The Will of God

The Will of God

I, God, residing in eternity and within the universe I created, being of sound and disposing mind and not acting under duress, fraud, or undue influence of any person, publish and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

Article 1

Beneficiaries

I hereby declare my adopted child, ______(your name)________, to be a co-heir with all my children to receive from the abundance of all that I have as described in Article 2, 3, and 4 below.

Article 2

Payment of Debts

All debts owed by my adopted child declared above, due to any form of violation towards myself, or another, shall be paid in full immediately upon my death. In addition, out of the abundance of all that I have, any future debts established by my adopted child declared above are to be immediately paid regardless of the violation towards myself, or another, due to their behavior.

Article 3

Real Estate

From the abundance of all that I have, a residence is to be constructed for my adopted child declared above, in the Kingdom of Heaven. The residence is to be available for them to take possession of upon their physical death. The residence is to be of a significant size with all accomodations possible to provide them with the most pleasant environment to dwell for all of eternity.

Article 4

Residuary Clause

Due to the complete forgiveness described in Article 2, my adopted child declared above is to promptly receive my Spirit within their spirit to raise them to spiritual life. This is to be given as surety of the inheritance they will receive upon the death of their flesh in their present physical life. My Spirit will lead them into all truth in accordance with what I have declared as the truth versus the lie. My Spirit will perpetually testify of my complete love and acceptance towards them. As a result of my love and acceptance towards them, I will perpetually provide circumstances for them to express my love and acceptance towards others. The works I will prepare for them to walk in will help to establish their new meaning and purpose due to their inheritance received.

Witness:

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

Transcribed by Attorney in Awe

Aaron Budjen (c) 2003

Written in Pencil

Have you ever had writer's block or struggled to find the right words to best communicate your thoughts? Usually during this time you are trying to get your ideas down on paper only to have to keep scribbling them out, crumpling up the paper to toss in the trash or you have used your eraser so much that a hole is starting to develop in the paper. You can go through a lot of pencils and erasers during this process as well. This can be a frustrating experience that can end up paralyzing your efforts to get something accomplished. God desires that all men be saved and join Him in Heaven. The Bible describes those that have salvation in Christ as having their names written in the Book of Life. Unfortunately, there is a segment of Christianity that believes a Christian can jeopardize their right standing before God and have their name removed from the Book of Life. Often times terms like "backsliding" are used to describe what happens when somebody does something which threatens to get their name "removed" from the Book of Life. In other situations Bible verses that seem to suggest human effort as being required for salvation are interjected.

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels." Revelation 3:5

This passage from Revelation is one of the foundational passages used to support the belief that a person can have their name removed from, or blotted out of, the Book of Life. Following are actual quotes from people who have drawn that conclusion from this passage.

"If they cannot be blotted out then these words of Jesus are pointless?"

"Why would Jesus make a promise to not blot out names from the book of life if no names are gonna be blotted out anyway. Kind of a pointless promise if no names can be blotted out in the first place."

"The bible clearly states that you can be blotted out from the Book of Life. What about those who continously sin and refuses to repent? And for those who think that they have already "overcome"..........quite the contrary."

"I believe God will let you go, if you want to, but i also believe He will never leave you alone."

Do you notice how there is not a lot of substance to the comments? There is a lot of generalizing taking place without the slightest definition of who it is that overcomes or how the overcoming is accomplished. The question that begs asking is "Who is it that overcomes?"

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5: 3-5

Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God! There is your answer. Believers are the ones who overcome the world because they have put absolute faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on their behalf as payment for their sins and His resurrection from the dead to restore the life of God we lost in Adam. If overcoming entails anything other than total faith in Jesus Christ than we have opened the door to all sorts of error and deception. I think there is a more sinister motivation behind those that believe and promote that a Christian can have their name blotted out of the Book of Life. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes about falling from grace. If you fall from something you have to fall to something else, right? That something else is usually legalism which takes many forms. A religious system is of no value if their are no people to subject to its rules and regulations. Therefore, the proponents of that religious system have to create holes in scripture in order to fill them with their theology. I find it interesting that if there was something we were to do, other than put faith in Jesus Christ, in order to keep our names in the Book of Life, scripture would have revealed that to us. But it does not. We are not under law, whether it be the Mosaic Law or laws we make up ourselves and then call religion.

"God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:9

To say we can somehow cause our names to be removed from the Book of Life, through some action of our own, is calling God a liar when scripture says He is faithful. We can't be faithful 100% of the time to God's righteous requirements and He doesn't expect us to be. If we could there would have been no need for Jesus. His death, burial and resurrection would have all been in vain. Of the quotes listed above, the most interesting to me is the one about God allowing us to go, but that He will will never leave us alone. I don't think they realize the double-talk in this statement. If we "go," whatever that means, and God goes with us that is proof that we are still saved and our name is still in the Book of Life. This individual, in an effort to prove their belief that we can be removed from the Book of Life, actually proves the opposite to be true. It was God who called us into fellowship with Jesus Christ and it is God who is faithful to sustain that relationship for eternity.

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

Later in the same chapter in which we discovered who it is that overcomes, 1 John 5, we get "the" evidence that our names are safe in the Book of Life. If we can "know" that we have eternal life than we can also "know" that nothing we do will jeopardize our names. Our salvation was purchased, and guaranteed, by Jesus Christ. If we can have our names blotted out from the Book of Life then we have to define what exactly it is that can cause that to happen. If we say it is some sin we commit then we are denying the finished work of Christ on the cross. But, most likely it is some disobedience to religious laws and traditions that nobody is willing to admit for fear of exposing their legalism. Our salvation is secure and our names in the Book of Life are as well. Not because of anything we do, but because of everything Jesus has done.

God does not write in pencil!

A Room with a View

Q: `In my fathers house there are many rooms.` What does this mean? Do the many rooms mean God has room for more than one kind of believer or what?

A: This small verse in John 14 is one of the most encouraging and loving verses in the entire Bible. Some translations use the word "mansions" in place of rooms. When you think of many rooms or mansions, what is it that comes to mind? Maybe a fancy hotel, a luxury cruise ship or all the luxurious homes in places like Beverly Hills. Regardless of which one you choose the idea of something special comes to mind. God has reserved a special place in Heaven for anybody and everybody who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In this part of scripture, Jesus was comforting His disciples. Dismayed by Jesus' prediction that He was going to die, the Lord told His disciples, "I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14: 2b-3)." Is there a greater example of love than to die for those you love and, not only that, to return in order to take them with you? "My father's house," Heaven, must be a large place. Because if you think about it, how many Christians have there been who have lived on this earth up to this point in time? Millions. And all of them, and us, have a room inside the House of God! And there is still room for many more.

There have been those naysayers who have criticized the Bible, and Jesus, as not having a loving message because of what Jesus says a few verses later in the same chapter. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." The declaration by Christ that He is the only means available in order to reach Heaven has been rejected by non-believers because it sounds arrogant and closed-minded. With all the various religions, religious beliefs and their accompanying leaders, it is understandable why someone might be put off by the uniqueness of Jesus Christ's message. But that mindset is mistaken because while nobody comes to the Father except through Him, everybody is offered the chance to do so by God. "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 (John 3:16)." Most unbelievers are familiar with John 3:16. It is perhaps the most famous sentence in literary history. God, in His love, has made access to His Kingdom available to the entire world. The only stipulation is belief in Jesus Christ. We see this theme reiterated throughout scripture. In 2 Peter 3:9, we read, about God, that "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Again, God is patient with the entire world in hopes that they will accept His offer of salvation, in Christ.

The reason God has made many rooms available in His house is because there are, and have been, billions of people that have spent time on this earth. And all of us have one thing in common and that is that we are all born into this world spiritually dead to God in our sins. Regardless of how you were raised or what religious belief you subscribe to, everyone is dead to God, without His life indwelling them, prior to accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. When Adam was created in the Garden of Eden, God breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). This was the very life of God that made Adam a living being. But, God warned Adam that on the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would "surely" die (Genesis 2:17). Well, we know that Adam did eat from the tree and died spiritually. The life of God was removed from Adam and he became spiritually dead in sin. Since Adam didn't have any children at this point, all of mankind is born into this world in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3), not in the image of God as is taught, dead to God, but alive to the world. God, in His love desired to once again indwell His creation. But, before He could do that He had to deal with the sin that caused that life to leave us in the first place. That is why Jesus, the only man born spiritually alive, is the only man who had a life to give for our sins that would satisfy God for all eternity (1 John 2:2). Now, God is able to offer His life as a free gift, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to all who accept Christ by faith (Romans 5:8-10). There is now no sin that could ever cause that life to leave again because of the eternal consequences of the cross (Hebrews 9:12). That is why the life we now have is an eternal life. A life that will carry us through the rest of our natural lives and on into eternity even after we physically die. That is the Gospel; sin, death, forgiveness, Life!

If that isn't a message of love then one doesn't exist. Regardless of a person's culture, race, gender or background, salvation in Christ is available to them all. There is a room for them in the Father's house and the key to enter it is found only in Jesus Christ. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14: 27)." The words of Jesus to His disciples were designed to comfort them by giving them peace and to calm their hearts from the fear that came along with the knowledge of His departure. This same message should also comfort all believers who are assured a room in the Father's house as well as be an encouragement to unbelievers who still have time claim their room.

One of these things is not like the Other things...

"One of these things is not like the other things. One of these things just doesn't belong. Can you guess which thing is not like the other thing, before I finish my song?"- Cookie Monster

What person who grew up watching Sesame Street doesn't remember hearing the above song being sang by Cookie Monster or one of the other Sesame Street puppets? Normally, the song accompanied a game designed to get the viewer to determine which item, in a group of items, didn't match the other items. I ran across a YouTube video which showed Cookie Monster standing in front of four separate plates of cookies. Three of the plates had two cookies on them while the fourth plate contained three cookies. He sang the song and then gave the answer to the question which was that the plate with three cookies didn't belong. Christians might do well to remember this song when faced with all the error that permeates out their disguising itself as being Christian. Two of the most obvious culprits are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses). Each of these groups are popular, large and accepted by the general religious community. However, to the trained eye, they are nothing more than cults which are leading their followers down a primrose path to Hell. Take a look at following quotes taken directly from each of their official websites.

The Mormons

Jess L. Christensen, Institute of Religion director at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers. Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning. Lucifer, too, was an angel “who was in authority in the presence of God,” a “son of the morning.” Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother. (Jess L. Christensen, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, June 1986, 25–26)

Jehovah's Witnesses

WHILE Jesus is often called the Son of God in the Bible, nobody in the first century ever thought of him as being God the Son. Even the demons, who "believe there is one God," knew from their experience in the spirit realm that Jesus was not God. So, correctly, they addressed Jesus as the separate "Son of God." And when Jesus died, the pagan Roman soldiers standing by knew enough to say that what they had heard from his followers must be right, not that Jesus was God, but that "certainly this was God's Son."...The Bible is clear and consistent about the relationship of God to Jesus. Jehovah God alone is Almighty. He created the prehuman Jesus directly. Thus, Jesus had a beginning and could never be coequal with God in power or eternity. (Jehovah's Witnesses Official Website).

Using the example from Sesame Street, let's assume you have three plates. On the first plate you have the above statement from the Mormons. On the second plate is the statement from the Jehovah's Witnesses. And on the third plate you have traditional Christianity. By simply comparing each statement with what traditional Christianity says about them, the truth will make it clear which one is different.

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" —which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:1, 14

"I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10: 30-33

"Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God."" John 20:28

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." Acts 20:28

"...while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ..." Titus 2:13

"But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom." Hebrews 1:8

I have listed just seven passages that speak of the deity of Jesus Christ and the fact that He was God. Furthermore, these seven passages were written by upwards of five different authors since the author of Hebrews is unknown. So, to use the words of the Mormon, it is "surprising" to hear someone claim that Jesus is the older brother of Lucifer, the devil. This not only lowers Jesus to the status of a created being, but elevates the devil to the level of God. Jesus was fresh out the womb when Matthew reminds us that He was, indeed, God with us. On three separate occassions, the Apostle John validates Jesus' status as God. First by equating the Word as being God and that the Word became flesh. Therefore, God, in Christ, became flesh. Secondly, John quotes Christ Himself as saying He and the Father "are one." And that the Jews attempted to stone Jesus for claiming to be God. Jesus doesn't rebuke them for saying this, so they must have understood Him correctly. Thirdly, John tells of Thomas' confession that Jesus was his Savior and his God! Again, Jesus didn't correct him. Luke tells us in Acts that God bought His church with His own blood. Who shed blood for our behalf? Jesus! Therefore, Jesus is God. Paul encourages Titus by telling him that our blessed hope is in Jesus Christ, "our great God and Savior." And finally, the author of Hebrews calls Jesus God and states His throne will last forever. Scripture is clear that Jesus is God.

As for the claims of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I have already shown you verses that rebuke their claim that Jesus was not God. And using those same passages we can rebuke their other claim that nobody in the first century thought Jesus was the Son of God. Many scholars agree that the Gospel of Matthew was written as early as A.D. 50. The Apostle John died around A.D. 95. Thus, his Gospel had to be written before his death. And it is accepted that he wrote his Gospel between A.D. 80 and A.D. 90. The Acts of the Apostles, written by Luke, is believed to have been written as early as A.D. 60 to A.D. 62. The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus around the same time between A.D. 62 and A.D. 64. And most accept that the epistle of Hebrews was written sometime around A.D. 67 to A.D. 69. Notice a trend here? All of these biblical texts were written in the first century. Now that we have established these books were written in the first century we can put to bed the claim that nobody, at this time, thought Jesus to be the Son of God. Matthew writes about Jesus claiming to be the Son of God (Matthew 26: 63-64). John speaks of Nathaniel declaring Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Isreal (John 1:49). Luke tells us of how Paul, shortly after his conversion, began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God (Acts 9:20). As already established, Paul, on many occassions confessed Jesus as the Son of God (Romans 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20). And we can't leave out the author of Hebrews claim that the Son of God is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14; 6:6; 7:3; 10:29). Scripture is clear that Jesus is the Son of God.

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16

The question the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses and, quite frankly, all of us have to answer is the same question Jesus posed to His disciples, "Who do you say I am?" Like Peter, I say He is the Christ, the Son of the living God! Mormons say Jesus is not God, but the brother of the devil. The Jehovah's witnesses take the error to another level by not only denying Christ's deity, but claiming the New Testament authors to be liars. Who are we going to believe? The testimony of Jesus Christ Himself and the authors of the New Testament or the false teachings of men who deny the clear claims of Christ and teach others to do the same? The choice is yours! Just like a smart, little kid could tell Cookie Monster what plate of cookies was different than the others, a true believer can say, with conviction, that biblical Christianity is different than the false religions claiming to be true.

... and the Platitudes will set you Free

I received an email about Joe Biden, the Democrat nominee for Vice President, which talked about the strength and courage he displayed while suffering through a family tragedy in 1972.

In 1972, just before Christmas and just weeks after being elected to his first term in the United States Senate, Biden's wife and only daughter were killed in a horrific car crash caused by a drunk driver.

"Five years after this [trauma], no one man deserves one great love, let alone two," Biden later recalled in an interview with David Brody of CBN. "I met and married my wife of 30 years who actually put my life back together again and put my family back together again. But you know, when something like that happens to you. It's like there's a big black hole in your chest, and you feel like you're being sucked in to that black hole. You feel like there isn't anything that will ever get better again in your life. But my mom has an expression, she said God sends no cross that you cannot bear, and she said, I remember literally the week of the accident her saying 'Joey, out of everything horrible something good will come if you look hard enough.' And I thought that was the cruelest thing in the world someone could say, but it's true.

"Obviously I wished it never, ever, ever happened, but my sons and I, it's like a steel belt that runs through our chest connecting us. My family is so strong, and I really believe and my wife Jill of 30 years believes that Neilia my wife, is looking down on us.

I empathize with Joe Biden and his ability to flourish after this tragedy in his life. However, when I read comments that are meant to encourage us unintendedly say something about God that isn't true, I cringe. A platitude, by definition, is a flat, dull or trite remark uttered as if it were fresh or profound. Although, they were said with the best intentions, when somebody says, "God sends no cross that you cannot bear," and "my wife is looking down on us," I wonder where they get their information about God and the afterlife.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Matthew 16: 24-28

God does not send crosses for us to bear in the form of things like the sudden loss of a wife and child in a horrific car accident. What kind of God do we think we have who robs a man of his family as some sort of test for that man to endure as a disciple of His? The cross Jesus spoke of is whatever it is we lose to proclaim the Gospel! Personally, I have lost contact with friends and family because of my being a witness for Jesus Christ. Others have lost jobs, respect and even their lives to stand for Jesus Christ. The life a Christian has is through faith in Jesus Christ. Being a Christian doesn't mean that we are immune to the trials and tribulations of life. When we suffer a loss it is not a cross to bear, but a time when whatever it is we have faith in is put to the test. We are reminded in the book of Romans that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. If we are to believe that God is sending us crosses to bear in the form of personal tragedy, it is not far fetched for one to believe that we are being condemned by God. However, when we understand that nothing can separate us from the love of God we realize that suffering loss in our lives is an opportunity for those close to us to see the strength God has given us, in Christ. It compels those without the Lord, or weak in their faith, to seek out what it is we are relying on in our time of need.

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16: 25-31

In the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus tells of how the rich man was begging Abraham to allow Lazarus to return from the dead so that he could warn the rich man's brothers about the "place of torment." Abraham denied his request by saying they will not be convinced even if someone returned from the dead. Many people, to comfort themselves and those they love, believe that the dead are looking down on us. An obvious reference to them looking down from Heaven. Besides the false assumption that the dead are automatically in heaven, regardless of whether they have faith in Christ or not, is the lack of evidence supporting that the dead are able to look down on us. The rich man in the story from Luke couldn't even look up from his "place of torment," much less look down from heaven. The Bible says, in Hebrews, that man is destined to die once and then face judgment. There is no evidence that the dead are looking in on us from above as though they could stick their heads through the clouds and take a peek at what is going on down here. This is just as unfounded as such phenomenon as ghosts and reincarnation. All of which are not based in fact. Again, I understand how much of these types of things are said to comfort others when we may be, otherwise, at a lost for words. But, some of these statements have been said for so long, and repeated so often, that they have taken on a life of there own and become a form of theology.

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8: 31-32

Baseless platitudes may comfort us temporarily, but it is the truth that sustains us for a lifetime. The truth is that Jesus lives in a believer and lives His life in and through us. He tought us that we would have tribulation in this life, but that He has overcome the world. He taught us, through the Apostle Paul, that we don't grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope, when we lose someone close to us. Christians understand that, for us, this life is just the beginning of an eternal journey with God and His Son. If we lose someone who is in Christ, like us, it is not that we don't mourn their passing. But, we understand that their passing from this life is entrance into a glorious eternity with the Lord. If anything, we aren't comforted by the thought that they are "looking down on us," we are comforted by the fact that someday we will join them in eternity with Christ. Our burdens in this world are not crosses to bear put on us by God. Rather, they are unfortunate byproducts of living in a fallen world. However, in the midst of our suffering, the faithfulness of God is revealed as we realize that our trials are opportunities for Him to show His love for the world through us. This is a truth that sets us free from trying to make sense of this world and deal with its problems by relying on our own understanding and the limits of our flesh.

Giving a Reason

Q: How do you know you are saved from death, hell, and the grave; and, you have been spiritually born again into a spiritual kingdom of God? What is the proof that your salvation is real and legitimate?

A: The "proof" of your salvation may only be something revealed to your spirit by the Holy Spirit.

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children (Romans 8:16)."

In my life, the proof of salvation was an increased interest in things of the Lord that I didn't have before. Studying scripture and biblical topics, in general, are just a couple of areas I noticed changed in my life. The biggest difference was the turning away from sinful and destructive behaviors that I didn't even recognize in my life prior to salvation. Have you noticed anything like this in your life? If so, that could be the "proof" you are looking for in your life. While there is no universal proof we all share, one thing we all have in common is the indwelling Holy Spirit. The very life of God indwells us for all eternity. He will lead us and guide us from within. The individual relationship we all have with God reveals itself in numerous ways. Sit back and take note of whatever changes that have happened in your life since you were saved. Then you will have the "proof" you seek.

Q: I have had a strong conviction about not smoking/drinking pretty much my whole life but I have a best friend who used to study the bible but turned away from God, and she smokes marijuana everyday. What scriptures could I show her to show what she is doing is not good for her spiritually? I'm thinking that she is idolizing that drug. But I would like to know for anyone who ask me in the future so I am more prepared.

A: Your friend has a bigger problem than smoking marijuana. If she is saved she probably doesn't understand the fullness of the Gospel and her identity in Christ. If she is not saved, simply quitting smoking isn't going to do anything for her spiritual health. She is dead in sin and needs the saving life of Christ. I wouldn't focus too much on the marijuana as I would those two issues. As she matures in the faith or accepts Christ as her savior things like smoking will fall away over time as she realizes they are not representative of who she is as a child of God. She will begin to realize that she is the temple of God and if she wouldn't smoke marijuana in a church building why do it to her physical body? Hope this helps.

Q: I was wanting to know if you had some advice on what is the best way to study the Bible, if any?

A: There are some questions that I try to ask when I’m reading through the scriptures. First, I try to ask, what does this passage say. Second, what does this passage mean. Third, how does this fit into the scope of the Gospel? Fourth, and most important, what can I learn about who God is through this passage? In addition to that I try to read whole blocks of the Scriptures. There are natural separations as subjects change or situations open and close. If I don’t read everything together, it can be easy to come up with something like, Judas went forth and hanged himself, go thouest and do likewise. It’s easy to take things out of context when you meditate on only a single verse or a few of them at one time. For those who are not very scripturally literate, I usual encourage them to just read through the Bible as a historical text first, to understand what took place and the issues that were raised and addressed (Answer written by A. Budjen).

Q: Why should we hold lent when it is not scripturally based?

A: One thing I see missing in all of this talk about Lent is an understanding of what is clearly layed out in the passage from Luke 4 where the tradition of Lent originates. Right from the start it says Jesus was led into the desert to be "tempted by the devil."

When you fast you are abstaining from something. But, if we are honest, all we think about during this time is what we are trying to avoid. And the devil is right there tempting us. Now, I fully agree that God's power is displayed in our weakness, but I don't believe giving the devil an opportunity is what a Christian should be doing. All this does is prove that we have indwelling sin. I also wonder what it is people are praying for during Lent. A Christian has been given everything they need for life and godliness as well as having received every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Therefore, if you have everything, what more do you need?

Lastly, if one is taking the time during Lent to try and get "clean" before God or get all their sins forgiven, it is evidence of a misunderstanding of the finished work of Christ on the cross. God has already reconciled Himself to us, in Christ, and we are urged to be reconciled to Him. Asking for forgiveness is a clear sign that one doesn't believe they are forgiven and, perhaps, that Christ's death didn't take away all their sins from the eyes of God. My prayer is that people will see that practices like Lent, no matter how long they have been around or how "holy" we believe them to be, do not bring us closer to God and are nothing more than a shadow of the realities we have in Christ. A believer cannot get any closer to God than they already are since the Holy Spirit indwells us. The Holy Spirit is not going to lead you into a practice designed for you to achieve through human effort what you have already freely been given by God through faith in Christ.

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Galatians 3:3

Q: Please define Christianity in one short sentence?

A: "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

Q: Does anyone have some scripture that might help in dealing with anger? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

Anger is a secondary response to fear. If you are angry perhaps it is because you are afraid of something.

For example, if a parent becomes separated from their child in a department store, they become afraid that their worst fears are being realized. However, when they find their child playing in the toy section they become angry for what the child has put them through.

Christians often become afraid of God because they are fearful that He doesn't love us. But, the truth that we are forgiven, holy and blameless removes the barrier of fear. Applying that same lesson to your own situation may help you discover the root of whatever it is that is making you angry.

Q: Do you consider the Two Greatest Commands as discussed by Jesus in Matt 22 and Mark 12 to be "rules and laws designed to modify behavior"?

A: We can't love God with all our heart or love our neighbor as ourself apart from understanding how much God has loved us first and letting Him live through us. Otherwise, we are left to determine, on our own, what entails living out these commandments. And that opens the door for religion and legalism to enter the equation. Because the obvious question becomes, "How do I love God and my neighbor?" You see, love is a fruit of the Spirit, not our fruit. We bear the fruit of God, we don't produce it. And when we are trusting in the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us we won't be violating our neighbor, which is loving our neighbor, and we will be loving God, because we realize, apart from Him we can do nothing; dependency.

Functioning at 100%

On August 23, 2006, my mother was diagnosed with cancer of unknown origin. For the previous month she was unable to get out of bed without suffering severe pain. This was strange for anybody that new her because she was always on the go. Less than 90 days later, on November 10, 2006, she passed away. At the time of diagnosis, the cancer had spread through out her entire body. Nobody will ever know how much pain she was in prior to being bedridden, but up to that point you wouldn't have thought anything was wrong. I was reminded of my mothers story because of something written on a board in my Chiropractor's office. He had a line graph that had 0% function written on the left and 100% function written on the right. In the middle was, of course, 50% function with the word, symptoms, written just to right of it. Underneath this graph he had written "death" under 0% function, "health" under 100% function and "drugs" written underneath symptoms. The point being made was that the average human doesn't feel any symptoms of what ails them until their immune system is operating at between 50% and 60% of its normal capacity. And at that point we are usually given drugs which may relieve the pain, but only mask the real problem. Eventually, you risk dying from whatever it is that ails you. That makes me wonder about my mom and what she didn't feel when cancer was destroying her body. By the time she felt anything, and was treated, it was too late.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1: 9-11

How many Christians are out there who are "functioning" at less than 100% of their capabilities when it comes to their discernment of biblical truth? We sit back and lament how so-called Christians can fall so easily into false teachings and beliefs without the slightest hesitation. For those of us who can see a false teaching a mile away is it any wonder that you question the salvation of these brothers and sisters? All of us can quote a verse or a passage that seems to support whatever it is we claim to believe. Even unbelievers will talk about the Bible as if they are the authority on it and that Christians are somehow duped by taking a literal stance on it. But, if you don't have any discernment how will you be able to recognize truth, much less stand on it and defend it? God does have an opinion on what He has written down for us within the pages of scripture. He is not the Author of confusion or the Father of lies. That is satan. Yet, there are millions of people out there that decide for themselves what is truth and what is not and use the same Bible we use.

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5: 11-14

What is elementary school used for? Is it not to instruct children in the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic? Yes it is. Children, because of their youth, don't understand much. They are led mostly by emotions and instinct. While this is a good thing in the sense that it shows they are inquisitive and have a desire to learn, without proper instruction, it will eventually lead to their destruction. If you don't teach a child to look both ways before crossing the street, they will run out in the street and be struck by a vehicle. If you don't teach them to brush their teeth they will eventually lose their teeth and destroy their health. The examples are endless. That is why the frustration of the author of Hebrews is apparent at the lack of growth demonstrated by his audience. We all know the frustration of having to constantly go over the same material with someone who never seems to grasp it, much less put it into practice. When we as Christians don't rely on the Holy Spirit of God to instruct us on His Word, we end up relying on our own understanding or that of someone else. The risk of that is we don't know if what we are being taught is the truth. The result is immature Christians who fall hook, line and sinker for every wind of doctrine man can devise. They are unable to distinguish good from evil and end up falling for all sorts of evil schemes and teachings.

"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2: 12-14

The truths God wants to reveal to us can only be revealed by God. That makes perfect sense. The Bible is the Word of God, not the word of men. There is only one God and, thus, only one book written by Him. There are countless books written by men and countless ideas and philosophies that come from it all. Who are you going to believe? As I have said before, mankind seems enamored with the "pursuit" of truth, but reluctant to ever find it. The Christian knows the Truth, and that is Jesus Christ. His Spirit indwells every believer and teaches us what the Father wants us to know and understand. That is why unbelievers, those natural men without the Spirit, think the Bible is foolishness or requires man's own wisdom to decipher, which is no wisdom at all. As Christians, when we completely rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach us the truths of God, we are functioning at 100% of our capabilities. And just like a completely healthy person can fight off disease and sickness, a person operating in complete dependence on the Holy Spirit can fight off false teachings and error.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6: 10-13

It is the spiritual forces of evil that our true war is against. If the things of God are spiritually discerned then it makes sense that the devil would try and attack us in that way. When we are not grounded in truth, anything that comes our way can give the impression that it is true when it is not. The reason spiritual things are spiritually discerned is because without the Spirit of God teaching us, all we have to go by is our feelings and experiences. And those change by the second and cannot be trusted. That is why the lost and the immature Christian fall for the devil's schemes without putting up much fight. The armor of God is His truth, found within scripture, and is taught to us by the Holy Spirit. It allows you to recognize the evil of the devil long before it takes advantage of you. It is in this way that you are able to stand unmoved by the error of the devil and his various rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world. We need to do whatever is necessary to make sure we are operating at 100% of our spiritual health so that we will notice evil before it is too late.

Tozed and Confused

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28: 16-20

A friend of mine forwarded an email they had received containing an article written by A.W. Tozer, entitled The Saint Must Walk Alone. Tozer was trying to make the point that the price of being a saint is to experience loneliness. This is something that I understand on a personal level. The only way I have been able to mature in my faith is by separating myself from the individuals and the lifestyle that caused me to come to Christ in the first place. It is a lonely experience, especially, early on in my Christian walk. When all you know is acting worldly and endulging the flesh, leaving that behind exposes just how dependent you are on that lifestyle. God revealed to me that in order for me to grow as a believer I had to remove myself completely from the wrong influences and tempting environments that caused me to stumble. As time has passed I haven't felt the draw as much to that old lifestyle because I know that it is not consistent with who I am as a child of God. With that said, Tozer's concluding remarks didn't seem to mesh with the totality of the Christian life.

"The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. In their effort to achieve restful "adjustment" to unregenerate society they have lost their pilgrim character and become an essential part of the very moral order against which they are sent to protest. The world recognizes them and accepts them for what they are. And this is the saddest thing that can be said about them. They are not lonely, but neither are they saints."

I don't look at the Christian being "too much at home in the world" as anything to be surprised at. We are human after all. It is natural to be at home in the world. But, part of the failings of Christianity is what comes from the pulpit. Tozer talks about "pilgrim character" as the foundation of what makes us "protest" the world. Well, we aren't, in my opinion, to protest the world. We are ambassadors of Christ from another "world" sent here to gather the lost for the Kingdom. Granted, in the process of doing that we will try and create a culture friendly to our efforts. Thus, we will "protest" in the sense of standing for truth. This normally comes out in the charities we support or the political candidates we give our votes. However, I sometimes believe Christians are too occupied with protesting the world than saving it. We end up trying to fight the symptoms of a lost world rather than addressing the cause of those symptoms. We go after things like homosexuality and abortion with the zeal we should go after sharing the Gospel. And this is a failing of the churches who stress sin so much that we end up feeling that if we just clean it up we are doing God's work. We believe we must clean it up in our own lives and then go and try to clean everybody elses sins up as well.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5: 8-10

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to condone or encourage sin on any level. But, if stopping sin was the sole purpose of a Christian being on this earth, we are doing a terrible job at it. The fact that Christians everywhere are preoccupied with sin in their lives is proof that totally ridding ourselves of it is impossible. But, Scripture is clear that our sins are no longer separating us from God. Because of the death of Christ we have been reconciled to God. To reconcile means to "reestablish a close relationship." Therefore, our sins are no longer separating us from God. This is a fact that is lost on the majority of the Body of Christ. Because of Christ's sacrifice we now have a close relationship with God. The life of God we lost when Adam sinned has been restored to all believers because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Knowing this frees up a believer to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to the lost world so they realize they are free to accept the life of God offered to them. It is understandable that before someone accepts the life of God and His forgiveness, they must first acknowledge that they are a sinner. However, recognizing you are a sinner reveals that you are one because you're spiritually dead. Thus, you then turn to Christ for His life and the forgiveness received as an inheritance.

"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4

Christians who don't know the full Gospel normally believe it to be Jesus died for my sins. Thus, their Christian life is focused on sin; avoiding it, stopping it and overcoming it. There are plenty of ministries that believe we need to clean up the world in order for Christ to return. A futile and misguided endeavor in my opinion. That is not what Christians were sent here to do. The Great Commission is a directive to preach the Gospel in order to get people saved. We need to focus on sharing with others that which we have received from the Lord. We have forgiveness of sins and the life of God indwelling us. That is what our character should be grounded in; the full Gospel of sin, death, forgiveness and life. When the world comes alive to Christ, the sins we so desperately want to destroy will begin to fade away. Nobody has ever been saved by stopping sin. But, everybody is saved through the receiving of life offered by Christ. Once you are indwelt by the life of Christ your sins we begin decrease although they will never be totally eliminated. But, those same sins remind us of the forgiveness we have in Christ and that we can then share the love of God with the world in hopes to save them.

The Least of these Brothers

Q: Hello, I was just wondering what the Christian's response to poverty and homeless people should be? What does Jesus mean in the parable when He talks about those going to Heaven who had done things to the least of these. Should a Christian help a homeless person they see who doesn`t ask for help. Is that not helping Jesus?

A: I believe it is in line with the character of a Christian and the character of God to help those less fortunate than ourselves. There is nothing that pulls at the heart strings of a person more than seeing another human being suffering through the effects of poverty and homelessness. Scripture reminds us to "not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:16)." Many charitable organizations have their roots planted in Christianity. The Salvation Army, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and Feed the Children are just a few of the many Christian organizations dedicated to spreading the message of the Gospel by ministering to those in need. Jesus Christ, Himself, told us to give to the poor (Matthew 19:21) and give to those who ask (Matthew 5:42). And later on the Apostle Paul said he that one thing he was eager to do was "to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10)." There is no better way to share the love of God with others than by assisting them when life has got them down.

In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus is using the two animals to illustrate a picture of the difference between Christians, the sheep, and unbelievers, the goats. The sheep will inherit their portion of the Kingdom of God because as Jesus says, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me (Matthew 25: 35-36)." The unbelievers will be cast into hell because they did exactly the opposite. "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me (Matthew 25: 42-43)." At face value, one thing you can take from the strong words of Jesus is that God looks kindly on people who help those in need and looks harshly at those who don't help those in need. However, there are plenty of non-Christians who feed the hungry, cloth the naked, look after the sick and visit the imprisoned. So, what does Jesus mean in this parable?

Jesus would go on to say, in the very next chapter, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me (Matthew 26:11)." This hints at a deeper meaning He was driving at in the parable. We know that only faith in Jesus Christ is what grants a person entrance into Heaven. Therefore, simply practicing good deeds towards the unfortunate can't possibly be what determines who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. And if the poor will always be with us does that not make it seem that there are some of them who will have no chance at heaven? Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor (Luke 4:18)." The poor, or the least of these brothers, Jesus was speaking of is not just those in poverty or who are homeless. The poor is every human being on the planet. All mankind is poor because we are born into the world spiritually dead to God in our sins and in need of the saving life of Jesus Christ. The sheep, those who have been born again of the spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, look after the sick and visit the imprisoned by sharing the Gospel message with all those they encounter.

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life (John 6:48)." By proclaiming this truth to the lost we are feeding the hungry. Scripture says that "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27)." A Christian, formerly naked in unbelief, but now clothed in Christ, can cloth the naked by presenting the message of salvation to those who need it most. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22)." The ultimate sickness that needs healing is that of spiritual death. When a person accepts Christ as their savior they are made alive by being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the family of God. Their sickness is now healed becaue the life of God, lost in Adam, has been restored by Christ. "But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin... (Galatians 3:22)" Because of the Fall of Adam, we are all born into this world a prisoner of sin, separated from God. Thankfully, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross our sins are no longer an issue between man and God. We can, therefore, proclaim to the world that their sins have been forgiven and that they are now free to come to Christ by faith to receive eternal life. That is why Romans 6:22 says, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

In conclusion, a Christian can and should help the impoverished and the homeless wherever possible. We did not ask God to send Jesus to live a sinless life, die for our sins and be resurrected from the dead to offer us eternal life. Therefore, we don't have to be asked in order to help someone in need. Just remember that when we do help someone in need it is a picture representing what God did for all mankind, in Christ. Everything a Christian does should be as a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to live through them. By doing this we are helping Christ because our spiritual act of worship is to make ourselves living sacrifices to be used by God in the manner He deems necessary. God produces His fruit through us. Our job is to simply bear that fruit and present it to those in poverty, those who are homeless and to anybody else that God puts in our paths. Amen.

Fear: The Great Motivator

We have all seen the advertisements for the latest drug promising to revive your sex life, shrink your prostate, cure your depression, settle your child down, clear up your skin, help you lose weight, get a good night's sleep and so on. The list is endless. All of them play into the human need for acceptance and the desire to feel good about ourselves. And all of these products play on our fear that if we don't use them we will forfeit our chance at that acceptance and happiness. So, we fork out our hard earned money at the chance that we can find the miracle cure for what we believe ails us the most. And in every case, it doesn't change our lives. And even if it did, there is always something else that needs fixing in our lives and we repeat the cycle. I have a friend that was chastisting an acquaintance of ours for her constant need to try the latest "breakthrough" products by saying, "She turns on the television to see what she isn't doing!" That is pretty harsh, but nonetheless insightful. I am sure she is not alone. With the overload of advertising and a culture geared towards this sort of thing, even I am not immune to the influence created by it. The anxiety and fear created by the feeling that you have to keep up can be overwhelming and, definitely, serves as a motivating factor. Does this sound familiar to anybody?

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!" 2 Corinthians 3: 5-9

Nearly every Christian will agree that we are not under the law. Yet, in practice they will submit themselves to the rules, regulations and tenants of religion that are thinly veiled substitutes for the law. Religion has its own lists of do's and don'ts along with its own set of penalties for failure to live up to those directives. With all the various religions that fall under the blanket of Christianity, whether Catholic or Protestant, you have your choice of what "list" you want to subject yourself to. These lists seemingly never have an end and all of them seem to get increasingly difficult as time goes on. As those who try to live their lives by these standards begin to realize the futility of obeying all of them, all of the time, frustration sets in. And at the root of frustration is fear. And that fear comes from the condemnation they believe they will face from their fellow brethren and, ultimately, from God. The religions are actually proving the words of Paul to be true. And the truth is that the law, even the law that comes from manmade religion, is a "ministry that condemns men." The law is supposed to be something that is fading away in our lives as we learn to be dependent on the indwelling Holy Spirit. The law leads us to Christ, it doesn't teach us how to live as Christians. The law condemns us by stripping us of our sinful pride in hopes that it will make us turn to Christ. It tells us we can't live the Christian life.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" Romans 5: 8-10

The moment we accepted Christ as our savior we were saved from God's wrath! Therefore, it doesn't make sense that we are then doomed to live a life in fear of His wrath based on our performance. So whose wrath is it that we are made to fear? It is the wrath of those we have subjected ourselves to by submitting to their religious law. We can't be controlled by the indwelling Holy Spirit if we let fellow believers control us through the fear of being condemned by our disobedience to their rules. Scripture says we are justified. Religion says justification is earned through obedience. Scripture says we have been reconciled to God. Religions says that we must continue to keep ourselves in right standing with God through obedience. This is why you have such false teachings as progressive sanctification or keeping short accounts. By calling sanctification progressive it allows for the insertion of religious dogma designed to keep you under control for the rest of your life. Similar to that is the keeping of short accounts which has you focused on your sins the rest of your life. Again, a control mechanism designed to keep you coming back to the institution for more rules to live by. You end up spending your entire life in fear of men, and God, believing that living the Christian life and getting into Heaven is up to you.

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel... We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1: 21-23, 28-29

The Christian life, our entire salvation, is not dependent on our ability to live it by the laws of man. It is totally dependent on Christ's ability to live it in and through us based on His finished work on the cross for us and His resurrected life in us. Our behavior, the inability to live the Christian life, alienates us from God in our minds. We are still His children and still have the promises He has given to us, but we don't have faith in them. As part of our inheritance in Christ we have been made holy in the sight of God and free from the blemish caused by sin and the accusations made by Satan. Therefore, we should not let any man or manmade institution steal the joy that comes from this truth by putting ourselves under the burden that comes from living a life under law. A Christian lives by faith. And it is not an expression of faith to try and obtain or maintain what you have been given by God through obedience to religious law. As Paul states, he labored in the energy of the Lord which worked in him. We are no different than Paul. Christ lived through Paul and He desires to do the same through us. Our duty is to let Him do it. We are not to live from law to law and rule to rule in fear and submission to the next list of things to do in order to please God and man. All those advertisements, geared towards selling us on the next miracle product, contain disclaimers outlining all the problems that can come from using them. It is not any different with religion. It promises us eternal glory, but the byproduct is condemnation and fear that we won't live up to the impossible requirements imposed on us. We have already been presented perfect in Christ because of our faith in Him. Any attempt otherwise is motivated by the fear that we must perfect ourselves.

Don't Ask Me Ask God

A friend of mine was lamenting their religious counselor's inability to give them things to do in order to deal with the problems they were being counseled over. In general, there is nothing wrong with that thought process, but it sheds some light on a problem within the greater Body of Christ. We seem to always be in need of something to do in order to change our lives. Have you ever been asked or asked someone anything like the following?

"Can you give me a scripture to help me with _________?"

"What does the Bible say about ____________?"

"Will God __________ if I __________?"

Now, depending on what you fill the blanks in with, these could be very valid questions. However, in many instances they are an indication of dependency on being told what to do rather than understanding who you are in Christ and being dependent on the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we are not careful, this is one way that we end up being man followers, getting duped by the latest Christian fad or not having a faith of our own.

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

I don't know anybody who is a follower of Apollos, Cephas, or even Paul. But, I do know a lot of people who follow Luther, Calvin, the Pope and many other religious figures, dead or alive, right or wrong. And all of them will say they "follow Christ." In my opinion, this isn't the result of leaning on the Holy Spirit to guide them and teach them the truths of Scripture. This is the result of being misled by charasmatic leaders, influential groups and your own understanding. The byproduct of this type of behavior is bouncing from church to church, book to book and teacher to teacher, without any foundation in what the Christian life is all about. As Paul asks in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Is Christ divided?" Whether we admit it or not, the answer would seem to be "Yes, Christ is divided." You will have so-called Christians that will hold on to the ideas they have accepted as truth, despite the fact the Bible contradicts them, rather than humbling themselves and reasoning from the scriptures. On the other hand, you will have Christians, like the one who was seeing a counselor, who don't know what to believe about anything and are trapped in an endless cycle of searching for something to do in order to go on with life and in need of somebody to tell them what that something is. And if you are not relying on the Holy Spirit to teach you truth how will you know if what you are being told is the truth. You will not!

"...but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? "But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2: 10-16

Regardless of what it is we are faced with in life, the first place to go to with our problem is to God. But, if you have been taught to rely on anything other than God, than you are risking never getting answers to your questions. You are cursed to always seek a system, a formula, some guidelines or a method in order to assist you. And there are countless options from which to choose from out there. And they all have a "celebrity" behind them and a large following. But, the solution to our problems we face is to rely on the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, to teach us the answer. That answer is always to come back to who we are in Christ and the realization that we have everything we need in Him. After all, if we are honest, most of the problems we face in life are the result of us trying to get from the world that which we have already been given by God. And the world only can offer the cheap alternative of sin as the means in which to attempt this futile act. Thus, when we run into trouble we seek direction on how to change our behavior from other people rather than renewing our mind on the truths of the Gospel. I don't say all this to diminish the role that dear brothers and sisters in Christ play in our lives. However, if they teach us anything of any value it will be validated by the Holy Spirit. And that is when we know we have been taught the truth. There are many ideas out there that appeal to the flesh. They are the product of human wisdom geared towards trying to get us to perfect ourselves. But, turning to God first, in Christ, is an admission that we can't perfect ourselves and need to turn to the One who made us perfect. By doing so we are able to discern what is of God and allow Him to lead us from within instead of relying on the tenants of men which comes from human wisdom.

Fantastic Voyage

In the 1966 film, Fantastic Voyage, a submarine full of doctors and scientists is shrunk down to one micrometer and injected into the body of a patient in an effort to destroy a brain clot. As wikipedia puts it, "The crew faces many obstacles on their journey. They are forced to detour through the heart (a temporary cardiac arrest must be induced to avoid destructive turbulence), the inner ear (all in the lab must remain quiet to prevent similar turbulence) and the alveoli of the lungs (where they replenish their supply of oxygen). When the surgical laser needed to destroy the clot is damaged, it becomes obvious there is a saboteur on the mission. They cannibalize their radio to repair the laser. When they finally reach the brain clot, there are only six minutes remaining to operate and then exit the body." It is amazing to watch the special effects bring to life parts of the body we rarely get to see if ever. I am reminded of the effect the Holy Spirit has had on my life and I am sure on the lives of others.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4: 12-13

There is a myth out there amongst Christians that once you place faith in Christ all your troubles should cease to exist. Personally, I believe that accepting Christ as your savior has the opposite effect on a person. Christ is described as the Light of the world. Believers are described as being in the light as opposed to the darkness of unbelievers. What this says to me is that our eyes are opened to just how terrible things are in this world. As I have matured in the faith, one of the things that has humbled me is the discovery of just how wretched humans being can be. The indwelling sin within us all will never be purged from us as long as we live in these fallen bodies. In my own life, I have noticed the sinful thoughts, divisive language and unloving behavior that can rear its ugly head without warning. You can flee from sin and avoid the things that you believe cause you to stumble. But, that old flesh is right there with you at all times battling with spirit. The good news is that this battle is evidence of our salvation. I didn't have this battle prior to my salvation. That can only be due to the fact that I was in the dark and wasn't really aware of what I was doing. But, as scripture says God gets right down to the core of our being, "dividing soul and spirit," so we can see just how bad the situation is with us.

"When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7: 21-25

I remember it like it was yesterday. Shortly after being saved, and still struggling mightily with the old ways of the flesh, I recall how the taste of liquor had suddenly changed. Hanging out with friends was more like an out of body experience at times. My body was in their presence, but my mind was elsewhere. There was even a time when I had engaged in immoral behavior that left me feeling dirty and embarrassed afterwards. These are things that I had never experienced before. What was going on? It was the Holy Spirit within me battling with my flesh. Granted, I was not so naive of sin that I didn't know it was wrong prior to being saved, but there was rarely any conscious effort to avoid it as long as I kept getting the "rewards" from it I thought were adequate. It was as if God turned up the heat on my behavior to show me just how terrible my actions were. And once the perceived enjoyment dissipated I started listening to the Holy Spirit and avoiding those situations altogether. I am a completely different person today than I was then. Sinless? By no means. More aware of my surrounding? Definitely. Being a believer is like having the lights turned on for you inside a dark, cluttered, room. Before Christ all we could do was bang around into everything that was in our way. After Christ, we can now see the objects in front of us. We may still bump into them now and then, but we now have a "Helper" guiding us through life as only He can.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible." Ephesians 5: 8-14

Ever notice how much of the sins we commit are done in the dark or in secret? We don't want to be caught or exposed because we know what we are doing is wrong. That is why as Christians, in many ways, sinning isn't as "fun" as it once was. At least, that is how it can feel for me at times. I remember feeling as though I was at midfield of the Super Bowl in front of the entire world when I sinned. Not a pleasant feeling. It is as if God allowed me to be "exposed" in hopes that I would realize that my behavior was not consistent with who I am in Christ. Yes, Christians still sin. But, in the midst of our sins, we are reminded that God has taken them away from His sight for all eternity because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is like that submarine traveling through our bodies revealing every nook and cranny to us so we will continually seek out the guidance of the Lord. It is this way that He continues to conform us to His image. We aren't convicted of our sins, but reminded of our identity in Christ as holy, blameless and righteous children of God. Thus, we in turn learn what it means to not have anything to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but to bear the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth.

Without Prior Knowledge

Q: What does the Bible say about bad presuming about one another?

A: When we make a presumption about another person it is usually based on first impressions, stereotypes and outward appearances. There are only two possible outcomes when we engage in this type of behavior. First, the person we are judging is better than we are which is self-condemnation. Or, two, the person is worse then we are which self-righteousness. Both do not come from God, but from the devil. Scripture tells us that there "is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God (Romans 3:10-11)." Therefore, we can conclude that nobody is better than another person, especially in the eyes of God. We may on occasion boast before men about what we have accomplished or obtained, but that is just our pride at work. And pride is the opposite of unconditional love which says not to boast. Furthermore, we are told to "not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment (Romans 12:3)." What is thinking of ourselves with sober judgment if not to remember that if it were not for the grace of God we would be hopeless?

In most instances when we make a presumption about another person we judge them up against the standards we hold ourselves accountable to. As far as religion is concerned we will treat another person the way in which we feel God is treating us. Therefore, if someone is not living in accordance to the rules and regulations we deem acceptable, their "disobedience" is met with condemnation. Conversely, if we believe another person is living in a manner acceptable to us than their "obedience" is applauded. However, the "LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)." If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that our behavior is not always consistent with our attitudes. And we would be hurt, angered and dismayed if someone was to incorrectly make a presumption about us based on these moments. Because of this we should be careful not to be guilty of doing to others that which we don't want done to us. This can be difficult to do at times because we all have a tendency to believe that what we are doing is right regardless of whether or not that is true. While we may have the best of intentions when we are making presumptions about others they are not often received that way.

"When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple (Acts 9:26)." Shortly after the conversion of the Apostle Paul, he went to Jerusalem to meet with the other disciples, but they were not quick to accept him. Why? Because all they had known about Paul, up to this point in time, was his violent persecution of Christians. However, as they would soon find out, they presumed incorrectly about him. Paul went on to write most of the New Covenant letters we cherish to this day and even died for the faith. Now, not all situations are as drastic as the example of Paul and the disciples, but the point about presumptions is clear. For most of us, we make presumptions about others based on brief encounters with them or the descriptions about them others have given us. This is far from enough evidence to make a clear and honest determination about another person. Jesus talked about the presumptions made about Him by others. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners (Matthew 11:19)." Those who said this about Jesus were as mistaken about Him as anybody could get. Despite His wisdom, miracles, sinlessness and fulfillment of prophecy, we see the Son of God denigrated as a glutton and drunkard! If we see this false presumption made about Jesus by people who were eyewitnesses to His life, what does that say to us about making presumptions about others?

When an opportunity to make a presumption about someone arises we would do best to listen to the instructions of scripture. "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you (1 Thessalonians 4:11)." It doesn't serve any point to judge others because all it does is lead to divisions amongst those involved. And, if by some chance our presumption proved accurate we, as Christians, should be the ones to go restore a person by guiding them to the truths surrounding Jesus Christ. That is difficult to do when we are guilty of passing judgment on them. James 1:19 encourages us to be "quick to listen" and "slow to speak." It is best to keep our opinions to ourselves until further information is available. Normally, when we make a presumption about someone it is in a negative context. Therefore, if we have an interest in another person we should go to them, in love, and inquire in a private manner about what we are feeling about them. In this way, we may be able to confirm or deny what it is we are feeling about them, win them over as a friend and be used by the Lord to be a witness for Him. Therefore, in conclusion, we should not be presuming about others whether good or bad. Rather, we should ask ourselves if we would like to be presumed about and then act accordingly towards the individual in question.

A Love Letter: Where's God when we Fail Ourselves?

I never would have anticipated the direction my life would go in on what, otherwise, was a normal working day for me back in 2006. While taking a break at work, I entered the employee lounge to see a coworker of mine at the table with a concerned look on her face. We hadn’t really spoken to each other, up to this point, apart from your normal office pleasantries. I said “Hello” and the usual, “How are you?”everybody says to each other. Expecting to hear the normal, “Hello, I am fine,” in response, I was surprised when she said that she wasn’t doing so well. Inquiring further, she confided to me that her marriage was in trouble and she was going through a divorce. Feeling as though the Lord was presenting me with an opportunity to give her some hope, and restore her a bit, I did as best I could, in the short amount of time we had, to let her know that her struggles were not a reflection of how God felt about her. Being a Christian, herself, she appreciated it. Slowly, but surely, our friendship began to blossom, although, nobody at work knew we were fast becoming friends. I tried my best to keep most of our conversations focused on the things of the Lord in the hope that her marriage would be healed. I was weary of our relationship becoming more serious because, although separated, she was still a married woman. Lord knows the last thing I wanted to do was engage in adulterous activity or, at the very least, be guilty of being one who was trying to “enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down by sins (2 Timothy 3:6).”

It was around this same time, August 2006, that my mother was diagnosed with cancer. My friend, despite dealing with her own troubles surrounding her marriage and raising a teenage daughter, found it within herself to support me during this time. She cooked for me and was always their to talk to me and help me deal with the traumatic event I was going through. Once her divorce was official, I felt more comfortable spending time with her. However, this presented even more problems. When the opportunity presented itself we would hang out together, going on dates and spending time together. On more than one occasion I found myself alone with her, far from home and in the middle of the night. Because we had become close and began caring for each other more deeply, she was concerned about me taking the long trip home for fear that I may fall asleep at the wheel. My concern wasn’t falling asleep at the wheel, but staying the night with her and giving the flesh an opportunity. Eventually, the flesh won out. Uncomfortable with the turn our relationship had taken, we constantly battled with wanting to “flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18)”and separate from each other or, since we couldn’t control ourselves, decide if we should marry each other since “it is better to marry than to burn with passion (1 Corinthians 7:9).” This went on for quite some time as I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. I couldn’t deny that I had feelings for her, but wasn’t necessarily ready to get married either. Especially, since she was so close to having just had her previous marriage end.

Eventually, she made her feelings for me known, but I was less forthcoming with mine. Not because I didn’t feel the same, but because I was trapped in fear! The fear wasn’t so much because I was trapped in a sin. My fear was that in order for me to be with her, I worried that I would have to deal with much more than the usual obstacles a relationship normally presents. At least what I would consider a normal relationship. She was older than me, had one of her two daughters living at home, financial obligations I wasn’t sure I could handle and the fact that I live with, and take care of, my elderly father, added another dimension. These all have varying degrees of legitimacy to them, but my biggest fear was that we weren’t of the same race! I know that sounds irrational, especially for a Christian. And it is. After all, we are both believers and that is all that matters in the eyes of God. But, I never realized until this relationship started how much the attitudes of my upbringing still effected me. I had never dated someone who wasn’t black until now. I have relatives who aren’t shy about their feelings towards inter-racial dating. And I wasn’t sure that I was ready to be a “maverick” and take them on with this challenge. It is all irrational when I think about it, but it was real to me. I loved this woman, she loved me, we get along great, her daughter respected me, my father liked her, my brother, effectively, gave me the green light to pursue the relationship, but I was guilty of “paralysis by analysis.” I could battle a legalist over the grace of God, take on an atheist over the fact of God and defend the uniqueness and truth of Christianity with any unbeliever. But, I could overcome my own fears in order to be with the woman I loved! She was the perfect example of 1 Corinthians 13 love. As much as a person can be, she was patient, kind, unselfish, forgiving, trusting, hopeful and encouraging. In fact, she is the sole reason behind why I started writing publically about my faith. The things I have written to her helped her so much she thought others should share in it as well. But, like with all of us, her patience eventually ran out and she decided to move on with her life. I couldn’t believe, and still can’t, why I didn’t snatch her up for myself. It is so easy to give advice, but not as easy to live out the advise you give despite how true you know it to be.

The Bible says that there “is no fear in love... But, perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).” Our relationship is a perfect example of this truth. It is ironic that one of the reasons we got so close was because I helped her through a time in her life when she had been hurt and afraid of being alone. Yet, I lost her because I was afraid to be together and now I am hurt and alone. It made me ask myself, “What do you do when you fail yourself?” So often Christianity is portrayed as believers going out and helping a hurting world because we have been healed in Christ. This is true, but sometimes the true meaning of what Jesus accomplished for us is only understood when we experience a self-inflicted wound. Because this relationship I was in didn’t start out the way I was used to, didn’t develop in the way in which I would have preferred and was with a woman I was not used to being involved with, I ended up single. We are still great friends and I can only hope that one day I may get a second chance to do it right. But, I am glad that through it all, it drove me closer to the Lord. It brought to mind just how much listening to the wrong people can influence a person instead of listening to the Lord. However, in the midst of all I have been through I can only thank God that nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:39) and most of all that “God, who has called [me] into fellowship with His Son, is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9).” My prayer is that my experience will help some of you realize that despite our mistakes and the fact that life isn’t perfect, no matter how much we wish it were, that God is faithful, will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and will always be with you in the midst of your troubles; even when you bring those troubles on yourself.

God Bless

Christian Repeat Offenders

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, recidivism, is defined as "a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior. " Most often this term is used to described criminals who go back to the same lifestyle, or repeat the same crimes, after they have been released from prison. I am not a criminal psychologist, but I would bet that one of the biggest problems with recidivism is that for many of these individuals, when released from prison, they go back to the environments that caused the problem in the first place. We are all creatures of habit who tend to find comfort in that which is familiar to us; good or bad. Unfortunately, for many of these criminals, they are trapped in a no-win situation. They are comfortable in prison because it is all they know. However, when they are given their freedom, they end up committing crimes and getting sent right back to prison because they are uncomfortable in the free world.

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Proverbs 26:11

There was a time when a close relative of mine said to me, "Once a Catholic always a Catholic." This was the result of a conversation we had about my salvation and my exposure to that religion growing up. Now, out of respect for this person, I did not carry the conversation further. However, this statement gives insight into how many Christians, of all denominations, feel about their religion. Like myself, exposure to these belief systems happens at an early age and continues on from that point. Their are those that don't know anything outside of the experience of their own particular faith. And, sadly, many of these Christian religions have their followers trapped within them despite the error that many of them promote. Thus, when someone discovers the freedom and liberty we have in Christ they are ill-equipped to deal with what that means to them and their Christian life. And, like the criminal released from prison, they go back to their faiths because it is the most familiar to them. They are more than willing to keep subjecting themselves to the error they are taught because they don't know how to be independent of their church and dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ. They are, effectively, like a dog returning to its vomit and the fool who repeats his folly.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Galatians 5: 1-4

One of the appeals of being institutionalized, even if it means being a criminal, must be the structure that it supplies the individual. Each day is scheduled for the inmate from the time they awake, to when they eat, to when they get recreation, to the time the go to bed. That is why when they are released into the free world they have problems adjusting to being in control of their own lives. They no longer have any guidance and the result is they end up falling back to the old habits that eventually lead right back to prison. After all, an idle mind is the devil's playground. So it is within the Body of Christ.When you spend 20, 30, 40 years or more, within an organized church, you don't have any clue what it means to be led by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, you go back to the ways of your particular denomination. And most of the time these denominations are legalistic in their approach to the Christian life. They have no problem laying out what they feel you need to be doing in order to please them and, ultimately, please God. And most individuals are fine with it, even if it is in error, because they don't know anything about the Lord living the Christian life in and through them. But, scripture is clear that when you have subjected yourself to the burdens of religion, you have fallen from grace and, even worse, made Christ of no value to you at all! The Body of Christ is not an organization that we need to support and allow to run our lives. The Body of Christ is an organism, made up of individuals, who have rested in the finished work of Christ on the cross and are allowing Him to lead them from within in the power of His resurrected life.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ... Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Colossians 2: 8, 20-23

What is prison for, if not to restrain sensual indulgence by keeping criminals locked up? Their inability, if you will, to not handle, not taste and not touch, is what got them sent to prison in the first place. That is why many of them go right back to their old behaviors when they are freed from prison. All prison did was modify their behavior for the time they were held there, but once they left there was nothing to restrain their natural tendencies any longer. Your average religion isn't any different as it tries to modify the behavior of the Body through human traditions that don't work any better at changing our behavior than your average criminal. Why is that? Because you may be able to change someones behavior through threat of incarceration or God's wrath, but you can't change their heart. The only way to change a heart is through a personal encounter with, and acceptance of, Jesus Christ. He, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, changes a person from within by changing their heart and their desires. The byproduct of that is a change of behavior. It is basic human nature to rebel against not being able to do something. That is why prisoners try to escape from prison and even why some Christians destroy their reputations by endulging in sinful behaviors when they are out from underneath the heavy hand of religion. God didn't come to put us in bondage to rules and human regulations. He already had the law for that purpose. God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, wants us to rest from self-righteous works and trust in Him totally to lead and guide us from within. It is in this way that we are able to be set free and not return to that which bound us up.