In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament
I speak to a lot of people about my beliefs in Christ. However, I'm never too surprised when I began to speak to someone about the union which I share with Jesus and the Father and I see the look of confusion in their eyes. Indeed, many mainstream believers have never been introduced to the concept of their union in Christ Jesus or our heavenly Father. This, of course, relates to the message which the mainstream church has spoken over the years. I grew up in the church teachings that I was separated from God due to my being born a sinner {Paul to the Romans 3:23}. Because of this, my only access to the Father was through Christ Jesus my Lord and savior {Johns Account 14:6}. While it is true that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, He was meant to so much more than simply a gateway to God. I believe that there remain two important issues which get in the way of the believer recognizing their own union in the Father. The first is that they continue to live the lie of the deceiver which claims that they live in separation from God. This was the lie spoken by Satan to Adam and Eve in the garden {Genesis 3:1-7}. Satan deceived the Lords creation into believing that if they ate of the fruit which God had forbidden them that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}. Of course, the first couple could not have known that, having been created in Gods image {Genesis 1:27}, that they were already "Like God." And so mans sin of disobedience was complete. The next obstacle believers face is the elephant in the room, the issue of sin. Or, as many I have spoken to say, unforgiven sin. Yet, the reality is that Christ Jesus gave Himself upon the cross for the forgiveness of sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. Jesus became our sin offering. And not just for our the sins of the past, but also for our sin of the present and our future as well {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. It is through Christ through which our sins have been nullified. It is through our death with Him upon the cross that we now share union with He and the Father {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:6}.
For in Him we are living and moving and are, as some poets of yours have also declared, 'For of that race also are we.'
Acts of the Apostles 17: 28, Concordant New Testament
I cannot give all of the credit of believers not knowing of their union in the Father to the mainstream church. For the scriptures attest to this truth as well. It is through the scriptures which Jesus proclaims our union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. Paul also speaks to our union as well {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6:17}. It has never been the fault of the church that I did not know of this truth. The words were spoken in scripture for all to read. The fact that the church does not speak to our union with the Father speaks volumes. For many have been misled into a false belief of God. One of the best characterizations I have seen of the view many share of the mainstream church didn't come from a pastor, but from a comedian. Comedian George Carlin once characterized Christianity as the belief in a "Man in the sky" who had ten rules of things you shouldn't do. If you were to do one of these things, the man would send you to a place of fire, smoke and torment forever. But...he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money, he always needs money. This, in a nutshell, describes the Christian religion. Notice I didn't say God, for God and Christianity are two separate things. Christianity is a religious system. God has never required we join a religious system to be in union with Him. We simply need recognize the truth of who it is that we are. Created in His image, alive in Him.
"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time! But he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money"
~George Carlin~
~Scott~
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