Monday, March 26, 2012
Christ is ALL in ALL
All are included!! The Good News shouts out that All are already reconciled to the Father, there is no "IN" or "OUT" but there is Christ who is IN ALL and through ALL.
Col 1:17 He existed before everything and holds everything together.
Col 1:20 God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ's blood sacrificed on the cross.
Now, is separation from God a literal reality or are we separated from God in our own imaginations??
Col 1:21 And also to you, who were before alienated and enemies in your minds (Greek: Imaginations), because of your evil deeds,
Father does not want us to have a "You're out and We're in" mind-set. There is no separation. All things are held together by Him.
He even already exists in the hearts of those who haven't "invited Him to live in their hearts".
Its a matter of seeing your union with Him and participating in it with Him, OR being blind to it and not participating with Him in it. The Gospel reveals the already existing Light of God in the heart of man so we can share in His Joy.
Joh 1:3 Every thing was by his hand; and without him, was not any thing whatever that existed.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of man.
Joh 1:5 And this light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended/comprehended/perceived it not.
Those in darkness have not yet comprehended that the Light is already shining IN them. They are separated from God in their own minds/imaginations.
The Light shines IN the Darkness, Christ in IN all things... There is NO Separation from God, nor is it possible for there ever to be unless God stops being God - in which case He was not God in the first place.
Our message to the world is one of condition-less reconciliation (2 Cor 5.) any view of God that involves any kind of separation based on ones own actions or lack thereof is Sorely incorrect and denies the very nature of God who, although we may lack trust, He remains trustworthy for He cannot deny Himself.
Feel His endless embrace.
Love
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There's no need to confess Rom 10:9,10 to be saved then
ReplyDeleteHi Anon. Your question is one that comes up a lot - and it a very good one!!!
DeleteOur "confession", by definition, is merely a confirmation of Gods opinion of us. In His resurrection, God co-raised us (Hos6:2). His resurrection declares our innocence (Rom 4:25). Salvation is not reduced to a recipe or a "sinners prayer" formula; it is the spontaneous inevitable conversation of a persuaded heart.
To "Confess" - homologeo (greek) is made up of two words: "homo" which means: 'the same thing', and "Logeo" which means: 'to say'.
"Homologeo" means, "To say the same thing"
Our confession is our agreement/echoing opinion with God's.
He said, " the resurrection of Jesus is PROOF of your righteousness" Rom 4:25. Therefore our confession is the AGREEMENT of what God said: ie: that I am innocent, and Jesus' resurrection is PROOF of that. My innocence and Right standing (righteousness) is a PAST TENSE event.... the resurrecting of Jesus being my confident receipt of that fact.
My agreement of that fact (my confession) doesn't accomplish that fact, but rather, it acknowledges it.
Now, onto Salvation: We have grown up in current Christianity with pre-set definitions of certain words that completely throw us from their actual meaning. "Salvation" is one such word.
We have in our understanding that Salvation is a "in" or "out" issue.... ie: when someone dies we ask, " were they saved?" because we want to know if they are "IN" our "OUT". But but in reality, the words translated as "saved/salvation" have got NOTHING to do with heaven or hell, or being "in" or "out". The word has to do with the expression of God's zoe' life in and through people.
When we acknowledge/agree with the GOOD NEWS, we get to consciously partake of HIS LIFE. We are aware of his Goodness in our lives.... that was there all along but either we denied Him as the source, or were oblivious to it altogether. But scripture declares that He is Good to ALL, and died for ALL and causes his rain (blessings) to come to ALL.
He is the author of Life, the author of Salvation and His will is that ALL would share in His Salvation that was Gifted to us (Mankind).
This may offend some:
Think of the Muslim couple that run an orphanage in Pakistan... they are an expression of Gods love and life to the fatherless... yet they have NO CLUE that they are partnering with the Father. They are not consciously enjoying a relationship with Jesus because they have never heard the Good News, therefore they have never agreed that He is Lord, yet even outside of that, He remains Lord and as any gracious Lord does, he continues to care for His people because His care is not based on their opinion of Him, but its based on who He is. If his people are faithless (have no trust/persuasion in Him), He remains Faithfull because He cannot deny who He is.
His Grace (free Gift...)to us is NOT DEPENDANT on our decision, confession or trust, its because He is gracious. Scripture declares: "While we were still DEAD in our sins and transgressions HE made us ALIVE together with Him" .... Think about it:
When was Christ made alive?...The day we believed? - NO.
When we "confessed"? NO.
When was Christ made alive - and us with Him? Christ was made alive when God raised Him from the dead.... Me and you... the the rest of humanity were raised WITH HIM - After being Crucified WITH HIM and being BURIED WITH HIM.
We are in UNION with God through the Son's incarnation as The Son of Man.
So, do we need to confess to be saved like Paul says in Romans? YES!! Absolutely!!! :)
We have to agree (homologeo -say the same as) with Him in order to mindfully partake of His life in and through us.