A Lost Attitude

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2: 3 - 4 NKJV

I was in a discussion with a friend this week about the downfall of society when I mentioned to him my perspective on where things went south.  See, I believe that we as a society began to change the day we started seeing ourselves as more important than others.  Once this happened, a lot of what we once knew began to change.  Those around us became competition instead of brethren.  Keeping up with the Jones' became a lifestyle embraced by many.  Whatever my neighbor can do, I can do better.  I see this attitude embraced day after day in the minds of our younger generations.  The idea that if something does not go our way, then the game is somehow rigged.  Needless to say, we've been warned countless times about the gifts of being humble, but for many people it does not compute.  To those among us, living a life of self importance is a high form of flattery and self gratification.  But this is a slippery slope.  For once we get it into our head that we are our own distinct and separate being, we ignore what the Lord has created for us.  Here we are faced with two choices, either we are the Lords creation created in His image, or we are His creation and our own separate self independent from God.  When we embrace the latter, we began to see God not in a close personal relationship, but in a world where we ourselves are left to our own devices.  God is only there to watch what is going on while we are in charge of our own destiny.  It is we who make the entire dynamic work as well as it does.  Forget that it is the Lords creation in which we prosper each and every day.  Forget that all we will ever have will have the Lords fingerprints upon it.  All which we hold dear, the environment, ecology or even the current buzzword of racial equality all are uniquely God.  In fact, there is nowhere which we can go that the Fathers influence has not touched.  I believe that to ignore this truth is the ultimate in selfishness.  Who am I to think myself separate of He who created me?  It is my opinion that this kind of thinking is a fools errand...and we are nothing but.

They became tricked into the false concept of seeing themselves as independent selves, even as their false father Satan was deceived into thinking he was an independent self.
Norman P. Grubb ~ No Independent Self

How many times is it mentioned in scripture that we are not to see ourselves as being greater than we are?  Well, there's a reason for that.  There is also a reason by which we never see Jesus advertising that He is the best game in town.  Now, we do see Him staking claim that He is the Son of God, but in this He is telling the truth.  I mentioned that we cannot ignore that we are formed and created by God in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  Was it Gods intent to create us and then set us free to be our own self?  Never.  That idea where we see ourselves as independent is a lie born of Satan.  This is illustrated by Norman Grubb in his book "No independent self."  It is Satan who bought into the lie that he could be separate from God {Isaiah 14:14}.  It is also Satan who instilled his lie into the Lords creation in the garden {Genesis 3:4-5}.  As I've mentioned, there is nowhere we can go where we cannot see evidence of God in His creation.  Knowing this, can we still remain foolish enough to believe that we are indeed our own self?  Sadly, some do.  The apostle Paul was not counted among that crowd.  Paul knew that he could not be his own, separate self because he had the realization that Christ lived through him {Galatians 2:20}.  In fact, the most powerful evidence that we cannot be independent from God comes from Paul's realization that he...was dead.  So it is with us.  We can never be separate from God when God dwells in us.  It is through Him that the lie of the enemy has been defeated.  Jesus, the living example of humility, is now one with us {John 17:21}. 

~Scott~

The Name

"You shall not take the name of your LORD God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
Exodus 20: 7 NKJV

I was browsing through a book by Duck Commander founder Phil Robertson the other day when I came across a interesting story.  It seems that Phil was doing a sales call with a customer one day early in his career when out of the blue the man began using the Lords name in some pretty inglorious ways.  Well, Phil took the mans order and at the end of the call asked the man why he would want to insult the very one who would ever save him.  This began a conversation in which Phil eventually led the man to the Lord.  However, it got me to thinking about just how common it has become for people, Christian and non Christian alike, to use our Lords name in ways it shouldn't be.  As I did a bit of research for this writing, I came across a definition which stated the using the Lords name in vain is to utter His name in any way which brings dishonor upon Him.  So, I'll go with that.  We must realize that for many generations of the Jewish faith, the name of the Lord was rarely uttered or written due to the reverence it was given Him.  So, where did we fall short?  Where did it become commonplace to utter the name of our heavenly Father in ways that are unflattering to say the least?  Now, I admit that this is something I myself have engaged in, so I'm not pointing fingers at anyone.  In fact, I've made it a point to try my hardest to, when those times of anger and frustration come (yes, I narrowed down my trigger moments), that I would try to stop and take stock of what I was about to do.  At first it didn't help much, but lately I've found myself pausing before I say something.  It may seem funny, but I've thought of other less intrusive words to utter in these situations.  The point is that I'm honestly trying to break the habit of disrespecting the name of the Father.  In a culture filled with obscenity, it can be a tall order.  I know that I am in no place to lecture someone on using the Lords name in vain, but I know what the right thing to do is.  In my heart, I also know the sadness that it might bring to my heavenly Father.

I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.
Isaiah 42: 8 NKJV

Far from being warned by scripture of the pitfalls of using the Lords name in vain, I am also aware of the pain which it brings Him.  For when I use His name in the wrong way, I feel the sadness as well.  It was Paul who introduces us to a personal relationship which we have with Christ Jesus in Galatians.  Paul makes the claim that it is Jesus Himself who lived through him {Galatians 2:20}.  Knowing this, it's not hard to see that when we use His name in ways which dishonor Him, that we ourselves might feel His sadness as well.  I don't hold to the idea that God would strike me down for this infraction, but I have no doubt that it does bring Him disappointment.  I know in my heart that the Father only desires what is good for me, and using His name in unflattering ways certainly isn't that.  So, I can cease following the example of those around me and use the opportunity, as Phil Robertson did, to bring others to the realization of the living Christ.  Sort of taking a negative and turning it into a positive.  I also know that there will be those who will see me as just another bible thumping Christian looking to lecture them on behavior.  If you get that impression then you're missing the point of this opportunity.  My goal is not to dictate to people how to behave...but how to bring them into a relationship with Jesus. 

~Scott~

Jesus removed our sins and guaranteed we could be raised from the dead.  I'm still waiting on someone to enlighten me on what story beats that one.
~Phil Robertson~

Conversations Of The Heart

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8: 26 NKJV

I remember from  my days in the church where every so often one of my friends would approach me on a Sunday morning and tell me with a serious expression that "God has something for me to tell you."  I usually approached these situations with caution because when someone said that God had something to tell me it usually meant that I needed to improve some area of my life.  That's just how those conversations went.  When I look back, I often wonder to myself that if God had such a urgent matter to tell me, why didn't He just avoid the middle man and tell me about it Himself?  Well, maybe He did, or maybe He tried and I just wasn't listening at the time.  Now, I would never discount the fact that God can and will use other people to show us that which we need to know, but I prefer to be in a relationship conversation with Him.  When we look at prayer, isn't that what it is all about in a nutshell?  Our own conversations with the Father?  I look at the scriptures and I see the prayers of Jesus in the context of conversations.  I have no doubt that we communicate with the Father in the same way.  I don't need some priest to mumble a few words and spread some smoke around to make me feel as if I'm talking to God.  Yet, this is the traditional church view of how we are to communicate with Him.  We are supposed to come before the Father with a guilty heart, knowing that we are sinners and that we need to seek forgiveness before we can even speak to Him.  Well, I'm not buying the traditional church philosophy.  I believe that it makes it easier for us to talk to the Father once we know how it is that God sees us.  Does God look upon us as we see ourselves?  A sinner who needs His forgiveness?  I don't see it that way at all.  First of all, we need to recognize that we live in union with the Father.  That is, He is in us.  The apostle Paul assured us of this when he spoke of Christ Jesus living in him {Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:8}.  Therefore, if Jesus is in us, God Himself is in us {John 14:9}.  Hence, we are one with the Father.  Of course, if we are one with the Father then we indeed can have that heart to heart conversation with Him.  But what about our sin?  Does God still see sin when He looks upon us?  Or, does He see us as we truly are, His precious children?  Paul also tells us of how Jesus dealt with the sin issue {Romans 6:6}.  We are assured of the fact that Jesus Himself became sin on our behalf {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  When we come before the Father asking His forgiveness for our sin, His response will more than likely be "What sin?"

"That they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
John 17: 21 - 23 NKJV

For the longest time my desire was for my own conversations with God to be not as master and servant, but as Father and child.  Of course, back then I followed the church doctrine and never realized the bond which Christ and I shared.  I was taught that Jesus was seated at the throne of the Father, removed from my own life.  Had I known the Jesus I know now it would have been a whole lot easier.  That is my desire for all who come to Jesus, that they would know the true Christ, He who gave Himself for us that He would come to live in all who know Him.  This is the personal relationship which I have found in Jesus.  When I speak to Him, it is not with a heavy heart of guilt, but the joy of knowing who I am in Him.  Our conversations with God are not meant to be a wish list, admission of sin or out of fear of punishment.  On the contrary, when we come to Him it is on a personal level because that is now our relationship with Him.  It was never meant that we should be in a church or temple as a prerequisite to coming to Him.  He is with us wherever we are. 

~Scott~

Crap Game

"My center is giving way, my right is in retreat, situation excellent. I attack!"
Ferdinand Foch

The other day I was faced with what I would consider a unique opportunity.  Well, a opportunity to show the futility of a situation.  See, for more than a few months we here in Oregon have been slapped with orders to wear face masks not only while in public, but outdoors as well.  This is all thanks to the perceived genius of some politicians.  Whatever your view on face coverings in the midst of the coronavirus issue (I don't say pandemic because the CDC no longer considers it a pandemic), we are stuck with it for now.  Personally, I think it's a fools errand to think that these flimsy coverings are the be all end all to save us, but that's just my opinion.  Anyway, the other day while at the local gym I noticed a few people arguing with the staff over the mask wearing mandate.  Whether they thought it was wrong or not, policy is policy.  Now, despite my own personal views on the subject, I refused to get involved in that discussion.  Why?  Because the ends did not justify the means in my opinion.  What good does it do me to argue a point if it either gets me kicked out or, in the worst case, gets the place closed for non compliance?  So, I play the cards I'm dealt.  I've noticed that this has become a foreign concept to our younger generation.  We see it night after night with some protest somewhere against some injustice.  What would I say to these protestors given the chance?  Play the cards you're dealt.  Yes, you might recognize that there is injustice in the world, but it is highly unlikely that a few voices will change things.  You might recognize that the other team isn't playing fair, do you complain to the officials or do you play the cards you're dealt and play in such a way to overcome that which is against you?  I have a goal to get in better health, so what good would it due me to possibly ensure that I would not be able to use the gym?  There are times when opportunities come to us disguised as disappointments.  In other words, when one door closes, look for another.  We see this through the scriptures with stories of those who, despite what was going on around them, followed the Lord in what they were doing.  Be it opportunity or perseverance, there are times when playing the cards we're dealt is our only option.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4: 1 NKJV

I have a close friend who fancies playing a few hands of poker every now and then.  From what he has told me he seems to be good at it.  However, there are times when he's in a game and the cards are not that favorable to him.  Does he immediately give up?  No.  Because in the game of poker you might not have the best hand, but you can make the other guy believe that you do.  Play the cards you're dealt.  Those few people who felt as if they were standing up for their rights at the gym were, in my opinion, giving up.  The game was rigged.  It wasn't fair.  Their rights were being violated in some way.  I get it.  However, what I also get is the opportunity to keep doing what I do.  If something happens and they close the gym down...it won't be because of something I did.  Some people look at this as being when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  It's the same thing.  I don't need some fancy self help book to tell me that I need to chase down opportunities, I'm living it every day.  I also know that were I to sit in on a few games of poker I might not be the best player at the table...but I'd make damn sure that someone thought that I was.

~Scott~

The Jesus Example

"If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as O have done to you.  Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him."
John 13: 14 - 16 NKJV

I heard a radio pastor this week mention that what we need in these times of turmoil is a true example of how to treat one another.  I'm not sure if he was trying to say that it is we ourselves who need to set that example, but it got me to thinking of the example we already have.  We've all heard at one time or another that we are to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated.  We call it the "golden rule" by which we are to treat others.  The trouble with that is, more often than not, our own human  desires for fairness outweigh what we know in our hearts to be right and true.  How can I treat my neighbor as I would like to be treated when I know that he's wrong?  Once we start to think like that, we deviate from we ought to do into what someone else wants for us.  That being our accuser.  When we begin placing our own feelings over that of others, that golden rule no longer applies.  Where would we be if the true example of how we should treat others, Christ Jesus, had not shown Gods love to those around Him?  Would the woman at the well have continued living in sin?  Would the woman about to be stoned for adulatory have suffered her fate at the hands of the authorities?  I'm guessing that, if not for the love and compassion of God shown through Jesus, that the stories of both women would have ended differently.  So it is with us.  Some people will say, "But Scott, Jesus had God in Him already."  Again I say...so it is with us.  Some will point to Jesus as being that example for us to follow in our relation to those around us.  He showed us this that day He washed the feet of His disciples {John 13:13}.  I remember some years back when those little WWJD bracelets and t shirts were all the rage.  WWJD meaning, what would Jesus do?  I'm guessing that it was supposed to be a reminder to whoever wore the bracelet to ask themselves what Jesus would do in any given situation.  Well, when we know the truth of Christ Jesus, then we already know what He would do.  The apostle Paul spoke of the truth of Jesus when he claimed that it was Jesus Himself who lived in him {Galatians 2:20}.  So, if we have the realization that Christ is in us, do we not now live as Him?  Instead of Jesus being an example to us, is He not a example to others as He works through us?

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

I would say that, for those who have come to know Jesus, that the golden rule has no meaning.  For those who see Jesus not as an example, but as a way of life, treating others well is simply something which we always do.  Now, that does not mean that we who know Christ in us will not forget who we are sometimes and fall back into our old ways.  We know the truth that is in us but, as they say, old  habits die hard.  There have been plenty of times when I, knowing Jesus within me, have treated others wrongly.  I'm sure I'm not alone in that confession.  When we come to the realization that it is Jesus who lives in us, our lives take on a new meaning.  I'm no longer living for myself (in fact, we've never been our own independent self, but more on that later), but that those around me would see Jesus through me.  Yes, I know, that usually isn't my goal each day, but if indeed Jesus lives in me, then logically others will see Him in everything I do, the good and the bad.  Wait, Jesus was bad?  Blasphemy!  Well, too bad we've never had that opportunity to inquire of Mary and Joseph of just how perfect of a boy Jesus was.  Do you suppose that the boy Jesus got into some mischief growing up?  I'm sure He did.  My friend Dennis and I spoke to this imperfect reality of Jesus in a recent podcast.  Needless to say, if I'm not perfect, then Jesus who is in me isn't perfect either.  However, the world around me might never know Him if they did not see Him through me.  It's not up to us to demand that others accept Jesus, but to pray that they will see Him as we do.

~Scott~

Free To Be

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8: 36 NKJV

We speak quite a bit to the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  However, I was thinking this week that there are times where talk is cheap.  How many of us have sat through many a sermon before losing interest?  Usually my attention span does not last that long for such things.  That being said, I can talk all day about Christ in me, but there may be those out there who will not see the truth I have found.  So, what is my own experience of Christ Jesus in me?  Well, as I was thinking this week, the first thing that comes to mind is freedom.  My freedom to be the man that I know I am.  That man, as Paul tells us, is Jesus living through us {Galatians 2:20}.  This is the basis of the freedom I've found in Christ.  That freedom encompasses many things.  A friend spoke to me that freedom in Jesus means that we are no longer barred by "Falling short" theology.  That is, we need no longer fear that that we will come up short in our attempts to "Be like" Jesus.  Contrary to the teachings of the mainstream church, there is really no need for us to continue to challenge ourselves to simply resemble Jesus in some way.  I don't want to simply be like Jesus.  For being "like" Jesus does not make me one with Him {John 17:21}.  Being like Jesus is simply a continuation of the lie the deceiver spoke to Eve in the garden.  It was Satan who spoke the lie that by taking of the fruit which God had commanded not to that somehow Adam would "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5}.  Well, I contend that the Fathers original creation was already like Him.  It was God who created man in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  It was God who breathed into man the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  I would say that from the beginning Adam and Eve were very much like God.  However, the issue which Satan capitalized on, was that they never realized that they were like God.  Adam had known no other life than the life he was living in union with the Father.  So, in order to appreciate what he had, Adam needed to see the opposite as well.  Enter the lie of Satan.  From that day forward it has been our struggle to "be like" Jesus. 

They were at first unconscious expressers of God's other-love nature.  Adam was in harmony with all creatures and could give each its proper name {Genesis 2:20}; they knew no opposite to other-love in union with the Father.
~No Independent Self, Norman Grubb~

The knowing of freedom in Christ is directly related to knowing that Jesus lives through us.  If we believe that we need to strive to "be like" Jesus, then we are missing the point.  I never found freedom in striving to be like Jesus, and my guess is that you won't either.  However, once I came to the realization that I was one with Christ who is in me, a whole new world opened up for me.  Gone were the days where I needed to compete for the Fathers favor {Romans 8:2}.  Even sin took on a entire new meaning for me.  Instead of seeing sin as a wedge between myself and God, I now see it for what it truly is.  It is Jesus who has done away with my old nature, my old man, so that He could take its place in me {Romans 6:6-11}.  As Paul tells us, "he who has died has been freed from sin" {Romans 6:7}.  Who is it that died?  Well, in essence, I died at Christs side on that cross {Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6}.  That part of me which was sin was put to death by Christ Jesus on the cross.  What now remains is Jesus living His life through me.  So, how is it that I can "be like" Jesus when in reality I already am?  Once we come to realize our own freedom in Jesus, we begin to live a life of freedom in Him.  Freedom from condemnation, freedom from a life struggling to be like Him and, most importantly, freedom from the rejection which always comes from not knowing that we no longer need to strive to attain His favor.  The freedom to be Jesus.

~Scott~

The Man I Am

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

There was a time not so long ago where my own image of myself relied on how those around me felt about me.  I did well when I was among people who knew and liked me.  However, get me out of that element and something changed.  When I was around people who looked upon me negatively, their thoughts carried over to how I saw myself.   Needless to say, I spent a lot of time on the merry go round of emotions worrying about why I was such a failure.  Even when I took refuge in my faith, I was told that I was a sinner competing for Gods favor.  Of course, this didn't sit well with my own self confidence either.  The fact is, it does not take long for ones own self worth to hit bottom when those around them are telling them they are not good enough.  Knowing what I know now, I realize that back then I was a victim of the lies of the accuser.  It has never been God who seeks to instill us with a negative spirit.  It has never been God who whispers that we are no good to Him.  Indeed, we have all been created in the image of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  I take that to mean that we are all which the Father is.  This becomes more apparent when we look at the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians.  It is Paul who introduces us to the reality of who we truly are.  Was Paul's own identity tied to his persecutions of the church?  If we were to speak to him, Paul would consider his old identity to have been that of one of the worst of sinners {1 Timothy 1:15}.  Yet, how could a man who did such violence to the followers of Jesus today be considered one of the greatest speakers of the gospel of the truth of Christ?  We find the answer in the very same verse in which Paul refers to himself as one of the worst of sinners.  That "Jesus came into the world to save sinners."  If not for Jesus, Paul may well have continued on his destructive path.  If not for Jesus, I might still be believing in all the negative things those around me tell me.  Paul realized the truth that it was no longer his old nature of persecution that defined him, but Christ Himself {Galatians 2:20}. 

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 
Colossians 1: 27 NKJV

It took me a bit longer, but once a good friend mentioned to me the words of Paul, I began to see myself in a different way.  I began to see that it wasn't my old behaviors which defined the man I was.  What defined me as a man is Christ Jesus who lives through me.  Each day I hear of stories of one person or another who, in the darkness of their own despair, fall into that belief that they are but lowly sinners whom God must always keep an eye upon.  That we must continually work and strive to achieve a level of goodness which God will accept.  Well, it is not what we do which makes us acceptable to God, but who we are.  If we go simply on our own efforts, we will always fall short of coming close to a level of righteousness that is acceptable to God.  Remember, in Paul's own persecutions of the early church, he thought that he was doing the Lords work.  He worked under the authority of the religious leaders of his day.  Did Paul's efforts bring him closer to God?  Well, in a way, yes.  However, I will say that it was because of Paul's efforts to gain favor with the God he knew which brought him into his own encounter with Jesus on that Damascus road.  It is because of how God sees us that we need not rely on our own efforts to attain His favor.  When God looks upon me, He no longer sees the man I once was.  That man was crucified along with Jesus on the cross.  What the Father sees now when He looks upon us is the very same man we should be seeing in the mirror...Jesus.  It is Jesus who gave Himself on our account {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Who I am has never been defined by those around me, but by Christ who is in me.

~Scott~

Sin And The Believer

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

There is no other issue which further frustrates the believer than that of sin.  We believe that because all have sinned that somehow sin is a irreversible condition which we all face {Romans 3:23}.  We see our sin not only as a condition dooming us to punishment, but a life outside of our Lords presence.  We are told that God is holy {1 Peter 1:16}.  However, I have failed to locate a scripture which specifically tells us that God cannot be in the presence of sin.  I look upon the story of Job, where Satan came into the Lords presence on more than a few occasions without a reaction from God.  In fact, knowing His former fallen angel, Satan and God were able to converse quite freely.  Of course, this does not mean that He will be adapting Satan's habits, only that He can and will be in sins presence if needed.  There has been many a time in my own life where the guilt of things I have done has felt like a wedge had been driven between myself and God.  Yes, I was created in His image and yes, Jesus gave Himself to die for my sins, but somehow I always felt as if I was wrecking that entire relationship which I was striving for with God.  Ironically, it was a pastors sermon on sin which ultimately led me to see the folly of my belief that sin continued to be an issue for me.  While sitting through a sermon one Easter morning, the pastor reminded us of the torment which Christ had endured to cure us of our sin condition.  However, at the end of the sermon, he asked anyone who had sins to confess to come forward to seek forgiveness.  Really?  So, you're telling me that Jesus died to rid me of my sin condition...but that He didn't do a good enough job?  Somehow, Jesus missed a few sins along the way?  Like a light switch being turned on for the first time, I realized that through Christ, I no longer had a sin to confess.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1: 8 - 10 NKJV

In order for us to see that our original sin condition has indeed been defeated by Jesus, we need to understand what sin is in the first place.  This has been a topic of much discussion for us over the past few months.  We understand that the first incident of recorded sin occurred in the garden in what is regarded at the fall.  Here, Adam and Eve went against the Lords command and took of the fruit which He told them not to {Genesis 3:6}.  But Eve had help along the way in the form of Satan our accuser.  It was Satan who introduced the idea of sin to Gods creation {Genesis 3:4-5}.  Up until this point, Adam and Eve had unknowingly been in total union with God.  It was all which they knew.  So, what was the sin which Satan facilitated into being?  The belief that we could be separated from God who created us.  It was Satan who claimed, falsely, that once they took of the fruit, that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil."  So, how can someone who is already in union with God be like Him?  Good question, but Adam and Eve fell for it.  I find it ironic that the very same lie which Satan used to perpetuate the idea of sin continues to be taught in the church today.  Where are we told that God resides?  In heaven, away from ourselves and our sin condition.  Well, the trouble with that line of thinking is that Jesus did away with our sin condition at the cross {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  We're also assured that God has never had any intention of not being in union with us {John 17:21}.  The apostle Paul took this one step further in his own realization of Christ Jesus in him {Galatians 2:20}.  So, not only did God deal with our sin condition, but He assures us of His presence in us as well.  We do well to not see sin as a issue in our lives, but as a condition already put to death by Christ.

~Scott~

The Christianity Of Current Events

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all in all.
Colossians 3: 11 NKJV

I followed this weeks podcast posting by Wayne Jacobsen with some interest.  To me, it seems as if Wayne has gone off the rails and succumbed to the popular belief that it is the duty of the Christian to rectify the social ills of our nation.  In particular, the recent racial unrest in our nation.  If there is one thing that I do not follow it is the Christianity of current events.  I was never fond of a pastor who stood in the pulpit on Sunday and put his Christian spin on one current event or another.  I've gotten to the point where I refuse to tune into any news channel, and I can do the same with pastors in the church.  My beliefs on the recent racial unrest in our country would more than likely have me labeled as a racist in some of todays circles.  No worries, I've been called worse than that.  So, I decided to drop Wayne Jacobsen a line to challenge his view of how white people are afraid to address race issues.  My very first thought upon reading his post was, does this really belong in the church?  Has the church finally arrived at that point where we see ourselves not as created in our Lords image, but only identified by the shell of our own bodies?  To me, this line of thinking separates us from God, although that has been the churches line of teaching for some time now.  Is it wrong for me, as a Christian, to see myself as no different from anyone else?  Is it wrong for me to live in the belief that I am created in my Fathers very image?  Well, apparently for Wayne Jacobsen the guilt he obviously feels has gotten the better of him.  One of the points which I suggested to Wayne was that in the Fathers eyes there is no difference in His children, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus {Galatians 3:28}.  Although I am created in my Fathers image, am I somehow different from someone else?  Did God create me with some unseen advantage to be used against my brother?  If this were true, what then does that say about God?  That it is Gods desire that a few of His children would be superior to others?  If so, which one was created in Gods image, the strong or the weaker ones among us?  Can you see the can of worms this line of thinking opens up?

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
1 John 4: 20 NKJV

I am not ashamed to say that I love the Lord.  That being said, I am also not ashamed to say that I don't see myself as different from anyone.  I have a coworker who has argued with me in the past that I do not see my own "white privilege."  He's right, I don't.  I don't see how it is that I am so very different from someone just because they look different than me.  I wasn't raised to think that way.  I was raised to believe that God created me out of His love for me and loved me enough to save me from my own sin condition {Romans 6:6}.  All it takes is for one to look into scripture to see that it was never Gods intention that we would live separated from Him.  As I have said, we were created in His own image {Genesis 2:7}.  Black, brown, fair skinned and not...we were ALL created in our Fathers image.  That is part of who we are.  Now, where we ourselves have fallen off the rails is in our own designations of ourselves.  That's right, it is we who have separated ourselves from what our true identity is.  We see someone different, and we slap a label on them.  If that's not enough, we also perpetuate hostility between ourselves by continuing to preach that we are different races of the same people.  How is it that God sees us?  I can assure you that He does not see His children in the same light in which we see ourselves and others around us.  God has never separated His children from Himself based upon their appearance.  We're the ones who did that.  I challenge any pastor who desires to speak on the current race issue in our nation to speak the truth.  The truth of who we all are in Christ Jesus.  Of course, that wouldn't fill too many seats on a Sunday morning.

~Scott~

When Grace Abounds

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (By grace you have been saved).
Ephesians 2: 4 - 5 NKJV

I was reminded this week of just how different life can be when we extend grace and forgiveness to another.  Where there was once conflict and distrust, there is now forgiveness.  The difficulty which many of us have in sharing with others that which has been freely given to us is that it somehow makes us feel weak or inferior.  "No mercy!" is usually the cry of one who so desperately needs it himself.  It was love and mercy which God first bestowed upon us while we were in the midst of our former condition.  Why didn't God simply start over after the fall in the garden?  Think about it, He could have done it over and over again until such a time where He had the perfect creation.  That is, everything and everyone in union with Him.  Well, because He's God and He can work things out how He sees fit.  Besides, the way in which God has revealed Himself through our sin fall tells us a lot about Him.  What would you think of a God who, each time you screwed up, simply erased everything about you and begin once again with a brand new creation?  As for myself, I would never associate the attributes of God to such a creator.  We are told that God is love {1 John 4:8}.  However, what love would God exhibit were He to toss us aside after we had sinned?  I think of some people, and we all know them, who live by the edict of "Do what I say, not as I do."  Those people who place expectations upon others which they themselves refuse to adhere to.  Jesus recognized this in the Jewish authorities of His day and He called them out on it {Matthew 23:28}.  What we see in God from the beginning is His desire that ALL will come to know Him {John 3:16-17}.  With God there is no favoritism {James 2:9}.  No, if God were to simply toss aside anyone who ever sinned it would reveal nothing of His character.  Gone would be the love and grace which we were freely given while we were yet in our former sin condition {Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Knowing this, how would the love and grace of God ever be made known to His children?  Instead, we would have a God who simply swept aside those who went against Him.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4: 16 NKJV

Thankfully, we have a God who, in His mercy, recognized me for who I was even when sin entered the picture.  I mention this because it is a HUGE part of how it is that we are to treat those around us.  What God knew was that we were His creation.  Not only that, it is God Himself who is in us {Galatians 2:20}.  I had nothing whatsoever to do with bringing myself into being, that credit goes to the Lord.  Think about that, God knew beforehand that we would sin, and yet He gave the breath of life to us all {Genesis 2:7}.  Once He breathed into me the breath of life, I became part of Him.  As sure as I am that I am a part of my own parents DNA, I am a part of God as well.  Yet, the story of how it is by which God showered us with His love and grace does not end there.  We are told also that we ourselves, having Christ in us, should be exhibiters of the very love and grace which we ourselves received {Colossians 3:13}.  As the Lord has forgiven us, so are we to forgive others.  When we do this, something deeper comes into view.  For when we show the attributes of Christ who is in us, those around us will see Him as well.  How will others see the love and forgiveness of Jesus for themselves if not through the lives of those who follow Him {Matthew 5:16}?  Not only are we creating good moods for ourselves when we extend love and mercy to others, but we are showing Jesus to the world.  We may be faced with one of the worst people we have ever met...but it is here where grace abounds.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"
Matthew 5: 16 NKJV

~Scott~

A Homecoming

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12: 7 NKJV

I heard a pastor speak of the near death experience of a boy who passed away and believed that he woke up in his bedroom at home.  He spoke nothing of heaven or visions of Jesus, but simply awaking in his own bedroom at home.  Of course, this got me thinking to what it is that we actually see as heaven in our own minds.  Are we immediately transported to heaven after we leave this earth?  Or, as some Christians believe, are we to spend time in sort of a holding pattern until that day comes where God releases us into His glory?  We desire to know all about this part of our life, but it is indeed difficult because there is only one who has defeated death and lived, the man Christ Jesus {Romans 6:9}.  Many of us know the pain of loss of losing friend and loved ones.  We all wish for  their passing to be into the kingdom of heaven as God has promised to those who believe.  Or did He?  It is also written that nobody has ascended into heaven except Jesus {John 3:13}.  So, if we do not immediately ascend into eternity with the Lord, and we do not go to heaven, what is it that we can look forward to?  Well, first off, we are already one with the Lord.  The apostle Paul assures us of this in Galatians when he speaks to Jesus living in him {Galatians 2:20}.  Second, since we really have never had a physical reference of entering into heaven itself, we will naturally be curious as to where it is.  Is heaven...in the heavens?  Or, in a radical change of thought, somewhere else entirely?  We know that Jesus came to prepare a place for us when our time here is done {John 14:2}.  We can agree that, as believers, when our time does arrive, that we will be in the presence of the Lord outside of this world we now live in.  It is my belief that somewhere close to the dimension in which we live, is that reality into which those who have gone before us have passed into.  More than a few scientists have spoken to the fact that there are six more dimensions beyond those which we ourselves can comprehend.  The current dimension we exist in is one of space time continuum containing three of the dimensions.  these dimensions which we experience are height, width and depth.  It is my belief that what we know as heaven, is simply another dimension beyond our own.  As I said, it is quite a radical departure from the heaven we have been taught.  However, it is also comforting to know that our loved ones who have gone before us are closer to us than we ever knew.

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord
2 Corinthians 5: 8 NKJV

If we take to heart the words of Paul that we are now one with Christ Jesus, how is it that we cannot also believe that we are now in the Lords presence?  Isn't that one of the hallmarks of what we have been told to expect of heaven, that we would be forever in the Lords presence?  I still believe this to be true, as it is written to us in the word.  However, I believe that we got a bit lost along the way in our search for the roadmap to heaven.  We desire to know all that there is so that we can perhaps be better prepared once we arrive.  To that I would say, don't worry about it.  The key thought which we need to keep in mind is that the worries and cares of this world will no longer concern us.  In fact, we will carry nothing of this world we live in with us when we leave.  That, more than anything should give us cause to rejoice.  Paul summed it up when he claimed that, for him, to die is gain {Philippians 1:21}.  I believe that we spend far too much time worrying over the roadmap to heaven and far less time seeing how wonderful it truly is.  For there is but one true roadmap to heaven, and that is Christ Jesus.  It is Jesus who spoke of being the way to the Father and to heaven {John14:6}.  If we are hell bent upon looking for a way to get into heaven, all we really need is Jesus.  It is through Jesus by which all will come to the Father.  How do I see heaven?  I see heaven as that place where the worries and concerns of this world no longer plague me.  I see heaven as that place where I finally reunited with those loved ones who have gone before me.  Above all, I see heaven not as a place, but as knowing that I am finally home.

But as it is written:  "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2: 9 NKJV

~Scott~

Free Fall

Rainy day people don't talk 

They just listen till they've heard it all

Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell you

They've been down like you

Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two

~Rainy Day People, Gordon Lightfoot~ 

You know the type.  That type of person you've met who seems to take delight in whatever trials someone else is facing.  I was reminded this past week of how, although humorous at times, fate has a way of reminding such individuals that there is someone greater than them in control of our lives.  See, a fellow coworker took it upon himself to speak wrongly of another who has been struggling with some life issues.  To me, it felt as if he was almost enjoying the torment the other person was enduring.  Well, I took it upon myself to remind him of the karma catch phrase of the day...karma is a b@tch.  That is, if you take happiness in the plight of those around you, what will happen when the winds of fate suddenly turn against you as well?  For one thing is certain in this life of ours, we WILL have those times where trials and torment rock our world.  How will we respond?  As Christians, we should know that trials are indeed a part of the believers life.  The Lords brother, James, seems to have thought so as well.  For it is James who spoke to us to "count it all joy" when we fall into those times of trial.  Why?  We find out in the next verse..."The testing of your faith produces patience" {James 1:3}.  Knowing this, why would I delight in the struggles of others?  I believe that it is those who have endured who will bless us with one of the greatest gifts we could ever receive.  That is, the faith and belief which they leaned on in the midst of their ordeal.  I couldn't give a spit about someone who, having never experienced trials himself, takes it upon himself to put down someone who is.  Call it karma or simply a twist of fate, but eventually that train of discouragement will leave the station and come thundering down the tracks in our direction as well.  That much we can count on.  

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.  In fact, it may be necessary to encounte the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

~Maya Angelou~ 

No discussion on perseverance is complete without knowing the end product.  That is, knowing who it is we are in the first place.  There is much to be said about positive and negative thinking and how it affects our own lives.  If I believe, while going through my own trials, that I don't have it in me to come out on top...I won't!  Sergei Makarov, the former Russian hockey player on the Soviet national teams famous "green line" was asked by a seemingly clueless American reporter once about what he and his teammates would do if they lost a important game.  The Russian translator laughed as he translated Makarovs reply..."I'm not for certain, we've never lost."  That, friends, is the confidence of knowing.  When we wade through our trials knowing that Jesus walks with us, we find a unbeatable confidence.  I guess I shouldn't say that Jesus walks with us...but we endure our trials AS HIM {Galatians 2:20}.  Knowing who we are in Christ is a big advantage when it comes to dealing with our everyday life.  Where in this world we will find struggles, fear and anxiety, In Jesus we will always rest in His Love.  This by no means is a guarantee that we have a get out of jail free card when it comes to struggles and trials.  Only that we never go through them alone.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1: 2 - 3 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Free Indeed

Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  "Therefore if the Son makes you free you, shall be free indeed."
John 8: 34 - 36 NKJV

What is it that freedom means to you?  Is freedom knowing that you are free to do whatever it is that you want to do?  To accomplish what it is you set out to accomplish?  Or, is freedom simply knowing that you are no longer enslaved to anyone?  We make a big deal in these United States of the fact that we are a free people.  We set out each and every July 4th intent upon celebrating that which makes us such.  Yet, in the wake of recent events in our nation, there may be a certain percentage of the population that would disagree on our proclamation of freedom.  It is these people who may tell us that our freedom is not freedom at all.  For how can one be free and still treated as a lower class citizen?  However, it is my belief that the freedom which I speak of greatly impacts these people among us as well.  I wake up each and every day free to make those decisions which affect my life.  I'm guessing that those who make the claim that America is not free do the same.  Each one of us lives in a country where our struggles and efforts are not only shared, but at times rewarded as well.  There are those times where I don't feel as if I am free in my own country.  In the face of the recent virus pandemic, I gritted my teeth at what I see as the unconstitutional restrictions of government.  Yet, despite these restrictions, I remain free.  I will make the suggestion that freedom also applies to one that is not beholden to a system or behavior.  This is why those who have experienced alcohol and drug abuse talk of that freedom they feel in recovery.  I get it.  I get it because I've been there as well.  I've been there on many a night when I would venture out in search of a good strip club.  One thing is for certain in that I sure as hell did not feel free back then.  Back then I felt more in bondage than anything.  Despite knowing in my heart that it was wrong, I continued on that path.  Then came the day when something in me cried out "This isn't what defines you!"  After that, freedom took on a whole new meaning.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

Very few people can say that they know the freedom which I have experienced.  The difference between now and those days where I did things I was not proud of is like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders.  No longer am I living in the shadow of something I know is wrong.  I will add that that the freedom which I enjoy today is available to anyone who seeks to know it.  This is the freedom which we find through Christ Jesus.  More importantly, the freedom we feel when we realize that Jesus lives in us.  The realization I received that day not so long ago was that what I was doing with my so called freedom was not the person I really was.  That guy is dead.  The apostle Paul tells us in Romans that we should reckon ourselves to be "Dead indeed" to sin {Romans 6:11}.  That man that I once was, that guy who was born into sin...he's dead and gone {Romans 6:6}.  In his place is Christ who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  This is the basis of the freedom which I now feel.  I'm no longer living in bondage to those behaviors I once did.  Granted, it wasn't sin which was put to death, but that sin which was in me.  I cannot celebrate Paul's lesson in Romans 6 as the death of sin.  Sin is still out there, but it no longer defines who I am.  I am not a sinner.  I am Christ...Christ in me.  This is the knowing which I have come to know in Jesus.  Knowing that my identity now lies with Jesus.  Knowing that I am no longer beholden to those behaviors I once was.  Knowing that I am free indeed.

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

~Scott~      

Lost In A Crowd

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2: 44 - 47 NKJV

I think it's happened to many of us at one time or another.  We step into a new church for the first time and immediately feel overwhelmed and lost in the crowd.  I have.  With some congregations boasting close to two hundred worshipers per service, it's no wonder how someone could not feel lost in such a environment.  I remember serving as a usher on occasion in my former church.  Besides directing traffic for those arriving for service, one of the duties of the ushers was to be that first point of contact for first time visitors to the church.  If they had a good first experience, we figured, then they were more likely to return.  This continues to be the practice of the mainstream church.  I listened to a sermon this week from a radio pastor who was lamenting the fact that he had received a letter from a visitor to his own church upset that she had never been contacted by anyone in the congregation.  In fact, she had actually called the church office to request to speak with someone and was assured that her request would be taken seriously.  It wasn't.  Finally, discouraged at the lack of fellowship, the woman stopped attending.  How was it that someone who had been seeking fellowship within the church had been lost in the crowd?  Well, sadly, I've been witness to this as well.  One of my concerns with the Promise Keepers men's conferences which I attended and became involved with, was the lack of follow up to those who attended the conference.  Obviously, with thousands of men going to these conferences in their heyday, it may have been difficult to reach out to everyone.  I get it.  However, one of the practices of the Promise Keepers was their commitment to connect men after the conference had ended.  That is, those guys who attended the conference were encouraged to reach out to another guy who had come.  This is how I became acquainted with one of my better friends.  Yet, I still hear complaints from people I know that the Promise Keepers failed in this respect.  I agree.  For many, they were lost in the crowd.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9 - 12 NKJV

I will make a confession in that I was never really too good at gathering people around me.  Sure, I have my circle of friends, but I have never been comfortable with simply, shall we say, recruiting people.  Yes, I talk and socialize with people every day, but in this context there is never any underlying agenda.  When I was an usher, the agenda was to promote a positive image so that all of those first time visitors would feel welcome and continue to come to church.  Sounds simple enough.  It wasn't until a few years after I left the church that I realized what the church truly is.  The church is not the fancy buildings and traditions we've been taught that it is.  The church, as God intended, is made up of the followers of Jesus.  We are the body of the church, and Jesus is at the head of the body.  In this context, how does someone get lost in something they are already a part of?  Think of that the next time you step into a church for the very first time.  As a believer in Jesus, you are the church.  I see the traditional church today as more of a socializing tool than anything.  We may continue to attend because our friends are there.  Again, I get it.  I believe the days are gone where the neighborhood church was the central gathering point for all who had ever heard of Jesus.  With the surge of social media in recent years, people have found new ways to socialize.  This topic may just come down to how much value we place on fellowship with others.  While I've been out of the church for awhile, I still have my friends who I continue to follow up with.  At the end of the day, I believe that it has never been the followers of Jesus, but the traditional church which has been lost in the crowd.

For the body is one and has many members, but all the member of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12: 12 NKJV

~Scott~  

Imitation Without Realization

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we known that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3: 2 NKJV

Have you ever tried to "be like" someone?  Suppose that you met someone you admired so much that you made it your mission to be like him in all that you did.  However, despite all of your efforts, did it make you the same as he was?  Probably not.  In my young adult years, one of my main desires was that I would never be the man that my own father was.  For my fathers own alcoholism and infidelity had left me with too many bad memories.  For all of my efforts so far, I will never succeed in removing my dads influence from me.  I may not have turned out the way that he did, but part of my father still lives in me.  I am not simply just like him...I am him in a matter of speaking.  See, heredity does not simply go away because we don't like the results.  Now, think about someone else who was also convinced that he could be like someone if he tried hard enough.  Adam and Eve were convinced by the lie of Satan that taking of the forbidden fruit would ensure that they would indeed "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5}.  To understand this and frame it as another lie of Satan we need to look at Adam and Eves condition before they ate of the fruit.  Was Adam somehow separate from God before that fateful day?  No.  When we look into Gods creation of man, we see His fingerprints all over our being.  It is God who formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into Him the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  It is God who, realizing that His creation should not be alone, created from Adam a helper "comparable" to him {Genesis 2:21-22}.  We see that Adam, having the Lords presence in Him, was also instrumental in Eves creation.  She is called woman as she was "Taken out of man" {Genesis 2:23}.  The point is, Adam and Eve were living their best life before giving in to the lie of the enemy.  We're told that they communed with the Lord daily in the garden.  At this point, Adam had no need to be like God...Adam WAS all which God is.  Just as I have my own father in me, so it was with Adam.  Now, did Adam know that He was already like God?  I don't believe that he did, as this life he was living was all he had ever known.  He knew nothing else but living in union with God.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me"
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

Knowing the truth of our Lords creation in relation to the garden, we can see for ourselves the crippling lie of Satan that we can somehow "Be like God."  Folks, we will never simply be like God...we ARE Him.  One of the clearest examples of this are the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians.  Paul tells us that it is not we ourselves who live, but Christ Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  If Jesus lives in us, then God lives in us {John 14:9}.  The trouble through most of the history of the Christian church is that simply being like God has become a goal to shoot for in our life with Him.  If we act right, if we do things in a Christian way, if we are humble...then we can be like God.  Does God desire us to simply "be like" Him?  Or, does He desire a deeper connection with His children.  I believe that we find that answer in the prayer of Jesus in the garden.  It is here where Jesus speaks of our union with He and the Father.  That we may be one "Just as We are one" {John 17:22}.  It is the desire of Christ that we would share in the union which He and the Father share.  This is not simply being like God, this is living in the realization that Christ is in us.  This is living in the knowledge that we live as Jesus (God).  I do not claim to be an expert as to why the institutional church speaks to lie of our separation with the Lord.  However, I know that I do not agree with what they've been selling for thousands of years.  To promote that all we can ever hope for is to imitate God promotes a false relationship with the Lord.  God has never desired that we perform to win His approval.  It was never God who instilled in us the thought that we are separate from Him.  However, is has always been Gods desire for us to live in union with Himself.

"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  "I in them, and You in me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved me before the foundation of the world."
John 17: 22 - 24 NKJV

~Scott~