First, I want to apologize for being MIA last month. Another project has been keeping me busy, but I’m looking forward to sharing it with you soon. I pray your holiday season was relatively drama-free and that the Lord is filling your hearts with His peace and encouragement.
With that out of the way, I recently saw a social media post that I wanted to talk about. The post stated that Christians were “making too big a deal” about flat earth and should just focus on sharing the Gospel. I get it, especially in light of all the nonsensical debates and attempts to debunk the globe using the same logic—empiricism—that was used to create it in the first place. But therein lies the point.
The real issue is that people have been so thoroughly indoctrinated into a so-called “scientific” worldview (science falsely so-called 1 Tim 6:20) that they’re unable to color outside the lines that have been created for them. But naturalistic science, or “naturalism,” is fundamentally antithetical to Christianity. This same carnal worldview is the foundation of many false doctrines, the “other gospels” we’ve been discussing in this series. The recent Antarctica fakery to debunk flat earth was allegedly based on this same worldview. The entire charade failed so miserably that I’m sure that’s what it was designed to do, but regardless, empiricism still reigns in people’s minds.
As I pointed out in my article The Counterfeit Enlightenment: The Image of the Beast is Not What You Think, most Christians fail to realize that the globe is actually a unifying symbol of satan’s religion. Together with the concept of “outer space,” it forms a mystical, occult worldview that stands in opposition to biblical truth. Like I often say, this world is all he has.
For Love of the Truth
We’re called to love the truth and grow in wisdom for the purpose of being more effective for Christ’s kingdom in this world.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 1:5-8)
That brings up a disturbing point. There are so many today who are caught up in sharing “truth” that they miss the most important truth of all: walking in His love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (1 Cor 13:1-2).
There’s an alarming increase of insulting and division between Christians on social media. With knowledge comes the temptation of pride. As we see through deceptions – like the globe – we need to take care not to be unloving to those who don’t.
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (1 Cor 3:4)
Having a skewed idea of the shape of the earth or being deceived by the illusion of outer space is not in itself a salvation issue. He knows we are dust (Ps 103:14), Jesus lovingly referring to us as sheep (Jn 10:14). He knows how ubiquitous the god of this world’s deceptions are and doesn’t expect us to understand everything. But Jesus gave us only one new commandment.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (Jn 13:34)
and if that’s not enough
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 Jn 4:7-8)
I get it, scripture calls us to remain teachable, and many who do not see simply do not want to. They don’t want to because they fear man.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28)
Whether they realize it or not, they’re clinging to this world.
It can be discouraging, I know, because it’s becoming increasingly important to grow in knowledge in these deceptive days. But they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we all came out of these false worldviews.
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)
Fear is everywhere we turn, but we have the remedy.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 Jn 4:18)
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Heb 13:6)
Discern the times, walk in love and pray with vigilance.
Anyway… in addition to all that and the scripture twisting I’ve covered in this series, the social media post saying that Christians should purely focus on sharing the Gospel brings up an important question.
“Which gospel would that be?”
That question underscores the purpose of this entire series, which is to expose how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been blended with the teachings of men to produce a Carnal “Christianity” that embraces its own enemy’s religion in order to appear “intelligent” in our “Enlightened” society.
What Is The Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“He’s a good guy. He’s a Christian.”
When someone says they are a “Christian” in these “Enlightened” days, they can mean anything from believing they adhere to “Christian morals,” to possessing New Age “Christ Consciousness,” to being Roman Catholic. Even within Protestant Christianity there are vastly differing ideas about just what it means to be a Christian, what it takes to become one, and what a Christian’s identity and life purpose are.
So, before we continue our review of the origins of some of these erroneous ideas, let’s reestablish what the (radical!) Gospel of Jesus Christ and New Covenant in His blood IS according to scripture.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)
The only WAY, THE TRUTH, LIFE ETERNAL are found in Jesus Christ and nowhere else. ✔
Ah, but who is Jesus?
He is GOD!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)
Not unlike today, when Jesus appeared people were so locked into the false realities created by the god of this fallen world that they didn’t even recognize their own creator.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn 1:10-13)
Can you even read those words without feeling a sense of awe? Talk about other-worldly truth!
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14)
Can you imagine what it must have been like to be with Him and behold His glory?
John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Jn 1:15-16)
GLORY!
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (Jn 1:18)
Jesus – the Word of God!
He is LIFE!
He is the LIGHT!
He is GRACE and He is TRUTH!
The more years I live in this world, the more pain and sorrow I witness and experience, the more evil I see, the more I realize just how profound and radical His Gospel truly is.
With all the blasphemous ideas that have been circulated about Jesus, everything that prideful men claim that He did or didn’t accomplish at the cross, and with the flood of unparalleled deceptions we’re being inundated with in these final days, the one thing that is imperative is that we make sure the “Jesus” we’ve placed our eternal hope in is the Holy Son of God, who is GOD.
Jesus didn’t come to help us live our best carnal life now. The precious lamb of God (Jn 1:29) came to live the only perfectly sinless life in this temporal world and offer it as a ransom for every man woman and child who calls upon His name. He alone is the source of ETERNAL LIFE, PERFECT LOVE and TRUE HOPE.
He is God
And this is the Gospel: The Son of God came to the earth; was crucified, buried and supernaturally rose from the grave on the third day. (1 Cor 15:3-4)
The salvation He offers is a free gift, and there is nothing that any of us can do to earn it OR keep it.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Eph 2:8)
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? (Heb 2:3a)
Jesus warned that many false Christ’s would arise.
For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Matt 24:5)
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matt 24:24)
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. (1 Jn 2:2)
And come they have, with every deceptive means the enemy could contrive to diminish the radical truth; that out of His great love for us, our God took on human flesh and did what not a single one of us could do: ASCEND this finite world.
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-12)
So far this sounds like what most Christians already believe. Most would agree that Christ Jesus fulfilled the law and died for our sins, that it was our sin that stood in the way of our having eternal spiritual life.
He himself bore our sins [G266]* in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Pet 2:23)
But false teachers have convinced men that – like all the false religions – salvation requires works; repenting from their wicked deeds – over and over again, to stop sinning or they’ll lose the salvation that was a completely undeserved free gift to begin with. Or that they need to live an increasingly “holy” life (sanctification) that leads to pharisaical pride in their intellectual accomplishments. Or that 1 Pet 2:23 means that we should never get sick and if we do it means there is sin in our life. The heresies know no end.
The one big deception that these deceptions are built upon, a lie that arose pretty much right from the beginning, is a false notion of just exactly what SIN is.
What is sin?
“Well, that’s easy, it’s breaking God’s moral Law. It’s breaking one of the 10 Commandments.”
Are you sure about that?
Is sin just breaking God’s moral Law and living like a “sinner,” indulging the lusts of the flesh?
Well, sure, that’s part of it, but sin goes much deeper than drinking and partying and debauchery.
There are a lot of laws in the Old Testament. You’d have to be a rabbi to know them all, much less try to keep them all. And Jesus’ ministry made it clear that no one could perfectly follow the law…
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt 19:25)
But
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26)
And we’re told throughout the New Testament that keeping the Law never saved anyone.
know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Gal 2:16)
Wait a minute, then why did God give us the law?
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [or “tutor” [G3807] to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)
Schoolmaster?
G3807 – παιδαγωγός – paidagōgos – pahee-dag-o-gos’
From G3816 and a reduplication form of G71; a boy leader, that is, a servant whose office it was to take the children to school; (by implication [figuratively] a tutor [“paedagogue”]): – instructor.
…[the law] was added because of transgressions, till the seed [Christ] should come to whom the promise was made…
… if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. (Gal 3:20, 21)
So then, the law makes it clear that we have transgressed; that we have sinned.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned — (Rom 5:12)
OK, but again, what, exactly is sin? We need to get to its essence; the reason that God gave us the law.
In his analysis of the Christian’s true Identity “Birthright: Christian Do You Know Who You Are?” Multnomah School of the Bible Professor Emeritus David Needham explains that sin is impossible to understand outside the framework of man’s need for meaning. He goes on to provide a fresh definition of sin:
“Sin is the expression of man’s struggle with the meaning of his existence while missing life from God. It is all the varieties of ways man deals with and expresses his alienation from his Creator as he encounters the inescapable issue of meaning…”
This crucial perspective moves beyond the familiar definition of breaking a moral code to a deeper understanding that sin is the result of alienation from the only source of LIFE.
What was our nature before we placed our faith in the Son of God and what does that faith produce in us?
Needham again:
“What really happened in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve lost life. At least part of what Satan told them would happen, happened. They became independent creatures, cut off from the presence of God. Cut off from His mind, His perfection, His purity, His LIFE. Life for them after the fall had to be found within themselves. It was in this tragic sense that they became ‘like God.’
“Flesh,” that is, everything mortal about them, became very important. Of course it was important – it was all they had. Brains, emotions, senses, creativity, imagination, bodies. Life was here, in the flesh. It was nowhere else.”
Here, look at this: Use of the plural; “sins” in this verse and elsewhere is an unfortunate translation that leads to misunderstanding sin as being primarily immoral actions.
G266 ἁμαρτία
hamartia
ham-ar-tee’-ah
From G264; sin (properly abstract): – offence, SIN (-ful).
Some Important Things About This View
It describes sin as seeking meaning, or purpose in the creation (through knowledge, achievements, possessions, experience, human relationships, etc…) rather than in our Creator.
This is spiritual blindness. Before we are born spiritually, we are ignorant to our purpose in this world. But all of us, to a greater or lesser degree, sense that something is missing, that there is something more. This is the area the enemy operates in and why there are so many religions in the world.
That always makes me think of this scene from the Labyrinth.
Does that make sense? Here we find the source of idolatry; here is Babel; here is the deification of man, symbolized by his fantasy globe.
The difference between breaking God’s moral law and seeking meaning apart from our Creator is what Paul expressed in the first chapters of Romans. In chapter 3 he makes it clear that following God’s moral law is not how we are justified.
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Rom 3:19-20)
In this context we look at the book of Acts, which especially focuses on repentance in regard to salvation.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins [G264]*, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21) also (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20)
In most of modern Christendom, repentance has been twisted to mean “turn from sinful actions,” which aligns with the faulty definition of sin; breaking God’s moral law. But what “repent” literally means is “to change your mind.” Combined with the fresh definition of sin, we see that we need to change our mind about where life and meaning are found. We repent/ change our mind about seeking meaning in this world to seeking it from the only source of LIFE.
Now, look at this:
Defining sin as the Old Covenant concept of transgressing God’s moral law (1 Jn 3:4) leads to a focus on behavior, which is the core of legalism; measuring our righteousness by how well we follow rules.
But understanding sin as the many ways we attempt to find meaning in life independent from God, we see that sin is not about following rules at all.
So, to restate, the Law was not given for us to try and follow. The apostle Paul explained that it was given so that man would see his need for a Savior.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (Gal 3:21-26)
This perspective emphasizes the difference between the Gospel / New Covenant and New Birth in Christ and the various versions (denominations) of behavior-modification we see presented as “Christianity” today. And all false doctrine boils down to a lack of understanding the New Covenant.
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins [G266]*. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. (Matt 26:27-29)
Christian: Do You Know Who You Are?
When we are born in spirit through Christ, our true personhood is no longer found in the flesh but in our newly born spirit (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20). After this, the flesh represents our shallow, fallen nature that is still easily enticed by the self-seeking interests of this world. Previously, these lifeless pursuits were the result of a disconnection from God’s life. Which brings up another important question;
Why do we fall into sin after we’re born in spirit?
We find the answer to that in 2 Pet 1
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires [G1939 – “longing” for what is forbidden.”]
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past [G3819 old, former] sins. (2 Pet 1:3-9)
Did you get that? The person who is not producing these fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5) has forgotten the great transformation he underwent; He has forgotten where his true life and meaning now lie; He has taken His eyes off the truth and is living like a mere mortal again. He has forgotten who he is. (We’re assuming, of course, that the person has accepted the true Gospel and is born-in-spirit to begin with).
After being born of the Spirit (Jn 3:3-7), our true identity resides, not in our soul, but in our SPIRIT. It is in this way that we have become a new creature.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [G2937]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17)
G2937
κτίσις
ktisis
From G2936; original formation (properly the act; by implication the thing, literally or figuratively): – building, creation, creature, ordinance.
A Christian is not someone who has made a commitment to stop sinning; a Christian is someone who he was not before. He is literally a new creation; a new SPECIES.
But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn 1:12-13)
The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Rom 6:10-11)
After a person is born in spirit all “sinning” is done in the “flesh” or carnal shallow self/mind-body-soul (Gal 5:16, Rom 7:18). Scripture tells us that we are filled with His fulness (and thus guard against fleshly sin) by keeping our eyes on Him. (Eph 3:14-21)
This is the Gospel of Grace. This is the New Covenant in Christ Jesus our KING.
So, rather than trying not to fall into sinful behavior, which places the focus on your sin, we remember the truth of who you most truly are in the deepest level of our personhood. In spite of your utter lack of deserving anything, we have been made alive in HIM!
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27)
Now THAT is meaning!
And that is in direct contrast to the carnal focus of much of institutional Christianity today. Needham’s work clears away the conflations presented as the Gospel of Jesus Christ that teach us to “repent from our sins aka bad/selfish behavior)” and “make Jesus Lord of our life” by carefully following the Ten Commandments.
Tragically, these ideas have robbed true spirit-born Christians of the radical miracle that has occurred in them.
Reducing our salvation to behavior modification ignores the more foundational question of WHO WE ARE in Christ – the NEW CREATION that we become when the Holy Spirit regenerates us, our life changed from the inside out as a result of our new identity produces new desires.
Jesus: The True Axis Mundi
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:4-6)
Consider that verse in contrast with everything the world teaches about transcending this world through rituals, law-keeping, occult practice, intellect, technology, etc…
Who raised us up? Christ Jesus, the only true Axis Mundi.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8)
Even our faith is a gift.
At this point we could take off on the Calvin/Armenius argument about predestination versus freewill, but like I’ve written elsewhere, both theological positions err in that they try to put God into a theological box. It’s this simple folks:
We can’t understand it, so stop trying and just take God at His Word.
OK, that’s enough for today. Go shine His light – share the truth. Go love people in this increasingly loveless world. Help them see Jesus.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (2 Phil 14-15)
Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. (Matt 24:12)
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (Jn 13:35)
