In Him we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace
Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament Translation
I was reminded once again the other day by a good friend of mine of the blaring differences between truly knowing the Father and the teachings which we find within the church. The most obvious of these differences is that God seeks, through His love and grace, to forgive our offenses, whatever they may be or have been. Meanwhile, the teachings of those within the church seek to find those whom the Lord will condemn to hell and torment at the time of His choosing. Does this sound like the actions of a Father Who loves us? I would say no to that. In fact, I would once again point out the one true nature of the Father, which the apostle John speaks to us in His epistle. That God, is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}. With God, there is no condemnation, only His love and grace {Paul to the Romans 8:1}. One of the core beliefs which we have in Christianity is that Christ Jesus gave Himself for the forgiveness of our sins and trespasses. Well, I think that the time has come for us to own that belief! To preach that we have been forgiven through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. To understand in our hearts that to believe that sin still has a hold on our life is to believe the lies of the deceiver. In his evangel, the apostle Paul speaks to the truth about Jesus and sin. That Christ has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Not only that, but that we should indeed consider ourselves to be "Dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}. Jesus did not give Himself up to the cross knowing that sin would continue to rule our lives. On the contrary, "For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. Jesus IS that sin offering for us! He IS that atoning sacrifice for that which we have done or ever will do {First Epistle of John 2:2}. Yet too many believers live a life of guilt over what they might do next. Will they be added to Gods hit list if they mess up just once more? If you were to ask this question of your local pastor, it's possible that you might be told that you need to pray and seek the Lords forgiveness. Folks, that ship has already sailed.
Why is it that we pray continuously for something which God has already provided for us? Why is it that we continue to feel guilt and shame for that which Christ Jesus has already given Himself for? Why indeed. I believe in my heart that this is NOT the life which the Father has in mind for us. To live in fear each and every day that we might be the ones added to Gods hit list of eternal damnation. If this is what we believe, then we don't know the Father. The Father Who, through His love for us, created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}. Who through His love, gave life unto us {Genesis 2:7}. Why is it that God would do so much out of His love for us only to throw that all away? Well, the truth is, He wouldn't. But that's exactly what those within the Christian religion would have you believe. That God is some sort of two-timer, loving us one minute but condemning us the next. This is simply nonsense! If it is through His love that we have been created, then it is in His love in which we now live. Unlike we humans, God does not change His mind on a whim. With Him there is NO changing, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow {To the Hebrews 13:8}. We can trust that God will be the same always. Therefore, if He has dispatched His Son for our sakes that the world would be saved through Him, that is what will happen {Johns Account 3:16-17}. The Christian religion will use fear and condemnation as convenient agents of God, but this has never been who He truly is. As I said, God is love pure and simple, and His love never condemns {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 13:4-5}. So, I ask you, is it God Who condemns us? No! Those who continually condemn Gods elect stand within the pulpits of the mainstream church {Paul to the Romans 8:34}. Knowing this, is there such a thing as Gods hit list? Does He have the names of those whom He plans to condemn written down somewhere? No, because that has never been the desire of the Father Who loves us. What HAS BEEN His desire for us is that we would come to know Him as He truly is {Johns Account 17:3}. This is our eonian life in Him. A life free of guilt, shame and condemnation. A life lived within the love of the Father. Jesus Himself has spoken to this truth in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}. Jesus in the Father, we ourselves in Christ, and He is us.
Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us (we also being dead to the offenses and lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (in grace you are saved!)
Paul to the Ephesians 2:4-5, Concordant New Testament Translation
~Scott~
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