1. 22 Jan



    The Meaning of Destruction

    “I have decided to deliver such a one to Adversary for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

    - 1 Corinthians 5:5 

    Did you just see that? 

    Paul is saying that it is possible to be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (The day of Judgement)! — “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of Lord Jesus!”  So many theologians and scholars, Christians and even my dear friends, have told me that there is not a second chance for those who do not accept Jesus (choose him) on this earth… Now I know that this is NOT true!

    Why would Paul say such a thing, that a person, if continuing in sin without repentance, would be handed over to the Adversary (Satan) for the “destruction of the flesh”, if there was no second chance? How cruel and evil would that be, that for the rest of ones life, he/she would be handed over to Satan to be destroyed until the day when there is no hope? No hope? Thats the answer? NO!

    It simply cannot be true to say one only has a choice here and now, otherwise they’ll either be eternally damned with unending torment or annihilated from the face of mankind (the annihilation theory is basically saying that God wishes that He never created these damned beings — but the problem lies here — that why would God create them in the first place if He was going to annihilate them?). OR they’ll be brought into the life of God, restored to right relationship with Him!

    Now, annihilation and eternal damnation (unending torment in hell), are ‘supported’ by scriptures that speak of “destruction”. There’s a verse in Matthew (10:28) that speaks of both the “body and soul” being destroyed in Gehenna (wrongly translated “hell”), and others, like the one above, that speak of the “destruction of the flesh”… 

    (The Greek word for “destruction” is Apollumi. Look at the translation below in the quote).

    Lets look at a point made by Gerard Beauchemin, author of Hope Beyond Hell: The Righteous Purpose of God’s Judgements, on a response to the verse above, 1 Cor. 5:5 ::

    Death and destruction are thought by most Christians to refer to an eternal hell of suffering or to a state of annihilation. Thus, they are understood to be a permanent state. I think if we closely compare Scripture with Scripture, line upon line, we will see this falls sort of what God is all about! Even in death and destruction, God will not be defeated. His promises to restore al (Acts 3:21; 2 Cor. 5:19; Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:19-21) will come to pass in their appointed times (Eph. 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:6). In An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words regarding “apollumi”, W.E. Vine stated, “The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well being…”

    Did you realize that the very ones Christ came to save are the “destroyed” ones? “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost [apollumi]” (Luke 19:10). Apollumi is the very condition qualifying us for salvation! Are the lost (apollumi) ones then the annihilated ones or those not yet found? At what point does apollumi become so permanent it exceeds God’s power and will to save? What justifies us to put limits on Him who is able to turn stones into worshippers (Luke 3:8)?

    What gives God greater glory: annihilation or restoration? Stop! Think about that for a moment. “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living for all will live to Him (Luke 20:38).” “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Romans 14:9).” “With God nothing is impossible!” See Luke 1:37. 

    - Gerard Beachemin (www.HopeBeyondHell.net)

    As I continue to look at the scripture above in 1 Corinthians 5:5, I continue to see so much more than what our wrongly trained eye normally sees the interpretation of it. 

    What is the flesh? How are we rid of the flesh? Here are a few bullet point below. 

    - Our flesh is our body and soul without the Spirit.

    - Through the fire of God, the destruction of our flesh, we are cleansed. 

    - Through the “taking up of our cross daily” and follow Christ, taking every thought captive, and allowing God to cleanse us of all unrighteousness - this is how we become rid of our flesh. 

    But what are we missing when we have only soul and body?

    We are missing the Spirit! The Spirit of God is the Breath of Life that was breathed into Adam and Eve in the beginning, but was taken from us when we sinned and “died unto death”! 

    In Matthew 10:28 says: 

    “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body (FLESH) in Gehenna (not hell!).”

    Do you see that? So many have said that God will utterly “destroy” (annihilate or eternal damn, as is misinterpreted and mistranslated) both the soul and body in Gehenna (Which is not Hell, read more here)! 

    The soul and the body, without the spirit, is flesh (sin resulting in death)! But when you add the Spirit, the Breath of God, back into the dead soul and body, you have life!

    And thats what Paul was stating in 1 Corinthians 5:5! That when the “flesh” (body and soul) are destroyed, then God has free reign to breath Life back into the soul and body through His Spirit! 

    Thats what we’ve been missing. Thats why we die! We are missing the Spirit, the very Breath of God’s Life! And, as Paul says, even those who continue to live in the flesh the rest of their lives, will indeed be saved and restored to right relationship with God, and through the Spirit, be given LIFE!

    This is the future hope, the promise of God! To restore ALL of Creation, no matter what! 

    But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us (all mankind), not on the basis of our deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Spirit of God! 

    - Titus 3:4-5

    For continued reading on this topic, go here to A. E. Knoch’s article on “The Meaning of Destruction”. 

     

  2. 15 Jan



    Why Do We Need the Law? :: Part 1 

    Growing up, I learned that if I did not obey the law of God, His commandments (do not steal, do not lie, to not lust after a women, do not, do not, do not) that I would be punished greatly by Him; I had this sense of fear of what God might do to me, as if He was wanting to threaten me with all of His vengeance and anger. Now I know how wrong this is, and I surely went through much pain; feelings of complete separation from God, condemnation, destruction, etc…

    I saw firsthand what legalism within religion, within our churches and Christianity, could do to a person - completely separate them from the joy, peace, hope, faith and love of God. His unconditional love displayed on the cross for our sins was something I just couldn’t grasp, because of how far I was from truly knowing my Father’s love and promises.  

    But what I know now to be the reason for His law is for His absolute, undying, unending love to be shown to me, and for all people, giving us all new life and a revived existence in this world, and a promise of continued life in the next. 

    Recently, there has been some fuss on the online community about religion. Some say they hate it, because “Jesus hates religion”, others love religion, because honestly, they understand what it really is, others, they just outright despise it, and again, others just love to make religion out to be some legalistic practice of “get it right, or you’re going to get a WHOOPING from God.”

    People say they hate religion, one, because of the way it has been presented in our churches, and two, because they hate how the law makes them feel - completely stupid, condemned, and unable to fully serve God because of their sins, which would be easier to overcome, if they truly grasped why we have the law in the first place. 

    It’s not to condemn. It’s not a set of rules of do’s and don’ts + if you don’t obey, you’re not saved, and you’ll be destroyed in hell. How wrong! 

    What I’ve come to find is the problem isn’t religion, or the law, but simply our understanding of them.

    What is religion? 

    Simply put: “True religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” - James 1:27

    So religion is simply an action of, “I’m going to obey God’s loving commands to not give into sin and a life of death, and I’m going to love others as I love myself, care for the poor and needy, orphan and sick, widowed and dying, etc…” Yep, thats it!

    Now, the words “command”, “obey” and the other word “law” trips some of us up a bit. At least it did for me before.

    So, what is the law? 

    1. It’s not about obeying a set of rules for the sake of appeasing God. 

    :: We have to understand that God is not trying, through His law, to make our lives miserable! God’s desire in having us obey His commands, His law, is in order to help us open ourselves up, with no strings of death and sin attached, to His grace and love - and most importantly His life - eternal life.  

    We can’t have this eternal life and be addicted to the things of the world, to the nice possessions and wealth, to our sexual desires, to business and vanity, and all the other things that hold us back from truly living in the life God desires to give us. 

    :: The law is not about the legalism of “obey these rules or you’re toast.” The law is given to us to obey in order that God can give everything of Himself to every part of us; and even more than that, His promise is that we will store up treasures in heaven and not on earth, and we will side-by-side, rule with love in our hearts with God in the coming ages!

    “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 

    Who does not stand in the path of sinners, 

    And who does not sit in the seat of scoffers!

    His delight is in the law of the Lord,

    And in His law he meditates day and night.

    He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

    Which yields its fruit in season,

    And its leaf does not wither;

    And in whatever he does, he prospers. 

    - Psalm 1:1-3

    Did you see that? Those who are blessed by God delight in the law of the Lord!

    Now, does that not sound like a little bit of craziness? After all we have been taught about the law — It being so bad, so annoying, so hard to do, so frustrating and oppressive — how could we delight in this law?

    But no! We are to delight in the law of God! Whoa. 

    And this is where it gets beautiful!

    If we delight in the law of the Lord and obey His commandments, then we will be like “trees firmly planted by streams of water” and our “leaves do not wither” and “whatever we do prospers!“ 

    Wow. This is Gods promise to us! If we obey His commandments, His law of grace and truth, then we will prosper, we will grow and be like a beautiful tree planted next to freaking paradise with utopian streams of waters! — (Sounds like Portland)

    We’ll be filled with joy, and with life; with love and with freedom; with peace and with grace; with hope and with trust in the promises of our Father, who loves us so dearly.

    His desire is to give us His life, His perfect life, that never dies.

    This is good! 

    :: Finally, this is God’s promise to us, for ALL of the ages, from now until our God restores all creation, and into eternity! 

    “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:20-22

    Did you see that? The reason to obey God’s commandments is for laying up “treasures in heaven” where it will never be destroyed or stolen. And this is where our heart lies. 

    Does our heart lie in this world? With all of the things in it? All of our passions and desires for a perfect existence, a nice house, a beautiful car, 2 children and a 1/4 of one (average child per family in America)? Does our heart lie in our sexual passions, in loving only those who love us back, in a perfect little existence that will eventually be utterly destroyed? 

    Now, understand this. This is not talking about taking everything you love and that which you hold on to so dearly; its not about ripping you of all happiness and love and comfort and joy! 

    The reason God tells us to deny the worldly desires, possessions and passions, is to give us something better! Treasures. In heaven. With God. Treasures that never go away once you’ve lost all your money and go bankrupt; treasures that no man can take away from you; treasures that will not be destroyed in the end, because scripture does speak of the day when this whole earth will be destroyed, and we will be left with nothing but Him and what we have been given by Him.

    What will you have at that time? Nothing? Or treasures beyond your wildest dreams?Treasures so dear to you that are embedded in God’s love?

    The reason to obey God’s commandments and law is not to utterly destroy your life, but instead to give you life that will never die; to give you treasures within your heart, like the things you can’t explain - love for another person, love for God, love of peace and comfort and security, the feeling you get when you have been blessed by someone else, or when you give a gift to a person in need, and you are blessed to see their needs met; like when you are lying by a loved ones side, while they are minutes away from death, and you look in their eyes and tell them you love them, and everything inside of you seems to boil out on the floor in undying love for your them. Those things are worth fighting for, those things are what God dreams of giving more and more of (without death), until you are so overwhelmed by the gifts of your Father, that it seems you can’t take any more, you’re so happy. 

    God’s law is not to kill us, not to take away our lives. 

    God’s law, with our obedience, is what gives us love, it is what gives us undying life - a gift that can never be taken from us. 

    It keeps us from destroying ourselves, and gives us everything you could have ever desired. 

    This is what God desires to give us. We just have to accept the path to receive it. 

    To be continued… 

     

  3. 12 Jan



    Calvanism, Arminianism, & Firstfruits “of ALL Creation”.

    For years, I’ve been taught that only a select few will be chosen to be saved; that “all are called” to get saved, “but only a few are chosen.” Now, I know how false this is.
    [Calvinist/Reformed]

    I’ve also heard the notion, that we chose of our own “free” will to be saved. That anyone, if they can “get their minds” to the right place, that they can understand Christs sacrifice, and accept it, and that then, and only then, can they be saved (from eternal punishment in hell).
    [Arminian]

    Now, I know each of these cannot be true, for neither are supported by scripture.

    For (1), we cannot conjure up in our own minds or hearts to believe, but only by the Spirit can we be convicted of our sins and be *given faith (John 6:44). And (2), for in the idea that God only selects a few chosen beings to be saved indicated God is partial (that he likes some people over others), which is false (Romans 2:11). If these ideas were true, God would be evil, and He most definitely is good.

    So, what now?

    “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.”
    James 1:18 

    God is sovereign, and has chosen a few to be the “first-fruits” of His Kingdom. He has called all, but yes, a chosen few are brought to salvation here and now in order to bring His Kingdom to earth here and now. We can’t say we know who these are, and we can’t say those He doesn’t “chose” here and now are punished for not accepting Him here and now, for He loves them. But we can say He will, and has, chosen all to be reconciled to Himself; He has chosen all the be saved from death and our sin nature.

    But, there is a second-fruit harvest — this “of ALL He created”. We are the first-fruits out of all creation that will enter the Kingdom and be brought into right relationship with God!

    So yes, God is sovereign. And yes, we have a free will to choose how we are going to live our lives here and now. But, in the end, those “second-fruits” (the rest of all creation) will be harvested into the Kingdom of grace and love; all creation will be restored!

    And this I believe with all my heart.

    Let us have faith that these things stand true, and that God will have all to be reconciled to His love and life.

     

  4. 27 Nov



    More from Clement of Alexandria

    “How is he a Saviour and Lord, unless he is the Saviour and Lord of all? He is certainly the Saviour of those who have believed; and of those who have not believed he is the Lord, until, by being brought to confess him, they shall receive the roper and well-adapted blessing for themselves.” “The Lord is the propitiation, not only for our sins, that is, of the faithful, but also for the whole world (1 John 2); therefore he indeed saves all, but converts some by punishments (correction/discipline), and others by gaining their free will; so that he has the high honor, that unto him every knee should bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; that is, angels, men, and the souls of those who died before his advent.”

    - From the Epistle of Clement of Alexandria, AD 150-217 // quoted from Ancient History of Universalism: From the time of the Apostles to the 5th century by Hosea Ballou (1899)

    Many say, and like to condemn, those who pronounce Christian Universalism today, but with lack of knowledge and understanding. Universalism has been around since the time of Jesus, and even into the Old Testament. Of course, it wasn’t named Christian Universalism then, but the beliefs and fundamental foundation for this belief, that all will be saved, as been around for centuries. Yet, the Universalism we know today, that we judge every other idea of Universalism, came in 1961, when the Unitarian Universalist Church of America was founded, which in fact, came out of the Christian Universalist Church, and who denied the need for Christ Jesus for the salvation of all, claiming that all paths, and all religions stem from one in the same, and any religion can give salvation. Christian Universalists believe that Christ is the one and only Saviour of this world, and none other.

    Don’t you LOVE IT!