It is important at times to step back and analyze any
position we might hold in light of objective analysis. This effort for a person
considering leaving a group or have left a group that they believe is toxic is
probably one of the most healthy things that they can do. Look at it this way,
if what was being held as truth and scripture was indeed the ‘right’ approach,
then it will be able to bear up under the most intense scrutiny. In other
words, what was taught as ‘the gospel’, ‘the true way’, ‘the Kingdom message’,
or the ‘gospel of the Kingdom’ should bear up under the application of basic
scriptural truths and yet remain cogent, coherent and logically consistent in
all its aspects. If it does not, then the truth of it is, no matter how much
one wants to stake into it, it is not a position that should be used upon which
to base a life. In other words, it is either true or it is not true – there are
no ‘half’ truths. In a dysfunctional religious group there is a weaving of
scriptures into a garment that is supposed to clothe those that follow royally.
Yet it is those same scriptures that allow us to see that perhaps the ‘beauty’
of the garment is perhaps an illusion altogether. So, when we look at what I
would like to call a foundational point or that upon which a person’s or
group’s position rests upon, what must be done is to look at that point and the
construction of it to see if it is:
1>
Logical-we can reach conclusions that are not
held to be speculative but arrive at solid points that offer no other possible
meaning.
2>
Cohesive –each precept of this foundational
point reinforces the others and each one can stand on its own not depending any
other for support.
3>
Consistent- as a whole what is presented as a
‘foundation’ is consistent with its parts and can be verified independently in
the scripture without any dependency on another precept.
Any other design will not do because in order to be such a
foundation, it must have origins that make sense in this observable and
physical world but transcend it. It must be at the final conclusion something
only God Himself could construct and this is the miracle: that we can see it,
know it and compare it to things that parade as something they are not: truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
It was Finished
So when we talk about
the gospel of Christ, we must take that as the ‘news of Christ’. Something that
has been written down and recorded; when we look at the Apostolic works, we see
Christ in them and that there is nothing that goes beyond the shadow of the
Cross. Not our cross but His. Primarily, the gospel is a story of salvation in
the sense that Christ’s blood was shed for
1>
our propitiation: He stood in our place and paid
the price
2>
our
justification: He would become the focal point of our eternal state
before God.
3>
our salvation: He would answer all onslaughts
and accusations regarding our life as a disciple leading and guiding us and so being the ‘double cure’ for
us. Not just to answer what we have done but to be that answer to how to lead
this life in being dedicated to God and for His purposes – being holy unto God.
So the point being is where is the real focal point of the
above? Let us take the words of Christ Himself:
‘It is finished’ – John 19:28
What is the nature of this finishing? It is from a greek
root word (telos) we get the true power and meaning of this statement:
1) end
a) termination, the limit at which a
thing ceases to be (always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end
of a period of time)b) the end
2) the last in any succession or series
3) eternal
c) that by which a thing is finished, its
close, issued) the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose
4) toll, custom (i.e. indirect tax on
goods)
The ONLY Inflection Point
So the focal point is the Cross and nothing else. Folks, it
is not baptism, it is not Spirit Baptism, it is not potentially part of being a
member of God’s ‘elite’ a.k.a. The Remnant, Joel’s Army, Manifestation of the
True Sons of God, The Kingdom. The degree and power of the Cross is absolute
and eternal. As religious beings (our sin nature), we want to take so much away
from the Cross and apply to what traipses as the gospel of Christ but isn’t
this simply adding on to the message of the Cross and making its way barred for
people to find. If you read the commentaries from the scriptures surrounding
this point in time yet transcending time you will see all the aspects of the
future destiny of all those who would cling to the Cross and the work of
Christ. So what happened around this point in time?
a>darkness clothed the
earth at mid-day and there was no movement in heaven or earth
b> the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom
c> the
earth did quake, and the rocks rent
d> And the graves were
opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose
It was a moment unlike any other in past, present or future.
It was the point of inflection when the old creation died and the new creation
was coming on. Old ways were swiped away and the reaction of this creation was
like a giving of birth. These are now the laws that govern. But like the converted
Jews of Jesus and the Apostolic times, there was a temptation to rely on
tradition and what was familiar and to galvanize that with the fresh news of
the gospel of Christ. What they did was to add back in ‘old ways’ to the new and living way and the
result was probably the darkest of khefts ever conjured: the religious
Christian. What is the theme of the
religious Christian? That there is more than the cross of Christ: That there is
personal responsibility for one’s eternal salvation (notice I did NOT say
state). While we are to ‘work out our salvation in fear and trembling, we do
not nor ever could add to or take away from it. This is the meaning of 1 Cor 3:10-15.
When a mentality of a religious Christian is in place, there are two distinct
groups: “Us” and “Them”. What defines such groups is the very word of
God is used to cause this division and defies one of the tenets of having any
type of legitimate foundation point or creedal position: ‘ A is always A and
cannot at anytime not be A’. So we have a decision to make. In DRGs the ‘Us and
Them’ divides the body of Christ into the elite inheritors and some subnormal
or malformed group. There are many analogies to this but the reflection and
face of Christ that they portray to the world is more the Pharisee than the Man
from Nazareth. It is these that say ‘It
is good you believe in Jesus but you must be circumcised (follow our tradition
and teachings) and obey the Law (not just the Mosaic Law but every Mishna or
every teaching that we have derived from it as an application of it)…” This takes many forms and what has really been
done is the Universals of the faith have been mixed in with the particulars and
all called essential. We must understand a few things here and must be clear.
If the natural world is but a reflection of the spiritual world as much as they
may claim it is, then let us take a look at the conception of the New Birth as
compared to the Natural One.
Fact: At the point of conception, a DNA unique and
unrepeatable is created.
Fact: All physical attributes are completed (eye color,
hair, etc) are created.
There are other things that are worked within the individual
that comprise the person such as personality but key question is WHEN the soul
is born. If we were to look to the ancient leaders in the church of Jesus
Christ, perhaps their premise should be followed:
“The Soul begins at
Conception. ..Life begins when the Soul begins…” --Tertullain
This is the universal truth and fact that reflects in the
natural birth; What many dysfunctional religious groups teach is that there is ‘something
more that is needed to complete the birth’; this is seen in many aspects such
as: water baptism, spirit baptism or even both and without them the person (believer)
is somehow malformed. Yet if spiritual
birth is like its natural counterpart – and I would challenge those who have
any evidence that in principle that they are different. After all the ‘seed’
talked about by the Apostle Paul is the ‘spermatikos’ – or sperm. So friend, what
can be added to the point of conception by the Spirit? Nothing. There
are complexities that are built regarding the state of the believer that are
out-of-line with this one stark and SIMPLE fact. God has used one of the most
common and central themes of a person’s eternal state and composition with
perhaps the most basic examples and experiences of mankind to reflect His
wisdom and message: the natural birth. This is an example of comparing a viewpoint to
the basics of the faith and see how it stacks up.
A Just Weight
See how well your view of what it takes to be a Christian
lines up with these basic tenets – the Laws that Govern:
1>
Your view must be internally consistent in its
composition: What this means is the doctrinal statements are consistent with
each other and lead to logical conclusions that are consistent. For example
taking the above regarding spiritual birth. Does your doctrinal stance reflect full
spiritual conception at the point of birth (contact)? If not then there are
many states of being for the Christian believer some good and some not so good
but the Bible reflects only one type of believer – one that is born and from
the above all the person is and will be is already present we are born human we
don’t become human.
2>
Your view must be logically coherent. For
example your position on the Holy Spirit when He comes to live inside you…when
is that? To be logically coherent, you cannot be a Christian without the Spirit
of God – He is the spermatikos: That is He is there at the point of conception.
Where is conception? Outside the body? No. To believe the Spirit is only an
influence or upon the Christian when they receive Christ is not logically
consistent and yields speculative states of the Christian that were never
intended. This is where the modern church begins to divide the body of Christ
into pieces that were never in the mind and purpose of God. To state it
frankly: You cannot be a Christian without the Spirit and if the Spirit is the
agent of justification and salvation and He is the seed of God for conversion…what
logical and consistent conclusion must be reached? He doesn’t take residence
later but is there from the beginning.
3>
Your view should line up with historical
evidence. So many times we run to something new when if we would stop and look and compare to
bulwarks of the faith we might not be so quick to embrace.
4>
Your view should provide fecundity. That is it should
inspire you to seek and gain knowledge not protect the ‘secrets’ but expose
them to the world and prove they are what you say they are: the truth. If this
is what your view works itself out in the real world i.e. you are reluctant to share the fullness
of your faith because it is hard to understand, takes a long time to explain or
you have basic questions yourself where others fit in and where even where you
yourself fits in, then your view is not fulfilling the basic mandate of Christ:
to go into all the World. Jesus is not scared or intimidated by what His
viewpoint is and historically the church has not either, so where are you? Truth is not afraid of scrutiny…are you?
5>
Your view should not fundamentally be altered
when new evidence comes to light. Are you in a situation where the fundamentals
of your faith are still being defined? For example, does the leader bring a
revelation that alters the main tenets of what you have been taught – i.e. may
it change your eternal destiny? If so, it has been fundamentally altered based
upon the words of usually one man or woman.
6>
Your view should be simple and straightforward with
no hidden truth to be revealed later that involves the salvific position of
yourself or who you are talking to at the time.
These are the Laws that Govern…so how does your view and
foundational position stack up? If there is any point above that is a question,
does your view fully explain reality as it is? If it does not reflect the above
points, then you might be living in an altered reality and not a real one…but
perhaps you already know that. Maybe the Spirit of God is trying to get through
to you that you are wasting precious time in an effort that is a man’s vision
and not God’s.
"It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry."
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The Holy Spirit works strictly within the boundaries of the finished work of Christ.It is truly finished.Praise the Lord.Good word Kevin
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