too many people spend a lifetime in their search for this love relationship.  Far too many fail in their quest to find it.  More still find a feeling disguised as love, but in the end is nothing like love at all.  I can recall speaking to more than a few people involved in abusive relationships who only remained in them because they hoped that they would eventually lead to the love which they desired for themselves.  My own parents lived such a relationship.  Thankfully, my mother had the intuition to see that my dad would not change his ways.  This is a story repeated too many times for too many people.  Again, it is natural that we would desire someone to love and to love.  But what if these people found that love which accepted them no matter what they had done?  A love that, through the good and the bad, continued in its affection for them.  Well, this love can be found in the love which God has for us.  Growing up in the church theology, my image of God was one of a distant Father.  A Father who would love me one minute, but then withdraw His love the moment that I misbehaved or did something to displease Him.  The truth is, this is NOT the love of God.  For the love which God has for His children transcends any love which our human hearts can imagine.  The love of God is not abusive.  Furthermore, the love of God is never based on what we may or may not have done.  It is God who has loved us even before our first breath {First Epistle of John 4:19}.  It is God who will love us at our best and our worst.  This is the love of God, a love like no other.  

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God!  And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

How many times have you felt this way in your life?  That feeling that God could never love you because of what you had done in your life.  Well, I've spent a good portion of my life fighting off these feelings.  There are times that I've been my own worst enemy when it comes to my own relationship with God.  I'm well aware of those things that I've done in my life which the Father does not approve of.  There were days when the guilt and shame of my actions clouded my own view of Gods perfect love for me.  How could God love someone like me?  Simple, I am His creation {Genesis 1:27}.  In love I was created, and it is in love that I remain in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Too many people look upon God as being judgmental, but this isn't who He truly is at all.  For we're told that the one true nature of God...is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  For their part, the mainstream church has failed when it comes to speaking to the love nature of the Father.  They would rather speak of a God who holds the threat of an eternity in hell over our heads if we fail to live as He desires.  Again, this is not who He is at all.  It is because of Gods love for us that He dispatched His Son to be that sacrifice for our sins {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  It is because of the love of Jesus that He became sin and gave Himself willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  He did all of this for us, out of His love for us.  Does that sound judgmental to you?  What love is there that, upon being found guilty, would do away with our transgressions and declare us clean in His sight?  Only the love of the Father.  A love like no other.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Saving Grace)

 

Not for the works which are wrought in righteousness which we do, but according to His mercy, He saves us, through the bath of renascence and renewal of the holy spirit

Paul to Titus 3: 5, Concordant New Testament 

It's something which every believer strives for.  We struggle, hope and pray that we will one day be among the elect.  It is one of the key beliefs of our faith.  That when we believe in Jesus and follow a life of the Lord, that we will be saved.  Not only that, but spend our eternity in the presence of the Father.  For too many believers, this is the end game.  This is our reward for living a life in the Lord.  To be "Saved" is Gods reward for accepting His Son.  Or is it?  Growing up in the mainstream church, my salvation was a promise given to me if I flew right in the eyes of the Lord.  However, that same salvation could also be revoked should the Lord deem me unacceptable.  This was my struggle with knowing my own salvation.  A few years ago a good friend posed a question to me, did I consider God to be a Indian giver?  Did I consider God to be One who would promise me one thing and then take it away if He felt I didn't deserve it?  Of course, this made me question a few things about God as well.  Would God promise me something just to yank it away from me?  What kind of loving Father would do that?  We're told in scripture that God never changes {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  Therefore, if the Father makes me a promise, He intends to keep that promise {Paul to Titus 1:2}.  Yet the message of the mainstream church continues to be that of salvation in limbo.  Yes, Jesus shed His blood on that cross for you, but if you don't live your life the right way, you might just find yourself in hell someday.  This is the  mixed message that I grew up receiving from the church.  But it IS NOT the message which God has declared to His children.  For time and time again in the scriptures, we are told of the salvation of the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul to the Romans 10:9, Johns Account 5:24}.  So who is it that we are to place our confidence in, God the Father or in man?  The words of man will tell us that our salvation is an object to be traded.  But the word of the Father proclaims that salvation is the gift freely given unto His children {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  

That, if ever you should be avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord, and should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, yet with the mouth it is avowed for salvation

Paul to the Romans 10: 9-10, Concordant New Testament 

I see the topic of salvation to be the prickly pear of Christian theology.  For those in the mainstream church will hear that salvation is indeed conditional.  However, the apostle Paul, who undoubtedly knew of his own salvation, proclaimed this was not the case at all.  It is Paul who preaches that salvation is not a reward of our own works {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Want to know the key to your salvation?  You will find it in Christ Jesus.  Jesus has proclaimed that nobody comes to the Father but through Him {Johns Account 14:6}.  But what is salvation?  That is key to our understanding of it.  A simple Google definition describes salvation as a "Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin or loss."  Knowing this, is our salvation simply a eternity in the Lord?  That ship might already have sailed.  For Jesus has proclaimed our union life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, how is it that salvation is our eternity in God if we already are there in Him?  My own belief on salvation is that it is that which is given freely of the Father unto His children.  Salvation is not simply a reward for good works, nor is it a destination of heaven.  I have been saved because of the love of the Father through the works of Christ Jesus.  I have been saved from what I once was, and redeemed unto who I am now {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Those in the church will hang onto the words of Paul that all have sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But Jesus has died to that sin, thus saving me from being enslaved to it {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  THAT is my salvation.  Given freely out of Gods love for me.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (How Deep Are You?)

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money. 

George Carlin 

I heard a radio pastor the other day speaking with approval of those who find themselves "Deeply Religious."  In his words, these deeply religious believers are the ones who keep the faith of those around them alive.  As I listened, I thought that a better title for these mainstream church goers might be "Deeply in the weeds."  For those who might think differently, consider this prospect.  Who has ever been saved by religion?  Now, I agree that many have come to acquaint themselves with knowing the Lord and Jesus through immersing themselves in religion, but how many have been saved by religion itself?  Having grown up in the mainstream church, I'm well aware that having faith and believing are key points to the religious lifestyle.  I remember rising from the pool the morning of my baptism with the thought that I was now saved.  Was it this tradition that saved me?  Did John the baptizer save those he baptized?  Or, as John declared, did he simply pave the way for One greater than himself {Johns Account 26-30}?  As the baptizer declared, "He must be growing, yet mine is to be inferior."  Knowing this, we can say that it is definitely not the tradition of baptism by which one is saved.  For Jesus has proclaimed, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one is coming to the Father except through me" {Johns Account 14:6}.  So, it is not by being religious that we are saved.  We are saved when we trust in the work of Christ Jesus {Paul to the Ephesians 1:7}.  Religion has led us to believe that it is due to our own efforts that we have achieved salvation.  We believe.  We profess Jesus.  We accept Him into our hearts.  But the apostle Paul proclaims that it is not by our own efforts, but due to the love and grace of the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  If you continue in this religious belief, then you might just be deep in the weeds.  

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting. 

Paul to the Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament 

I personally would hate to see the after affects of those who, through their own efforts, achieved their own salvation.  Can you imagine the arrogance?  Knowing that they were saved, and rubbing this knowing in the faces of those who weren't.  Of course, this has nothing to do with the love and grace of the Father, but of the arrogance of man.  It is for this reason that God loved us enough to save us {First Epistle of John 4:10}.  To be in the weeds is to hold onto the belief that my own efforts are leading to my salvation.  The mainstream church is known for telling us that we can "Punch our ticket" for salvation if we only believe and live the right life.  But this goes against the declaration of Jesus Who has proclaimed that it is He who is the way to the Father.  It is Christ Jesus who has paved the way for the love of God to be manifested.  It is through the love and grace of the Father that we are saved {First Epistle of John 4:16}.  God saved you, not the church.  Sure, the church can TELL us of how it is that the Lord has loved and saved us.  I am thankful that I grew up in this knowledge.  I am thankful that I was raised knowing of Gods love for me.  I believe that this knowing kept me from getting too deep into the weeds of mainstream church theology.  I knew that I wanted to live my life in the Father and not simply punch my ticket for heaven.  The truth of the Lord that is so often overlooked is that WE DO live our lives in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Yet sometimes we need to dig ourselves through the weeds in order to see it. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Free In Jesus)

 

Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin might 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 perceived that Christ, having been 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 

A friend asked me the other day, upon reading my previous post, of what advice I would give someone who had left the church as I have.  Now, this might be difficult to handle for some people, but I say it after more than a few years of living in the knowledge that I am indeed in Christ.  So, be prepared to be shocked.  That life I once lived in the church, went against what I now know the Lord Jesus to be.  To say that I had been misled is definitely an understatement.  For in my time in the halls of the mainstream church, I was no closer to knowing Jesus than when I began.  Sure, I had gained much knowledge about Him, but I still did not know Jesus as I do now.  Part of this is due to the theology of the mainstream church while the rest is due to my not knowing that there was more to Jesus than what I was being taught.  That in itself is a lethal combination.  Yet I believe that I had a advantage over others who had for one reason or another left the church behind and never looked back.  That is, I wanted to know more about this Jesus I had grown up learning about.  I wanted more than to just know about what He had done.  I wanted something which the mainstream church could never provide for me, a relationship with Christ Jesus.  The mainstream church has been very good at what they do best, which is telling people about Jesus.  For that, I am grateful, for they introduced Christ into my life.  But as I said, knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him are two different animals.  For to know Jesus is to live in the knowledge that we live in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  The closest which I had come to knowing Jesus through church theology was the belief of being "Like" Jesus if I behaved well enough to earn Gods approval.  I wanted for than that.  

As, then, you accepted Christ Jesus, the Lord, be walking in Him 

Paul to the Colossians 2: 6, Concordant New Testament 

I really did not see the difference between a life of knowing Jesus and a life knowing Him through church theology until I had walked away from the church.  What I noticed is that I had grown up being taught of the life of Jesus in the past.  Of what Jesus HAD done for me.  I was keenly aware through the teachings of the church that death could never hold Jesus.  That He in fact overcame the death of the cross and was raised again days later.  This is a core part of mainstream church theology.  So, why not speak to Jesus being alive and well?  Why not speak to Jesus being in the Fathers creation?  This is declared through the scriptures {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Colossians 2:6, Paul to the Ephesians 2:10}.  I see this as the mainstream church cherry picking scriptures to suit their own narrative.  Again, some people will disagree with my observations, and I'm ok with that.  I'm also ok with knowing the living Christ as I now do.  I have also learned that our own definition of "church" has been misconstrued over the years.  What is important for every believer to know is that the church is not the fancy building.  The church is not the Sunday sermon.  THE CHURCH, for all intents and purposes, consists of those who follow Jesus {Paul to the Corinthians(1) 12:27}.  It is we who are the individual members of Christ, with Jesus at the head of the church {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}.  Therefore, my advice to someone who has walked away from the church and desires to once again sit in that pew come Sunday morning is this, be sure that you are aware of the true meaning of the church.  That WE, in Christ Jesus, are all members of His church.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Religions Grip)

 

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money.  

George Carlin 

I have a good friend who is a retired pastor who has often regaled me with the struggles he often faced in his time in the church.  Of the conflict in himself as he began to understand the truth of Christ Jesus in him.  I get it.  For this is the very same conflict that I faced myself as I began to walk away from the church I had known for so many years.  All too often we see the news stories of just how many people are becoming disillusioned with the mainstream church.  Again, I get it.  My own discomfort with the church began a few years before I walked away from it.  I started to witness things which I had not witnessed as I was growing up.  From the change from traditional church hymns to more modern rock and roll worship music.  It's obvious to me that were I to walk into a church these days that I more than likely would not recognize it.  What happened?  I believe that this is the question that many believers have been wondering.  What happened to my church?  What happened to the strength in the congregations?  Well, I believe that there has been an increase in those who are seeking to know Jesus.  Now, the church that I recall has always been good at telling people "about" Jesus, but they always dropped the ball when it came to telling us who Jesus truly is.  Before I walked away from the church, I could tell you all about what I knew about Jesus from the scriptures.  Yet I really didn't know Him.  I was caught in the grip of man made religion.  I believe that this is the issue which we face today, the issue of religion versus the reality of Christ Jesus.  One teaches while the other reveals.  

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are taking tithes from the mint and the dill and the cumin, and leave the weightier matters of the law, judging and mercy and faith.  Now these it was binding you to do, and not leave those.  Blind guides!  Straining out a gnat, yet swallowing a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are cleansing the outside of the cup and the plate, yet inside they are brimming with rapacity and incontinence.  

Matthews Account 24: 23-25, Concordant New Testament 

I have often wondered what Jesus would proclaim were He to confront the pastoral church leadership of today.  The way I see it, the same words He proclaimed against the Pharisees of His day still ring true for us today in regards to our mainstream church leadership.  It is more about the organization that the individual.  It has become more about the traditional theology than actually proclaiming Christ Jesus as He is.  Never in my time in the church was it revealed to me my union life within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Never in my time in the church was I told that the sin I was taught to fear had been put to death by Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  This is the truth of Christ Jesus!  Yet the mainstream institutional church seemingly chooses to not proclaim this truth for all to hear.  To be fair, my own knowing of Christ in me came not from a church sermon, but from the revelation of the Father.  So it is that when I hear of someone else who has become disillusioned with the church, I remember my own struggle with leaving the church I had come to know so well.  In the end, it wasn't about abandoning my faith, but about coming to know Jesus.  My desire was to know Him, not just know about Him.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Bold Confidence)

 

Now, at His entering Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him and saying, "Lord, my boy is prostate in the house, a paralytic, dreadfully tormented."  And He is saying to him, "I, coming, will cure him,"  And answering, the centurion averred, "Lord, I am not competent that Thou mayest enter under my roof, but only say the word and my boy will be healed!  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I am saying to this one, 'Go,' and he is going, and to another, 'Come,' and he is coming, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he is doing it."  Now, hearing it, Jesus marvels.  And He said to those following, "Verily, I am saying to you, With no one in Israel so much faith did I find." 

Matthews Account 8: 5-10, Concordant New Testament 

I've enjoyed watching The Chosen series on the life and ministry of Jesus simply for the fact that it presents the life of Jesus in a way which most people can relate.  This was the case in a scene which depicts Jesus' interaction with a Roman centurion soldier.  Many have referred to this interaction in the scriptures as "The faith of the centurion." or "The centurions faith."  Either reference would be a good indication of the nature of this mans interaction with Jesus.  This centurion has come to Jesus seeking Him to heal his "boy" who is sick at home.  Obviously, to confront Jesus in such a way we can assume that he knew something about what Jesus could do.  Either from conversations with the locals or simply from hearing of the reputation of Jesus, this man knew that Jesus would be able to heal his boy.  What impressed me about this scene in The Chosen is Jesus' reaction to the request of the centurion.  Amazed, Jesus turns to His followers and proclaims that He had not witnessed one in all of Israel with such "Bold confidence" in what He could do.  Obviously, these words of Jesus were similar to those we find in scripture, and the producers took a few liberties with that, but I believe that they do justice to what the scriptures proclaim that Jesus said.  To have "Bold confidence" in Jesus is to believe that He will do what He has proclaimed, no matter what.  To have bold confidence in Jesus is to know that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  To truly know Jesus is to be confident in what He has done and what He will do. 

That, if ever you should be avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord, and should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead, you shall be saved

Paul to the Romans 10: 9, Concordant New Testament 

I was thinking the other day of those words as I prayed, bold confidence.  What was interesting wasn't the results of my prayer, as that has not yet been revealed.  What I noticed was that instead of waiting anxiously for the Lord to answer my requests, as I have done so many times before, I now found myself anticipating where it was that the Father was leading me.  Not fearful, but confident.  Obviously, I have grown a bit in my faith and trust in the Lord, which is evidenced by this situation.  But how is it that I came to such a bold confidence about who Jesus is and what He can do?  Part of this is trust in who He is and part is believing in what has been revealed unto me by the Father.  For my own knowledge of my life in Christ didn't come from countless hours of studying scripture.  It didn't come from the words of a Sunday sermon.  No, my knowing of who Jesus is, and who it is that I am in Him, has been revealed to me by the Father Himself {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  It is God, who in His timing, has revealed Himself in me.  I look upon the moment the man Saul was introduced to Jesus, the One he had been persecuting.  Think of how many times God could have introduced Himself to Saul, yet He chose that moment to reveal Himself unto Him.  This is exactly how God works.  Not by human predictions, but by His will and grace for His children.  To know and understand this is to have that bold confidence in our own life in Him.  

~Scott~