The Good Of The Father {Lies The Church Told Me)

 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have come out into the world 

First Epistle of John 4: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I recently finished recording a podcast with my good friend Dennis where I discussed those issues that I have with the mainstream church.  For anyone who has been reading these posts for awhile, you know that I have not been a huge fan of the modern day institutional church system.  Keep in mind that I grew up in a Christian home, so I was fed the theology of the church from a very young age.  But as I have grown in the knowing of Christ Jesus in me I have come to the realization that many of the things which I was once taught were not necessarily the truth.  Now, I know that there will be many on the church side of the aisle that will read these words and at once deem me a blasphemer and worthy of God's punishment.  I'll wear that badge with honor.  In my heart I know that the Lord is speaking the truth of His Son through me.  Since I introduced Jesus into this conversation, let me begin with Him.  Growing up, I was taught that there was absolutely NO way that I could ever be intimately close to Jesus.  Pastor after Pastor spoke that the best that I could ever hope to accomplish was to emulate Him, to "Be like" Jesus.  See, I was a sinner, one which a holy Savior could never be in the presence of {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  However, from these same pulpits came the words that it was Jesus Himself who cleansed me from my sins.  Which was it?  Am I a sinner, or has Jesus indeed saved me from myself?  Well, the theology of the traditional church system proclaims that Jesus indeed bled and died on that cross for my sins.  Yet, somewhere along the way they also decided that, despite this truth, my sin continued to be in front of me.  So yes, this is a lie which the church told me.  Jesus Himself has proclaimed that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I am in Him, and He is in me.  The ancient Greeks had a term they used to describe someone with a shared lineage.  We know that term today as synapomorphy.  It is through synapomorphy that we live in union with Christ Jesus.  Of course, I never heard this truth uttered from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  

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 

By far, the biggest lie which the church told me, and the one which has taken me so long to overcome, is the lie that I was still a sinful being despite the work of Christ Jesus on the cross.  It is this lie, spoken by a church pastor, which ultimately led me to walk away from the church.  See, the church teaches that despite the sacrifice of Jesus, we still struggle with the effects of sin today.  One of the most liberating passages of scripture I have ever read was penned by the apostle Paul.  It is Paul who has proclaimed that, through Christ, that I am now "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  It is Jesus who has given Himself "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Paul got it.  Yet the mainstream church has seemingly ignored Paul's words because they do not fit into the narrative of the traditional church theology.  This theology, conceived and written by man, came about from the first council of Nicaea in the year 325.  The Nicene creed was designed from the beginning to bring the beliefs of the Christian faith under the umbrella of one theology.  In essence, this was the beginning of the indoctrination of millions of believers in Jesus.  The apostle John proclaims that we are to "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Is it of God that Jesus missed some sins in His sacrifice on the cross?  Is it of God that we would be forever separated from our creator?  Yet these are only a few of the lies which the mainstream church continues to speak to.  Paul has proclaimed that it is Christ Jesus who lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Yet the church ignores this truth when it speaks to the separation of God from His creation.  I understand that there will be those in the Christian faith who will disagree with me.  However, for those who question my words I offer up a solution.  Follow the words of the apostle John and do as I have done, test the spirits.  How do the lies of the church coincide with the good of the Father?  The good of the Father comes from the revelation in us of the truth of His Son Jesus.  

~Scott~