Victory In Jesus IS all that
matters.
What is
The Problem with the Church Today?
Content
2015 Pew survey
Introduction
First Point, The god of Plato
Second point, What is EVIL?
Third Point, Which is
true?
What is The Problem with the Church Today?
In articles
like the research in the MAY 12, 2015 Pew survey included here the numbers do
not look so good for the Church. Can we slow down and truly consider what has
been going on in the Church to cause these results?
5
key findings about the changing U.S. religious landscape
Pew
Research Center’s new Religious Landscape
Study, the first since our 2007 study, draws on a massive
sample size of more than 35,000 Americans to offer a detailed look at the
current religious composition of U.S. adults. The size of the sample enables us
to explore relatively small religious groups (including specific Christian
denominations) as well as state- and metropolitan area-level data.
In
addition to the full report, the findings of the study can be explored at
a new interactive website.
Here are a few of the key findings:
1 Christians are declining, both as a share of the U.S. population and in total number. In 2007, 78.4% of U.S. adults identified with Christian groups, such as Protestants, Catholics, Mormons and others; seven years later, that percentage has fallen to 70.6%. Accounting for overall population growth in that period, that means there are roughly 173 million Christian adults in the U.S. today, down from about 178 million in 2007.
2 Within
Christianity, the biggest declines have been in the mainline Protestant
tradition and among Catholics. Mainline Protestants represented 14.7%
of U.S. adults in 2014, down from 18.1% in 2007, while the Catholic share of
the population fell to 20.8% from 23.9% over the same period. By comparison,
evangelical Protestants have been more stable, declining only about
1 percentage point between 2007 and 2014 (from 26.3% to 25.4%).
3The
decline of Christians in the U.S. has corresponded with the continued
rise in the share of Americans with no religious affiliation (religious
“nones”). People who self-identify as atheists or agnostics (about 7% of
all U.S. adults), as well as those who say their religion is “nothing in
particular,” now account for a combined 22.8% of U.S. adults – up from 16.1% in
2007. The growth of the “nones” has been powered in part by religious
switching. Nearly one-in-five U.S. adults (18%) were raised as Christians or
members of some other religion, but now say they have no religious affiliation.
4There
are clear differences between certain demographic groups when it comes to
religious affiliation. For example, younger adults are far more likely than
older Americans to identify as religious “nones,” and men are more likely than
women to be religiously unaffiliated. But despite these differences, the
major trends seen in American religion since 2007 – the decline of Christians
and rise of the “nones” – have occurred in some form across many demographic
groups, including men and women, older and younger Americans, and people
with different levels of education and different races and ethnicities.
5The
share of Americans who identify with non-Christian faiths, such as Islam and
Hinduism, has grown modestly in recent years, from 4.7% in 2007
to 5.9% in 2014. Muslims now account for 0.9% of the U.S. adult population (up
from 0.4% in the 2007 Landscape Study), while Hindus make up 0.7% of U.S.
adults (up from 0.4% in 2007).
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/12/5-key-findings-u-s-religious-landscape/
Michael Lipka is an
editorial manager of religion research at Pew Research Center.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Introduction
SO, with these numbers I feel it is
reasonable to ask what is the Problem?
And I fear the answer is going to fall into the aera of,
“That is not what I want to hear”
But, Still the problem seems to be simply what we teach and
the way we present it drives people away.
Now before you shut me off, this has been the problem for a long time, I
mean from before Christ and the Church. At least as far back as the reason
Israel went into Babylonian Captivity.
People look to “Religion” from the point of “What I want Right NOW!” Then
they make sure what is taught supports the position, “What I want Right Now!”
Some of the reason is to be in control of the People, some to PUSH a point
Leaders want to stress, what makes “ME Feel Good”, What makes Me look important
to help ME control the masses, But the real
foundation of this problem is Satan’s “Counterfeit of God’s Plan. YES, Satan is
alive and still going “to and fro” to deceive and accuse people. Yes, I am saying there is an active force of
People that do Satan’s biding (knowing or not) to promote his counterfeit,
THIS PROBLEM IS REAL!!
In the first section of this study I want to look at a famous
thinker that has influenced the thought of the world far more than many think,
his name is Plato. St. Augustine included so much of his teaching in to his
theology that about 50 to 60 % of Augustine’s work is from Plato. To better understand the thinking outside the
narrow world of Christianity read :
__________________________________________________________________Library
of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Schuré, Édouard, 1841-1929. The
great initiates. Translation of Les grands initiés. Includes bibliographical
references and index. 1. Religions. I. Title. BL80.S33 1980 291 79-3597 ISBN
0-06-067125-4
Or
Orpheus, GRS Mead, LONDON,
THEOSOPHICAL Publishing SOCIETY, 7, DUKE STREET, ADELPHI, w.c. 1896
This kind of literature is not Church
teaching I understand, But, it will give some historical background as to WHY
and WHERE the IDEAS come from. We must look to ALL OF HISTORY and what people
think and teach if we are to understand where the contamination to True
Teaching comes from.
First
Point The god of Plato!
The god of Plato is an unknown and unknowable god. He is said
to be beyond the mind of people to comprehend. “The ONE” was absolute yet not
involved with the on goings of the world. The simple mind of creatures could
not grasp the immenseness of the “Ultimate FORM”. People worshiped the IMAGE of
the ONE described in the traditions taught in that time. The many gods of Pantheism are images of the
FORM (which is the ONE, the unknowable god only described as in images), many
images because they were from what they could see around themselves.
Paul and the prophets
and teachers before him said God was KNOWN in LOVE and GRACE. Because He
revealed Himself in nature itself, we see God reached out to show us who HE is.
The sermons of the First Century Church in a Hellenistic Greek
Culture started on a foundation Point that shattered “Religious thinking of that
time”. Not only is GOD knowable and known, HE loves even Me.
|
The OLD RELIGIONS |
“THE WAY” |
|
God is unknown and
unknowable |
God is personal, He
revealed himself |
|
The gods made people as
servants |
God made people for
fellowship |
|
The One is distant and
unconcerned |
God in His providence
cares for all |
|
Aeons, lesser gods are
between us and the one. |
God is as near as
obedience to His word. |
|
The material universe is
Evil. |
Evil is the opposite or
absence of God. |
|
To over come evil,
people must KNOW the mystic traditions. |
God sent His son, The
only way to come to HIM. |
|
With knowledge people
must use secret teachings to overcome evil,
|
No person of their works
can come to God. |
|
And use mystic ideas and
spells to come to god. |
God in LOVE and GRACE
God sent His only Son to pay my debt in full. |
|
One had to know all the
mystic way of spells and magic to get past the Aeons that Ruled the spirit
world. |
In Jesus we are saved.
God is our Father. We are new creatures, in the family of God. |
|
Many gods many parts of
the tradition, but all these are an image
of the Form of the ONE |
In Jesus BLOOD and by
God’s Grace, no matter how you lived in the past HE PAID THE DEBT. |
|
Still no knowledge of
god or a promise. |
The BEST person EVER,
Doing what is called RIGHT |
|
|
Must have Salvation in
God’s Grace |
NOT ONLY CAN I KNOW GOD, BUT KNOW HE LOVES ME.
He sent His Son to save me and will keep me no matter what
life has in store, If I believe in Jesus as LORD, That God raised Jesus from
death, obey Him in Love, and keep His teachings HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART.
Consider living in a society where mysticism was religion, all
a religion of works, impersonal, Without Hope!
Then you meet the Gospel. God is not only known, but He Loves
even me.
Then listen to Paul saying, “I am someone special, A freeborn
ROMAN Citizen (That was a big deal in his day), A Hebrew of the Hebrew’s of the
tribe of Benjamín; as to the Law, a
Pharisee; I did my job with zeal and purpose. I was religious, Before
the Traditions blameless, Then I meet Jesus and found out I was all wrong. I
was killing the Children of God. I was with zeal doing the very kind of evil I
thought I was cleansing the Nation from.
I was good, moral, respected, high on the social ladder, AND WRONG! I murdered God’s People, I was the Chief of
SINNERS, so lost.
BUT,
God’s Love was big enough for even me!
AND for you too. No matter where you have been or what you
did, or what religion you have followed, God’s Love is big enough for you too.
Then add to that,
God is knowable because HE revealed Himself to us and will
fellowship with us, guide and keep us, Love and care for us, HE CARES.
God made it all, The world and space and time. He Loved and
cared for His own people. In His provident Care HE keeps all who are His.
Consider all the prophecies about Jesus and He came and
fulfilled them all.
Grace, Hope, Love, Faith, mercy. The list goes on and on.
Can you imagen how it sounded, Saved by Grace through faith,
Such Love and Mercy and it’s FOR ME. The living word of a living GOD, not the
secret traditions of men. A Grace and
Hope that Loves me and makes me a child of God.
Then just as exciting is the fact that all this does not
depend on some ancient secret mystic tradition or spells and passwords that
“may” get you past the gradians of the spirit world in the future. All we need to
do is hear the word and believe what God promised, He will always do what he
said He will do. FAITH is accepting what God said
without having to
see the proof.
If all you had known was the mental Image of one that does not
care, protect or fellowship, this was a very special new view of religion; A
GOD WHO CARES ABOUT ME. No matter how “bad” or wrong I may have been.
The traditions of the mystic religions originated as far back
as Babylon. There are volumes written to describe the origin, heroes, and
teaching of the mystic religions. From Babylon they were carried to Egypt by a
Priest Master from Babylon named Hermes later called Trismegistus. All of the
famous Greek Philosophers were trained in both Babylon and Egypt. ”The Academy”
in Athens was first headed by Orpheus then Pythagoras, Socrates, and
Plato. They were all trained in the
Ancient mystic traditions and Orpheus and Pythagoras were Masters. Plato reached
the level of a master but, never completed the final rite. The ONE the ultimate Form of Plato is the
unknowable god of mysticism. This was
not a loving experience, even the best of the Masters of the secret traditions
stood little chance of obtaining a place among the gods. Please note all of
their traditions were of men trying to reach that level of “a place among the
gods.” All their religious thought was, “You must find the secrets of
mysticism and then “Of yourself by good works” overcome the evil of the
material world and rise up to the Spirit and be as god.
This sounds strange to
us and has been rejected or ignored by many (who incorporated much of mysticism
into the Church) But, the works of mysticism said you must do it yourself and
god is not knowable, you are on you own.
When the NT writers are discussing WORKS they are directly
challenging the traditions of Mysticism.
They lived in a world that had followed mysticism far longer than
anything else. Just look at Israel’s
History, How many times did she turn to false gods “Like other nations”. The
ancient mystic gods of men that had a secret teaching about an unknowable god.
Peter, John, James, Luke, and Paul all the NT writers, Say God
Is Knowable, personal, Loving, and A God revealed Himself to his children. He
loves us. The Gospels were not secret
traditions, in fact we have the Gospels from four points of view each teaching
something special yet all are the same Gospel.
Reading the remains of the past is at best difficult and much
of “what is real” is lost in leaders trying to protect “what we want to present
the text as saying”. To establish a foundation that is the development that
leads to what we want to believe. Yes,
history is full of people presenting the story in a way that defends their way
of living and protecting their idea of This is what I believe. Here is how I
read the writings to prove MY POINT. I will say this openly and to the point,
History does not present all as facts. It is made up of a discussion of events
in a way that makes the one telling the story look good. The culture and
beliefs of the victor in the struggle is presented as correct.
Religion like history from the very earliest time has the same
problem. Every culture has protected its beliefs and god as if they are the
only one. Even in Israel and the Christian Church there is the problem of
discussing the meaning of scripture to prove “WHAT I ALREADY BELIEVE”
The traditions of mysticism and much of Plato’s Philosophy
were incorporated into Christianity and the Church did not want to show where
the ideas came from, so they dismissed or ignored Mysticism. They taught and
believed part of it and called it Christian.
That has made problems that we still struggle with to this day. We must
look the writings in a way that truly teaches what they say in History,
Culture, and Language.
Each side has the same tools to their interpretation of the
traditions handed down and even the written documents presented by people
through history.
Many if not all writers of such discussions make statements of
understanding about their subject based on their thoughts on what has been by
tradition taught on the subject. These are simply stated and you are expected
to accept the statement as true and follow the discussion.
One of the first points that needs to be made (and this may
take a little thought to get clear in your mind) is that there are now and
always have been two ways a person may follow.
1.. There is God’s way, as the Bible has preserved.
2.. Then is man’s way, traditions of religion that make people
independent and free of all “Higher Power”
The truth of these two ideas is no simpler to understand than
that of History and Religion, still the understanding is key to both History
and Religion. Which side are your
thoughts intended to defend? The answer
will determine what you base all the rest of your thoughts on.
A second point of equal determining nature is also true. It is
not always presented or taught by either side but it is true. From the beginning there have been people
that do not accept or follow the idea of an absolute self existent GOD that
created human kind. People look at what
they do not understand and call it the work of gods, or say it just happened
that way, Both are wrong.
Second Point, GOOD vs.
EVIL??
God is absolute Good. The opposite, to turn from God is Evil.
It is just that simple!
A look at the definition of the word EVIL
πονηρός • (ponērós) m (feminine πονηρᾱ́, neuter πονηρόν
(passive meaning) oppressed by toils (active meaning) toilsome, painful, grievous
Original:
πονηρός - Phonetic: pon-ay-ros'
-
Definition:
1.
full of labors, annoyances, hardships, grievous
a.
pressed and harassed by labors
b.
bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith
and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble
2.
bad, of a bad nature or condition
a.
in a physical sense: diseased or blind
b.
in an ethical sense: wicked, bad the word is used in the nominative case in Mat_6:13. This usually denotes a
title in the Greek. Hence Christ is saying, deliver us from The Oppressor, and
is probably referring to Satan.
- Strong's: hurtful (properly in effect or influence and thus not essential
character or degeneracy from original virtue);
The word often
translated “EVIL” is the Idea “full of labors, annoyances, hardships” that is the very curse that was the judgment of
Adam for his disobedience.
Gen 3:17-19 Then to Adam He
said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten
from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it';
Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of
your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it
shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of
the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
There are libraries filled with books trying to
explain Who created Evil and there is a good reason why it is so hard to
explain who created evil.
The problem is that NO ONE CREATED EVIL.
So where did the, “all Flesh is evil” come
from? [Read the discussions of Babylonian, Egyptian, Hebrew, and Greek
Mysticism and Philosophy] Even in some discussions to say all material world,
matter itself, is Evil. All of the mystic religions have this one central theme,
Flesh is evil and spirit is good. With knowledge and power one may raise
themselves above evil flesh and in spirit be as God. Satan has used this lie
since he tried to rise up and be as God and failed, he is still trying
today! WE so often start with only part of the discussion and look at the
story according to tradition and what we were taught to believe, well, we leave
out much of the detail and background of the story.
We know that God is self-existent and all
that exist is from and in Him. So, we read “In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth.” Gen 1:1 It is a wonderful story and a
powerful lesson on order and structure, but that is another book. For this
study we will stay with In the beginning God … Created man in His own Image. There are
volumes in the three DOTS, some of it we need to complete our discussion.
Still, we have limits on what we may include in our study, we just do not have
room for it all. We are discussing God,
Creation, Good, Evil and it has been over discussed for years. I know we normally start Evil with Adam and
Eve eating fruit of the tree God said do not to eat, but, evil goes much
farther back that that.
And the earth was without form, and void; and
darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen 1:2
There are Books, speculations, theories, of
what happened between God “created” and “without form”. They exist only to tell
us that there was something in the past that made a catastrophic difference. We
know that in eternity past God created legions of angles for His glory and
service to be with Him in Heaven. We
know that one leader of angles Lucifer, Prince of the Morning, decided to move
up above his place as an archangel, to place his seat above the stars of God to
seek worship and praise as God. We just
do not have enough real facts and details to answer all the questions on this
subject. What was that world like or why were the angles created and what
caused Lucifer to disobey God? Speculating may be interesting but we just do
not know. We do know, before time when
God created the first Morning and Evening, before man and the world God created
for him, in eternity past Lucifer decided to rise up by his knowledge and power
to become as God. Of course, he failed. But Lucifer is an eternal
creation, he will go about to Accuse and Deceive men until Michael cast him out
of heaven in the end time. Rev 12:9. Still we know that after Lucifer disobeyed
God there was a battle in heaven between good and evil, between Satan and his
followers and obeying God. That war left a void between what we call good and
evil. Please prayerfully think this through with me here, God did not “Just
create the heavens and earth, plants, animals and humankind in a moment of
thought way back there in the past. God had already created the angles their
home and work and some of them rejected Him.
The understanding of these ideas is
important because it effects “The teaching of Total Depravity”, and the ability
of a person to by their Free Will and choice to accept God’s Grace. Satan
and his plan to deceive man is older than ancient religions and mysticism. How old is the discussion of Good and Evil, Well
it seems to me there was a Tree in the Garden “The Knowledge of Good and Evil!”
In order to understands we must carefully
look at what was said and what was added by later teachers (well meaning or
not.)
Just what did God say here;
1.
Adam and Eve had true daily fellowship in the
presence of God.
2. God said “Do not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden, or you will
surely Die.”
3. From all the story we must see that God created the Angles as eternal
living beings with a free will. We know this because we are told they are
eternal beings and Lucifer and his followers MADE A CHOICE to disobey God.
4. Adam and his kind were not
created to die, Death was the result of disobeying if they ate of the tree.
5. God created them with the
RIGHT and the ABILITY to make the choice to obey Him or NOT. (That is why God
did not just kill them and start over, God gave them the right to choose.) It
was NOT spiritual death; that is and was and always will be A CHOICE TO OBEY
GOD or NOT.
6. Adam and Eve gave to
Lucifer what he wanted most reverence and worship. They gave to Lucifer the
place God had given them in the rule of the Natural Order, and Lucifer uses
that to control, deceive, and even torment people. All of creation was affected because it fell
to Lucifer.
7. Sickness, pain, loss,
Natural Order disasters, and more ARE A RESULT OF Giving to Lucifer worship and
praise that belonged to GOD. Now, for a little while, Satan is the Prince of
this world. He does all he can to deceive people into following him.
8. The BLOOD Sacrifice was
Given to Adam and Eve as a second chance to obey GOD. They could make the
sacrifice in remembrance of obeying God looking forward to the Promise God made
of a coming savior. G3:15
9. People are saved by Grace,
people have always been saves by Grace, The Blood sacrifices only looked
forward to Christ, Teaching I can, I MUST OBEY God, The Law POINTS OUT WHAT SIN
IS, it never had the power to save anyone.
The FIRST GOSPEL and SHEADING OF BLOOD.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and
now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and
live forever: (Side
note: this statement is not finished, the result was more terrible than even
God would explore.)
23 Therefore
the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground
from whence he was taken.
God, in the garden, shed blood
to cover sin and shame. He
taught Adam about the sin offering and that the Messiah would one day come. ADAM LEFT THE GARDEN UNDER THE BLOOD, IN
RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD! Looking forward to the PROMICE! (Gen 3:15 The First
Gospel.) Still
a free moral agent with the right to choose to obey GOD or not! Adam knew that
he could choose to obey God this time and make the sacrifices God told him to
make. He was still the highest of God’s creation, still had dominion over the
world, and still could make Free Will Choices.
It is foolish to say Adam
after he disobeyed God was so sinful that he could not Know God. From WHAT TREE
did he eat? I thought it was the “Knowledge of Good and Evil”. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:
It was not until much later
that men added Mysticism to the story and made Mankind leave the garden
defeated totally depraved unable to know God. Augustine’s teaching Plato and
Gnosticism did more to damage Christianity than any other one Man in history.
God made coats of skins - It is very likely that the skins out of which their
clothing was made were taken off animals whose blood
had been poured out as a sin-offering to God; for as we find Cain and
Abel offering sacrifices to God, we may fairly presume that God had given them instructions on this head; nor
is it likely that the notion of a sacrifice could have ever occurred to the
mind of man without an express revelation from God. Hence we may safely infer,
1. That as Adam and Eve needed this clothing as soon as they fell, and death
had not as yet made any ravages in the animal world, it is most likely that the
skins were taken off victims offered under the direction of God himself, and in
faith of Him who, in the fullness of time, was to make an atonement by his
death. And it seems reasonable also that this matter should be brought about in
such a way that Satan and death should have no triumph, when the very first
death that took place in the world was an emblem and type of that death which
should conquer Satan, destroy his empire, reconcile God to man, convert man to
God, sanctify human nature, and prepare it for heaven. (Adam Clark)
When bible teachers misread or blend ancient
philosophy and religion with what they think the bible says, or their
theology requires, they come to a teaching like “all matter is evil”.
They are very possibly led by Satan to teach error.
The problem is how could the Self-existent
Holy God create Evil? How Could the Holy Son of God be born of evil flesh?
The answer to both Questions is “the premise is wrong.” God did not
create evil and all flesh is not material evil.
There are some ideas that are basic to logic.
If there is good the absence of good is evil. There is
a level of thought that comes from elemental concepts. God cannot be evil. The very meaning of evil is an elemental opposite of
God. To say this another way some ideas are so basic they are the
foundation of the discussion. Elemental Ideas are so basic they come
from the character and nature of God Himself and were not created by God they ARE the basis of the
discussion. Words and ideas have meaning, elemental ideas come from the
foundation of reality, and they just are. God is Holy, Love, Good. Did
God create Holiness, Good, Love, Mercy, Justice? No, they are the attributes
that describe God. The Opposite exist because opposite is elemental to
the Idea, unholy, hate, evil. From the idea God could not create evil
came the many other ideas trying to explain how evil or sin came to be. It is simple, To Disobey GOD to
turn from God is EVIL. Satan and man
made a choice to disobey God. When
God gave Adam and Eve the right and ability to choose to have fellowship with
Him or Not, it was not a new idea. The angles of heaven had already done that.
So, it may not be so strange that God gave humans the ability to choose to obey
Him or Not. He wanted a creature that could, had the right too and would choose
to love and fellowship with Him. All the choices we make and all of the “good”
and “Bad” we may do is a free choice God created us able to make. Here I find the most terrifying truth I have
read in the Bible. God gave us the ability and right to make our own choices,
(now think about this), God will honor those choices! Even if it means we
reject Him. Hell is the clear truth that God will honor every choice. In order
to understand these timeless teachings, we must try to understand the universal
battle between God, Angles, and Man, the battle between Good and Evil.
What
is a picture of Good and EVIL?
Adam in the garden
fellowshipped daily with God. “They walked in the garden in the Cool of the
day”. God taught Adam all things he needed to know. Adam knew the GOODNESS OF
GOD. Then Adam DISOBEYED GOD and the fellowship was broken, Blood had to be
shed, Adam was put from the garden so he could
not eat of the tree of life. He had the work hard till the ground by
the sweat of his face to eat. He was apart from God. He knew what evil meant,
“To disobey God” the opposite of Good.
There are and always
have been two ways of thought and action that a person may follow. They are
based on a single truth that has confounded people for all time.
1 - The self-existent
Holy God is GOOD.
2 - The opposite or turn
away from God is evil and sin.
This is not complicated evil
/ sin exist as the absence of God.
In science, we are told you
cannot measure Darkness there is nothing there. Light is electromagnetic energy
measured on the nano meter (nm) scale. Light exists as energy, in its absence there is
nothing. 
The same is true with God's
goodness and its absence evil. The Light of Goodness is a REAL presence that
cannot occupy the same space or thought with its opposite the darkness of evil.
From the idea of good
and evil come many errors and problems. The main one (and always true) is to leave God out is evil. GOD is Good in its absolute form, to turn
from or disobey God is always evil.
Who am I?
Psa
8:3-5 When I consider your heavens, the
work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man,
that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and
have crowned him with glory and honor.
This
question answers itself. The question explains the relation and fellowship of
God and man.
Who am I? I am the highest Glory of God’s creation made in His image with all I need to truly relate to and fellowship with
GOD.
Do not let
people tell you otherwise.
Unfortunately, we have
a problem in the Church with vulnerability which is closely tied to fear of
Being Judged by others. Thus many of us remain guarded and struggle to develop
deeper relations in a community that will allow us to speak out ask questions
and learn together. If we are to truly know what it means to be the Highest of
God’s creation and to know why I am here, that is to fellowship with God, we
must also understand; just as Adam and Eve were tested in the Garden to see if they would
obey God or not. People are created in
the image of God with the ability and right to make decisions on their own. The
TEST is will I decide to obey God? Temptation to do evil is a different subject
based on one’s theology, If you believe and teach that people are Totally
Depraved then any “choice” to do what God said DO NOT do is a temptation to
evil. But, Think for a moment, God made people for fellowship with Him and gave
them the right and ability to make choices to fellowship with Him to Love Him
to Obey Him OR NOT!! I will offer and I believe “It is a Choice God made us able to make.” Not totally
evil or depraved but a free choice to “with knowledge
of result,” Choose to Love, obey and fellowship with GOD. OR to choose
to live life our own way.
IT
IS A CHOICE. A CHOICE TO LIVE HOLY!
If you understand the choice, a free choice God gave us the Ability to
make with the Knowledge of result and the Right to make ourselves, you can see
it is not Total Depravity but a clear choice to do as I please, Live for Self
or to Fellowship with GOD and obey HIM.
Depravity
is REAL but it is a choice to say no to God.
The test is always Will I obey God or do what He
said not to do. Think about it there is no evil in eating fruit from that tree
EXCEPT God said do not do it. Except it was to disobey God, He said not too. Part of
the problem is failing to see what sin is.
The error/sin is to disobey God and
the results is many depraved acts of living like I want
to. So often we make the result the issue and try to show people how to get
forgiveness for every step of how they live. Not dealing with the real
problem of obeying God. They work on the symptoms not the underlying problem
which is to obey God.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures test: for
when he is tested, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has
promised to them that love him.
The point here is that there are many times in our life just
intermixing with people and life when we come to a point that we must make a
choice. We must use a God given ability and right to make a choice to obey,
live and act the way God said. God did not tempt or try to trick us, it is just
a choice of how will I live. Life and living requires us to choose God or the
world. It really is just that simple. It is not total depravity it is a free
choice to do right, but, all too often people choose to do what they want.
There are testing’ in life caused by just living and interacting with
other people. We are faced with a choice Do I obey God and live a right and
holy life or do I do as the world allows and follow others in what is popular.
Do not say God TEMPTED me God is not tempted to evil and God does not
tempt or test us just to see what we may do.
We have a free image of God choice as we live life to choose God or the
world,
IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY!
God created the world and space, and time, and MAN because He
Wanted too. He was making a creature for FRLLOWSHIP. A creature that could and
by a free choice would, choose to love and fellowship with Him. Because Adam
and Eve had a right and the ability to choose, Satan stepped in to deceive them
and try to get the obedience and fellowship for himself. Satan tried to be as
God but failed. But, he did not give up. He is still trying to be as God, to be
the object of worship. Yes, Satan is alive and real and still going about the
earth to deceive and accuse people.
PLEASE
CAREFULLY PAY ATTENSION HERE! To focus so much on evil is to fall for Satan’s deceit. To
focus so much on evil is to think about and focus on the opposite of GOD.
We must not allow Satan’s lie to keep us from the truth. Satan says you are so
evil you cannot know God and be good or perfect. But that is Satan’s LIE.
If you have thought that
the way people in our time think is new or different, you are wrong.
The problem has always been people thinking
moral right is “What
I want right Now”, and
moral wrong is “Anything
that keeps me from what I Want”.
People try to live as close to
the world as they can get. How close to the world can I stand and still be
called a Christian. When all of your focus is on how close to the world can I
live, you are concentrating on the world. You are concentrating on what is evil
and how close to evil can I live. It is hard to see truth, it is hard to see
Jesus.
A
third point,
Which
of these views is TRUE?
We
started this study with the world of Plato and Plato’s god. That discussion is
important because much of what Plato taught was edited to fit in and was
included in Christian teachings. What we call Gnostic teaching is no more than
a “Hellenized” version of the Ancient Mysticism all the way back to Babylon,
[and todays “New Age” movement is the same for our times].
After
looking at some of the difference between Plato and the Church, we moved on to
trying to explain the true meaning of EVIL. There is more written about evil in
such a way as to defend “existing Doctrine” than any other word. A major point
in Satan’s Counterfeit for The Truth is that mankind is by NATURE EVIL. More
than half of modern theology is based on that point. This subject, for that point
and many others is very delicate. People want to believe what they believe and
they do not like change or anything different. They most surely do not want to
be told you think they are wrong. So,
now we will try to view two very different ways of looking at PEOPLE, SINNERS,
and CHRISTIANS.
What
does it mean to be saved? There is a lot
of tradition, baggage, and dead wood in this discussion but it is SO WORTH
WHILE because it results in a true victory in Jesus.
People
often start with the idea that people are sinful. They teach people must know
how sinful they really are so they will be worth being saved. I have heard
preachers all my life say, “You must get them LOST before they can be saved.”
Some go so far as to say people are so lost, they cannot know or find the way
back to God, and God has to do it all for them. Others go on to say even with
God’s call and help humankind are so lost that in Adam’s sin there very Nature
is evil and in this life they will by nature choose to do evil. They must ask
God for forgiveness of their many sins daily to be at all forgiven. The idea called total depravity meaning by
nature they cannot know God. [ok, I know that word is a hot button with some
range of meaning, but, it causes a lot of problem and error too, this idea
comes directly from Gnosticism via Augustine and Calvin.]
AND,
this is where the meaning of words and general ideas gets very important.
1.
Does
EVIL mean something totally depraved, vile and wicked OF ITSELF. Or
2.
Does
evil mean God is Good, to move away from, the opposite of God to turn from
fellowship with God is evil.
The
first definition is from Mysticism as summed up by Plato. The second is not so
often taught or even included in the discussion. But, isn’t it worth a serious
consideration also? It is so beautiful so simple God is Good, Fellowship with,
and Worship God and do not live apart from HIM.
When
we discuss Bible we often reduce the topic to a verse, a sentence, a phrase, or
even a word, then we analyze the thought right to what we believed when we started.
The
idea of a new truth or understanding is often beyond what we will allow. But,
to see truth, even new truth that we may have never heard before is learning.
We need to see what the Bible really says by looking at the total picture. Who
was speaking, to whom, what was the subject and the reason for the discussion?
When did this event happen in time, place and culture, all of these points make
a real difference in the meaning of what was said.
There ARE TWO
ways of belief a person may follow.
There are two Roads to follow and
God gave us
the right to choose which road we will walk.
I.
One road is to obey God and Keep His
Commandments. There is no other name but JESUS by which man must or can be
saved.
II.
The other road is man’s way of oral traditions and
prophets of men that know the Mystic traditions to allow man to OF HIMSELF
become as god.
The Idea of SIN being great or small, seems to me to be an inconstancy
in thought. Sin, to leave the path, or to miss God’s glory is to Disobey
GOD!
I ask what is there that we do that is “the Source of our SIN”. There is
no work that we may do to gain, deserve, or to earn God’s Grace. I will
also say there is no act or work we may do to gain, deserve, or earn rejection
from grace and a place in Hell. Man rejecting God {EVIL}will live as he chooses
and all the sin resulting there
is only the natural behavior {RESULT} of rejecting God.
This evil shows one that rejects God, BUT, the subject is still a Choice Obey
God or Not. There are TWO Points here
first BEING SAVED or LOST a choice. Then LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE. We spend too
much time focused on “Evil” and not enough time really focused on “Knowing
GOD!”
God’s Grace is freely offered, and we by faith accept or ignore that
offer.
Total Depravity -
Inability, a problem.
There are,
it seems to me, two ideas here and we must be clear about what we are
discussing.
There is
Calvinist theology that says several varieties of “When Adam left the garden he was totally
DEPRAVED and could not KNOW GOD… all the way to Because of Adams sin in the
garden his NATURE was changed so that he cannot but sin, only God intervening to
save him will help.” Calvinism goes far beyond this, teaching
(Inability), that people are so corrupt that it is actually impossible for
them, on their own initiative, to repent of their sins, turn to Christ and be
saved and don't even have the desire to do so. Unless God
sovereignly changes their wills by a grace that cannot be resisted
(irresistible grace).
The other
side says “Adam disobeyed God, The punishment was DEATH. Then of course we
argue over What Death, how far does “Death” go Eternal, spiritual, Physical.
One really has to study and pray about these verses to get to a good answer.
1. God
made man in His Image for FELLOWSHIP, because He wanted to. God gave man enough of the likeness or Image of God so
that people could truly fellowship with God.
2. God
made man for FELLOWSHIP, but gave us the RIGHT and ABILITY to CHOOSE that
FELLOWSHIP OR NOT. This means “The Death” is not spiritual, (Spiritual
death is a choice God Gave us.) Original SIN was to DISOBEY GOD, with a penalty
of physical death. It was a wrong Choice, it did not change the nature of
mankind. (To understand all of this we need to understand the development of
Dualism up to Gnosticism and Augustine and what MEN added to the Bible
teachings.)
3. Our
nature is the IMAGE OF GOD AS HIS HIGHEST CREATION. A nature whose purpose was
to have all the ability and choices needed to RULE THE CREATION OF GOD.
4. Remember
what God said,” Behold, the man is become as one of
us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take
also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore
the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
which he was taken.
5. Our
CHOICE ALLOWS Us to choose to serve self and do as we please or Choose to
Fellowship with GOD. Apart from God,
the Natural Man, will choose to live as pleases his self-interest.
6. Mankind,
all people, have no righteousness acceptable to GOD. We in ourselves cannot
come before GOD. We are still under the penalty of death, until JESUS CAME, the
penalty was DEATH because we disobeyed GOD (as a race in ADAM). Jesus PAID THAT
DEBT IN FULL!!
7. Because
the debt is PAID, and I serve JUSUS as my LORD, by GRACE Through FAITH, I am
adopted into the very family of GOD, indwelled by the HOLY SPIRIT I am a priest
of the Most High GOD!
Inability
to save myself from DEATH YES! YES!
Only Jesus could do that!
So
Totally Depraved I cannot know God, NO! NO! NO
IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND STILL IS A CHOICE!!!
A CHOICE TO ODEY THE MOST HIGH GOD.
This
discussion just does not rise to a level that could be considered “Total
Depravity” or Inability, it is at most a wrong choice of a creature that was
made to make choices. It is a commandment with a specific punishment, Adam
disobeyed God and in him mankind is under the penalty of death. Jesus paid that
debt in Jesus as LORD “ALL MANKIND IS SAVED BY GEACE” Everyone
from Adam to us, if they are saved, they are saved by the same GRACE.
Extremes of
this subject have dominated religious thought of all times.
The teaching from
Nicaea to Augustine and going down to today include some serious Gnostic error.
It was an aide the clergy priest to take and maintain Authority in the church
so they used it. What was taught by the church for 1800 years became belief and
the person willing to challenge that error is going to find resistance.
In the Light
of Christ, under the blood, We
can choose to be Holy and totally obedient to God. Not sinless, not
perfect, not to never make an error, but, by choice we put God first and obey
God first.
The inconsistent thought of
Calvinism and its Five Point Salvation,
God alone does it all.
You must constantly repent of
sin for salvation –
BUT, if
God Saves by Sovereign will,
sin has little to do with it.
The idea of every one is a sinner is a lie of Satan. If he can
get everyone to believe they are to evil/sinful/bad to come to God by their
free choice and BE HOLY, he has won a victory in defeating Christians.
So what is the problem with the
Church that makes it so shallow. How can we deal with such a problem?
Is it possible that we will
never know or understand “Perfect”
if we are always to focus on Evil?
I have come to think, if we are
to be Holy, complete to the end, lacking in nothing, Perfect, We must focus on knowing God, seeing His
majesty, longing to fellowship with the Father, not seeing evil in everything.
Paul said in Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom
12:2 And be not conformed to this world:
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.
Holy and Perfect is not about seeing and knowing sin or what
is sin, what it is in every form. Holy and Perfect IS totally committed to
Fellowship and service for obeying God.
This is a good example of teaching the illustration and
totally missing the point. The error the wrong we do is to disobey God. The
evil and sin we may list as a result of that is the symptom, the effect or
result of Disobeying God. Sin is the
result not the reason!
In the study of psychology and counseling
there is an idea that goes way back in time.
You are what you think” Pro 23:7 “For as he thinks in
his heart, so is he:”
When I was in school one of my teachers had a
plaque on the wall that said,
“Think what you want to be and you will soon be what you think!”
There is a long list of Bible verses that teach this idea “You
are what you think”. My favorite is:
5 Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing; but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Think on these
things - Let them be the object
of your careful attention and study, so as to practice them, so as to become
them. Think what they are; think on the obligation to observe them; think on
the influence which they would have on the world around you.
When He
comes what will we have done with what he has given us?
This list is
a little different from the ones we often see,
But he has
given us SO MUCH!
1.
Grace, Jesus work on earth and the BLOOD of Calvary.
Eph
2:8
For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God;
2.
Holy Spirit indwelling believers.
We
have in Christ the indwelling Power of the Living God.
1
Corinthians 3:16
Do
you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in
you?
Romans
8:9
However,
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells
in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Him.
2
Corinthians 6:16 Ezekiel 36:27 2 Timothy 1:14 Acts 6:5
Ephesians 5:18 Romans 8:11 John 16:13
1 John 2:27 John 14:17
3. We
are Priest of the Most High GOD.
A
royal priest hood to make sacrifices and offerings to HIM.
1Pe
2:9
But
you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's
OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
4. We
are New Creatures.
Old
things and sins passed away and remembered no more, all things are made new in
Christ.
2Co_5:17
Therefore
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed
away; behold new things have come.
Psa
103:12
As
far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from
us.
There
are several passages in the Bible that indicate that God forgives and forgets our
sin. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am he
who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no
more. ”Hebrews 10 explains how Jesus’
sacrifice on the cross for sin was a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Unlike the
sacrificial system of the Old Testament, in which sacrifices were continually
made for sin, Jesus paid for sin once. His payment was complete. Hebrews 10:14–18says, “For by one
sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
5.
Adopted into the family of God.
Romans
8:15
For
you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received
a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!
Galatians
4:6 Rom_8:23 Rom_9:4 Gal_4:5 Eph_1:5
6. WE
are heirs of God, joint heirs with
Jesus.
Rom 8:17 and if
children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we
suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
7. We are
the temple of God Indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
1Co_3:17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God
will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
1Co_6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not
your own?
How
much was given? What is our responsibility?
Peace,
Joy, faith, hope, adoption of sons, Temple of God, Indwelling Holy Spirit,
Priest of the Most High God, Gifts – we have the Power of the Living God
(whatever we need to do what He calls on us to do we have from His Spirit in
us)!
We to whom Much Is Given must also live our lives
so others can see Jesus in us. It has always been the office of a Priest to teach, guide
and minister to the people. We are to be the example both in this
life and in “Watching for That Glorious Returning”.
Heb 5:10 Called of God a high priest
after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to
say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son,
to day have I begotten thee.
A priest by birth, a priest sanctified to
God, a priest from the people, and a priest as the spiritual teacher for all,
this is the King and priest by birth order of Melchisedec. Why was this Old
Testament man selected? Maybe it is because he was both priest by birth and a
king.
The point of this discussion, and the many
things to say, and hard to be uttered is this priest hood. The fact that Christ
is our high priest is not hard to follow, God said it. What that means to us in
daily life seems not to have been widely seen. Christ is our High Priest after
the order of Melchisedec, that is by birth. When we look beyond our self and see the wondrous Grace of God, and with
the simplest Faith reach out to Him, the one who paid sins price with His own
Blood, on that old rugged Cross, we are born into the family of God.
It is a birthright with eternal life and eternal
responsibility!
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who
is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed
us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 and hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
The spirit of adoption making us the children
of God and joint-heirs of Christ is the new priesthood. It is the adoption into
the family of God. There is much that has not been included in what it means to
be a Christian in the teachings of the church. Part may have been because it
was hard to say and we are weak of understanding. But, in the history of the
church, a good part of the problem is telling the Christian story in a way to
help those in leadership positions control the masses of people.
How do you tell someone,
You are a child of the king, heir to rule
with Christ, a member of the heavenly family, you are a Priest under the High
Priest Jesus Christ. You may go directly to the Fathers side with your
petitions.
Then tell them,
I am in
charge and will tell you what you need to know and do for the church. I will
tell you what the scripture says and all you must do to be saved.
The failure to teach the truth about the
Priesthood of the Christian is a choice of the leaders in the church to control
people and the same grasp for power that lead to both the Reformation and the
Enlightenment. There are three
priesthoods.
First, the priest hood was by first-born
birth, responsible for leading the people to God.
Second, is a tribe of Israel chosen by God to
replace the birthright.
The third, is the High Priesthood of Jesus and
our adoption into the family of God.
1 Peter 2:4-5 4 Coming to Him as
to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by
God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built
up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises
of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Revelation 1:5-6) 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the
earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6
and has made us kings and priests to His
God and Father, to Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.Rev 5:10 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God, And we shall
reign on the earth. "Rev 20:5-6 5 But the rest of the dead did not live
again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first
resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a
thousand years.
We are adopted heirs to the wonders of God. These verses say Jesus made us
kings and priest unto God. We need no one to take our cause to God. We have the
adoption of sons, the status of His family, and may go to God on His promise
and blood, As a child goes to a Loving Father.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to
say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…
This new birthright and our place in it along
with our relation to Jesus Christ our High Priest is the heart of “many things
to say” and of which we cannot allow ourselves to be “dull of hearing”. Much of
the problem in our present time comes from the church not teaching the true
position and responsibilities of the Christian.
We have a responsibility to go tell others the wonders of God’s grace. If there are suffering and hard work, the toil is nothing compared to the
love of God, and even this suffering has a promise.
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We have a responsibility, Every
Christian has a responsibility, to support the Church and learn the
truth from the word of God and to share this truth with others. We must learn
what we can of what the world is saying and the errors that confront the Church.
How else can we ever seek to teach the truth and correct errors if we do not
know what they are?
The birthright with Christ carries with it a
great responsibility.
How Shall they hear if the Priest of this
age of grace fails to carry the message?
Our position in the family of God carries
with it a Great responsibility, we are the Priest of Grace the
messenger to tell the world about Jesus. The next verses
are not so often read but they tell us of that responsibility.
How then shall they call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without a messenger? And how shall they preach,
except they be sent? Romans 10:14-15
Christ said “You must be Born again,” and as
such we are new creatures in Christ.
We have a birthright
responsibility to tell others the
wonderful story of the Gospel. We are the Priest of this age, the Priest of
Grace, to tell the world about JESUS is our Responsibility. If they do not hear
they will not be saved, and that is an eternal loss. WE are to live a new life
dedicated to God to spread the Gospel.
We have failed to stand, to be heard, and to
teach the truth. We have allowed the liberal humanist to establish the
standards of debate, and once in power, they are hard to move.
Have we chosen to follow the easy path in our
busy lives?
Have we let others claim the authority to
say, “Live any way you want to”?
Could we stand with the martyrs and face the
wild animals or torture for Christ as our Lord?
Who can face death with Polycarp and say,
“Eighty and six years He never failed me I will not deny Him now”?
When the need is great who will stand in the
gap?
The church today has lost her way and can’t
seem to stand where the stand matters.
Yet we are
responsible as heirs to heaven, Priest of Grace, We must take a stand.
What do others teach
that is different and may cause a problem in understanding this truth?
After years
of listening to teaching on people living in and with sin in their life I have
come to wonder why we are over and over told “People are sinners and will sin
and must ask God for forgiveness and repent of their sins.” Yes, I understand
that sin is real and must be left at the foot of the cross. But, A person
living in sin IS NOT SAVED. Living in sin and Living with Jesus as LORD are not
compatible. You cannot do both. When you are saved by Grace through Faith you
are in the family of God. Old things are passed away all things are new YOU ARE
NOT A SINNER.
Now, at
this point Calvinism has a problem. Total Depravity will not work, “Old passed
away and all that, it is GONE! To teach all people have this sinful nature as
long as they are in this world, you know everyone sins and must daily get
forgiveness. Which is true, Totally Depraved or In Jesus a New Creature?
But, wait a moment, Calvinist also teach
unconditional election, that is God elected who will be saved already. In other
words repenting of sin may be a righteous act but it has nothing to do with
being saved. God decided that. Do these two points contradict each other? OR
when we look at saved by Grace through Faith it seems both fail.
I think I
see in the Bible story God made people for Fellowship and service. Humanity is
the Highest Glory of Creation made in the Image of God. Please understand this statement “Made in the
Image of God” means enough like God to truly know and fellowship with GOD!
There seem
to be those that say every one even the ones that call Jesus LORD are sinners
and must repent of their sins daily. But what are they saying?
Yes, Psychology
says we are what we THINK. Yes, If people around us agree that all is sin. Then
Operant Conditioning will cause us to believe that we are sinners. Consensual
Validity will verify that we are sinners and we will believe we are, even with
the life, blood, death and resurrection in our religion. The question is what
do we in living practice believe?
Satan wants
everyone to believe they are a sinner to wicked to know God or belong to God.
If every man, women, and child are sinners unable to know God, Satan has won a
great victory separating people from God. Why should we bother? We are told God
unconditionally elected the ones going to heaven and only paid the price for
them (limited atonement). Why worry
about something you cannot be? People are sinners, we can’t do anything about
that. God already did that. If you want a reason not to go to church, THERE IT
IS!
If you want
to see why so many people in church give up and leave church
THERE IS
YOUR ANSWER!
There is
not enough Fellowship and Worship in the religion I just described to make
anyone want to be a Christian.
I
like my idea of being a Christian better,
I
am a child of the King,
Saved by Grace through Faith,
Indwelled
by the Holy Spirit,
a
Priest of the Most High GOD!
I may Boldly come to the Throne of God with my
request and petitions, As a child comes to ask something of a loving Father.
There
is victory in JESUS!!
There is more detail on this discussion on my Blog:
www.RevSRE.blogspot.com
