The Good Of The Father (A Love That Forgives) # 2211

 

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accordance with the riches of His grace

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament Translation 

I've been through many a church service where I came out feeling worse than I did when I walked in.  Yes, I knew that I wasn't perfect, and I knew that there were things that I had done wrong.  But instead of telling me of the love and forgiveness which we have in the Father, I was often told that I needed to repent of my sin in order to secure my place in his kingdom of heaven.  Instead of being assured that Christ Jesus had given Himself on that cross for the forgiveness of my offenses, I was taught that I needed to be in prayer each and every day that God would find the grace and love to forgive what I had done that day.  Does anyone besides me see something wrong with that picture?  If the scriptures tell us that God has indeed provided for the forgiveness of our sins, why is it that we don't take Him at His word?  A good friend mentioned to me the other day that it is difficult for people to accept that God can and does forgive us of everything.  I tend to agree with that, I've seen it in practice.  All too often, we're under the assumption that there is a price to pay for all which we do.  That there must be consequences for things which we feel are wrong.  Are you telling me that I can do anything without fear of retribution or consequences?  THAT'S the attitude of too many believers.  The apostle Paul, in his evangel, assures us of the error of this thinking.  Paul assures us that "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}.  Died to sin?  What blasphemy is this?  Not blasphemy, but the truth we have in the Lord Jesus.  For Paul also proclaims that it is Christ Jesus who has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  When Jesus cried out "It is accomplished!" with His dying breath, He meant what He said {Johns Account 19:30}.  What is it that Jesus has accomplished?  As Paul correctly proclaims, Jesus has accomplished "Deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses" {Paul to the Ephesians 1:7}.  The scriptures tell us nothing in the way of which of our trespasses have been left unforgiven by the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus.  Therefore, ALL has been forgiven us through the love and grace of the Father.

Growing up, I would have expected that the one place which I would hear of the forgiveness of sin would have been in the pews of the church.  But sadly, that's not the case at all.  Instead, I was often told that it was my own sin which had separated me from God.  Now, THAT'S blasphemy pure and simple!  In order to support their false narrative, those within the church will dig up the bones of the Old Testament and the words of the prophet Isaiah {Isaiah 59:2}.  While it is true that the old prophet proclaimed these words of the Lord back in the day, this was long before our atonement through Christ Jesus on the cross.  This is akin to saying that the chicken came along before the egg had been laid.  For it is through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross that ALL have been vivified {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:22}.  I believe that one of the things that many believers continue to struggle with is the truth that Jesus died once for all of our offenses.  That the forgiveness which we have in the Father covers all sin past, present and future.  THIS is what Jesus has accomplished at the cross.  This why the apostle John was confident in proclaiming that Jesus came to the world not to judge the world, but that ALL the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  This issue of all Gods children being saved (Universal Salvation) is also a tough pill for people to swallow.  We continue to lean on our own understanding in the belief that the good must be rewarded and the guilty punished.  Folks, this has never been our decision to make.  If the love and grace of the Father covers our sin, then we must then accept that He has also provided the same grace for all of His children.  This is why Paul was confident in proclaiming that ALL shall be vivified in Christ Jesus.  This isn't some sort of clique where only the "Chosen" are delivered.  The love and mercy of God covers all of His creation, not simply those we deem acceptable to our standards.  Who is it that condemns us?  Is it Christ?  No!  Jesus is the One "Pleading for our sakes" {Paul to the Romans 8:34}.  I suggest that it is those in the halls of our religious institutions that have condemned us.  Prove me wrong.  

Who is the condemner?  Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, Who is also at God's right hand, Who is pleading also for our sakes? 

Paul to the Romans 8: 34, Concordant New Testament Translation

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Gods Hit List) # 2210

 

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~ 

The Good Of The Father (What The Church Hasn't Told You) #2209

 On the morrow he is observing Jesus coming towards him, and is saying, "Lo! The Lamb of God which is taking away the sin of the world!" 

Johns Account 1: 29, Concordant New Testament Translation 

What did John the baptizer know that we don't?  Good question, huh?  Well, being related through family to Jesus, he KNEW Jesus personally.  But that wasn't the question here.  What did John know that we have never heard spoken from the pulpits of the mainstream church?  That Jesus is the "Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world!" {Johns Account 1:29}.  Sure, those within the church might recite this passage every now and then, but they refuse to acknowledge it for what it is.  That Jesus has indeed taken away the sin of this world.  So, why is it that those within the church continue to preach that sin still holds a place of importance in our lives?  Why do a few of my dogmatic friends continue to warn me of the dangers of hell?  Why?  Because the church has told them so, that's why.  It isn't the Father Who has declared that sin remains.  Far from it.  For it has always been the desire of God that "ALL mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth" {Paul to Timothy (1) 2:4}.  Wait, God desires that all will be saved?  What about the wicked in the world?  Is there not a special place in hell for those scoundrels of the earth?  Not according to He Who determines who it is that shall be saved.  After all, despite all which the church will pontificate, it has always been the Father who determines those who will be saved.  But in my time in the church, I never once heard this spoken from the pulpit, that all shall be saved.  Does not God have that right?  Think of all those worried Christians out there who wring their hands wondering if they are indeed good enough to make the cut and get into heaven.  I used to be among that crowd.  I was told that I needed to work hard to punch my ticket into heaven.  In fact, it is those in the church who have taught us that heaven is a reward which we must work for.  In his evangel, the apostle Paul has warned us about this false belief that we ourselves work our way into the Lord's heaven.  In his letter to those in Ephesus, Paul speaks that it is through the grace of the Father that we're saved.  That this salvation is a gift to us from God {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8}.  Not only that, but Paul leaves us with the warning that there will be those who, as we've seen today, who will declare that they themselves have achieved their goal of eternity in heaven.  For this salvation of ours is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting {Paul to the Ephesians 2:9}.  I'm thinking that Paul knew that there would be those who would proclaim that their efforts got them into that gift given by to us by God.

It has been some time since I've stepped into a church service, yet I am no less confident in my heart that my salvation has been sealed within the Father.  In fact, I would suggest that I am better off NOT hearing each and every Sunday morning how it is that I could fall out of the graces of God and lose that gift which He has given unto me.  A good friend asked me some time ago, is God an Indian giver?  Does He intend to wave the promise of salvation in front of us like some carrot on a stick, only to yank it away at some future point?  No!  To think that God would offer a gift only to revoke it is ludicrous.  Yet this is a common belief among those within the Christian religious community.  This is exactly what Paul was warning us of in Ephesians, that there would be those who believe that their own efforts achieved that which Gad has already given as a gift to all mankind.  Not only that, but that these so called believers would be bragging about their status.  I've witnessed this first hand.  In fact, I have friends who are believers who proudly declare that they are glad that they "Got into" heaven.  My friends, it's never been you who had anything to do with that.  Contrary to what your pastor has told you, it is God Who has provided for your salvation.  To believe otherwise is false teaching.  In fact, I consider this to be on the list as one of the lies spoken by the mainstream church.  I know that I will get some backlash to this, and I welcome any comments to that effect.  But I feel that the scriptures are clear that our salvation in the Lord is the gift which we have received.  Not only that, but I believe in my heart that our salvation is not tied to a physical destination, but to Christ Jesus Himself.  Paul's words to young Timothy speak to this truth.  That it is God Who wills that ALL mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth {Paul to Timothy (1) 2:4}.  What is that truth?  That Jesus IS our salvation.  Knowing this, how is it at all possible to lose He Whom God has given us?  Again, this is the message continually preached from the pulpits of the church.  That man is a sinner and in constant danger of the fires of hell.  That's a good story if you can sell it, and the church has been selling it for thousands of years.  What the church has never told you is that His gift of love which He has given you is yours forever.  

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting

Paul to the Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Biggest Sell Job In History) # 2208

 

Religion has actually convinced some people that there is 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 doesn't 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-knowing, all-perfect and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money. 

~George Carlin~ 

Tell me this, would you buy a car from someone who tried to sell you something which was unreliable?  Would you buy a house from someone who tried to sell you a home in a bad neighborhood?  I would hope that many would look the other way when these hard sells come along.  In my younger years, I worked for a time at a telephone marketing company.  My main job was selling people on things they normally wouldn't buy.  I hated it.  I thought about that the other day while I had a conversation with a friend who was wondering why a few of the people he had spoken Jesus to had failed to respond to him.  I had to ask, what is it that he said about Jesus when he talked to them?  In his own words, "I told them about the dangers of going to hell if they didn't accept Jesus."  Well, what did he expect would happen?  For thousands of years, those within the church have used their ministries in their attempts to persuade converts to believe in Jesus through the coercion of telling them that they would burn in hell if they didn't believe.  These religious based salesmen remind me of that telemarketing job I once hated.  Selling something to someone by means of fear.  You need Jesus because you don't want to go to hell.  You need Jesus because to deny Him is the unpardonable sin.  I've heard them all before.  I've even used a few myself in my younger years as I tried to gain converts for the church.  This is what I was taught to do, that as Christians, we needed to warn others of Gods impending wrath before it was too late.  This the hard sell of Jesus in the mainstream church.  Once again, I look back upon the words of the apostle Paul and what he spoke in his evangel.  It is Paul who encourages us to "Be singing with grace in your hearts to God" {Paul to the Colossians 3:16}.  Someone once said that you can catch more flys with honey than you do with vinegar, but apparently this lesson has been lost on those within the church.  Now the message to would be believers is that if they don't convert that they can expect to be thrown into hell.  Tell me, how's that working out for you?  Because from my perspective, the church is not doing too well when it comes to bringing in new members.  Maybe all those people feel that this whole believing in Jesus thing is just too scary and comes with far too many restrictions.  They're right.  

I know a gym buddy whom I have told more times than I can count that he carries an air of depression around him.  Granted, he has been dealing with a lot in his life, but I've done my best to speak the joy I have found in the Father to him.  He's told me stories of those within his church who have tried to somehow link his depression to the Lords being unhappy with him.  What BS!  As I've mentioned before, this is NOT in the Fathers nature.  The apostle John speaks that the true nature of God is one of love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Knowing this, why wouldn't those in the church proclaim the love of God instead of warning people of the dangers of going to hell?  Well, I suggest that to do this would not be serving the interests of the church.  For the traditional position of the church is that man is a sinner doomed to hell unless he seeks and believes in Jesus.  They've put God in the position of condemning the children He loves.  Did Jesus condemn the woman caught in adultery?  Did He condemn the thief crucified beside Him?  No!  Both of these individuals were assuredly doomed to hell by the standards given unto us by the church.  Yet Jesus spoke of their forgiveness, not their condemnation.  One of the most controversial theories in all of Christianity is that of universal salvation, that all will ultimately be saved.  The iconic passage which we find in the book of John tells us of the love of the Father in dispatching Jesus into this world {Johns Account 3:16}.  However, it is the following passage which gives us the key to why He has been sent into this world, that "The world may be saved through Him" {Johns Account 3:17}.  It has never been Gods desire that ANY of His children would perish.  Paul speaks "That in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord" {Paul to the Philippians 2:10-11}.  So it is that ALL will come to the acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord.  And so I ask, who is it that condemns us?  Is it God?  Is it Jesus?  I say neither {Paul to the Romans 8:33-34}.  One could also make the argument that, seeing that all will come to know Jesus, that there is no hell, but that's a discussion for another day.  The truth is that warning others of the impending dangers of hell is a sure fire way to have them run the other way.  Yet speaking the truth of the uncondemning love which we have within the Father is a sure way to set them free. 

Who will be indicting Gods chosen ones?  God, the justifier?  Who is the condemner?  Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, Who is also at Gods right hand, Who is pleading also for our sakes? 

Paul to the Romans 8: 33-34, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Fear Of The Cross) # 2207

 

For God gives us, not a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of sanity 

Paul to Peter (2) 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

I have asked this question of more than a few people that I have come into contact with while sharing the good news of Jesus.  Why are you afraid of God?  What is it about Him that you're afraid of?  Is it His love for us that causes you to be afraid?  Surprisingly, I recently had a conversation with a gym friend which shed some light on this issue.  When asked why it is that they are afraid of God, they said that they feared His ultimate judgement of the world and if they would be deemed good enough to get to heaven, BINGO!  Now I was at the heart of the issue, the root cause if you will.  Growing up in the mainstream church I was taught that I was indeed saved, but that I needed to live a good life lest God change His mind and revoke my salvation.  Somewhere along the line, something I do could convince the Lord that I was no longer worthy.  I suggest that this is not a God, but a man-made religion issue.  For it is the church which has convinced us that salvation is not only something which we earn, but something which can be revoked as well.  This is what I call the fear of the cross.  That despite the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, that we would somehow still need to worry about if we are good enough for the Father to redeem us.  I believe that a lot of this fear is based upon our short-term belief of the death of Jesus on the cross, that His willing sacrifice only covered those sins of our past, and that sin still remains an issue for the believer.  Fortunately, we have the words of the apostle Paul in his evangel to convince us that this is simply not true.  Paul has written that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  That when Jesus cried out "It is accomplished," He meant it {Johns Account 19:30}.  The question is, do you trust Him at His word?  Do you trust that Jesus did what He came to accomplish?  Do you trust that Jesus took all which was sin or imperfection within us upon Himself at the cross? {To the Hebrews 9:28, Peter to the Dispersion (1) 2:24}. That He Who knew no sin Himself became that sacrifice for us? {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Do you trust in this truth? 

When I was still "In the church," I swallowed the religious theology hook, line and sinker.  It was all which I knew about God because it was I that I was taught to believe.  I also had that fear of the cross, that despite knowing that Jesus had died in my place that I could still be deemed unworthy for that which I had done.  I would suggest that this fear of the cross is but another lie spoken by those within the church.  That when Jesus proclaimed "It is accomplished!" that He meant just that.  That He had accomplished all which He had come to do.  And what exactly was He dispatched to do?  Was Jesus sent to spread a lie to Gods creation?  Because when we trust in the false teaching of the church, we are basically proclaiming that Jesus lied when He announced His victory over sin {Johns Account 19:30}.    That sin somehow continues to be a major issue in our lives.  The truth is that Jesus is incapable of lying, and that His sacrifice on the cross has cleansed us of ALL sin past, present and (GASP!) future.  When Paul speaks of Jesus dying to sin "Once for all time," this is what he is referring to.  That "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}.  THIS is the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus which you will never hear spoken from any church pulpit.  That Jesus has carried upon Himself all which we feel could impede our salvation.  That ship has sailed.  What remains after Jesus has stripped away all which was against God within us, is what the Father always intended for His children.  That we have been reconciled unto Him {Paul to the Ephesians 2:16}.  We're not sinners saved by the grace of God, but new creations in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Not sinners, but we are dead to our former offenses {Paul to the Ephesians 2:4-5}.  When we know and understand the truth of our life in the Fathers love, we have no need to fear the cross.  We also understand that the image of the cross is simply a prop used for thousands of years by man's religion, but that's a topic for another day.  The truth is that God has not given unto us a spirit of fear, but of love {Paul to Peter (2) 1:7}.  

Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening.  Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love

First Epistle of John 4: 18, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (God And Politics) # 2206

 

Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ

Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament Translation

For too many years I have been living with the lie.  That lie that speaks to the false intentions of the Lord whenever election season rolls around.  That lie that says that God, depending on whatever side of the aisle that you walk in, has decided to punish the nation or a certain group of people because of the state of our country, our disobedience or some other concocted reason people can come up with.  For too many years I believed that lie, and every election cycle I would pray that God would reserve His punishment upon a wicked nation.  Then the other day a good friend of mine reminded me of something important.  He remined me of the true desire of the Lord.  That being, that ALL of His children would come to know Him.  Those who speak of the Father punishing His children for their disobedience or other so called sin do not know the true nature of our God.  The apostle John reminds of this in his epistle, that the one true nature of God...is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  It is God Who loved us enough to create us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is God Who, through His love for us, dispatched His Son that "The world may be saved through Him" {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  If God is so into punishing us for our disobedience, why send Jesus for our redemption?  Why provide us that reconciliation unto Himself {Paul to the Colossians 1:20}.  I suggest that the New Testament, the good news of Christ Jesus, is not about Gods punishment of the wicked, but about the revelation of our lives in Him.  Jesus Himself speaks to this union of ours in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  How is it that we will know the Father if He is always punishing us for one sin or another?  If anything, this belief presents to us a false image of God.  That God is an authoritarian Who deals out pain and punishment upon all who do not please Him.  Unfortunately, this is the view of God which continues to be spoken by those within the church.  I am well aware of this because I continue to have more than a few friendships with those who adhere to the theology of the church.  Whenever something bad happens, be it elections or some other tragedy, their first inclination is to immediately assume that the punishment of the Lord is at hand.  Tell me, what room does this belief have for the mercy and grace of the Father?  

I find it funny that one of the attributes of the Lord which the church espouses to is that of His love and mercy for us.  But whenever tragedy strikes, this all goes out the window and God switches into punishment mode.  Like I said, a good number of so-called believers really do not know God.  For if they did know Him, they would understand that despite all that goes on in this world, that God never changes {James to the Twelve Tribes 1:17}.  That Jesus "Yesterday and today, is the same for the eons also" {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  So, if God is indeed love, then He is love FOR THE EONS!  He never changes.  To know the Father is to know that within His love there is no room for fear {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  With fear comes the expectation of punishment or chastening, but the perfect love we have in the Father casts out that fear.  For we know that we need not fear God, we only need know that we live within His love {Johns Account 17:21}.  So, what does this have to do with God and the politics of mankind?  Well, despite our false belief that election results either display His blessing or punishment depending what side of the aisle you are on, it is God Who has appointed leaders to guide us {Paul to the Romans 13:1}.  If you don't like the results of the election, know that it is the Father Who has placed certain people in their positions.  Are you going to disagree with Him?  Who are we to disagree with the plans which the Father has for His creation?  I believe that comedian George Carlin said it perfectly when referring to those who question Gods plans.  "What's the use of being God if every run-down schmuck with a two-dollar prayer book can come along and fuck up your plan?"  What's the use indeed!  For if God is in control, as we're so fond of saying, why do we continue to snatch that control away from Him?  To trust in the Father is to trust in Him completely.  To know in our hearts that all which He does is out of His love for us.  But for those who adhere to the mainstream church theology, that's a hard pill to swallow.  

Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening.  Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love.  

First Epistle of John 4: 18, Concordant New Testament Translation

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (That Eonian Life) # 2205

 

Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ

Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament Translation 

If I were to ask you why you believe in God, what would you say?  That your sins be forgiven you?  That you spend eternity with Him in heaven?  Most believers would choose the latter.  To choose a heavenly abode over the trials and tribulations of this world.  In fact, this is the most common answer that people give me when asked why it is that they believe in God, eternal life.  Modern Christianity has taught us that eternal life and heaven are linked together as one as a reward for our righteousness.  That the believer will be with the Father in heaven for all time.  I was one of those who grew up believing in this version of the afterlife.  This is what I was taught while in the church.  So it is that I understand just why it is that most believers feel this way.  After the death of my mother in 2016, I trusted in my heart that she was now in the Fathers presence for all time.  I also knew that I would most assuredly see her again when my time came to join her there.  I still believe this, but I am also beginning to understand more about that which we call eternal life.  In His prayer in the garden before His death, Jesus spoke to the truth behind what we have been told is eternal life.  Many Christians do not understand that these words spoken by Jesus are the best definition of eternal life which we have.  For eternal life is not centered around our own being in the afterlife, but something completely different.  First off, the wording "Eternal life" is a crude reference to what Jesus has referred to as our Eonian life.  Now, eonian, as defined by definition, is "Lasting forever or for an indefinitely long time."  That sounds ok within this context.  However, eonian life is also defined as that which is relating to a specific geological eon, or age.  Still, Jesus obviously intended the use of His words which we see in His prayer in the garden that night.  I believe that His intent was to give us the true meaning of that time after we have passed from this life.  That eternal life has never been about our existence in the Fathers heaven, but of knowing Him intimately.

Jesus has spoken that "It is eonian life that they may know Thee" {Johns Account 17:3}.  That the truth about heaven and the afterlife is less about our reward for a good life and more about knowing He Who has provided for it.  Jesus obviously understood this, while too many modern believers have yet to grasp it.  Those within the modern church continue to preach of the reward for those who trust and believe in the Lord Jesus.  I know a man, a pretty dogmatic believer if ever there was one, who will adamantly condemn all who do not believe in Christ Jesus to the fires of hell.  For these poor souls, there is no reward given unto them by the Father.  Despite the fact that it is God Who loved the world enough to dispatch His one and only Son to save the world, there will be those who apparently will not be offered the reward of an eternity in Gods heavenly abode {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  But if this were indeed true, why is it that Jesus would pray that Gods children would "Know Thee?"  Why wouldn't Jesus simply spell it out and condemn those who did not believe?  Why indeed.  Well, we're told that despite being dispatched by the Father that all who believed in Him should not be perishing, but have life eonian, we're told that Jesus has not come to judge the world, but that ALL the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  So it is that our afterlife has already been determined long before we were born into this life.  That the Father's true desire for us is for our life eonian.  Not that we would somehow be rewarded, but that we would finally know Him.  The apostle John has also spoken that what we have been promised is not a reward, but life eonian {First Epistle of John 2:25}.  God INTENDS for His creation to come to know Him.  Yes, in that day every knee shall bow and declare Jesus as Lord {Paul to the Philippians 2:10-11}.  But even this is accomplished "For the glory of God, the Father."  So it is that all will acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and all will come to know the Father.  So, what does this truth we have in the scriptures tell us about the punishment of hell for unbelievers?  Is there even a hell?  That's a topic for another day.  For now, I rest in the truth that in my life eonian that I will come to know the Father.  That is reward enough for me.  

And this is the promise which He promises us: the life eonian

First Epistle of John 2: 25, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~