The Good Of The Father (The Fluffy Stuff) # 2113

 

Be rejoicing in the Lord always!  Again, I will declare, be rejoicing! 

Paul to the Philippians 4: 4, Concordant New Testament 

I have a friend who declared to me last week that to only proclaim the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus was not a good thing.  For to only feed these people "The fluff" of the scripture was to ignore the consequences of our sin that remains.  Not only that, but that people needed to know that there are indeed consequences for their actions here on earth.  So, are the words spoken by Jesus simply fluffy, feel good encouragement or is there something more going on here?  I believe that the apostle Paul spoke perfectly when, in his letter to those in Philippi, that they should be "Rejoicing in the Lord always!" {Paul to the Philippians 4:4}.  Paul didn't see the gospel of the Lord Jesus as simply something to make people feel good, but as the truth which we have through Him.  Tell me, why is it that we need to be continually reminded of sin when Jesus Himself has given His life that we would be set free from that which we were once slaves to?  In his evangel, Paul speaks to the truth of the happiness which we have through Christ Jesus.  Not only that He has provided for the forgiveness of sins, but that He has provided for our life lived within Him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  Paul understood that his former identity perished on that cross next to Jesus.  This is why he can say with confidence "Yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ" {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Thes aren't simply fluffy, feel good feelings, but the truth of Christ Jesus which we find throughout the evangel spoken by Paul.  Not only that, Jesus Himself has assured us of our life lived within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Therefore, we no longer live a life plagued by sin, but a life lived within the joy and happiness of God.  

I understand why someone such as my friend could boldly declare the good news of the gospel of Jesus as being simply fluff.  As simply window dressing.  I have known for quite some time that the theology spoken by those within the mainstream church speaks to a false identity which many continue to live by.  This is the lie which has been spoken by the church for thousands of years.  The lie which proclaims that we have been separated from God through our sin {Isaiah 59:2}.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For the reason by which Jesus suffered and died on the cross was not only for the forgiveness of sin, but so that sin itself would be put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  It is ridiculous to assume, as those within the church continue to proclaim, that Jesus simply died for the forgiveness of a few important sins.  That somehow despite the sacrifice of the innocent blood of Jesus, that sin somehow remains within us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Again, Paul speaks to the truth that our former "Body of sin may be nullified" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Are we to see these words spoken by Paul as truth or simply for our encouragement?  Well, Paul obviously believed his words to be true or he would not have spoken them to us.  I do not see the evangel spoken by Paul as simply encouragement, but as the living truth we have through Christ Jesus.  It has never been the desire of God that we simply be encouraged.  No, it is God Who desires us to live in the truth which we have through Him.  That our life is not our own, but that we are an intimate part of Him {Genesis 1:27}.  If you know this truth and it makes you feel good, so much the better. 

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 the 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 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Come And See) # 2112

 

Now Jesus, being turned and gazing at them following, is saying to them, "What are you seeking?'  Yet they said to Him, "Rabbi (Which, being construed, is termed "Teacher"), "Where art Thou remaining?"  He is saying to them, "Come and see,"  They came, then, and perceived where His is remaining, and they remain with Him that day, it was about the tenth hour

Johns Account 1: 39-41, Concordant New Testament 

I have been involved in more than a few ministries in my time.  From Promise Keepers conventions to classes of Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God series.  Both of these were seen as crucial ministries during my time in the church.  Yet, the funny thing is that neither has ever brought me closer to knowing the truth of Christ Jesus within me than the revelation of the Father in me.  I think back to the days when the apostle Paul received that same revelation within him in the days following his Damascus road experience.  That it was when it pleased the Lord that He revealed in Paul the living spirit of Christ {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  I can say that my experience definitely mirrors that of Paul.  It is Jesus who invited those following Him by simply inviting them to "Come and see" {Johns Account 1:39-41}.  He never once invited them to a conference gathering (If they had those back then).  He never encouraged them to join in the study of a book in order to see Himself revealed unto them.  What Jesus DID do was to invite those who were curious to come and see for themselves His daily life.  To witness His presence and His ministry of the gospel.  I have not seen many Christian based ministries at all which tout the love and welcoming which Jesus offered to these early followers of His.  What I have seen in my own time in the church is far too many theology based programs disguised as ministry.  Of course, there have been a few exceptions.  A good friend of mine once engaged in a sports ministry which brought the message of the gospel to more than a few countries around the world.  He used his love for sports and Jesus to spread His message to others.  What strikes me about my friends endeavor is that his message was not church based, but speaking to others about the love and forgiveness of Christ.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how it is that this revelation I have received from God could be spoken to others.  The fact is, there are millions of people in this world who hunger to know Jesus on a more personal level.  Imagine a world where everyone knew and understood the truth of our life within  Christ Jesus {Johns Account 14:20}.  I truly feel that this is where the Father is leading His children.  But how?  Simple, the invitation to come and see.  Come and see the love and acceptance of Jesus.  Come and experience His love without the condemnation so often found within the confines of the mainstream church.  I have a Christian friend who seems to minister to others by means of reminding them of their own future in hell if they refuse to follow Jesus.  I feel that he doesn't attract too many followers with that rhetoric.  A simple Google search of the passage which we find in John 1:39-41 reveals Jesus' invitation to others to "Personally encounter Him."  Wouldn't you love to personally encounter Jesus?  Well, come and see.  James makes it clear that if we draw ourselves closer to the Lord, that He will in turn draw near to us {James to the twelve Tribes 4:8}.  I feel that this is a big reason why Jesus invites us to come and see Him for ourselves.  But how is it that those desiring to see Him will have that opportunity?  Well, it certainly won't come from those within the church speaking to us as condemned sinners.  That message doesn't sell when it comes to intimately knowing Christ within us.  How the world WILL come to know Jesus more intimately is through those who already know Him in that way.  While I don't see it as an official church endorsed ministry, I have my own group of gym goers which I speak of Jesus with on a regular basis.  Not of condemnation, but of the love and acceptance of Christ.  All are welcome, come and see.  

Yet hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts, ever ready with a defense for everyone who is demanding from you an account concerning the expectation in you, but with meekness and fear 

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 3: 15, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Letter To Rome) # 2111

 

What, then, shall we declare?  That we may be persisting in sin that grace should be increasing?  May it not be coming to that!  We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it? 

Paul to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament 

Long before the conception of the holy Roman Catholic church, Rome was the epicenter of one of the most powerful civilizations ever known.  The Roman empire stretched from English Isles in the West to the nations of the middle East.  Whoever coined the phrase "All roads lead to Rome" certainly knew what they were talking about.  Against this backdrop of world domination, within this Roman territory a movement was growing.  A movement based on the teachings of a man from Nazareth in the nation of Israel.  Indeed, word of the teachings of the man Jesus had reached beyond the borders of the nation of Israel to the nations beyond its borders.  One of the loudest of these voices came from one who spent the early part of his life persecuting the followers of Jesus.  The man Saul had made a career out of doing the bidding of the leaders of the Jewish religion.  On the day his life would change forever, he was on a mission to deliver any followers of Jesus unto the chief priests in Jerusalem.  Yet God had different plans for Saul.  For on that day, the persecutor Saul became the apostle Paul, one of the staunchest defenders of the gospel of Christ Jesus we will ever know.  But these words of Paul written in his evangel do not have many fans withing the church itself.  For Paul writes to the truth of the Lord Jesus, and that truth often contradicts the message given by those within the church.  Where the church speaks to the lie that sin has separated us from God, Paul points out that Jesus Himself "Died to sin once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Paul writes, correctly, that Jesus has given Himself for the forgiveness of sin.  He also provides a defense for those within the church who will continue to keep the sin issue alive.  To these he speaks to the truth of "We, who died to sin, how shall we continue living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}.  I have a friend who will bristle at the very idea that sin has been dealt with.  What about our bad behaviors and decisions?  Are they not the very essence of sin?  As Paul proclaims, why do we continue living in what Jesus has already dealt with?

I consider Paul's letter to the church in Rome to be one of the best rebukes of sin which we will find in the scriptures.  Not only that, it is Paul who introduces us to our one true identity in Christ Jesus.  Our identity in Jesus?  Yes!  For it is Paul who speaks to the truth of Christ living within him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Tell me, if Christ lives within us, how is it that sin can flourish?  This is, of course, the nature of the truth of sin spoken of by Paul.  Whenever someone speaks to me about the separation theology preached by the church, I remind them of this letter written by Paul to those in Rome.  I can imagine that those in Rome reading this letter of Paul also were taken by surprise by his words.  For those within Roman society were more akin to the gods of altars and statues than the truth of the Lord Jesus.  However, there was at this time a burgeoning church of the followers of Jesus in Rome itself.  It is to these that Paul writes his famous letter.  He reminds them of the truth of the words of Christ Jesus.  He also reminds them of the truth of who they were IN Him.  The truth that sin no longer has a dwelling place in their lives.  That through the innocent sacrifice of Jesus, that the sin debt has now been paid in full {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  But these words of Paul are not just a letter to the church in Rome, but to all believers in Christ Jesus.  A reminder of the truth which we find in Him.  A contrast to the false words coming from the church.  Paul contrasts the condemnation spoken by those in the church with the freedom which we have in Christ.  

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 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

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Bondage Of Sin) # 2110

 

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 the 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, reckon 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 

Growing up I was a huge fan of the sci fi series Battlestar Galactica.  I recall one episode titled The Long Patrol where the warrior Starbuck has crashed on a planet inhabited by a penal colony.  The residents of this penal colony have been forced to pay for the sins of their ancestors by being housed in cells while being forced to brew the same adult beverage their ancestors did, with the profits going to their captors.  Near the end of the episode, Starbuck discovers that there the cells which house the prisoners are unlocked.  The only thing which keeps them imprisoned, it seems, is tradition.  I was thinking of this old TV show the other night as I was in a text conversation with a Gym Rat friend.  This man is an old school, church theology based believer.  Being such, he cannot or will not accept the scriptures proclaimed by Paul in his evangel which assure us that Jesus Himself has freed us from the bondages of sin.  It seems that he is stuck in that old building without locks on the doors.  He is able to walk free at any given time, yet he continues to wallow in his captivity.  For all intents and purposes, he remains a slave to the sin which once defined him.  Paul is clear in his letter to the Romans, we are to "Reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Sadly, far too many believers are just like my Gym friend, they follow the teachings of the mainstream church which continues to proclaim that our sin remains a vital issue in our lives.  Not only that, but that sin has actually separated us from the God Who created us.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

When we live within the bondage of sin, we believe that despite Jesus having given Himself for our sakes to take away the sin of the world, that we must seek forgiveness continually for the sin we still continue to commit each and every day.  Like residents of that fictional penal colony, we accept the same punishments which our ancestors adhered to.  This cycle has been repeating itself over and over again for thousands of years.  Have we forgotten that Christ Jesus willingly gave Himself to take that punishment we continue to believe is ours?  That He Who knew no sin died for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  For its part, the church has been doing its best for centuries to hold believers in the bondages of sin.  This has NEVER been the Fathers intention for us.  The very reason by which Jesus has been dispatched to take away the sin of the world is testament to this truth {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Those within the church know and celebrate the death of Jesus on the cross, but they refuse to practice what they preach.  To listen to them is to believe that Jesus has left sin remaining after His death.  I know this because of my conversations with more than a few church going believers.  It seems that there are far too many who continue to choose to live within the bondage of that which Jesus has already put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  If they were to accept the truth of the freedom which has been given them, they would then be able to escape that bondage and walk out of the unlocked prison they live in.  For Jesus has died that the chains which once bound us would be broken.  THAT is living free in Christ.  

Yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes

Paul to the Romans 5: 8, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~

The Good Of The Father (Under New Management} # 2109

 

Now at their being affrighted and inclining their faces to the earth, they say to them, "Why are you seeking the living among the dead?"  He is not here, but was roused.  Be reminded how he speaks to you, while still being in Galilee

Lukes Account 24: 5-6, Concordant New Testament 

I've seen a few signs around town lately which proclaim "Under new management."  When I see signs lie these I immediately think of one thing, that the old is gone and that someone new has taken over.  I think that it's safe to say during this Easter season that we, too, are under new management.  This has been assured us through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross.  One of my favorite passages of scripture comes as the women arrive at the empty tomb of Jesus early that morning.  There they encounter the angels, who inquire "Why are you seeking the living among the dead?" {Lukes Account 24:5}.  For these women, who only a few days before had more than likely witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross, this had to be a confusing question.  Jesus is alive?  Not only is Jesus alive and well, but our life is now lived within Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  For all intents and purposes, we're now under new management.  That which was, is no more.  I was reminded of this the other day when a good friend forwarded me a video from the self-proclaimed "Worlds most outspoken bible scholar" Martin Zender.  In this video, Zender goes over the uselessness of the so called sinners prayer.  Why is this important?  Because this goes to the core of why Jesus Himself, being innocent, was made the sacrifice for what we had done {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  So, if Jesus has died to take away the sin of the world, why do we still need that prayer of the sinner?  Are we still to be seen as sinners in the eyes of God?  After all, those within the church will repeatedly quote the words of the apostle Paul and proclaim that ALL have indeed sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But this is where their knowing of the scriptures often ends.  For they ignore the words Paul in the following passage which proclaims that we are no longer sinners, but "Justified gratuitously" through the grace of Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  We're under new management. 

As far as the new management sign goes, I would omit that entirely.  Those within the church will have us believe that our sin needs to be managed.  That it has somehow separated us from God.  Both of these statements are lies spoken by the church.  For how can we manage something which Jesus has already died to {Paul to the Romans 6:10}?  Will Jesus tell us that we need to manage our sin?  Where in the scriptures is it written that Jesus requires this of us?  It isn't, because Jesus has already done away with it!  We no longer live in what was, but that which is.  What remains is the forgiveness and grace of the Father.  Those within the church would have us believe that Jesus intentionally missed a few sins before dying on that cross.  That despite His sacrifice, sin still remains.  Martin Zender comments that Jesus should very well have recited the sinners prayer as He hung on that cross.  That way, there would have not been any sin left which to forgive, right?  It doesn't work that way.  For Jesus Himself is that propitiation for that which once convicted us {First Epistle of John 2:2}.  As He hung on the cross, He proclaimed "It is accomplished!" {Johns Account 19:30}.  Jesus knew and understood that His purpose here on earth had been fulfilled.  There was nothing more for Him to do.  Sin has been put to death through the sacrifice of the innocent {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  We no longer need that sin management because there is no longer any sin to manage.  What remains is to live within the forgiveness and love of the Father. 

And He is the propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with our only, but concerned with the whole world also 

First Epistle of John 2: 2, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Jesus Scam) # 2108

 

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~ 

The Good Of The Father (He Who Knew No Sin) # 2107

 

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 

When we understand the sin of man, we understand that someone needed to die.  Somehow, there needed to be a death, a sacrifice in order to cover that which we had done in the eyes of the Lord.  Anyone familiar with the writings of the old testament knows that the priests of Israel would offer up sacrifices for the misdeeds of the people.  We know that Abraham also offered up his sacrifice upon the deliverance of his son Ishbak (Isaac).  For His part, Jesus made no friends among the leaders of the Jews when He drove out the moneychangers from the temple, who were there to exchange money for the animals the people needed for their sacrifices of atonement {Matthews Account 21:12-13}.  So it is that mankind needed a sacrifice to atone for our sin.  Not just any sacrifice would do, this sacrifice needed to be guiltless, sin free.  The death of the innocent needed to cover the sin of the many.  This was accomplished through Gods dispatching of His Son Jesus {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  For it is through the willing sacrifice of Christ that the sin of the many has been blotted out forever {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  In the eyes of the Father, that which once convicted us has been washed away by the shed blood of His Son.  Interestingly enough, this is celebrated as one of the truths of Christian theology.  That Jesus came, suffered for many and gave His life to the death of sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  We also believe that Jesus died but once to accomplish this.  Jesus Himself, on that cross, declares that what He has been sent to accomplish has been done as the Father willed {Johns Account 19:30}.  This is the truth which those within the Christian religion accept and celebrate at this time each year.  Indeed, we celebrate this truth, but we do not practice it. 

It is no secret that those within the mainstream church continue to proclaim that it is our sin which has separated us from God.  I have written on this practice many times.  My question has always been, if we celebrate the death of Jesus as one of our core principals of the Christian faith, why do we continue to falsely believe that sin continues to be an issue in our lives?  Did Jesus somehow miss a few sins as He hung on that cross?  I find that difficult to believe.  So do those in the church, which is why they continue to preach that He died for the forgiveness of sin.  They proclaim it, yet they don't practice what they preach.  The apostle Paul speaks in his evangel that Jesus gave Himself to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The apostle also reminds us that we're to consider ourselves "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Indeed, He Who knew no sin has accomplished what He has been sent to do.  So, either we believe what the scriptures have declared or we don't.  There is no room for lukewarm belief on this matter.  Do you believe that Jesus has died for your iniquities?  That He is the propitiation of that which once held you captive?  Or, do you trust in the lie of the deceiver who will proclaim that sin remains?  This brings another interesting aspect into this conversation, what is sin?  If Jesus has died to take away the sin of the world, what is it that the mainstream church continues to wring its hands over?  Bad judgement?  Bad behavior?  Wicked thoughts?  These ARE NOT SIN.  These are simply man following the lead of his flesh.  When we trust in the knowing of our life lived within the Fathers love, we can be confident in proclaiming that sin is not the issue {Johns Account 14:20}.  For Jesus has given Himself for the death of sin.  He Who knew no sin became the death of many. 

Seeing that Christ also, for our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in the flesh, yet vivified in the spirit

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 3: 18, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~