He saved you completely!

All of Religion today - including Religious Christianity - must, in order to maintain itself, proclaim a watered down "gospel". Religion needs paying and returning customers to survive.
The reality is that Jesus finished the work on the cross and left NOTHING for you and me to do. He didnt (despite popular teaching) "do his part, now you must do yours". Friends, this is NOT the Gospel.
The Good News is that God was in Christ reconciling the WORLD (Cosmos) to himself, not counting their sins against them. 

I enjoyed this excerpt from Johns Book, Mystical Union:


Entire Sanctification - John Crowder

There is only one scripture that could remotely indicate that man is a tripartite being, made up of three parts: spirit, soul and body. 

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it (1 Thess. 5:23,24 NIV).

Paul is not going into a big clinical dissection of the human composition here. It is simply a closing benediction at the very end of his letter. This term “spirit, soul and body” should be taken loosely as to indicate the entire being. In the same way, Christ spoke of loving God with all your soul, mind, heart and strength. Why didn’t we divide the anatomy of man into these four parts? Elsewhere, Christ mentions only three of these components – soul, heart and mind – but failing to include "strength." The inconsistency shows He didn’t intend to make a strict vivisection of the human into four unique parts. He just meant to love God with your entire being (Luke 10:27; Matt. 22:37).

Unfortunately, we have in this case a massive theological paradigm forming around a single verse of scripture. Whether we have three clinically delineated parts, I don’t really know. And guess what? I really don’t care! If the apostles thought this an important subject, why didn’t they ever talk about it? Paul does say the word is able to “divide spirit and soul,” but he says that in a poetic, allegorical sense, not a theological one (Heb. 4:12). We must be careful of eisegetical interpretation here (imposing one’s preconceived ideas into the text). The traditional Christian view held by the majority of lay people and theologians worldwide – both past and present – is that man is a bipartite creature made of two components: material (body/flesh) and spiritual (soul/spirit). The three-pronged theory wasn’t popular until the days of Watchman Nee and others.

The danger does not come so much from building a theology on one single verse (although that’s dangerous enough). The danger comes from building yet "another" theology on top of the theology that was built on the single verse: Now that I believe I am three parts, I will further believe that salvation only applies to only one of those parts. My spirit is the holy part, my soul is dirty and my body is way down the ladder!

Over time, we have built an entire system on this little verse that is like a crumbling, inverted pyramid. It is bound to fall over. What if the human personhood is far more complex than one, two, three or even a thousand parts? Just as the human body is made anatomically of innumerable parts, what if the unseen part of you is equally as intricate? Luke 17:21 says you have the entire Kingdom within you. The Bridegroom calls you as beautiful as Tirzah – saying you are like an entire City of Delight (Song of Sol. 6:4). Zechariah speaks typologically of you, the New Jerusalem, saying you are so expansive that you are like a city without walls (Zech. 2:2-4). What if the inside of you is far bigger than the outside? The unseen realm may be vastly different than we have supposed. Adam Clarke says that a believer is a “little world in himself.” 

To say that one’s perfection applies only to the “spirit man” while attesting that the soul is still dirty and in need of purging, presents a number of problems. Foremost, is the quandary that the spirit and soul are still conjoined. Even a tripartite theologian would not utterly cut off the spirit from the soul – just as to split the bone from marrow would indisputably result in the death of a man. For a man to be alive, his soul and spirit must surely be intertwined just as the soul and body are intrinsically connected. A body without a spirit is a corpse. A soul without a body is a specter.

Assuming hypothetically then that our soul and spirit are two parts, but indeed interconnected, how then would light dwell within the confines of darkness? Is a spirit truly pure if it is still connected to a filthy soul? Is truth really truth when it is laced with error? How would sweet water be couched in a poisoned vessel?

The demarcation of spirit, soul and body does not seem to be the intent of the Apostle Paul, else he would have focused more thoroughly and coherently on the subject. Paul was a masterful logician and would not have left such an important subject veiled, if indeed it was so important to compartmentalize the inner man. 

Completely Set Apart

I want to return to the aforementioned verse in question. I intentionally included what I consider to be a terrible translation of it – but I found it to be poorly translated in almost every Bible version I read. Therefore, I translated it myself. It is the primary verse used to suggest that the soul has to be progressively sanctified.

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it (1 Thess. 5:23-24 NIV).

Sounds like a prayer for something that hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t it? Now here’s where theologians put Frankenstein together in the back rooms of their eisegetical laboratories. 

For starters, translators added the word “may” to make this sound like a request. May God please clean you up. Also, the word for “sanctify” here is aorist, meaning you can’t honestly specify whether it is repeated, continuous, instantaneous, past or accomplished. In other words, this verse in no way indicates that your sanctification is an ongoing process. It could very well just say “God sanctifies.” In addition, Paul is not speaking to an individual “you” composed of three parts. He doesn’t suggest that each part of “you” needs to be saved. He is speaking corporately to “you all” (umas), the same Greek word Jesus used when He said, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Remember, he’s closing a letter to the corporate group. 
Finally, Paul speaks of God preserving you. This is the real kicker that knocks the dirty soul idea out of the bucket. The word “be preserved” or tereo indicates that something has already taken place on this side of Christ’s return. Perfection is not coming, but has already been given. Therefore it is preserved. You do not preserve something that you don’t already have. Furthermore, Paul says it is God who guards over it until the end, not you.

After correcting all of these misconceptions, I feel that it actually says something along these lines:

"And Himself, the God of peace, is the one who sets all of you apart completely. Your whole spirit, soul and body is preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will preserve you."

This is a verse that affirms perfection not filthiness! It attests to your union with God. Some would argue that we are splitting ontological hairs. Why are you getting distracted with Greek syntax Crowder? Why focus on the jot and tittle? Tell us more miracle stories of levitation and stigmatas! Enough with the grammar lessons!

What I am telling you here is one of the most revolutionary principles in Christendom. I am preaching reformation clearer than it was preached 500 years ago. Martin Luther, you didn’t go far enough. God didn’t just cover your sins; He erased sinfulness from you. Jesus saved you. Not some invisible, hidden, intangible part of you. He saved you completely. A complete sacrifice for a complete salvation.

Miracles are pointless if I am working them to induct people into a do-it-yourself religion. 

Adam Clarke says of this complete salvation, “But if man be not perfectly saved from all sin, sin does triumph, and satan exult, because they have done a mischief that Christ either cannot or will not remove.”




Much love!!
Andrew

Confessing His Lordship to be saved...

What about Rom 10:9-10? Don't we need to confess to be saved?
"Some stuff you share makes it sound like it is not necessary to confess His Lordship to be saved."


Our "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.


Are many UNmindfully partaking of Him life and love - YES!!! Absolutely.
The Gospel RE-news our minds to the already existing reality of the lamb that was slain BEFORE the foundation of the world.


Lol... we are discovering that a lot of what we grew up believing is based on horrific English interpretation of Scripture via a number of Bibles and traditions that have become "gospel truth". But our Shock has turned into the sweetest wine as He has revealed His Love as bigger that we ever imagined!!






    

Mystical Union

The term "Mystical Union" must be one of the most controversial phrases, hated (or rather, feared) by many congregation leaders. The understanding of it shines a very clear Gospel coloured light on most of what our main steam churches have believed to be the gospel, and has found our mainstream reformed theology drasticly wanting!
The understanding of our Union with Abba brings us to a dramatic crossroads: Either we Believe it and walk away from years of accepted theology, be called off as a fringe heretic, ignored and outcast - but at the same time, walk into True Freedom that Jesus died to bring. OR, we can reject it and continue to live in a lifeless, religiously obligated form of godliness -but deny it's power. We can continue accepting and explaining away our unbiblical view of the gospel as "a paradox" because outside of changing what we believe about the cross, "a paradox" is the only to make sense of what we read and what we experience. Its a crying shame I tell you!

Many who have examined the Gospel and seen the huge difference between it and what they have called "the gospel" all along wont budge off their theological fence in fear of others opinion. To them I say, "thats fine - Jesus still absolutely loves you!. Keep feasting on the Gospel until you simply cant stay on that fence anymore.

Below is a preach that may answer many questions regarding the finished work and the so-called "paradox" that Religion forces its children to live under.
Enjoy!!








Loads of love to you.
Andrew