Paul, one who was chosen by God’s desire and sent forth to testify of Jesus Christ. I address this letter to the new creation of God in Corinth, for you are those who have been claimed for God’s own possession in Christ Jesus, together with everyone everywhere who miraculously recognize the risen Jesus Christ as the very source of life itself, for they belong to him as surely as we do.

To you I proclaim this freely bestowed favor and assurance from God our father and from the one who is our all in all, Jesus Christ. For this grace was freely given to you in Christ, and because of this I thank God concerning you, for you have already been made immeasurably rich in all things in him - yes, immeasurably rich in all speech and all knowledge - even as the witness of Christ himself was validated in you, a witness declaring that you lack nothing regarding that which has been given, as you eagerly await the miraculous revelation of the one who is our everything, Jesus Christ, who will also validate you to the end, perfectly blameless in the day of Jesus Christ, who has become our all in all. God can be counted on to bring this to pass, as it is through Him that you were called into the total sharing of His son, Jesus Christ, our everything.

My brothers, I urge you to find your true agreement according to one name, Jesus Christ - our mutual life-source - and put an end to the divisions that have been erected among you! Instead of the fractured mess you force together into a false unity I encourage you to find your completeness in the same mind and in the same judgment - which is that of Christ. I say this because it has been brought to my attention that there is much contention and in-fighting among you.

As I’ve come to understand it each one of you has been naming yourselves according to men and saying things like, “I am of Paul,” and “I am of Apollos,” and “I am of Cephas,” and “I am of Christ.” Since when did Christ get divided? And when was Paul crucified for you? Furthermore, was it in the name of Paul that your testimony of faith in Christ was publicly made known? I thank God I wasn’t involved in any of these welcome-to-the-family events except that of Crispus and Gaius, because I surely wouldn’t want any of you to suggest your membership in Christ was somehow attached to my name! I also recall officiating the public welcome of Stephanus’ family into the faith … and if I happen to be overlooking any other I am not concerned, as it’s unimportant, because Christ did not send me as the validator of faith, but to simply declare the good news. I do not do this according to the persuasive power of one who knows how to use words to bring about a desired effect, for that would only negate the real power of the cross of Christ.

After all, the message of the cross is absurd, for it makes no sense to those who are passing away, but to us who are being delivered it is the power of God. From the written record, “I will bring the wisdom of the wise to an end, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will throw away.” And so I ask you … where is the wise, and the recorder of this world’s wisdom, as well as the disputer of this enlightened age? Hasn’t God drained all of its significance so that it has become nothing but babbling foolishness? After all, it was God who - by his understanding - set it up so that this enlightened age - by its understanding - would never understand him. However, God was delighted in doing the very thing that could never work, which was to send messengers declaring what could only be understood as insanity – and then deliver those who believe the unbelievable message!

But what of the radical differences in this world’s reasoning? I tell you, all such distinctions are immaterial. For the institutional Christian mind is hung up on outward fleshly indicators, while the rational assume their advanced knowledge will lead them into all truth. But our message - Christ crucified - is accepted by neither. For the religious mind, though attached to his name and strengthened by its established practices and doctrines, is still offended by its impotent savior. As for the scientifically enlightened mind? It only perceives him as the symbol of primitive ignorance! But to those who have heard him Christ has become something else entirely. To those rescued from religious bondage he has become the power of God; while to those who rejected him according to their higher knowledge he has become the wisdom of God! Because Christ, who is judged as the absurdity of God, blows man’s wisdom away … and Christ, who is judged as the weakness of God, destroys the fortifications of the religious mind!

Do you need any other proof regarding what I say than to consider your own status in society before having heard him? After all, how many of you were considered wise according the standards of this world? How many of you held positions of power? How many of you were held in high esteem? Not very many. For God has deliberately chosen the ignorant to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong, the dishonorable and the despised, yes, and the things that are not, in order to make nothing of the things that are, in order to remove any and all possible reason one might boast before God. But it is of God that you are in Christ Jesus! For Christ has become our wisdom (not intellectual wisdom, but that which is from God). Christ has also become our true righteousness, and our belongingness to God, and our total completeness, so that our boasting is found in God alone … which is testified to in written words held sacred by the institution, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

My dear family, I want you to consider the manner in which I handled myself among you, especially in relation to how I declared the message of God. Did I ever speak in a way as to suggest I was somehow above you? Or did I ever demand that you needed more schooling in order to understand my true meaning? You know I didn't. The truth is that I had already made up my mind to recognize nothing among you except Jesus Christ, the one who because of the cross is deemed foolish by some and weak by others. 1 After all, weren't my own weaknesses and fears clearly revealed while I was with you? And didn't I let my guard down while speaking to you of Christ, to the point that I was often visibly shaken? For my words were not cleverly designed to manipulate you to follow me, rather both what I said and how I said it demanded that any results would have to be God's doing, so that there would be no possible way your faith could ever be rationalized by man's logic - whether scientific or religious - but would rest solely on the power of God!

It's not that our words are irrational, for we in fact speak knowledge among those who have been made complete. However, the knowledge we speak has no relation to man's highly-praised intellect - whether scientific or religious - nor that of its highest ranking members, who are passing away. Instead, we declare God's hidden knowledge as a secret revealed, a move predetermined by God before the dawn of man to our honor.

Know for a fact that not one of the superior members of this age has understood God's wisdom. After all, if they had understood it they would have never crucified the one who truly ranks first in everything and who is worthy of all honor. Of course, had the scholars of God actually figured him out they would have recognized what was written, "The eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, nor has the mind imagined what God has prepared for those who love him". But that which could not be seen, heard, or imagined has been revealed to us by God through his own spirit! For everything of God is exposed to his own spirit's gaze, even his deepest secrets. Isn't it the same with men? After all, who knows what makes a man tick and what it is that he hides, other than the spirit of that man? Well, the same holds true with God. For no one except the spirit of God knows the things of God. That makes God's spirit is the secret behind the secret knowledge of God.

What we have now been given in Christ is not the spirit of man's wisdom, it is in fact the very spirit of God. God has done this so that we may know what he has freely given to us. And this is what we also speak, not in formulated words crafted according to learned systems of man's reasoning, but in words freely spoken - taught by God himself. For spiritual resonates within spiritual. But a natural man has no receptor for the things of the spirit of God, making spiritual wisdom appear as ignorance to him; for he is not able to understand our words, because the things of which we speak are spiritually appraised. But he who has the spirit appraises all things, and yet he himself is appraised by no man, for as written, "who has known the mind of the Lord ... who will instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

• 1. "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

  This has been one of my favorite statements for many years because it strips away any pretense in how I might regard others. It is one thing for Paul to say that he determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ, but it is often misunderstood why he added the part, "and him crucified." It is not a religious comment designed to keep believers ever sorrowful and mindful of the pains and suffering of Jesus' bloody death on the cross. Rather, it is added to filter out both the religious element of the Jew and the intellectual element of the Greek. With this simple added statement, Paul declares what he does not consider important in how he regards any of them, for it removes any distinction a man could hold above another. Of course, it would only be consistent for Paul to have shown how what he wrote just previous to this ties into how he sees them, wouldn't it? :)

  To those believers who were Jews - and therefore, to the superior, authoritative religious mind - the statement "and him crucified" disregards any fleshly sense of superiority through power, authority, higher standing, righteousness, holiness, insight, etc. To those believers who were Greeks - and therefore, to the superior intellect mind - the statement "and him crucified" disregards any fleshly claims of superiority through intellect, science, advanced knowledge, etc. With three words, boom .... gone are all possible reasons one might use to lift himself above another.

  Anyhow, as is my custom in considering how to restate what a Biblical author might have meant by his words, I have gone back and have been rephrasing a few things in chapter 2 after getting further along with 3 and 4. You might notice changes being made all the way through until I finish the whole letter. And very possibly more whenever I get into 2 Corinthians (because they tie very closely together). So, instead of leaving the phrase "and him crucified" as it was, I have expanded on it to keep it from being understood in its long-standing religious sense.

  I changed it from this:

  For the truth is that I had already made up my mind to recognize nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

  To this:

  The truth is that I had already made up my mind to recognize nothing among you except Jesus Christ, the one who because of the cross is deemed foolish by some and weak by others.

However, in spite of the mind we shared in Christ I was unable to communicate to you accordingly. The truth is, I had to speak to you as if your minds were underdeveloped. 1 2 Of course, I knew you wanted more, but I also knew the longing for more was stirred by those former delusions of higher reasoning. Believe me, I was not the one holding you back. Instead, you constrained me to connect everything I said to your fleshly logic before I could move on. And after all this time you still cannot get beyond your issues to hear what I would tell you.

Are you truly unaware of the source of your heated rivalries? Do you really not know why everything among you revolves around competition? Could it have anything to do with the fact that the fleshly mind causes you to regard yourselves only by what you are outwardly? For when you boast in men as you do - one associating himself with Paul, another with Apollos - aren't you identifying yourselves according to appearances?

What are Apollos and Paul to you? They are men who served you, men through whom you believed, men enabled by God. I may have planted the seed, and Apollos may have watered it, but the growing was all God's doing. What I'm saying is that since God causes the growth, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters can be considered as having anything to do with it, as if either one made it happen. 3

How do you rationalize the idea of competition between one who plants and one who waters? For even though each will receive benefits according to how he plays his own part, they are still one. As for myself and Apollos, we are God's co-workers; as for you, you are God's garden, his building. Now, God gave me the wisdom to perform as an architect so that I could lay a foundation for the building that you are. Others have come behind me to build upon that foundation, but I urge each who does so to take great care in how he builds upon it. The foundation, Jesus Christ, has already been laid. Anyone attempting to lay another cannot succeed.

Now regarding builders, some use quality materials while others use junk made to look good. However each man's work will become known for what it is, for the day of reckoning is coming when the storms test the quality of what each man built. If a builder's work stands firm upon the foundation he will be recognized accordingly. If any man's work is destroyed his reputation as a builder will suffer, but he will be delivered through the very thing that destroyed his work.

Don't you know who you are? You are God's dwelling ... his Spirit lives in you! And if you think any man will get away with ruining God's abode, think again, because God will ruin him. For the building of God - that's you - is his own protected possession.

Let no man fall for his own BS. If anyone among you supposes that true knowledge is based upon his IQ, let him become ignorant so that he may become wise. For the IQ of this world is ignorance to God. For it is written that God is "the one who traps the wise in the web of their own scheming"; and also, "The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are worthless."

So give up the ridiculous attempts at making yourself look good by finding your identity in men. After all, everything that is really something is yours! And I mean everything: the men who serve you (whether Paul or Apollos or Peter), the world, life, death, that which exists and that which will exist. It's all yours. And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

• 1. Paul's comments to the Corinthian believers are tailored to fit specifically with their perceptions. Pulled out as general principles, as in the concept of "milk" versus "meat", will only make a mess of what he actually wrote ... and what they actually heard.

  Paul had addressed the spiritual appraisal of the spiritual man just previous to these comments about milk and solid food. The general consensus among the people was not that they were babies/immature, but that their natural understandings had somehow elevated them to be able to better understand God. It's perhaps a very similar thing to those who believe that a drug-induced state of mind is more in tune with God.

  Just this week (first week of August 2007) I had some correspondence with a woman who perceives that her intelligence gives her a better discernment regarding the things of God. She took great offense when I suggested that she thought too much of herself, her intellect, her bloodline (she is a Jew), her sensitivity.

  In this verse, Paul reflects back on the truth behind what really took place between their times together. He does it for a reason. That reason is intricately connected to their assumptions of wisdom, to their belief that they had partaken of God's truth in a way that corresponded to their own higher powers of reasoning. The arrogance of Greek wisdom had them viewing themselves accordingly, and they incorporated the stuff of God into that reasoning. They saw themselves as deep, as superior. Paul puts it all into perspective by likening their relationship as a mother who breast-feeds her babies, not as one spiritual giant among others chewing upon the deep things of God.

  Once again, if you read the whole of the two Corinthians letters together you cannot help but recognize the attitudes of superiority they held. They would not have come to these comments about being "babies in Christ" as some kind of statement as to the natural "process" of growing in Christ. It would have hit them right between the eyes of their delusion of higher reasoning capabilities through fleshly reasoning.

  To try to figure out what constitutes "milk" or "solid food" is mostly bogus, for its real understanding was connected to their intellectual-based delusion of superiority. "Milk" might be deemed as "deep" by believers who make their appraisal based on human reasoning; "meat" or "solid food" is whatever they are not actually chewing on.

  Now, to express this simple reality as concisely as possible is not as simple as it may seem, for it is not a matter of just getting an accurate translation of the original words (if we even have all the exact words, that is). It is a recapturing of the hand that fits the glove, the glass shoe that fits the foot. Consider a story you've read or a movie you've seen with a surprise ending. Once experienced, you can never go back and recapture the exact sensation (unless you have short-term memory loss). However, as long as you remember the experience and recall the reasons why it hit you as it did you will appreciate it is for what it was. Forget that and you won't understand that others may be going through exactly what you did.

• 2. More random thoughts on the milk versus solid food contrast:
  Many of the Corinthian believers were obviously not satisfied with what Paul gave them. He gave them that which was easy to digest, he called it milk. They wanted more, but a "more" that fit into their former reasoning. They liked the feeling of power and prestige that came with knowledge. The idea of milk from his standpoint was most likely different than it was from theirs. He had to speak to them in view of their reasoning, and it held him back.

  Consider what he wrote at the end of the second letter concerning this very thing:
  2Co 11:17 What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
  2Co 12:1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
  2Co 12:11 I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.

  While we might evaluate this presentation of "milk" - speaking as in foolishness - as something unspiritual, there is more to it. Consider:

  2Co 12:19 All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved.

  The milk Paul gave the Corinthians is understood by his speaking in Christ in such a way as to deal with their issues, all the while being constrained by the foolishness of their former wisdom. In other words, he spoke in Christ by making his own boastful comparisons. He would rather not have to do that, but he would use any means. He spoke only in the FORM of foolishness, for he was not trying to defend himself or to make himself look better in any way.

  While the Corinthians no doubt found a measure of freedom through Paul's message, their own former logic forced much of it to conform. Considering what he wrote in the second letter:

  2Co 1:12 For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.
  2Co 1:13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end;
  2Co 1:14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

  They did in fact partially understand what Paul and Apollos had spoken to them. After Paul left, men rose up among them (or came in from outside) and offered their versions of the "deeper" understanding their former logic craved. It was all about comparisons and gaining superiority above others.

• 3. Divisions: in reference to "planting and watering"

  Now other than the one verse where he included the names of Cephas and Christ (1:12), Paul figuratively applied what he wrote to himself and Apollos. His stated purpose was: "so that IN US you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other." His approach thwarted any opportunist in the group by giving him no place to conveniently launch into his own agenda.

  I suspect that numerous among the Corinthians impatiently waited for that right moment - just the mention of a name - only to realize that the opportunity passed them by. Some had schemed to go beyond ("exceed") what Paul had written in order to use it as a promotion of one above another, but Paul nipped that in the bud by writing as if it was all about himself and Apollos. Of course, there was far more to it than just silencing the opportunists. Paul used the conflict among them to highlight the night and day distinction between that which is of God and that which is of flesh, that which is permanent and that which is temporal.

  While it is true that many of them had believed through Paul and then later continued to learn through Apollos in his absence, Paul was using Apollos and himself to comment on the current trend of competition for importance and authority among the community of believers.

  For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
  (1 Corinthians 3:4-11)

  By figuratively applying these things to himself and Apollos, Paul placed this issue into perspective for the Corinthians. How so? By forcing a square peg in a round hole ... one that so obviously didn't fit. The very idea that Paul or Apollos could have been competitors in Christ was totally absurd. It smacked against everything Paul had ever said and everything they had known him to be. His applied presentation contrasted a hypothetical Paul and Apollos with the men they had known.

  But that was not the whole of it, for there was a flip side. You see, the Corinthians would have been mentally filling in the blanks with some very familiar names, which would have resulted in yet another contradiction. Just as the Corinthians would not have been able to picture Paul and Apollos as sect leaders, they most certainly would not have been able to imagine the unnamed rivals as being fellow workers cooperating with one another. Competition between the factions led by these men gave rise to the jealousy and strife that ran rampant throughout the group. Division defined these rivals. Whereas Paul depended upon God to cause the growth, the rivals depended upon man-made divisions, jealousy and strife to strengthen those they led.

Why, then, do you compare Apollos and myself to those who boast in themselves and in their own accomplishments? See us for who we are, for we are servants of another, who is Christ. Regard us not as those who build their own kingdoms but as those who have been made managers of God’s mysteries. And as trustworthiness is required for managers in the realm of man, it is far more important in the realm of God. 1

God has examined me and found me trustworthy. I am not the least bit concerned about your scrutiny, nor that of any court of man. I don’t even examine myself, for I am aware of nothing against myself! However, I am not freed from all charges based upon my own obliviousness to things that might be held against me, instead, my confidence is found in knowing that the one who examines me is the Lord.

And since this is the case, let your judgment against others be suspended until the time God reveals all things. For he will uncover that which is hidden in darkness, and he will make known the motives behind why people do what they do. That’s why I tell each and every one of you to wait for God’s approval.

My dear brothers, I am quite sure by now that you are wondering why I’ve been inserting the names of Paul and Apollos where you know good and well I’m referring to someone else, that is, to those who have become important among you. Believe me when I tell you that I have done this for your own good. For in not naming those who love to be named, I have removed the opportunity for anyone to stretch what I have written into some kind of an endorsement of one man or one group above another.

Where do you get off thinking you are so much better than anyone else? After all, what do you have that was not given to you? So then, if what you have has been given to you, how can you brag about it as if it was not given to you? What I mean is that you boast about being already filled and already made rich, as if you had somehow achieved it. You brag about how you’ve been made kings … kings without us!

Ah, to reign as kings with you, now that would be nice. However, it seems to me that God has put us — the ones he sent to you with the good news — in last place. For while you parade yourselves around as victors at the head of the line, receiving praise from one another, we are dragged behind as prisoners of war, as men condemned to death. Our public humiliation has become entertainment for all who see us.

My purpose in writing as I have is not to shame you, but to break through your fleshly understanding with true comprehension — you who are my beloved children. It makes no difference how many teachers you might have in Christ, it makes no difference how many claim authority over you, they are not your fathers — for in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the good news. Therefore I address you as a father and impress upon you to follow my example — although it will be judged foolish by those who appear wise among you.

And this is why I have sent Timothy to you, for he is a precious and faithful son to me in the Lord. He knows my ways in Christ, the very same as I teach everywhere in every gathering of Christ. As you seem to have forgotten, he will remind you of those ways.

I know there are some who have puffed themselves up under the assumption that I’m not coming back, but I have every intention of doing so — and soon, if the Lord desires it. And when I get there, I’m going to find out what those airbags are really made of. But I am not coming to play word games, rather I’m going to find out if they have any strength behind them. After all, God’s kingdom is not built of words, but of power.

So, how do you want me to return? Do you want me to come after the manner of your esteemed leaders — that is, like a strict disciplinarian? Or do you want me to come as the one you remember — that is, with love and a gentle spirit? 2

 

• 1. Although my treatment may seem rather long-winded for these two short verses, I have only expanded upon them to bring the often overlooked context more in view. Unless we keep what had actually happened among the believers in view (which was contention, competitiveness, boasting, and such) we tend to misread and misunderstand the verses according to our own assumptions.
• 2. Of course, I’m sure some will question my interpretation, as if I’ve totally read this idea into the mix. However, consider that how Paul addressed this very thing near the end of the second letter (2 Corinthians 10-11) reveals that, though not expressed at this juncture, this is more to the heart of his unspoken point. You see, we might not pick it up, but the Corinthians could not have mistaken his meaning. That’s why I add it in here, because we need to recognize the connection. There’s no doubt that Paul had been given authority by God to deal in whatever manner he deemed fit, but woven in and out through both letters we are given insight into Paul’s heart toward those he loved, and he bent over backwards to be gentle towards them. In fact, he tells them that he almost expected to be humiliated before them and he would end up mourning over them. This type of outcome was totally opposite to that of those who were puffed up. Consider Paul’s description:
  For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold–I speak in foolishness–I am just as bold myself.  2 Corinthians 11:20-21

This open letter comes to you from one of the many nobodies God has called. I bring good news to you who struggle with sin and bondage and with the truth of freedom. Just so you know, I am not backed by any kind of religious establishment, for my message is rejected by most. I am well aware that what I'm about to tell you will sound overly simplistic and out of touch with reality. Despite what may appear, there's nothing that happens in your life that is not directly affected by the freedom of Christ. It was to deliver us from this present evil world that he gave himself for our sins.

I have viewed the Christian scene for decades, and it disturbs me. It disturbs me because you are so willing to try any means of freedom other than Christ himself. Sure, many will agree that grace is important, but their version of grace is pathetic. You have been so influenced by the religious system and all its methods of freedom the idea that grace is all you need probably sounds ridiculous. What I want to know is, what formula or program have you settled for to help you cope with daily living? Although it may seem to work for a time, I'm telling you that it's not freedom.

There is only one message that brings freedom, and it has been twisted for centuries. It makes no difference who offers it to you – whether a messenger from God or a respected preacher – anyone who tells you there is freedom in anything other than Christ and his finished work should be viewed as offering death! If a restaurant served me their dinner special that had rotten meat with maggots in it, I wouldn't be fooled by the propaganda that claimed it was fresh, would you? Why then, do you accept a perversion of freedom as being the real thing?

There are lots of deceivers who say they believe in grace. Of course, if they actually did believe it, would they be so caught up in the reputation game? Oh, I know what it's like to be considered an authority in spiritual things, for it used to be important to me, too. I don't care that the system doesn't validate me. You know what? If religious validation was important to me, then I wouldn't want anything to do with Jesus Christ, because the system didn't validate Him, either.

Many have claimed that I have nothing different to offer, that I'm just a product of my upbringing. Sure, I've studied theology and I've read many important men's views, but I didn't learn this message of freedom from a book or from a man. This truth comes from Christ. If He hadn't opened my eyes to it, I wouldn't have seen it. I used to resist this freedom just as many of you have. Although I had shown great promise and was actively involved in ministry, I turned out to be quite a disappointment to my teachers, my peers, and my family. Believe me, I heard and felt their condescension.

You see, I thought I already knew God's grace, but what was being revealed to me began to blow my whole belief system apart! God, who makes no mistakes, purposed this inconvenient interruption before I was even born. Had I followed the advice of my peers I would have abandoned this so-called heresy before it ruined my chances of operating within the system! Why do I tell you this? So that you don't try to credit any man with the message of freedom that I speak. Its understanding comes directly from God! And what proof do I offer? Only that those who hear me give God the credit for it.

Did you know there were spies among us? Or did you think we had nothing worth spying on? We might be naive, but deceivers can detect the slightest scent of freedom. Haven't you noticed how someone always seems to be around to squash it? They're in bondage and can't stand the thought that someone else could be free. If I seem unbending it's only in this. The fact is that someone wants to take this from you. Don't you see what they are doing with their programs and their entrance requirements? Don't you see the distinctions they use to split believers? They talk about unity, but their words would convince you that you are a lesser Christian who should go to the next level by a dedication or an action. Fill in the blanks, it's all the same! “Because I fall short in ___ I must do ___ in order to get ___ !”

The written formula makes it look more like the program that it is, doesn't it?  And it forces you to put on a mask! For how can you evaluate someone through the reality of Christ when the system demands that you judge them by the flesh? We can do such stupid stuff under that influence! These programs may seem so biblically correct, but haven't you seen how it has been used to categorize? If there are Spirit-filled Christians, then do the rest not have the Spirit? If there are obedient Christians, are all others disobedient Christians? The list is almost endless, but the distinction is the same: some Christians have it and some don't! And because we have read the Bible in view of the formula, it seems to support the formula.

Look at it another way. Let's say you do the so-called spiritual thing and join an accountability group, and in the process you discover just how carnal you are. Do you think it is Christ who tells you that you are still a sinner? Do you really think it is His Spirit who convicts you of sin? If I put myself back into the system that sets one above another, who is convicting me of carnality, and who is calling me a sinner?  I am!

Christ has nothing more to do with sin. Don't you get it? It is the old system of rules that killed me. It is that death (through Christ) that removed me from the system of rules. And His death also removed me from the sin. He did this to make me alive to God! For when Christ was crucified, I was crucified. The sinner I used to be is no longer alive, and Christ has become my very life! This life I am now living in this body I live by the faith that has its source in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me.

So, do you think we should void out the grace of God with another message of freedom? Listen up. If you can really find freedom from the things that overpower you in this life by following some kind of a program or system with steps to victory, then Christ didn't have to die at all! It would all have been for nothing!

Have you gone insane? You act as if you're under a spell. Remember when you saw this life in Jesus as miraculous? Don't you remember that His death put an end to what you used to be? Tell me just one thing: this new life - the Spirit of Christ living in you - did it come from something you did? Or was it a miracle that came through faith? You know the Spirit came and made you alive by the miracle of hearing! But do you think you can make the new life better by something you do? If that's what you think, you are insane!

I know they claim to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but how have they set themselves up as the authorities of spirituality? The word they study doesn't support such an arrogant attitude. I know you have your own Bible and you check out what they tell you, but you validate it by following their system of interpretation. Man's wisdom will always justify itself!

You have been convinced that your relationship with God is a changing thing - here one day, but gone the next. You might call it fellowship, and speak of being in or out of it. Or you might call it knowing God, getting closer to God, getting right with God, or abiding in Christ. However you refer to it, the result is always the same: You become convinced that you are not as close to God as you should be!

How is it that you have missed the reality of salvation? Could it be that you have fallen for the concept that this thing called salvation means going to heaven? Maybe that's why it has little affect on how you see yourself right now. Maybe that's why you see no true salvation in your day to day living. That's why you look elsewhere for freedom.

The promise of having the righteousness of God is not found within a program, nor can we get closer to it by anything we do. The Bible everyone quotes from declares that believers are already made the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those who hold to the Bible as an instruction book have only turned it into a book of rules - a curse - for by it they are always lacking. Following solid, Biblical principles is not of faith. Christ has delivered us from the curse by becoming the curse for us. By what He did, we have received the promise of the Spirit through faith.

I know many Bible verses seem to suggest more than what I'm telling you, but do you think any will contradict its main promise? The promise was made to Christ, so in order to receive a promise given to Christ you would have to be in union with Him. The promise of being one with God through His Son was made way before there were any Bible verses and before there were any programs derived from such verses. Somebody has been reading it all wrong, because if this promise is given by obedience on your part then it's not a promise. Those who tell you differently just don't understand the book they study.

I know you've heard different views on the law, but its purpose was to push law-breaking to the max. I know it doesn't sound right, but it's not open to debate. And it sure throws the concept of being made better by obedience right out the door. If it made anyone better, then God made a major goof. But there is no conflict between the law and the promise - one kills, the other makes alive!

Before Christ came, God's people were separated from a life of faith through the law. They were like little children who had to be led about by the hand, they needed supervision. But now that faith has come, those who belong to Him are not under a supervisor. So while you're considering one of the programs that ranks your spirituality among your peers, I have a question to ask. Don't you know who you are? ALL of you who believe in Christ are equal as sons of God and there is nothing that separates one from another or puts some in a better class than the rest!

Now, Israel was supposed to live under the law, for God gave the law as a nanny to keep his wandering kids in line. Their life consisted of a series of punishments and rewards that dogged their every step. But this is exactly what Christ came to get them out of. They were imprisoned by the same kind of performance standards we know all too well. And they longed for the coming of the promise.

The intimidation you feel is not from God but from the system. Where do you get the idea that membership means anything to God? The time for His people to be led about by the hand in such a way is long gone. But many, like little children forming a clubhouse with rules to join, want to say who does or doesn't belong. But if you don't belong how has the Spirit of God caused you to call out to the true God as “Daddy”? If He has been sent into the outsiders, then true freedom is also available for the insiders. This means that those in the system have no advantage over those who are not a part of it.

Do you know what you really misunderstand? The way your life operated as an unbeliever is no different than how religious people function. Don't you realize that we were all stuck in the same “That's just the way life is” mentality? But now that you've found God - or should I say, since God found you - where does this desire come from to return to that pathetic concept of life? Were you taken out of your slavery and into His freedom only to trade it off for their slavery? Just look at the religious rituals you have constructed in an attempt to keep yourselves in line!

So, who am I that you would listen to me? If you were to do some research you would no doubt come away quite disappointed in what you discovered. I would have to agree with you when you asked, “Would God send somebody so unqualified on such an important mission?” And yet I'll tell you: be like me, because I'm no different than you! If you hear me - and in that hearing, you hear Jesus - you'll know with a certainty that it is not because of my impressive reputation. And if I am telling you the truth will you consider me your enemy?

Those who are appealing to you with a different concept of freedom aren't being honest with you. Don't you see through their concern into their hidden agenda? Aren't you aware of the techniques they use to get you to seek them out? My God, don't you know they've learned that if they shut the door on you, you'll do whatever it takes to get back in? Of course it's always good when someone seeks you if it's truly for your good, and if it's not just when someone else is watching.

You say you want to live your life by solid, Biblical principles, or that you want to do the right thing, or WWJD … don't you hear the implications of such performance-oriented motivations? Looking to such programs have perverted godly desires.  Think not? The story of Abraham and his TWO sons give a different perspective.

God made a promise that didn't seem to be working, so Sarah decided God needed their help and convinced Abraham to have sex with her slave-girl. Of course it was a mistake, but to them it had the appearance of godliness. Don't you think they prayed for God's will before, during and after the act? You've been there enough times yourself. God didn't give them a child until they ran out of options and saw the impossibility of the promise.

The issue of belonging to God is one of legitimacy. In other words, who is the rightful heir? As with Abraham's sons, the appearance of being first in line is an illusion, and so the miracle child ended up being harassed by his older brother. And it shouldn't take a brain-surgeon to figure out the motivation, for that stupid little kid was getting his inheritance! Ishmael's taunts would have been designed to undermine Isaac's sense of identity, which is the same questioning of your own identity as a rightful heir of God through Christ. How many times has your salvation been questioned? How many times has it been suggested that you don't really belong to Him or that you have a lower standing? How many doctrines have categorized you as illegitimate – as a bastard? Haven't you noticed that the productivity of the flesh always questions the productivity of the Spirit? Its message is that you cannot trust freedom to produce anything of worth! But if you hear the simple lesson of Sarah and Abraham you will find that you have a reason to rejoice when you can't see any fruit, or when it appears as if nothing is happening!

Christ set us free for freedom, don't let anybody convince you otherwise! You are no longer in the prison you grew up in, why do you live as if it's part of your new reality? Let me be very blunt. If you give into the system's requirement (whatever it is) you won't need Christ! Or didn't you know that this token religious requirement bull is only a scam to lure you in? Those of you who have found your worth in your performance have cut Christ right out of your daily living. You've slipped from operating in freedom, and are living as if you had not been taken out of your former prison!

Have you learned nothing from all your Bible study? Don't you know how true godliness is brought about? What does the story of Abraham and the promise tell you? When everything inside you screams out that you have to do something spiritual, refuse that lie and live in view of what God has done. Expect Him to perform His work in you to His satisfaction in His time. Of course it doesn't appear as if it's working. But hasn't the child of your own performance convinced you that you'll keep getting the same worthless results? For your life in Christ Jesus has nothing to do with what you do or what you don't do; instead, your life is a miracle of faith operating through love.

Don't kid yourself, your attempts at obedience have only gotten in the way of the reality of obedience. Who has convinced you to pursue this counterproductive course of self-effort? It's not God, so don't even go there! And it only takes a little bit of this poison to permeate all of your thought processes. I only wish that whoever is doing this to you will have their imprisonment made openly obvious. There's only one reason you'll hear someone trying to twist what I say to fit with their system: they don't want their rejection of true freedom to go public.

Refuse to let their system of performance pervert your freedom! For when you turn freedom into a set of Biblical principles you effectively re-establish a structure where your world revolves around sin and not around love by which you serve one another. Don't you know that the whole system of doing is fulfilled by love? So why do you revert to principles that only establish a system of measurement by which you tear each other up? I advise you to take care because you will eventually destroy one another!

Instead of continuing down this performance-oriented, sin-conscious road to mutual destruction, I suggest you live your life in the expectation that God's Spirit is the One doing His work in you. This is the only reality you can fall back on to curtail evil desires.

Don't kid yourself, the stuff of your old life goes against everything of the Spirit - and vice versa. We're talking total opposition. That means that you can't produce any spirituality just because you want to, nor can you keep from doing evil by any attempts on your part! You can't do it and you know it because you've tried and it doesn't work! But if the Spirit of Christ really is the One doing the work in you, then you are not under the law.

But look what you have settled for. Public programs that spotlight moral issues (which only seem to reveal the immorality of any who get caught in its glare)! Living in the fallacy that life is as it appears to the senses. Dissatisfaction with who you are and what you have. Seeking God's will in the same manner as those who consult the horoscope. Holding to principles that establish a system by which you can scrutinize one another, resulting in hatred, jealousy, despising and resentment. A system that promotes disputes and challenges. A mentality that goes nuts when it can't change or control someone else. The formation of new programs or teachings to subdivide the body of Christ. A neatly packaged facade that is really out of control, and displays the addictive characteristics of giving into anything that will help you cope with it and produce the illusion that all is well!

Spirituality is not found within these parameters.  So don't give in to the enticements no matter how right they seem!

This is what the Spirit of God produces in us. True love from within that is not explained or understood by any system. An inner rejoicing that is not conditioned upon our feelings or circumstances. An unexplained power that destroys fear and produces a compassion that allows us to deal with one another, and to treat each other with a not-of-this-world consideration.  A good that cannot be measured or compared. A life that can do nothing but believe. A gentleness found from one who took the judgment on Himself. The self-control He offers has been made possible by having killed our uncontrollable former life.

Has it escaped your notice that there are no laws against what we have in Christ? Quit with the rule-based living already, it only produces destructive comparisons.

You hear all this, and yet there's something nagging at you concerning believers who sin, isn't there? You may agree that there are problems with a life based on biblical principles, but aren't we supposed to deal with those who go against the principles? This is indeed a delicate situation, but not for the reasons you have heard. If you were to examine the question it would scream out the obvious: What causes a believer to get caught up in breaking laws anyway?

I'm talking to you who have God's Spirit, don't you realize that your brother has forgotten who he is? Be careful with your approach, for you are the one who is in danger. For when you view him as a sinner who needs your advice, you have let go of freedom and have embraced the law-based system in the exact place where God's grace is most effective, and most needed!

Forget the advice, what the guy needs is for you to lift this weight of bondage off him through the power of the message of freedom. This is where we really love one another! But those who are trying to impress the so-called less spiritual by coming across as more spiritual have fooled themselves into believing their performance ranks them above those they minister to. But if you were to examine your work without the comparison game you would discover your real worth; for it would be readily obvious that there is no place to boast except in Christ alone! Support those who teach this freedom.

What? Do you think the manipulative mindset of “If I don't do it, it won't get done!” can bypass God's decree that things produce after their own kind? It makes no difference how supposedly spiritual your attempts may be, a system of performance can only produce the seeds that produce corruption! The seed of the Spirit of God can only produce the life of God! So don't let appearances cause you to lose heart in doing that which is truly good, for the tendency to do the right thing always desires to keep you from being the living thing!

Abraham knew the discouragement that comes from seeing nothing happening; he would tell you to wait for God's results because it will come about. Don't let the impatience of your old performance mentality pressure you into trying to finish what God started. Know this: the Spirit of God is actively working in you right at this moment, as He always does.

As you discover desires of goodness (especially to a fellow believer), refuse to justify it in your mind by trying to determine what Jesus would do. You know the process. But doesn't the uncertainty of the whole thing tell you that that's the old, dead mind trying to reinterpret the desires of your new life? What else can you call it when you are asking God to give you proof of His working in you, when the reality of His life being your life has been stated as fact by the message of freedom? Stop questioning the freedom, act according to the life that is in you!

Pay close attention to what those in the system use to make themselves appear respectable, for this is what they really preach! They will urge you to conform to their program, because without it, they would be faced with the fact that their so-called Savior was despised, rejected and condemned by the same system they are part of! Aren't you aware that those who want to pull you into it are not even true to their own programs? They really only want you to join their club so they can bestow their label on you and glory in gaining one more member!

Think whatever you want to about me, but I know for myself that God has faithfully and consistently - and sometimes, painfully, I might add - removed anything by which I could boast except the very thing the world despises, which is the instrument upon which Christ was rejected by the system. It is this very thing that separates me from the world - and the world from me. The issues you hold mean nothing, nor do the lack of them mean anything, either. The only thing that counts is the new creation. God's peace is on those who are found in this.

When I wrote this letter to the believers who lived in the Galatian region I was mad! The last time I had seen them they were living in freedom and it showed in everything they thought and did and said. But it didn't appear that way to a certain group of people who thought they knew what it was to do the will of God.

Let me get right to the point: God chose me to bring the message of freedom. I was not sent by men, nor do I represent any establishment of man, nor do I have anything to do with their systems. The one who sent me is Jesus Christ … and God, His Father, who raised Him up from the dead!

I bring the grace of God, and the peace which has been made by Jesus when He died on purpose to deliver us from the hell-hole we once knew … which is the prison the whole world still lives in. The whole set-up is part of God's plan and He is the one who gets the credit for all of it … eventually, we will see what a magnificent plan it is.

You know, I've seen a lot, and it isn't easy to surprise me anymore, but this was ridiculous! I didn't know what else to say … I was shocked at how fast it happened. They were turning away from HIM, the very God who called them into the freedom of Christ!! The ironic part is that they had been deceived into thinking they were actually getting closer to Him. Imagine that!! Yeah, they had been listening to this different message of freedom. But you know what? There is no such thing!! But there were some people who were messing with their minds (yeah, I knew about them). Do you know what they really wanted? They desired to twist and pervert the message of freedom in Christ. Oh, yeah, they called it gospel alright, but it wasn't.

Guess what? I'm disturbed now because I've been watching what's been going on and you're doing the same things they did! You've got so many programs designed to make you better Christians … and you don't even realize there is no such thing. How do you get caught up in this stuff? Do you think there's more truth to it if the preacher has credentials?

You know what? I don't care if it's an angel from God … I don't care if it's me, or one of my buddies who comes and tells you something different … the message of freedom through the work of Christ on the cross, as I originally told it is the only true message. Whoever tells you a different message is to be considered as a carrier of death! I'm going to say it again. Anybody who brings you a message of freedom that is not the same one that was received from me is to be avoided as being the carrier of death!

I know what those guys said, and I know what they are saying now. I know they tell you that I endorse their false message and agree with their additions to the message of freedom. Do you really think I'm like them? Do I sound as if I'm seeking their approval? Or God's? Haha … what a joke! I keep getting kicked out of my own Bible studies! Do you think I'm looking for that pat on the back they love to get? I know what that's like. I haven't forgotten because as you well know it used to be what drove me. Get serious! If I had been looking to be the man-pleaser I used to be I sure wouldn't be hooked up with Christ … because he's not impressed with reputation.

There is something you need to know about this message of freedom that I speak: it didn't come to me in the usual way. When it came to me it by-passed all the conventions of man's wisdom. What I'm telling you is that I didn't get it from another man, I didn't learn it in some school, or read it in a book … I got it directly from Jesus Christ, Himself!! It wasn't learned … it was revealed.

You've heard about the man I used to be and the religion that consumed me; and how I did everything in my power to do away with this Jesus thing and those who belonged to him. I was on my way to the top … way ahead of most … and I was in my prime! I had a passion for the traditions of the religion of my people … my roots meant everything to me. And right in the middle of all of it God stopped me dead in my tracks. I wasn't looking for this, I thought I was doing God's will already! But it turns out that He had already picked me out for this before I was even born. Me! It pleased him to reveal his Son in and through me … the guy who was dead-set against him! He had purposed that I would be the one to take this message of freedom and preach Jesus to those who were not my people.

Let me tell you what I didn't do: from the start, I didn't consult with anybody on this revelation from God. I didn't go to Jerusalem and get together with those who had lived with Jesus to discuss this thing that had happened to me. I went away to the desert and later returned to the place I was going to when he got a hold of me. I didn't go to Jerusalem until three years later to go see Peter … and even then I only stayed with him for 15 days. The only other of the original twelve disciples I saw was James, the brother of Jesus.

Do you know why I am telling you this? And God is my witness that I am not lying when I say this: the message of freedom that I speak did not come from any man, but from God !!

My reputation became quite different than what it used to be. Those who belonged to Jesus in the Judea area didn't even know what I looked like. All they knew was that the guy who had hated them and wanted to kill them was now preaching the faith that he tried to destroy. And on account of me (isn't it ironic?) they were praising God.

I went to Jerusalem again … 14 years later. This time, though, it was for a different reason; and God had compelled me to go. My constant companion, Barnabas, went with me … and I also took this kid named Titus, because being a Greek and not a Jew he had not been circumcised.

Now, this may not mean a whole bunch to you guys, but for us it was a distinction we learned from childhood. We called people who weren't Jews the uncircumcision. It defined who we were as a people. With you, if one of your males are born in a hospital they get trimmed automatically … no ceremony, no meaning. But in my day this distinction between us and them was used by these religious men as a token requirement that could be held over non-Jews to push them into conformity. They came up with the absurd formula that you weren't really delivered by Jesus unless you were circumcised. I call it absurd because the meaning of the ritual should have been more obvious to us … it actually gave proof to God's acceptance of believers from among the uncircumcision.

(You may wonder how we knew who was and who wasn't. First, it was assumed. No one had it done unless they were Jews. The only exceptions were those who joined themselves to us and became Jews. That was it. If we didn't know we could just ask. Most who weren't circumcised despised us, and had no reason to claim it. But either way, we could always find out. We didn't have the privacies you have and we had spies all over the place.)

Now, this formula had quite an impact. Non-Jews who believed began to feel less than Jews who believed. This put pressure on the have-nots to consider becoming the haves in order to get connected with God! So, the rite of circumcision had become this essential thing that caused those who don't have it to feel inferior … and it gave those who do have it a false reason to feel superior.

Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. When I wrote to the Galatian believers there was one big, obvious issue that was being used to bring them back into the hell-hole they had been delivered from. Today, you have so many issues I can't even begin to count them. But you know what? It's all the same. You just think it's so different.

Anyway, I went up to Jerusalem to hit this thing head-on and take the message of freedom that I speak to the heathen to see where they would stand with the truth. Now, I didn't want to bring this up in their open forum … I went privately to those who seemed to be something (this whole reputation thing can make people agree to some pretty stupid things, as I well know). I did this because I have seen how this perversion destroys freedom … I could only imagine the devastation caused if Jesus' own head-honchos were promoting it.

But I was relieved to find that none of them tried to push Titus to have the initiation rite performed, which is what the impostors among them wanted so bad. Don't you remember how many times I wrote in my letters how there would be people who hang with you and pretend to be your brothers? These spies can't stand the freedom we have in Christ. They have no idea what living in freedom is. How could they? Their have lived their whole life behind bars … and they won't be happy unless they force us into the same prison they are in!! But we did not give into them for a moment because the integrity of the message of freedom was on the line; and I was not about to let them take that freedom away.

Just in case you didn't know, it was Peter who really spoke out at the big meeting that had been called to discuss what was called the necessity of circumcision. They had been arguing for quite some time (You know, I hadn't heard so much twisted scripture in years … I had been pretty good at it myself at one time). But anyway, it was getting rather heated when Peter decided to stand up and talk about how God had used him to take the message of freedom to the non-Jews. You should have heard him drive home the reality of how they had received the Spirit in the exact same way we had: through faith. Man, he was bold that day … here he was silencing this foolish concept by pointing out that God made no distinction between the heathen and us Jews. Those self-righteous men among us were steaming … but they couldn't answer against him. Then he asked this question: Are we trying to fool God by forcing these believers to live in the prison that none of us Jews were able to bear? That got them to shut up long enough for us to describe how God had been working among the heathen through our speaking the message of freedom.

Okay, so as you can imagine Peter had gained quite a reputation and definitely seemed to be something; add to this the power of James and John and they became a force to be reckoned with. Don't get me wrong because I really do count them as friends, but I didn't care less who they were. God is not biased or impressed by what people think about themselves or each other. And you know what? Those who had reputations didn't add a doggoned thing to me or to my message! Actually, the effect was the opposite. It had become obvious to them that God really did give me this message of freedom to take to the non-Jews in the same way that Peter was chosen to speak to Jews. It's just like God to do something like that. These men who had the reputation for being the pillars among God's people fully accepted me, the guy who had been their enemy years before! You know, I think they were very surprised that God chose me.

The only concern they had with us had nothing to do with appeasing the false ones among them. They simply wanted to know if we would ask the believers who were not devastated by the famine in Jerusalem to help out financially. Which was something I had already planned on doing when I got back.

I want you to understand the dynamics surrounding Peter's visit to Antioch (that's the town where I was). Keep in mind that I had gotten over my earlier obsession with climbing the ladder of success. You see, I had learned to stay out of conflicts within the hierarchy of my own religion. Oh, I was aggressive alright, but I wasn't stupid! We observed the proper protocol when we stepped on each other. But strictly speaking, we were professional yes-men! We didn't really tell each other what we truly thought and felt … and we especially had to take care what we said to those who were above us. Otherwise, we would have never gotten as far as we did.

Now, don't forget that God had used Peter to take this message of freedom to the non-Jews in a very powerful way. You remember, it was the thing where he had the vision about the animals on the sheet coming down from heaven. God said, “Have a barbecue” … Peter said, “No way, it's not kosher, I'll get contaminated!” The lesson Peter learned was that if God calls it clean, then it's clean! The next thing Peter knew he was going to visit some Italians, and he got in a lot of trouble from that visit. He actually ate dinner with these heathen. I know, this might not sound like such a big deal to you, but for a Jew it could ruin his life! Imagine losing the respect of the people you live with … then you can understand what he had risked. This was the story he told during the big meeting that helped put an end to the discussion about circumcision.

Had I been operating by the fear I had grown up with I wouldn't have confronted such an important man to his face … in front of everybody! But the simple fact was that he was acting as a carrier of death!

So, here's the situation. Peter was living in the freedom of one who knows there is no distinction between people. The fear that someone might see him and think less of him for it didn't concern him one bit. The Gentiles knew he accepted them simply by how he lived among them. But then the boys from Jerusalem, the circumcision, came to town … and Peter began to act like a different man! The bottom line to his actions was fear ! He stopped eating with his brothers and instead started treating them as the uncircumcision. It was infectious! The other Jews also began acting out of character (that's the new character, mind you) and copied Peter's example. It was so bad that even my buddy, the rock-solid Barnabas, got caught up in the hypocrisy!

Okay, you may say, What's the big deal? So, he stopped eating dinner with the goyim! It's not like he was preaching a false message! But it was exactly that. Can't you see how his actions were presenting another message of freedom? Chances are that you don't … and that's no surprise. I say this because your modern culture and thought processes have been built upon the Greek philosophy system. Now, I had quite a few run-ins with that, but your whole concept of knowledge has taken what I saw to the extreme. Hey, most of you people can't even think without one of these systems!

Let me see if I can describe what Peter was silently telling these uncircumcised believers. Imagine this. You're at a social gathering where much to your surprise you find yourself accepted by some people you had previously considered snobs. Things are going well and you are feeling like one of the gang until some really cool people show up and join the party. All of a sudden you realize you are being treated as an outsider again. So much for the acceptance, huh? You've been there before, haven't you? The stuff that hurts is the silence and the subtle looks of rejection. You don't have to be told, “We are embarrassed by you”, but it comes across loud and clear. That is what Peter communicated. Because of his fear of reputation, he told the Galatians this simple message: You are not one of us … you didn't really think that you were our equals, did you?. What else is the rejected one left with than to consider that in order to be accepted he must have whatever it is the other person has?

I know what I said to him had quite an impact because it was almost a rewording of what he so boldly said at the Jerusalem meeting. Talk about Deja Vu, huh?

Here is what I asked him. If you are one of the initiated, but you live like the uninitiated, where's the rationale to push the uninitiated into receiving the initiation? Put another way: If you are one of the insiders, but you live like an outsider and not like an insider, how can you force the outsiders to live like the insiders? Oh, sure, we were born into the initiation (automatic insiders) … we aren't one of the heathen sinners (outsiders)! But hasn't God taught us that being made right is not a matter of doing this law that we were initiated into? Don't we know that it is through faith in Christ that God has included us among the righteous? Even we, the initiated (the insiders), had to believe in Christ Jesus for this righteousness that comes by faith and not by following the set of rules. Because nobody can be made right by following the rules no matter how hard he tries. But if we are trying to be made right in Christ, and in doing so we see ourselves as the sinners we despise, does that mean that Christ, through what he has done, brings sin? This is an insane question, for it is not the grace of Christ that causes sin!

Listen to me. If I put myself back into the system I tore down of trying to prove I'm better than you, who is it that is proving that I am a law-breaker? I am! The crucified and risen Christ has nothing more to do with sin. Don't you get it? It is the old system of rules that killed me, which, in turn, removed me from that system of rules, which has removed me from the sin … for the purpose of making me alive to the God I had been dead to! When Christ was crucified, I was crucified. The man I used to be, the initiated one, is no longer alive, but it is Christ who is my very life! This life I am now living in this body I live by the faith that has its source in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

I'm not going to void out the grace of God with another message (spoken or not); because if you can make yourself right or improve yourself by some kind of law (God's or man's) or rule or principle or self-help course, then Christ did not have to die … it was for nothing!

Have you guys gone wacko or something? Did you forget everything I told you about Jesus? Don't you remember how it used to be so OBVIOUS to all of you that Christianity is a miracle? Did you forget that your former mindset was exposed as death? Don't you remember that HIS death on the cross was the end of everything you USED TO BE? Can you tell me just ONE thing? This new life … the Spirit of Christ, Himself living in you … did it come from something you did? Or was it a miracle that came about through faith? Have you gone insane? You KNOW the Spirit came and made you alive by the miracle of hearing! You think you can make that new life BETTER by something you do? Are you stupid or something? Remember all the opposition and rejection you had to put up with from your friends and neighbors because you had turned away from the community religion (Now, that was a system of rules and regulations!)? Was that all for nothing? What I'm asking you is this: are you telling me that God does what he does based on how well you do what you do? Or is it a miracle that happened when you heard and believed? I think somebody has been messing with your heads!

Kinda harsh, huh? But this situation was critical and I called it as I saw it. The believers from Galatia were acting as if they had been put under a spell. They were listening to this “Don't you know we're children of Abraham?” stuff … and they were buying into it! Hey, look, even Abraham was made righteous when he believed God, not because he did something to deserve it. I find it rather odd how his so-called children think they get better by what they do.

God told Abraham, “All the nations shall be blessed in you”. And even in the writings they hold so dear it attests to this fact that “The righteous shall live by faith”. Now, if the promise came through Abraham, you can be sure about this: it has come to those who are of faith. And you know who the 'Sons of Abraham' are? You got it … those who are like Abraham … believers! Let me tell you something. These guys who are of the Law aren't the real sons of Abraham, they are under the curse of the Law! Hey, if they understood the books they quoted from they would know that the law is NOT OF FAITH! Those whose lives are based on law-keeping must continue on that basis. How it is that they come to you with a mixture of life by laws and life by grace is a contradiction of the very essence of both. It's against the law! Their books have to be burning their hands. Christ came and delivered us from that curse by becoming the curse FOR US!! In doing so, we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

You think I left something out? You think maybe the Law changes what was promised to Abraham? That's exactly what the Galatians were considering. The men who came behind me with their version of the message of freedom put serious doubts into the minds of those who had experienced such an incredible joy … they had been freed from guilt, shame and fear.

Let me ask you: did you realize that the promise was made to Abraham … and to his SEED? Not SEEDS, just SEED. Do you know who that is? It is Christ. So, then, who is the promise to? The promise was made to Jesus Christ! That means you would have to be in union with him in order to receive the promise. I hope you are getting the connection. I hope the sense of it is causing your head to rattle a bit!

Look, this promise was made over four centuries BEFORE the Law was even given … what does that tell you? You think God changed His mind or something? I'm telling you right now that if this promise comes about by some kind of obedience on your part then it is NOT A PROMISE! Those impostors thought they knew Abraham, but they didn't know anything!!

You want to know why the Law was added after the promise? Listen well and follow this. It took the one broken command of Adam (the only one recognized by God) and multiplied law-breaking to the extreme. What does that tell you about how well the law works for bringing perfection? If it DID make people right THEN there would have been a conflict between the Law and the promise. But there was no law given by God that did anything to improve the condition of any man. Are you still fooled by the facade? Instead, the Law put the nails in the coffin until Christ appeared!!

Do you understand what I am saying? Before the miracle of faith came God's people were locked up and had nothing to do with faith … that came with Christ. Do you know what relationship my people had with God before Jesus got here? We were like children who had to be lead about by the hand and NEEDED supervision … THAT'S WHAT THE LAW WAS TO US!! But now that He HAS come the REAL sons of Abraham are NOT under such supervision!

Those religious, self-righteous men had played into the fears of the Galatian believers. You understand those fears all too well. You may think it was much different back then, but you are under the same kind of influences yourselves. You find yourself feeling less than those who boast of doing well. You think you're not as good as the morally upright. You are sure that you are not as close as the one who is on fire for God. You become convinced that you are not as connected to God as the dedicated. You question your own sincerity in view of those who appear to walk the talk. Don't you know who you are? ALL OF YOU who believe in Christ are Sons of God and there is nothing that separates one from another or puts some in a better class than the rest.

Have you missed something? Hasn't it struck you that the circumcision ritual leaves half of us out of the picture? Actually, all of us received the removal of the flesh through the death and resurrection of Christ when we what we were was cut away from us. The distinction of male and female has no bearing on our true identity. Social status means nothing, either. Let me ask you: what group of people do you consider as being outside the scope of God's grace?

You know what else amazes me? People read this letter and think that I was questioning the DESTINATION of the Christian, when, in fact, I was describing THE LIFE we have been called into! From our earliest experiences to the present day, this life is totally unlike any principle of living we have ever known. It is this difference we seem to forget as we go through our everyday routines. Somehow, the miraculous nature of our new life in Christ gets pushed right out of our actual considerations. No wonder so many of us live in such confusion.

You know, it wasn't a bad thing for Israel to live under the law… it was in accordance with God's plan of keeping them in custody. You know how some people have hired a nanny to keep after the children until they are grown? Well, the Law was the nanny for the children of Israel … and their childhood lasted from Moses until Christ! That's a long childhood. Their whole existence was lived in view of, “This is what I am supposed to do and/or not to do”. They were given corresponding punishments and rewards that hung over their heads. If it sounds similar to the way in which you were raised, it should. All of us were born into this prison … and the law intensified it for us! And this is what Christ came to redeem us from.

The Galatians had no reason to be intimidated by those who were hanging on the old system. The time had come and it had passed them by … they were still being led by the hand as little children! And they were trying to make the true sons of God feel as if they didn't really belong. But how does one who doesn't belong call out to the true God and call him, Daddy? Don't you realize that if the Spirit of Christ has been sent into the outsiders that also means freedom for the insiders? Those who were insiders have nothing over those who were outsiders.

Here is what we really miss: the life principles of those without God are the same as the life principles of those who are under the laws of God!! What else did you think it meant to “turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things”? Paul told them that by turning to the law they were actually returning to the same operating principles they had been called out of. And if this is what Christ is all about, who needs Christ?

The Galatians were showing all kinds of signs that they had regressed to their former bondage. They were falling into the religious habits the Jews had observed under the nanny. Just a quick look around most religious groups today reveals a similar condition! You believers today hold to forms that have no life, but only give the appearance that you have your stuff together. Whatever happened to freedom?

In case you don't know, I hadn't planned on going to visit the Galatians in the first place. It was accidental … if you can call it that. I got thrown off from my original plans. I was in bad shape from an illness and I didn't look so good. Which means their first impression of me gave them reason to look down on me as being the representative of God, but they didn't. After all, what kind of a God sends sick people? But they heard God's voice through me. The joy they received was not because I impressed them … they accepted me as Christ. This had been a miraculous thing. What had happened? Were did their joy go? How had I become their enemy? Because I was telling them the truth?

Those impostors who were wooing the Galatians were being dishonest. They pretended to care. They said they were concerned about improving relationships with Christ, but they only wanted to increase their own little kingdom. Their formula was simple: entice them … shut them out … make them beg to get in! I have no problem with the sincere love that seeks another's good, but that is often not the case. Open your eyes, there are impostors desiring to get you in their group. Just notice how they are doing what they are doing … it should be quite obvious!

Okay, maybe you're considering some formula to make you more spiritual. That's what the Galatians were doing. They figured if circumcision was the thing they were missing then why not do it? They were desiring a system of performance to live by, but they had no idea what that system really was. Do you? Do you know the significance in the fact that Abraham had TWO sons? Listen, there is a difference between a son of Abraham by the natural means and a son by the miraculous!

God had made a promise which left no option but to believe Him. But time passed and it didn't seem to be working, so Abraham and Sarah (aka Abram and Sarai) decided to take matters into their own hands. It was actually Sarai's idea. She begged Abram to go have sexual intercourse with her slave-girl; it doesn't appear that he put up a fight. Didn't you know it was the custom for a free woman to have children through her slave? In their minds they were doing the right thing! Call it what you will … “acting in faith”, “putting feet to prayer” “making practical application” … but they had attempted to do God's work their way! And their solution caused a major conflict. Ishmael was conceived and the free woman was despised by the slave. Years later (leave it to God's timing, huh?), God did give Sarah a child (Issac) and it was a miracle child for she was an old, old woman. The results? The child of bondage harassed the child of faith.

Don't you see it? The productivity of the flesh always questions the productivity of the Spirit. Here is the lesson we have learned in the world: If you want to get things done you gotta do it yourself! The lesson of God is this: Let God do what God promises to do! In the meantime, know this: the children of bondage will despise you and call you illegitimate, which is what they did to the Galatians. They questioned their identity. They called their life-source (the Spirit) a dry well. Then they tried to convince them that it was up to them to produce some fruit! “Get excited when you discover you can't produce! Shout with joy when it appears that nothing is happening! For there is more productivity in those who can't produce than in those who seem to be fertile!” Don't you get it? Don't you know who you are? Are you going to sit there and let the impostors define reality for you? How long will you let them question the source of your new life? How long will you let the dead tell you how to live? How long will it take you to realize that there is a foundational difference between those born of the Spirit and those born of the flesh? How much slavery will you endure because the religious world convinces you that you are still the same? Stop operating as if you have the same Momma! Stop living as if you need laws and rules to control you. Refuse to listen to those who are not of faith, do not let them sink their claws into you! For you have been born of the Spirit!

So, why did Christ set us free? We were set free for FREEDOM! So stand firm in it, and don't give into anyone who wants to take it away from you! I tell you this because those who are in bondage can't stand the idea that you may have escaped; and they will do anything to pull you back into prison with them.

With the Galatians, circumcision was the thing that took their focus off the freedom of Christ. They were considering that maybe they could get closer to God if they went along with the program. The deceptive part of the persuasion is that it all sounds very Christian at the time. Is there some pressing issue on your mind that makes you feel less spiritual than others? Are you feeling pressured to perform certain Christian duties in the hope that you can improve your standing with God? Are you seeking some sign or spiritual gift in order to prove yourself? This is what circumcision was to them … a token requirement of spirituality.

If you give into this, then the freedom of Christ is not doing you any good at all! Don't you understand? I'm telling you, if you go along with their game and receive their initiation you will find yourself trapped into performing all of their standards! What did you think? Didn't you know that if you grabbed the tiger by the tail you had to deal with the claws and the teeth? Once you turn away from the miracle of freedom in Christ (even in such a small thing) you have set the pattern of living for yourself. All of your life starts to revolve around doing the right thing … which becomes the thing you are obligated to do … which becomes your bondage. And what does any of this have to do with the concept of freedom? Hey, you have cut Christ right out of your actual living. The life of grace is far above the pathetic life of living under the law. If you are trying to make yourself right by trying to do right, you have fallen from a high calling. Justify it to yourself, but a free man knows the difference.

What is the life of freedom? What has the Spirit taught us? To wait for God to do what He has promised. Remember Abraham and Sarah? Remember what they produced when they thought they were doing the right thing? We do not produce righteousness by our efforts, the Spirit brings it about through faith … that is the promise! Live every moment in anticipation of what He is doing. For what we do or what we don't doesn't mean anything, but instead, it is faith that operates through love.

You know, all the talk about obedience made me sick. Why is it that the Galatians were doing so well before those guys got a hold of them? Is it possible that maybe their push for obedience stopped it from happening? It's a funny thing … when you're living in expectation of the miracle of life in Christ obedience is a by-product. Then someone comes along who convinces you that it's not happening unless you are producing some specific fruit or gift. It only takes a little bit of this thinking to permeate all of your thoughts. The men who were preaching circumcision should have had their whole thing cut off! Whoever is troubling you has it coming as well. I don't care what they tell you: I didn't preach circumcision then and there is nothing in my writings to support anybody's formulas. If I did then I would have been perverting the good news of Christ; because it's offensive to the natural mind. If you can get closer to God by something that you do (or don't do) then who needs a Jesus who only came for those who are too far gone to help themselves in any way?

Have you been listening to what I've been telling you? Do you understand what I mean by another message of freedom? Do you know why it rattles my cage? There is no freedom in those other messages! You were called to freedom … and many of you have traded it in for a counterfeit! Do you not know what the Galatians were doing with their stupid move toward circumcision? They were trashing freedom by attempting to turn it into something else altogether. But the thing they were calling freedom was no longer freedom. It was only a shell that was becoming was a place where sin could function! Don't you understand that those who have died to sin don't live there anymore? Freedom contains no place for sin to operate … but Law does. If you are persuaded to commit to somebody's program by doing their thing, then you are only giving sin a place to work in your life. By the way, how many of you thought this verse was a caution to balance freedom? You guys never cease to amaze me!

Don't do it! Don't relapse to the self-serving facade of love, but really serve one another through the miracle of love! Or didn't you know that this miracle fulfills everything the law requires? But if you opt for the sin-conscious existence that picks on each other for not living up to each other's favorite principles, you'll eventually destroy each other! Yeah, if you and I are holding our tigers by their tails all we have toward each other is teeth and claws!

Have you found yourself caught up in an ongoing, desperate struggle to not do evil? That's not Christianity; that's what you get when you are looking to principles or rules to control you. I'm telling you to look to the Spirit who produces life and you will not do its bidding! Don't you understand that there are only TWO sources and they are as different and night and day? The Spirit of God, and the spirit of the world. One is the very essence of life; the other is found in death, for it lacks life. Laws and rules deal with the stuff that makes the evil world tick, so it makes no difference how much you want to produce good and keep from evil … you just can't do it and you know it because you have tried and it doesn't work!

But hear this now: if the Spirit of Christ is your life you are not under the law. You may think you are under the law. And you may live as if you are under the law. But you are not! What is produced by the law is obvious – listen and see if it doesn't sound like the stuff you have seen in operation amongst yourselves since you have been turning away from grace.

Don't you harp on morality and purity because you see the lack of it in your own life? And the insane desire to feel the Spirit's operation is nothing more than living by the senses. How can you be satisfied with Christ when you are always looking for something more? You consult your formulas as one who trusts his horoscope. Your standards give rise to hatred, jealousy, despising and resentment because you compare yourselves with yourselves. You are always disputing and challenging each other, and blowing up when you can't change the other guy. You are constantly creating new reasons to split with one another, but you can't stand it if someone has something you want. Your life is an expression of the simple fact that you are out of control … you find yourself giving into anything that will help you bear it!

Do you think those who do things like this are the ones who inherit the promise to Abraham (which is God's kingdom)? But do you also know that this is not who you are? I warn you: stop taking heed to those who have no part in the inheritance!

Now, the inheritance is what the Spirit produces; and He is the one who has given that unexplained inner drive to care for each other more than your own selves. What? Did you think you did that? No wonder it has become such a difficult task. He is the source of the joy that doesn't make sense, and is the one that makes fear go away. His patience is not a matter of putting up with one another by ignoring each other's faults, but by having taken them out of the way! And what magic do you think causes you to treat each other in a genuine kindness that doesn't care about getting something from it? His goodness is pure for it comes from the only one who is good. Considering the fact that your natural born inclination didn't believe God … how does he now call you of faith? His gentleness comes from having taken the judgment himself! The self-control He produces is made possible by having killed our uncontrollable former selves … truly a miracle!

Do you realize there are no laws against these things? Those who belong to Jesus have already died to what they used to be. Live in this place where law has no bearing. Quit with the rule-based life already … it only causes us to get boastful. You are familiar with the routine. If I do something that I think is better than what you do, I get prideful and arrogant about it. It only produces envy and despising.

So, how do you deal with each other when you see one who is breaking the law? Hello?!? Shouldn't that tell you something? You need to be careful how you handle these situations because you will find yourself falling right back into the same old patterns of using some kind of a law, a rule, or a principle to correct the law-breaker. Hey, look, I'm talking to you who are spiritual … you who have the very life of God within you! Do you hear what I'm saying? This is the exact point where we usually lose it and jump back into bondage, because while I may view myself in freedom I see you doing something wrong and I approach you as one who needs advice on how to deal with your problem. Hey, the problem here is that your brother has forgotten who he is … and you have, too! Forget the advice and the formulas. What the guy needs is for you to lift this weight of bondage off of him through the power of the message of freedom. When this happens you will see Christ's command to “Love one another” fulfilled.

Anyone who thinks he has a reputation or considers himself a somebody is playing the comparison game. Give it up, where do you get off with this reputation stuff? But when you're operating under a system of rules and regulations it creates a framework with a system of degrees and credentials. It's this measuring of one against another that produces the illusion. In reality, God has taken those who the world considers nobodies and gives them significance in the life of another … the risen Christ Jesus!

You want to boast about something? Get off this thing of comparing yourself to others! Now examine your own work. Without the comparison game to place yourself above or below one another what are you left with? Don't you find that Christ is your life and only in him can you boast? Now, those who teach this freedom to you … support these guys in every good way.

Let me ask you something. Do you remember how God established that all things would produce “after its own kind”? Do you suppose that he will suspend this natural order of reproduction? Get real. The life lived under a system of rules®ulations(law) is trapped by the weak and worthless elemental principles of the world and only produces more of the same! So, don't be surprised at the stuff you see happening in your life when you turn from Christ and determine to produce it yourself. On the other hand, true life – the quality that is eternal life – is only produced by the Spirit. What I'm telling you should be obvious! A poisoned well only produces poisoned water, a living well only produces living water.

So, don't be fooled by appearances and lose heart in doing that which is truly good … for there is always the tendency to do the right thing instead of being the living thing. It's just too easy to get tired of not seeing enough action … remember the product of Abraham's impatience. As to doing good, you don't need any rules to tell you how to live … it is in you; that is the miracle of God's indwelling. So, why is it that we always question the good we want to do by trying to justify it with a principle? Know this: a principle comes in, the life goes out … and love with it. You have been made alive in Christ, live free and count upon the fact that the Spirit of Christ is leading you non-stop into love for one another, especially toward fellow believers. Go for it!

I want you to know that I have given this whole matter my personal attention … I wrote this myself. In my day, men who desired to look respectable would coerce others into the initiation rite of circumcision for the simple reason that they would not have to suffer the rejection reserved for those who preach the message of freedom. It's no different today. Look around you and notice the things your religious leaders are respected for: degrees, morality, signs and wonders, spiritual gifts, a strong stand on their favorite Biblical principles, knowledge, heritage, oratory skills, programs, buildings, large crowds, a denomination, etc. Don't be fooled … that is what they are preaching! For when the man who was rejected by the whole world (by hanging on the cross) is proclaimed as the only way to freedom it doesn't sit very well with the pride of man. For it is one thing to claim to believe in Christ thinking it is a good thing to do; and entirely another to know that you were so far gone that you couldn't do a thing and that you desperately need his sacrifice.

Whether it was the circumcision farce of my day or whatever you hold to today as the thing to bring you closer to God, it really doesn't make any difference. Don't you know that those who pass the initiation don't keep the law themselves? No, they are only looking for you to join their club and receive their brand on you so they can glory in one more convert! As for me, may I have no cause for boasting except in the thing that the organizations of man despise, which is the cross of Christ. It is this very instrument of death that separates the world from me … and me from the world! Whatever the initiation issue is that you are considering (or are holding to now) means nothing, nor does the lack of it mean anything. Simply stated, it is not what you do or what you don't do that counts for anything, but it is the new creation that you have been made in Christ that counts for everything. Those that want a rule … there it is! I know, that sounds like an anti-rule, but the peace of God is upon those who hold to it.

I've had enough of these guys with their brand marks … don't let them cause me any more trouble! They're showing theirs, well I can show mine … and I have lots of them. I count it a privilege to have suffered for Jesus and the scars all over my body are his brand marks on me … not that the world considers them something to be proud of. God's grace through Christ be with your spirit, my brothers.

This letter comes from one who has been sent by Jesus Christ, moved according to the very desires of God. For I am Paul, and I am here with Timothy our brother.

Even though I have not personally met you all face to face,1 I already know who you are. For you are those who have been made God’s possession, you are those who have been made brothers of faith in Christ. We send this to you in the grace and peace of God our father.

We find ourselves giving thanks to God, the father of Jesus Christ our Lord. For ever since the news of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love we have been continually speaking to him about you ever since the news reached our ears, which is the reality of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that is in you for all those who are in Christ. This faith in you has been made true because of the unseen joy secured for you in the unseen realm of God. The good news of Christ that has come to you is the word of truth, the word that made this invisible reality known to you. Know this: The good news has been continuously bearing fruit in you as it also does throughout the world. And this work of God has been increasing in you ever since the day you heard it from our beloved fellow-servant Epaphras, that day when the truth of the grace of God was known within you.

Do you know what it is that Timothy and I constantly speak to the Father of concerning you? That he would fill you with insight as to what he is really doing in you, for it is only seen through the mind of the Spirit. It is this miraculous understanding that teaches you what it is to live in this world as one who stands worthy before God himself. His pleasure in doing this touches everything that you are and everything that you do. He works in you to produce his fruit as you grow in the knowledge of him. The power that operates within you corresponds exactly with his own amazing power, and it is enabling you to stand fast and to endure all with an underriding sense of joy as you give thanks to the father who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of all who are in his Light.

Don’t you know that he rescued us out of the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves? For it is in Christ that we have been purchased. In him, no sins can be held against us. Who is he? He is the exact reflection of the invisible God, the firstborn, that is, the sire and heir of all creation. And how does he hold this position? Because it was by him that all things were created — things in the heavens and things on the Earth — the stuff you can see and the stuff you cannot see. It makes no difference as to the position these things have been achieved, for kings and their kingdoms, rulers or authorities; all things have been created not only by him, but also for him! This not only places him as the progenitor of everything, but it also explains how every thing is being held together by him. This is not all! He also occupies the position of being head of the body, which is the called-out new creation. For Christ is the beginning of this new thing, for he is the firstborn from the dead, which makes him the one and only big brother.

Everything has unfolded for the purpose of putting him in first place in absolutely everything, for it is God’s own good pleasure for him to be the substance and meaning of everything, and also for him to be the reconciliation, the one who restores the harmony of all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross. And through him, the father has brought everything back into harmony with himself, things on earth as well as things in heaven. And even though you had once lived as strangers to him who is the very substance of life — you, who operated from a hostile mind that revealed itself through evil deeds — in spite of that, he has now removed everything pertaining to your former separation, and he has brought you into perfect harmony in his own fleshly body through death. He did this so that he could present you before his father as a new creation, one that belongs to him. Through his death, he separated you from your former bondage, and having done so, he left no possible cause by which you might be blamed. What I’m telling you is that he has established your deliverance so securely that you can no longer be called into account for any reason whatsoever.

And yet despite all this, something has intruded so as to disturb your confidence. 2 For there are philosophers among you who would have you see it otherwise. Oh, they want you to believe they are building upon the good news that came from me, but their reasonable-sounding logic only perverts the very basis of everything I, Paul, have declared. While their reasoning might seem to make good sense, it establishes an empty foundation on which to stand and upon which to continue. What they don’t want you to realize is that their version of the good news removes the expectation of the message God made me a servant of.

Now because of the hope that is in you, an extra measure of abuse has been heaped upon me3, and yet I receive it gladly. For in his workings, God has chosen to use me as the one who stands between that which has been called out of darkness4 — which is Christ’s body — and those who seek to destroy it. In their ignorance, the workers of darkness assume they can stop the power of the good news by destroying the one they imagine as being its source. 5 And so I receive a large portion of the abuse which would otherwise have come upon the ones who have found their hope in Christ. This is what God has enabled me to do. The high privilege of declaring God’s mystery, which is the word that has been hidden from past ages and generations, has fallen upon me! And this mystery has now been made known to those who belong to him, for he desired to reveal the riches of the glory of this previously hidden treasure of his wisdom among the outsiders. And that mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And he is the one we declare, reminding all men and teaching all men in all wisdom, in order to present all men complete in Christ. So I push myself to the extreme because it is the very power of his life that keeps me going.

• 1. I’ve made some changes to the opening remarks, for I thought it advantageous to bring in something Paul mentions in chapter 2, which is the fact that Paul had not met these people at the time he wrote the letter (for the most part, at least). Why add it here instead of waiting until the place Paul wrote it? Simply to give us the background which they already knew. For example, even though I was already aware of Paul’s statement “and for all those who have not personally seen my face,” it still caught me somewhat by surprise after having spent so much time in chapter 1. You see, we shouldn’t purposely be left unaware of something everybody knew at the time just because it had been written that way to those who didn’t need to be told that they hadn’t met Paul. Right? It can be helpful to realize the impact that would have come to the Colossians when they got a personal letter from the man whose message of grace brought them new life and hope, It also helps to set the stage for Paul’s emphatic references to the gospel they had heard, that is, the one that HE had preached that had gotten passed on to them.
• 2. Regarding Colossians 1:23, I suspect that a natural-minded fear drives many people to focus upon the IF Paul used in such a way that the very confidence of the gospel he preached becomes mired in doubt and confusion. I don’t object to the conditional suggestion created by Paul’s use of the word “if,” but I do object to the misguided attempts of the religious mind that keeps believers constantly wondering if they will be able to “endure to the end.” You see, when someone examines everything but the one and only real condition Paul referred to — and then try to pass those beliefs off as coming from the Bible — that is a problem.
  Look, maybe you can tell me what Colossians 1:23 DOESN’T mean, and then you might even be able to tell me how the Greek word for “if” sometimes means “since” … even though it really does mean if in this verse. You might even offer some really great verses that speak of the assurance of salvation in Christ. Hey, that’s all fine and good, but you still might not have a clue as to the reason Paul stuck it in there like that. I’m telling you, he didn’t do it because he wanted to bolster his reputation as one who was “hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). My own experience has taught me that it’s all very straight forward, and it had been staring me in the face the whole time. I just had to get past the idea that it was just one of those difficult or problem passages that required some kind of theological degree. No, my friend, if anything, it has been those with theological degrees that have helped to make it seem difficult…
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• 3. “Now I rejoice in the sufferings for your sake,” (NASB) This should clue us in regarding the urgency with which Paul wrote. No, he wasn’t looking for their sympathy, he was emphasizing the need for awareness. We should ask the simple questions: Why and how was Paul suffering for their sake? Consider how Paul addressed the Galatian believers concerning those who had slipped in among them for evil: “But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.” Galatians 2:4 (NASB). From the Galatians perspective, it may not have seemed such a big deal, and they apparently did not seem to make the connections to the problems that were growing among them. In this letter to the Colossians, Paul wants them to wake up and realize that their own growing lack of confidence is directly tied to why Paul was being persecuted.
• 4. It is important to recognize that the Colossians would have never imagined “church” as having been a reference to any religious institution that could be contained in buildings made by man. The Greek word for church is “ekklesia” and it means called out. In view of all that Paul wrote, there is only one consistent reality that was connected to the meaning of this word, and it has to do with that which has been called out of darkness and into the light, that which has been called out of the world and into Christ.
• 5. I include references to the deceivers at this point because I suspect many who read this letter might not catch the connection that the Colossians would not have missed. What I’m suggesting is that they would have already known that Paul had suffered at the hands of those who hated what he was doing and would have read that into his mention of suffering. Without this basic assumption, most modern Bible teachers have no clue as to why Paul referred to “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” and they often end up trying to explain it by what it can’t mean. I am certain the Colossians would have seen it as a smooth transition.

And I want you to know the intensity of the struggle I have taken on for you and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have never even seen my face. I endure it so that their hearts might be built up from having been joined together in love, having been strengthened according to all the wealth of the full assurance that all runs together1 to the acknowledgement of God’s mystery: Christ — for in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. I tell you this because I do not want anyone to pull you into the kind of reasoning that comes from engaging in persuasive arguments. For even though I am not there with you in person, I am nevertheless with you in spirit. And it gives me cause to rejoice because I see you standing together in faith as a body unified2 under Christ, your one true head. And so everything I have said3 establishes this one simple reality: as Christ Jesus is the one you took as your undisputed leader,4 it is Christ Jesus in whom you continue. For in him you have been firmly rooted, and in Him you are being built up and established in your faith. For this is what you received in the message as I preached it, and this is what caused your hearts to be overflowing with gratitude.

And this is why I warn you against the trickery of those who think of you as nothing more than a prize to be won in a contest. Don’t let them blindside you with their facade of spiritual wisdom and their empty deception, for it is built upon the same old regurgitated wisdom of man that has been passed down for centuries. Although it may sound lofty and spiritual, their philosophy is bound by the same elementary principles you learned in the world. Their logic may come across as having been built upon the foundation of Christ as I have preached it, but it has nothing to do with Christ. Not even a little bit.5 For they reject the truth that in Christ everything that God is lives fully and completely in bodily form. You see, for them, that would mean that you who make up his body are completely filled with all the fullness of God,6 and that would destroy the basis upon which they seek to manipulate you. Everything these men try to persuade you to do through their spiritual-sounding logic denies Christ as being the one and only head over all rule and authority. After all, the earth-bound principles and figures these men really hold to as their divine authorities have no jurisdiction if Christ has it all.

It is not according to Christ by which they encourage their students to abuse their bodies in an attempt to curb their fleshly appetites,7 because in Christ the offending flesh has already been cut away with a surgical procedure that is not carried out by man. For the body of the flesh has been removed by the surgery of Christ, which has been accomplished by you having been buried with him through becoming immersed in him, in which you were also raised up with him through the faith of the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Do you not remember how God made you alive together with Christ while you were still stumbling around in deadness? And that’s not all. God raised you up in spite of the fact that you still had the foreskins these philosophers find so offensive. But God is not offended, for he has forgiven us all our fleshly indulgences, as well as having canceled out every entry in the record book that could possibly be held against us. All cause for hostility has been taken out of the way, for it was nailed to the cross. And when Christ had displaced the ones who set themselves up in first place and had divested the authorities of their imagined power, he confidently declared his victory over them through himself.

This means that the authority has been stripped from any who would judge you regarding what you eat or drink, or even whether or not you participate in the sacred feasts8 or a new moon celebration or any day of rest. Such things were never an end in themselves but, rather, were merely a shadow of the actual substance they had been waiting for. Christ may have been out of view, but his was the body that had been casting the shadow.

Why, then, would you let those who still judge everything according to the shadow decide how you should live the life they know nothing about? Don’t let them lure you in by their pretenses of humility nor by their religious devotion to heavenly messengers. For such men take their stand upon things they’ve seen, and it causes their fleshly minds to become puffed up for no reason. Despite your naive assumptions, they do not hold to the head from whom the entire body is nourished and held together by the joints and bonds of unity —for the body grows with a growth from God.

And if you have really died with Christ to everything this world is built upon — that is, to the very structure by which earthly citizens must be kept in line by rules — why do you let these men pull you back in as if you were still bound to it? Are you really so clueless? Do you not understand how submitting yourself to their earth-bound regulations has affected you? You’ve been listening to their reasoning, so I ask you to reason with me. The things they tell you not to handle, not to taste, not to even lay a finger upon, don’t all these things break down and rot as they are consumed? It all returns to the ground from which it came. Can’t you see that the commands they impose are based solely upon the futile reasonings of earthly-minded men who keep trying in vain to control the behavior of others when they cannot even control themselves? You’ve been lured in by their ideals. Now, I’m not suggesting they don’t project a rather convincing appearance of spirituality, because they most certainly do — especially when their intense devotion leads them to neglect their physical well-being for the sake of what they call godliness. The truth is that their brand of humility and wisdom is nothing more than pretense and fleshly will-power, and none of it has any effect upon curbing fleshly indulgence.

• 1. the Greek word usually translated as understanding is sunesis, and it literally means a running together or a flowing together. Homer is cited as having used the word sunesis in his famous Odyssey to describe the flowing together of two rivers. According to Strong’s Concordance, understanding is the “short definition.” So while understanding may be a great word choice, I’m thinking that the longer meaning might have something more to say since Paul was describing that which is far beyond any intellectual understanding. It’s like great rivers of God’s wisdom and riches being joined together to reveal God’s mystery to the Gentiles, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
• 2. I’ve already mentioned this in a footnote in chapter 1, but let me bring it out again here where it is directly connected. There is a Greek word taxis that seems to baffle some or to provide a springboard into something other than the context in which it is found. The basic translation of the word is order. Now it helps to know the historical meaning and usage of the word, but even an accurate understanding doesn’t necessarily bring a true realization as to why Paul would have used it in that place. Historically, the word referred to a military unit, but doggoned if our Bible scholars don’t just use it to springboard into a message about Christian Discipline, a message that is truly out of place in the context of the letter. Out of all the translations I’ve looked at, only one offers something other than the usual pathetic reading.
  Here’s the GNB (Good News Bible): “For even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I am glad as I see the resolute firmness with which you stand together in your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). When I read that, I was really excited to see the translators not falling prey to the typical approach of merely stuffing the word “order” in there. You see, maybe others might concentrate on the discipline aspect of a military unit, but there is only one aspect Paul would have been highlighting, and that is the connection between the unit and the leader. Everything else comes from that. I’m telling you, Paul would have been going into a totally different direction had he meant to focus upon the actions of the soldiers in the unit rather than upon the unity or “resolute firmness” by which they stood under one head, one leader: Christ.
• 3. The word “therefore” is a great word, but I am using a different phrasing because I suspect that many people have learned to ignore it out of familiarity.
• 4. Once again, I think we’ve gotten so used to a phrase like “Christ Jesus the Lord” that we might only see a Biblical title without a real connection as to why Paul would have stated it the way he did in his amazing build up to this passage. At that time, how Christ fit in was being subtly reestablished in the Colossians’ perceptions by the deceivers, which is what Paul is now confronting at this point. The actual issues that were being philosophized over were designed by the false teachers to lure the Colossians into viewing Christ as the way they got their start but not necessarily as the one they continued in. And no, I doubt that it came across as blatantly as that might seem, but rather that they were cleverly suggesting other options as to how they were to continue in the faith. Some might blow this off as being far-fetched, but the truth is that Christianity as a whole has already considered and fallen for one or more of a vast array of options of Christian living that have less to do with Christ and more to do with something that merely has a sense of being related to Christ. Paul’s whole letter was built upon Christ as the everything of their new born-of-God being. So, the connection I see in Paul’s wording has nothing to do with making sure to properly address Christ by various Biblical titles, such as “Christ Jesus the Lord” but rather to bring the previously established headship of Christ among them into view.
• 5. Although the Colossians letter does not pose the teachings or objections of the philosophers Paul exposed in the verses as I am presenting it here, they need to be understood at every point. Why? Because the Colossians would have recognized the things he wrote about Christ as coming directly against their manipulative philosophizing.
• 6. I am certain that more than a few will object to the way I have reworded a very familiar verse with a very familiar phrase (“the Godhead bodily”) and tied it together with the truth of the “body of Christ.” I know we love to separate the truth of God from the truth of man, even “regenerated” man, but the truth of Christ is all about the joining of God and man in union in him. We have listened far too long to those who miss the amazing reality of what it is to have been brought into union with God through Christ!
• 7. I am introducing this thought from the end of the chapter at this point because I suspect too many have learned to view these verses without it.
• 8. The two words here are meros (meaning a part, share, portion) and heortē (a feast, a festival). The issue Paul was dealing with was not regarding the observance of pagan holidays but rather the official or sacred feasts of the Hebrews. Whoever these pseudo-spiritual teachers were, they incorporated the Jewish feasts, as well as the new moon observance and the Sabbath days. As Paul also mentioned circumcision, there’s a good bet they were men of the Jews. And from Paul’s descriptions in this passage, they lived an ascetic lifestyle (characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons). Regarding the observance of the feasts then, Paul wasn’t addressing a group of people who wanted some justification for observing a holiday that was considered wrong but, rather, a holiday presented as something expected, that is, the right thing to do. In other words, the authoritarian stance being pushed upon them was that if they wanted to be godly, they needed to be observing the traditional feasts proscribed by Moses in the Law. Many believers today are being confronted with the same kind of pseudo-spiritual intimidation through a growing movement called Messianic Christianity. And yes, it comes across as being so spiritual because it seems to have God’s stamp of approval upon it (that is, by the Torah).
  Those who have not lived under such an influence may still experience the same kind of intimidation because it all revolves around the pressure brought on by the authorities of whatever religion you lived under. I have personally heard from believers who are wracked with guilt over missing a Sunday worship service, especially the major Christian holidays. After all, even those considered backsliders often make sure not to miss Christmas and Easter. One of the bigger struggles believers who are coming to understand the living reality of Christ has to do with whether or not it’s okay to not attend an official church on Sunday because they grew up under the superstition that Sunday is the Lord’s Day. So, in truth, the issue Paul addressed with the Colossians would apply to any teaching that pushes any particular day (especially Saturday or Sunday) as somehow necessary or expected for spiritual growth. The reason I used the phrase “sacred feasts” is to better express the sense of traditional and authoritative expectations the Colossians had experienced by the new philosophers in town.

To the diverse Christian Church of America, whether in buildings or homes, organized or not. Greetings from a servant called James who is joined to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I think it is apparent that the American Church has achieved an amazing level of success in this world. I say this because there is a stark contrast between what I read in the Bible and what I view of the modern form. I'm not referring to the drastic difference in culture, for EVERYTHING has changed in that respect. No, the discrepancy I see presents some pretty interesting questions which the church, as a whole, seems reluctant to deal with ... except in a superficial manner.

How is it that you have come to associate physical, temporal well-being with the blessings of the gospel and, therefore, any damage to that well-being as coming from a of a lack of faith? Is that why you hide your failures from each other? Does that mean you have forgotten the promise of God that says afflictions are a gift that increase your dependence on Him? Why, then, would you seek to hinder the results of the work that teaches you to stand, in faith, as perfect and complete, and lacking in nothing? Unless, of course, some of you really don't know God. If you are coming to realize that this is the case, then ask God, who gives impartially and generously and without ridicule -- and understanding will be given. But the request must be for the miraculous work of God, and not your attempt to motivate Him with deals or promises. Those who approach God like this may look like they have it all together, but on the inside they are raging back and forth like the ocean in a storm. Let such a person expect NOTHING from God; for in reality, they've asked nothing from God. They have only divided their mind to accommodate the idea of God, for they ask just in case He is there. In truth, their whole life is unstable, despite all appearances.

What difference should it make to the offspring of God how they are rated by the system? So, what measurement do you use to determine your worth? Don't you know that a nothing in this world is everything in God. Now, those who rate well by this world's standards also need to consider the poverty of that illusion. Haven't you seen enough to know that those who are caught up in the insane pursuit of wealth are cut off in the middle of their endeavors (no matter how long they live) and that they die unsatisfied? So, do you really think your worth can be validated by the ILLUSION that you are doing well in this world? What if true "approval" cannot be revealed except by means of its CONTRAST to the approval rating of the world? What I'm telling you is that God's validation of you will never rate well on any of the "checklists" of successful living; for those who truly "do well" are disqualified by their obvious ongoing failures. Your "fortunate" situation won't be seen until the approval rating of the world is gone for good, where those who actually love Him are revealed as the recipients of life. For this is what God has promised.

I can hear it already from some who would take this opportunity to say, "God made me do evil!" To which I say, You're full of it!" Evil desires don't come from God so what you suggest is an impossibility. The desire to do evil comes from a source other than Him. A person gets carried away because of the corresponding desires within him. These desires conceive and give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it produces death. Do you not realize what comes from where? There is only one source of true goodness and perfect gifts and that is from above. It comes from the Father, who is light, who doesn't change or have any hint of darkness in Him. Our miraculous birth is the result of HIS desire being conceived in us by the True Word. And what is the fruit of God's desire? He has produced a new creation from out of the old which belongs to Him!

Those who have been born of Him know this within themselves. So, I say, LISTEN ... and be quiet long enough to hear the reality of God. Do you really think those initial reactions of righteous indignation by which you defend yourself and attack another are God's doing? Don't you recognize the old motivation of using anger to say what you really wanted to say? Believer, why do you hold on to the old source as if it had value? Discard the perception that those evil motivations still belong to you. Instead, realize that your deliverance is not found in your abilities, but in the miraculous conception of the Word within you.

It is imperative to discover who you really are. Does the implanted word activate you from within, or are you one who only has the hearing of the natural which gives an illusion of godliness? It's just like a man who checks himself out in a mirror, and is hit with the stark reality of what others see. The problem is that the urge to do something about it goes away as soon as he can't see himself and forgets what he looks like. But what if one's gaze was to be held in place upon the finished reality of freedom, and instead of becoming a forgetful hearer he miraculously becomes an effective doer of the word that has captured his gaze.

What difference does it make what someone thinks about himself if it's not true? How many consider themselves religious or God-fearing and yet their words reveal something other than their boast would suggest? Now, don't make the mistake of focusing on the occasional slip of the tongue, for one whose words deceive his own heart are right out there in plain view. Such a one cannot help BUT to reveal his true nature by what comes out of his mouth. But recognizing it requires listening past all the self-endorsing claims. And then, the worthlessness of this man's religion becomes obvious. Is there such a thing as a pure religion that isn't corrupt? As far as God is concerned it would be this: helping those you would be looked down upon for even associating with; giving where there is no possibility of a return; doing good, knowing it may be judged as evil; refusing the approval found in comparison.

Friends, where do you get the idea that this miraculous faith we have in Jesus Christ coincides with your personal biases? I find it amazing how quickly a person's worth is evaluated among you by the car they drive or that little label on their clothes. This is the attitude of a corrupt judge who is bought by those whose payoff is the highest. My fellow heirs, is it, or is it not true, more times than not, that God has chosen those who are at the lower end of the financial scale to bestow this rich faith upon? After all, this is what He had promised to the people who loved Him. So, why is it that under all the pretenses, those who don't seem to measure up are often considered losers? Isn't it usually the upper class or the yuppies who give you the most grief, and who have the means to hire “shark” lawyers to steal from you? And don't they also make sure to insult you by calling Him into question (which is the real evil they speak of the name by which you are called)?

Now, if you are loving your neighbor as yourself, which is the fulfillment of our king's rule, then you are doing well. BUT if you are playing the game of picking and choosing those who can benefit you, you are sinning. And the law will do what the law does: it pronounces you to be a law-breaker. You could keep the whole law and yet mess up in JUST ONE THING and you would still be guilty of all of it. Do you think you can get around the law's judgment by pointing out those whose sins are “worse” than yours, as if that makes you look any better? A law-breaker is a law-breaker, and it condemns you no matter how well you think you are doing by it. So, why do you evaluate yourself and those around you by its fixed reality? Instead, speak and act as those who are to be judged by the fixed reality that has freed you from condemnation. The judgment of the law shows no mercy on those who don't show mercy, which comes from partiality. But mercy prevails over damnation.

So, my friends, are you so easily fooled by the wagging of the tongue? Do you think a man's CLAIM to believe will override the reality that he has no life working within him? Do you think a faith that consists of words will deliver him from the judgment of the law? What kind of miraculous power do you suppose is contained in mere verbiage? If you were tell a cold, hungry man, “Jesus loves you, be warmed and filled”, and yet you don't give him any clothes and food, what has been produced by your pronouncement? The same holds true for this professed faith. If the claim is there, but the substance of it that works from within is not there, then it is a lifeless thing.

Do you find yourself often in the position where you have to tell people that you have “faith”? Well, don't be surprised if someone challenges your words by saying, You have 'faith' and I have the doing of it; show me this faith you speak of that has no substance, and I will show you my faith by the stuff that is produced by it. What are you going to produce – more words? So what if you believe that God is one? The demons have no doubts about that, either, and it scares them silly. Your rationale borders on insanity if you don't realize that this faith is worthless without the functioning of it.

After all, wasn't Abraham, the father of faith, shown to be righteous by what he did when he set out to kill his son for God? Considering the fact that the only eye-witness to the deed was about to be offered as a sacrifice, Abraham was obviously not trying to please men (but I doubt anybody would have thought it was from God). Don't you see how faith was the invisible substance behind his actions; and in turn, the actions were the visible instrument by which that faith was carried to completion? And so, that which had been declared about him – Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness – was shown to be true . By the way, who do you suppose circulated the story of Abraham's faith so that he came to be known as the friend of God? Abraham … or Isaac? Don't miss the fact that this story shows a man motivated by faith, doing something that didn't appear right, but being shown as righteous by the thing he did to the one who had the greatest reason to doubt it. It wasn't only his claim to believe God.

And there's another unlikely example from the Bible that shows how a person is justified by what they did. Her name was Rahab, and she was a PROSTITUTE and also a foreign enemy. She turned against her people and hid the spies who were sent to survey her city before destroying it. And then she lied to the guards as to the whereabouts of the intruders; and then sent them safely back with a promise from them for protection. For she, also, had been motivated by the miraculous working of God to do this thing. Once again, in the life of this woman, the outworking of faith was not something that would have appeared to be right in the eyes of her own people, nor would her emotions have convinced her that it was of God, but it was. For as the body without the life of it is dead, so also faith without that which carries it is dead.

My friends, in view of illusions so easily created by words, I recommend that you seriously consider your desire to become teachers. Don't you realize the intense scrutiny it puts you under? For we all mess up in many ways, but in order not to mess up in what you say you would have to be perfect, able to control every other part of the body. That's the way it is with bridling a horse; the bit goes in the mouth and you can turn the whole thing. Ships also have huge and powerful engines, but it's a relatively small rudder by which the pilot steers it in the direction he desires. And the tongue is no different. It's a small part of the body, but it makes huge, unsupported CLAIMS. Learn the lesson of 'Smokey, the bear': it only takes a spark to get a massive forest fire going. And the tongue is a flame thrower, for it speaks from the realm of sin. It is positioned in the body in such a way that it adversely affects everything. For the whole body follows along on the path created by its unfounded claims, which come from the source of evil.

In the realm of nature, man has learned to control every kind of creature he has discovered, but has not managed to tame the tongue – it is uncontrollable and full of poison. But you'll keep trying anyway. We use the tongue to say wonderful things about the Lord and Father, and then with the same tongue abuse those who were created in His image. Cursing and blessing from the same mouth? My friends, there is something wrong with this picture. Do you get both pure and contaminated water from the same source? Can an orange tree yield a crop of apples, or a tomato vine produce lettuce? No way. And you won't siphon water out of the ocean thinking that maybe you'll get a fresh drink, either. It's time to rethink this whole thing.

Those of you who have been given insight and understanding: don't get duped by the illusion that what you say can PROVE the reality within you. Instead, wisdom calls you to let your motivation speak for itself by the outworking of His goodness. But if the wisdom within you is bitter, unfulfilled desire and selfish ambition don't make claims of having His life, for it is a lie against the truth. This wisdom does not have its source in the God who is outside this realm, but is tied to the earth, to the natural, to the demonic. For the source of unfulfilled desire and selfish ambition is filled with instability and every evil. But the wisdom that comes from the source outside of the natural is, above all else, untouched by contaminants, then harmonious, considerate, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without pretense. And this fruit of righteousness is sown accordingly by those who have been made compatible with it.

But those of you whose life-source is motivated by partiality, tell me where you think the arguments and conflicts among you come from? Which source do you suppose they originate from? Don't they come from your desires that are at war within you? You have unfulfilled cravings which drive you to murder. You don't have the ability to get what you want so you fight and nitpick each other. Your desire is not met because you don't ask. And then you ask and don't receive because your asking is not for the miraculous working of God, but is just your attempt to get what you think will fulfill those unquenchable desires.

You unbelieving, godless people, don't you know that your alliance with the world keeps you in hostility to God? The one whose desire is the friendship of the world proves to be the enemy of God. Or don't you think there is any meaning to this verse: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? And His greatest gift is found in this, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Hang all your pretension and submit to God. Resist the evil one and he will flee from you. You've heard the words, now, listen again. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” “You sinners, cleanse your hands”; and “you double-minded, purify your hearts!” I have no comforting words for the enemies of God. Instead, be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. I am tired of your games and your pretenses. Open your eyes to the insufficiency of the life you boast in, and He will become your sufficiency!

How do you rationalize speaking against your brother? The one who speaks against a brother, or judges him, speaks against the LAW and judges the LAW. If you judge the law, then you are not one in whom the law is fulfilled, but instead a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, and He is the One who is able to deliver or to destroy. So, what place do you think you have to judge your neighbor?

I challenge the arrogant boasting of you who say things like, “Today or tomorrow, we are going to build a business and make 'X' amount of dollars in the first year!” But the simple fact is that you don't even know what might happen to your life tomorrow. You are just dust in the wind that goes as quickly as it comes. A wise man would say, “These are my plans, but as always, they are subject to the greater plans of the Master.” But, no, your life is a pretense of arrogant claims, for all such boasting is evil. But you are digging your own grave. For in your arrogance, as you claim to know the right thing to do, but don't do it, that thing, to you, becomes sin!

You who are rich in this world, but have nothing in God, pay attention to what I say. I will be your “Ghost of Christmas Future”, for it is bleak. Feel the heaviness as you buckle under with uncontrollable sobbing. For behold, your riches have disintegrated and your “toys” are all broken. Everything you have valued has been devalued – the memory of your loss will haunt you forever. Are you unaware of the significance of this time in which you store up your temporary riches?

All the money you gained by taking advantage of the misfortunes of others will come back to haunt you. And the cries of those devastated by your greed have reached the ears of God. You have lived a life doing what you wanted when you wanted, and your greed has made you fat just in time for the butcher. You have condemned the righteous, you have squashed his life … yet he makes no move against you.

My beloved family, wait for God's work to take care of itself, for He brings all things to a conclusion. Learn a lesson from the farmer who waits for the ground to produce its crop. Though it rains in the spring and later toward the end of summer, most of the time it is dry. But he knows that the dry season is all part of the growing cycle, so he is not discouraged as he waits for the expected rains. Be like that farmer, wait in hope. And know that this time, where the more you look for growth the less you see it, will come to a close. Be strengthened in knowing that this lack of appearance is not a mistake. For you are those whose gaze has been fixed upon the reality of freedom – don't fall back into comparing each other to unkept principles. Otherwise, you will find yourself playing a game in which you also come up short. Consider this: the Judge, with His righteous judgment eagerly waits to reveal the righteous ones and their righteous deeds. So, why do you insist on evaluating by a system that will never detect it?

You have not been left without some positive role models in this high calling of suffering and patience, you know. Consider the heroes of old who spoke in God's name. Don't we respect them because of the hardships they endured? Job has become the icon of 'suffering without cause'. His wife begged him to curse God and die. His three friends (who first sat silently for a week in mourning) ended up taking turns trying to convince him that he was to blame for all the tragedies. And yet the conclusion of the story was that God justified him and restored to him more than what he lost. For despite appearances, God remains faithful and compassionate.

Do you know what I want you to learn most of all? That you don't have to fall into the trap of trying to prove the truthfulness of your words with more words. After all, how much validity is added to what you say by affirming it with, “I swear to God!”? A thing is either true or it is not; let your words reflect that reality without having to call upon a mute god to backup what you say. Otherwise, you force yourself back into the mentality of judging and being judged. Is that what you want?

So, let your words fit with what's really going on. If you are suffering, let your words be directed to the One who is working the very best in your life. If you are encouraged, let your words come out in songs of praise and rejoicing. If you are in a weakened condition, let your words call for those who stand strong in Christ so that their words are directed to God on your behalf as they present you as one in whom the Spirit lives. And the prayer of faith will deliver you and the Lord will pull you out of this. And as far as any sins that have been produced, they will not be held against you.

Therefore, be open with one another about such faults and together speak to the Father so that healing may take place. For the true words that issue forth from those made righteous by God can accomplish much. The prophet, Elijah, was a man just like you and me and he spoke the words of God that it would not rain, and it didn't rain for three and a half years. Then he spoke again and the rains poured down so that the earth bore fruit again.

My friends: if you see one among you who strays from the truth and you turn him around, I want you to know that the one who shakes a sinner from his deception will deliver his soul from death and will cover a lot of sin.

In the beginning God spoke. Remember, He SAID “Let there be light” and there was light. Each time He spoke something, the thing said created whatever was said. It was the raw power of God. We saw that power, that WORD, with our own eyes. We heard it with our own ears. We touched it with our own hands. We were captivated by it. The one we followed was the word spoken by God. He was the Eternal Life that was with the Father. He became flesh and stood right in front of us - and this word is what we proclaimed. There was nothing special about us, but whoever believed our message was joined together with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Writing these things down fulfills us.

You make simplicity so complicated, but the message we got from Him was clear: God is light, there are no dark places in Him. Consider the fact that anyone who comes to the light is in the light; those who don't, remain in darkness. Plain and simple. If I have been joined with Christ, then wherever I walk I am in the light. The reason you think it's not that simple is because you judge with your eyes. Somehow, you equate the word of man with the word of God. But the stuff that comes out of men is nothing more than vain boasting, while the word that came out of God is powerful and accomplishes what He was sent to do.

Now, if I find myself surrounded by those who claim to be in the light but really aren't, I'll live in a continual state of confusion as I adopt their outlook on the new life. Such was the case with those I wrote the letter to - and it is pretty much the same with most of you. Blind men are demanding that you follow them. They structure their words to deceive you into thinking they have something they don't. And they are encouraged that you have been intimidated into following after their empty facades.

Listen. A blind man might possibly claim to see, but a man who could see would not be fooled even if the words were convincing. Now, if we, the ones sent by Jesus, told you we were joined together with God, but we still walked in the darkness, we would be liars. How could there have been any truth to our claim and why would you fall for it? For if God and us were joined together, the darkness in us would also have been in HIM. But if God had done something to take the darkness out of us and bring us into the light THEN we really were sharers of His life - and we really had this union of the Father and the Son to offer. The WORD OF MAN means nothing; but the reality of being in the WORD OF GOD means that the evil deeds of darkness were removed from us who were in the light. This is what was done by Jesus, the son of God - the WORD MADE FLESH - by shedding his blood.

What if we had claimed to have no evil deeds of darkness? We would have been fooling ourselves; and the truth would not have been in us. We, instead, had come to see that our whole existence had been in the darkness and that there had been absolutely NO LIGHT in us. It is this ability to call things as they are that revealed who we were - just as the blind man who was given sight was able to confess “Once I was blind, but now I can see. “

GOD is the faithful and righteous one, NOT US. We had been blind until He gave us sight. And we, who couldn't help but to verbalize our former blindness, were the ones who had been forgiven from all sin. We were the ones who were being kept untouched by that which is not of God. If we were denying these deeds of darkness (which is all that those in darkness CAN do) we would have been making the God we represented out to be a liar. For this was the reality of our condition before He took us out of it. If we hadn't been in agreement with this assessment, His word would not have been in us.

Since believers act according to how they see themselves, I had written this letter to pull their minds out of the trap of sin-consciousness. And for those who sinned, we spoke to them of the one who had spoken for US to the Father: Jesus Christ, the righteous. For He successfully took OUR place to deliver us from our sins. But we weren't given exclusive rights, we didn't have more of God than the others who believed through our word.

Here's how WE knew that we had come to know God: a miracle had happened, and the life of God was being worked out through us. Those who make CLAIMS of knowing God but don't have the REALITY of God are liars. There is no truth in them no matter how good they make it sound. How someone rates himself is immaterial; but the one who rates the Word as his worthiness has been made perfect in the love of God. For this is the reality of Jesus: the life of God lives in man. The one who SAYS he is in God is not really in God unless the reality of God is in him.

My letter was not a new thing from God, it was the same word spoken to us many years before which was the same word we had spoken to them. But the thing that made Jesus' word new is the FULFILLMENT of it. Never had the word been fulfilled in a man, but Jesus WAS the word made flesh - and we were witnesses of that miracle. So, this thing IS new because it happened in us, and now it is happening in you. For the light is really here and has been driving out the darkness.

Now, if you hear anyone claiming to be in the light, but the real thing in him is HATE for his brother, the claim is a false one. He is not in the light at all. Are you totally unaware of these blind men parading around as if they have true insight into God? Forget the claims and the arguments over doctrines and religious viewpoints, the one who is in the light has been made new and the new person that he is loves his brother. Don't you get it? Being in the light has changed everything. For it has removed the reason you stumbled. You, along with us, were brought out of the darkness and NOW we see. The brother-hater is still in the darkness and walks as one who doesn't know where he is going. This is because he CANNOT see. He trips and stumbles and is clueless as to why. If you listen, you will hear the blind reveal their blindness; for their words revolve around their intense desire to make themselves appear as if they are better than you.

• I wrote to the weak to remind them that their sins were forgiven because of HIM.
• I wrote to the mature who forgot that they DID know the One who was from the beginning.
• I wrote to the strong to remind them of their true strength, for Christ overcame the evil one.
•  
• Weak ones, you KNOW the Father, ignore those who would convince you otherwise.
• Mature ones, you KNOW the One who is from the beginning.
• Strong ones, DO NOT FEAR the evil one. For the true Word is your strength.

Have no desire for the empty shell of humanity once made in the image of God, for the thing designed to reveal God in this world constantly seeks to fill the Spirit-void with something else. Its desires are merely futile attempts to find fulfillment - don't be infatuated with them. Your connection with this empty shell has been severed; the void in you has been filled with the Spirit. But those old perceptions continually call to you as if you still belong to it. Those who are filled with the love of this world do not have the love of the Father in them. And here, in a nutshell, is what the world desires to fill its emptiness:

• the endless, unfulfilled craving to gratify the senses,
• the endless, unfulfilled craving to achieve empty dreams and false perceptions,
• vain boasting of the perceived (but empty) achievements of life

There is nothing more to it, and it is NOT from the Father, and it is passing from the scene. But YOU who have been made NEW by passing from this world into the reality of the light are the ones who have the desires of God - and you will remain forever.

You're still in the grand finale of the age. Don't pass it off because it has taken so long. This is the predicted time of the Christ-hating spirit. It was proved to me when I witnessed the infiltration of deceivers among our own ranks. We weren't psychics or mind-readers, we had been fooled too many times. But we came to understand that they would eventually show themselves to be not of us. We had no special program, but it was our insistence of holding to the light of God that smoked them out. Those who rejected us rejected CHRIST, for that is who we held to.

I tell you as I told the believers then: your validation comes from the One who is not of this world. God Himself has declared you to be His own through the Spirit He has put in you. I didn't write to them because they DIDN'T have this. But someone had tricked them into thinking their relation to God was inferior. That was a LIE. I wrote to them because they DID know the truth through the same Spirit who indwelt US, and also to tell them that NO lie is of the truth no matter how convincing it appeared.

Okay then, who is this liar that I have been referring to? It is the one who denies that the word-made-flesh, Jesus, is THE ONE chosen by God to save humanity from its curse of emptiness. THIS is the spirit against Christ, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Don't be deceived, it is only an illusion that one can have God without the Son. Those who deny the Son ALSO deny the Father. Those who agree with God concerning His Son ALSO have the Father.

Remember what I tell you about those who are NOT of the truth. But as far as YOU are concerned your spirituality cannot be measured by their criteria. Instead, hold to the message of HIM who was from the beginning - it's Velcro effect will validate you. When it sticks to you - and you stick to it - you know one was made for the other. Those who are not of God CANNOT abide with the truth of Christ, and the reality of the message has no place to hold to. The discovery that it won't go away assures you that HE won't go away. This is the promise that He made to us during His time on the earth: ETERNAL LIFE.

Like I mentioned to you already, we had been caught off-guard that there could have been a traitor among us. Are you as naive as we were? I'm not asking you to go on a witch-hunt, only that you be aware that deceivers always slip in when they detect a confidence they don't understand. Your confidence undermines their dilemma of not really knowing who or what they are. It is easier for them if you to live by the same fears they do. Here is the truth about YOU: the validation of God is not merely a concept, but it is something real that remains in you and no man, by his techniques or greater knowledge, can add to what God has already done in you. Instead, what God filled you with is the very thing that teaches you about all things. This is in contrast to the measuring stick of the world; for it is true and it is not a false perception. God's authentication, which is the power of the message of Christ, has been telling you something every time it calls to you: He is still in you, and you are still in Him.

There is another distinction between us (who were sent by God with this news) and those who have come in with their own program. THEIR position has nothing to do with that of THEIR followers. They actually gain higher status among them by how much closer they are. But WE are no different or better or have any higher standing than those who have believed in God through us. If YOU received it from US and it doesn't stay in you - it doesn't stay in us either. For what is true in you is true in us. YOUR remaining in Christ is OUR confidence as well. It will be shown at His appearing that we are not the same as those lying deceivers who are in the darkness and shrink away from Him in shame when the Light shines on them. Let me ask you, would those who are giving you their programs stake their standing before God on how well you continually perform it? How could they? THEIR standings are based on THEIR performance. OUR remaining in Him is based on the fact that HE put us in union with God by what HE did.

I speak to those who KNOW. And you know HE is righteous, don't you? That knowledge is in you because of what HE put in you. Pay attention to the validation of God because it also tells you this: those who truly do right are born of the righteous one.

Why do you think it should be so difficult to recognize the deception of those who are claiming to speak for God? Listen past their words into the reality of what they preach. They breed fear and insecurity with their words. But we have a FATHER who assures us by calling us CHILDREN OF GOD, and that is what we are. It makes no difference that the world can't see it, they didn't accept Jesus as being born of God, either. For who we really are cannot be evaluated by any of our senses, nor do we have any idea what that life will look like when the outer shell is finally peeled off. We do know this much, though: when HE appears, WE will be exactly like Him because we will see Him exactly as HE is. There is no other possibility, since He is light and there is no darkness in Him.

YOU have the same thing WE have which is what HE had. Those who find their hope in Him walk in a reality where sin has been removed - which is the same reality He walked in. On the other hand, everyone who sins also has a bent to do so, they can't help it. For that's what sin is: the automatic move away from God. But, you know, He came specifically to take AWAY sins; and in Him there is no sin. There is a reality hidden from our human perceptions: the one who has been joined together in Him DOESN'T sin; but the one who sins hasn't seen Him, nor does he know Him. Don't let anybody trick you on this, for the one who does right IS right, EXACTLY in the same way that Jesus is right. So, I ask you, what makes Jesus right?

The evil one is daddy to all who sin, for sin has been his legacy from the beginning. But the son of God showed up to create a new reality from out of the old. By His doing, he destroyed the doings of the evil one. Here is the reality of His new creation: no one who is born of God sins because God's seed is in him. Why do you look at yourself as if you were still part of the old creation? Anyone born of God CANNOT sin because they share the same nature with God. Can't you see the obvious difference between God's kids and the devil's kids? The one who doesn't do God's deeds - or can't love his brother - is not of God. The distinction of loving one another is the prime reality of the message we passed on to you. This same difference existed between the first set of brothers. Cain was of the evil one and he hated his brother because God had accepted Abel's deeds as being right. And it drove him to kill his brother.

So, why are you surprised when you discover that this world's love is only an illusion? And why be shocked that under the thin facade lies a real hatred that is directed at YOU? This reality of love in us is what convinces us that we have crossed over from among the dead into true life. The one who doesn't have this love still remains in death. Everyone - regardless of the facade of professed love - who hates his brother is a killer that has no conscience. And cold-blooded killers don't have the eternal knowledge of the Father within them.

Love? With so many claiming to be authorities, how can we know what love is? Because it's essence has been revealed in this: unlike the brother-hater, Jesus laid down HIS life for US. Love IN US works itself out in the same way - though it will be questioned by many, just as HIS love was also questioned. Your society has gotten used to philanthropists and humanitarians whose wonderful deeds are praised throughout the world, but none of it replaces the true motivation that comes from a heart set free. How is it that you have come to associate the world's kind of love with the love of God? What I'm asking is this: how many times have you taught yourself to ignore the pretension of generosity in someone who only helps those who can pay him back, but manages to avoid helping the brother truly in need? But you, who are in Christ, true love is an indisputable reality that has been put within you which causes you to lay down your life for each other. Don't let the world's absurdity sway you into thinking that words are the power behind love; or that saying something just right will make up for the lack of reality.

Do you realize that this distinction causes us to know that we are of the truth? It's also what brings assurance before God when we are hearing that damning voice that accuses us before Him. And it makes no difference what it is that we condemn ourselves over, because God is greater than that damning voice. And keep this in mind: He ALREADY knows your deep secrets and your fears that they are severing your relationship with Him. Wouldn't you agree that if that damning voice had no more evidence against you - if it was silenced - then you would have confidence before God? It is this ASSURANCE that there is no more condemnation - I say again, NO MORE CONDEMNATION - that brings the realization that He gives us whatever we ask. For contrary to the old perception that something within us displeases God, it has been made known to us that we, through the finished work of Christ, are the ones who do what He says. Yes. WE are those miraculous creations that do His will. It is the voice of condemnation that tells you otherwise. As that voice is being silenced it is being revealed that we really do please God in all we do.

Stop, and consider: WHAT is it that we have been called to? Believing in the name of His son, Jesus Christ; and loving one another. And those in whom this is true are the ones who live in him, and He lives in them. HOW do we know that He lives in us? By the Spirit He has given us.

Loved ones, don't accept every appearance of reality created by someone's words. What I'm asking of you is to look behind the mask to see if that spirit is really of God. Are you not aware that there are MANY false prophets out there? Don't be distracted by how well the words are crafted, listen past the words for the life of God in what is being said. I'm not suggesting that you expect some kind of magical radar-scanner thing to happen, as it's not that complicated. Those who are born of God have the knowledge of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, within them - it is their birthright. They are the ONLY ones who can truly agree and, therefore, speak of the reality of the joining of the Creator and the human creation in the person of Jesus Christ. Those who are NOT of God do NOT know who Jesus really is and can only QUOTE or PHRASE the words that seem to buy their acceptance among those they want to deceive. Listen for it, for this is the spirit that HATES Christ. You've heard about the coming of this spirit - the antichrist - but are you not aware that it is ALREADY here?

YOU ARE FROM GOD and you are already victorious over these God-less spirits, for the One who is in you is greater than this spirit that is now in this world. THEY ARE FROM THE WORLD and they can only speak from that source; and they understand each other. WE ARE FROM GOD; those who know God understand us, and they receive the truth we speak. Those who are not of God CANNOT receive what we say. It is the simple reception factor by which we can distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of deceit.

You, who are loved, concern yourselves with loving one another because LOVE, and NOT empty words, is what comes from God. Realize this: those who have love in them are the ones who are born of God, and they also KNOW God. Those who don't have this miraculous love in them don't know God for the simple reason that GOD is love. How is it that WE got the love of God in US, though it is not in the world? This is the thing that happened when God sent the only Son He fathered into the world, so that through the Son we would also live. This is where love is found, and it's NOT that WE loved God, but that HE loved US. Stop talking about YOUR love, for God initiated love in sending His Son to sacrifice Himself on account of our sins that separated us from Him.

Don't you see how loved you are? Now, if God loved us in this manner, there should be no question as to where love comes from, nor whether this love was given for us to love one another. For if no one in this world has ever seen or known God, yet we love one another, IT IS A MIRACLE that is only made possible because GOD LIVES IN US. And it's not partial or inferior, because He has PERFECTED this love in us. And the reason we KNOW that we live in God and that God lives in us is because He has put His Spirit within us. And we have SEEN and we testify to this reality that the Father has sent His Son to be the rescuer of this world that has no love within it. So, that those who, from within, speak forth this agreement that Jesus is, in fact, the one who is born of God - God is within this person and this person is within God.

As to this love that comes from God, we have miraculously come to know it, and have found ourselves to have believed that He has loved us. God is love, which means that those who live in love live in God and God lives in them. By this miraculous union with God, He has perfected love within us, so that when we are called into judgment we can stand in confidence. For this is what we have come to know and to declare to you that as Jesus Christ is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear AT ALL in the love that comes from God. But this perfect love casts out fear since fear involves punishment, which has been taken from us. But the one who truly stands in fear due to the impending judgment that is coming upon him is not perfected in love.

The cause behind our being able to love is that God initiated love toward us. If someone mouths the words, “I love God”, and yet he hates his brother, he is a liar. For it is only an illusion that a person can love an invisible God while he hates a visible brother. For this is the impact of the word He spoke to us that those who love God would also love their brother.

Trash your preconceived notions based upon self-endorsing claims. Don't you see that just because a person may TALK about faith in God it doesn't necessarily mean that he/she believes in God? When the smoke clears it becomes obvious that faith is not made of the words that speak of it, but of the reality that is spoken of. Those who have that gut-level faith that Jesus is the one and only promised deliverer who came in the flesh are born of God. And whoever actually loves the Father loves the offspring of the Father. This connection is so vital that you can KNOW that you love God's children from the love you have for the Father. And that's not all. For when assurance replaces that running-commentary of condemnation in your head, the fact that you really do keep the commands of God is a testimony to your love for those born of the Father. For this is the love of God in us: OUR keeping of HIS commandments.

Lest you confuse His commandments with difficult duties that we learned to dread, think again. Having been born of God has removed us from the bondage of the performance-based life of those in the world. He not only took us out of it, but He made us victorious over it. How so? Through faith, we do what the world, with all its resources, cannot. And if overcoming the world is a reality in those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then it is certainly not found in trying to keep a difficult command.

Who is this anointed one of God - this Jesus - who has caused us to be victorious? He is the one who came not only by the life-blood of the Spirit, but also by the life-blood of man. And the Spirit, who is the truth, testifies to His identity. For there are three witnesses of His identity - the Spirit, the life-blood of the Spirit, and the life-blood of man - and they converge in a unified voice of agreement in only one place: Jesus Christ. We have heard men and their testimonies; we have also heard the far superior voice of God. And what did we hear Him say? “This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. “. The one who believes in God's Son has this testimony within him, and so agrees as to the identity of the Son; the one who does not believe God's claim about the Son makes Him out to be a liar by the testimonies he speaks to you. This is because he has not believed what God testified about His Son. Do you hear the witness? It has been spoken to us; for in giving us His Son He has given us the eternal life that is in the Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

I write to you as those who DO believe the witness concerning the Son of God - that He is what His name claims. I write because many desire to steal the CONFIDENCE you have in Him. Know this: you DO have eternal life - which is the true knowledge of God. Let me tell you of our confidence we had before God. For in making us sharers of His life we were also made sharers of His desires; and as sharers of His desires He HEARD us in anything we asked. KNOWING He heard us in whatever we asked we ALSO knew that we had ALREADY been given whatever it was we asked of Him. This same assurance belongs to you.

So, in this confidence, what do you ask when you see your brothers sinning? Those who are born of God have passed from death into life - their sins are not unto death - ask life, and God will give it for those who are trapped in the deception. There is no confidence in asking for brothers (like Cain), who remain in death and sin toward death; I was not suggesting it. Now, if ALL unrighteousness is sin, how can there be sin not to death? The perspective of our confidence is the true identity of those born of God - for they DO NOT SIN. But the reality is that HE who was born of God KEEPS those born of God untouched from the evil one and his deeds.

The assurance WE knew that I want to pass on to you is this: YOU are of God, while the whole world exists in the evil one. You have been given the knowledge that the Son of God has come - He has put this understanding within you - so that you DO know Him who is true. It also teaches you that you are IN the true one, His Son Jesus, the promised One. No matter what anyone else tells you, THIS is the true God, and eternal life. My little children, be on your guard against all those false concepts which attempt to replace this life.

Introduction

This is my first Shovelation letter. I wrote it as if Paul himself gave us a visit and then decided to rewrite his letter to the Galatians to bring it back into a better understanding. Jim

Hello, my name is Paul. I suspect you’ve heard of me. I’m sure you’re familiar with my writings. But what I’m not sure of is whether you have the faintest idea what it was that I wrote. Hey, I picked up a printed copy and read my own translated letters and I have to say I had a hard time following it. I mean, what are all those numbers for? It looks more like a law document or something. For crying out loud, it was a letter! I asked somebody about it and he told me it was easier to study it that way. What did he mean by that?!? And something else: those things called chapters are most distracting to the flow, if you can even follow my original thought with all those verse numbers breaking the whole thing up.

Hey, I went into a Bible Study group recently where they were examining one of my letters (yeah, I get around on a rare occasion). I was asking the teacher a few questions about his opinions but he kept evading me. I think he thought he was answering the questions, but all he did was quote some other verses from some other places and make a few unrelated comments. He finally got frustrated and told me that I had no idea what the “apostle Paul” taught and that I needed to learn the original Greek and learn how to exegete scripture. Imagine that!! Oh man, do I remember that kind of fruitless study. Also, I was told that I would never have any kind of true understanding of Scripture (he pronounced it with a capital S) if I didn’t learn Systematic Theology! I’ve heard this kind of stuff before. Different words, same trash!

Anyway, I decided to rewrite it a little so that you could catch the sense of not only what I said but how I said it. Now, I was told I would catch a lot of flack for that and probably be called a blasphemer, heretic or something like that, but it sure wouldn’t be the first time. Hey, do me a favor, don’t subdivide it this time, okay?

Galatians 98

When I wrote this letter to the believers who lived in the Galatian region I was mad! The last time I had seen them they were living in freedom and it showed in everything they thought and did and said. But it didn’t appear that way to a certain group of people who thought they knew what it was to do the will of God.

Let me get right to the point: God chose me to bring the message of freedom. I was not sent by men, nor do I represent any establishment of man, nor do I have anything to do with their systems. The one who sent me is Jesus Christ … and God, His Father, who raised Him up from the dead!

I bring the grace of God, and the peace which has been made by Jesus when He died on purpose to deliver us from the hell-hole we once knew … which is the prison the whole world still lives in. The whole set-up is part of God’s plan and He is the one who gets the credit for all of it … eventually, we will see what a magnificent plan it is.

You know, I’ve seen a lot, and it isn’t easy to surprise me anymore, but this was ridiculous! I didn’t know what else to say … I was shocked at how fast it happened. They were turning away from HIM, the very God who called them into the freedom of Christ!! The ironic part is that they had been deceived into thinking they were actually getting closer to Him. Imagine that!! Yeah, they had been listening to this different message of freedom. But you know what? There is no such thing!! But there were some people who were messing with their minds (yeah, I knew about them). Do you know what they really wanted? They desired to twist and pervert the message of freedom in Christ. Oh, yeah, they called it gospel alright, but it wasn’t.

Guess what? I’m disturbed now because I’ve been watching what’s been going on and you’re doing the same things they did! You’ve got so many programs designed to make you better Christians … and you don’t even realize there is no such thing. How do you get caught up in this stuff? Do you think there’s more truth to it if the preacher has credentials?

You know what? I don’t care if it’s an angel from God … I don’t care if it’s me, or one of my buddies who comes and tells you something different … the message of freedom through the work of Christ on the cross, as I originally told it is the only true message. Whoever tells you a different message is to be considered as a carrier of death! I’m going to say it again. Anybody who brings you a message of freedom that is not the same one that was received from me is to be avoided as being the carrier of death!

I know what those guys said, and I know what they are saying now. I know they tell you that I endorse their false message and agree with their additions to the message of freedom. Do you really think I’m like them? Do I sound as if I’m seeking their approval? Or God’s? Haha … what a joke! I keep getting kicked out of my own Bible studies! Do you think I’m looking for that pat on the back they love to get? I know what that’s like. I haven’t forgotten because as you well know it used to be what drove me. Get serious! If I had been looking to be the man-pleaser I used to be I sure wouldn’t be hooked up with Christ … because he’s not impressed with reputation.

There is something you need to know about this message of freedom that I speak: it didn’t come to me in the usual way. When it came to me it by-passed all the conventions of man’s wisdom. What I’m telling you is that I didn’t get it from another man, I didn’t learn it in some school, or read it in a book … I got it directly from Jesus Christ, Himself!! It wasn’t learned … it was revealed.

You’ve heard about the man I used to be and the religion that consumed me; and how I did everything in my power to do away with this Jesus thing and those who belonged to him. I was on my way to the top … way ahead of most … and I was in my prime! I had a passion for the traditions of the religion of my people … my roots meant everything to me. And right in the middle of all of it God stopped me dead in my tracks. I wasn’t looking for this, I thought I was doing God’s will already! But it turns out that He had already picked me out for this before I was even born. Me! It pleased him to reveal his Son in and through me … the guy who was dead-set against him! He had purposed that I would be the one to take this message of freedom and preach Jesus to those who were not my people.

Let me tell you what I didn’t do: from the start, I didn’t consult with anybody on this revelation from God. I didn’t go to Jerusalem and get together with those who had lived with Jesus to discuss this thing that had happened to me. I went away to the desert and later returned to the place I was going to when he got a hold of me. I didn’t go to Jerusalem until three years later to go see Peter … and even then I only stayed with him for 15 days. The only other of the original twelve disciples I saw was James, the brother of Jesus.

Do you know why I am telling you this? And God is my witness that I am not lying when I say this: the message of freedom that I speak did not come from any man, but from God !!

My reputation became quite different than what it used to be. Those who belonged to Jesus in the Judea area didn’t even know what I looked like. All they knew was that the guy who had hated them and wanted to kill them was now preaching the faith that he tried to destroy. And on account of me (isn’t it ironic?) they were praising God.

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I went to Jerusalem again … 14 years later. This time, though, it was for a different reason; and God had compelled me to go. My constant companion, Barnabas, went with me … and I also took this kid named Titus, because being a Greek and not a Jew he had not been circumcised.

Now, this may not mean a whole bunch to you guys, but for us it was a distinction we learned from childhood. We called people who weren’t Jews the uncircumcision. It defined who we were as a people. With you, if one of your males are born in a hospital they get trimmed automatically … no ceremony, no meaning. But in my day this distinction between us and them was used by these religious men as a token requirement that could be held over non-Jews to push them into conformity. They came up with the absurd formula that you weren’t really delivered by Jesus unless you were circumcised. I call it absurd because the meaning of the ritual should have been more obvious to us … it actually gave proof to God’s acceptance of believers from among the uncircumcision.

(You may wonder how we knew who was and who wasn’t. First, it was assumed. No one had it done unless they were Jews. The only exceptions were those who joined themselves to us and became Jews. That was it. If we didn’t know we could just ask. Most who weren’t circumcised despised us, and had no reason to claim it. But either way, we could always find out. We didn’t have the privacies you have and we had spies all over the place.)

Now, this formula had quite an impact. Non-Jews who believed began to feel less than Jews who believed. This put pressure on the have-nots to consider becoming the haves in order to get connected with God! So, the rite of circumcision had become this essential thing that caused those who don’t have it to feel inferior … and it gave those who do have it a false reason to feel superior.

Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. When I wrote to the Galatian believers there was one big, obvious issue that was being used to bring them back into the hell-hole they had been delivered from. Today, you have so many issues I can’t even begin to count them. But you know what? It’s all the same. You just think it’s so different.

Anyway, I went up to Jerusalem to hit this thing head-on and take the message of freedom that I speak to the heathen to see where they would stand with the truth. Now, I didn’t want to bring this up in their open forum … I went privately to those who seemed to be something (this whole reputation thing can make people agree to some pretty stupid things, as I well know). I did this because I have seen how this perversion destroys freedom … I could only imagine the devastation caused if Jesus’ own head-honchos were promoting it.

But I was relieved to find that none of them tried to push Titus to have the initiation rite performed, which is what the impostors among them wanted so bad. Don’t you remember how many times I wrote in my letters how there would be people who hang with you and pretend to be your brothers? These spies can’t stand the freedom we have in Christ. They have no idea what living in freedom is. How could they? Their have lived their whole life behind bars … and they won’t be happy unless they force us into the same prison they are in!! But we did not give into them for a moment because the integrity of the message of freedom was on the line; and I was not about to let them take that freedom away.

Just in case you didn’t know, it was Peter who really spoke out at the big meeting that had been called to discuss what was called the necessity of circumcision. They had been arguing for quite some time (You know, I hadn’t heard so much twisted scripture in years … I had been pretty good at it myself at one time). But anyway, it was getting rather heated when Peter decided to stand up and talk about how God had used him to take the message of freedom to the non-Jews. You should have heard him drive home the reality of how they had received the Spirit in the exact same way we had: through faith. Man, he was bold that day … here he was silencing this foolish concept by pointing out that God made no distinction between the heathen and us Jews. Those self-righteous men among us were steaming … but they couldn’t answer against him. Then he asked this question: Are we trying to fool God by forcing these believers to live in the prison that none of us Jews were able to bear? That got them to shut up long enough for us to describe how God had been working among the heathen through our speaking the message of freedom.

Okay, so as you can imagine Peter had gained quite a reputation and definitely seemed to be something; add to this the power of James and John and they became a force to be reckoned with. Don’t get me wrong because I really do count them as friends, but I didn’t care less who they were. God is not biased or impressed by what people think about themselves or each other. And you know what? Those who had reputations didn’t add a doggoned thing to me or to my message! Actually, the effect was the opposite. It had become obvious to them that God really did give me this message of freedom to take to the non-Jews in the same way that Peter was chosen to speak to Jews. It’s just like God to do something like that. These men who had the reputation for being the pillars among God’s people fully accepted me, the guy who had been their enemy years before! You know, I think they were very surprised that God chose me.

The only concern they had with us had nothing to do with appeasing the false ones among them. They simply wanted to know if we would ask the believers who were not devastated by the famine in Jerusalem to help out financially. Which was something I had already planned on doing when I got back.

I want you to understand the dynamics surrounding Peter’s visit to Antioch (that’s the town where I was). Keep in mind that I had gotten over my earlier obsession with climbing the ladder of success. You see, I had learned to stay out of conflicts within the hierarchy of my own religion. Oh, I was aggressive alright, but I wasn’t stupid! We observed the proper protocol when we stepped on each other. But strictly speaking, we were professional yes-men! We didn’t really tell each other what we truly thought and felt … and we especially had to take care what we said to those who were above us. Otherwise, we would have never gotten as far as we did.

Now, don’t forget that God had used Peter to take this message of freedom to the non-Jews in a very powerful way. You remember, it was the thing where he had the vision about the animals on the sheet coming down from heaven. God said, “Have a barbecue” … Peter said, “No way, it’s not kosher, I’ll get contaminated!” The lesson Peter learned was that if God calls it clean, then it’s clean! The next thing Peter knew he was going to visit some Italians, and he got in a lot of trouble from that visit. He actually ate dinner with these heathen. I know, this might not sound like such a big deal to you, but for a Jew it could ruin his life! Imagine losing the respect of the people you live with … then you can understand what he had risked. This was the story he told during the big meeting that helped put an end to the discussion about circumcision.

Had I been operating by the fear I had grown up with I wouldn’t have confronted such an important man to his face … in front of everybody! But the simple fact was that he was acting as a carrier of death!

So, here’s the situation. Peter was living in the freedom of one who knows there is no distinction between people. The fear that someone might see him and think less of him for it didn’t concern him one bit. The Gentiles knew he accepted them simply by how he lived among them. But then the boys from Jerusalem, the circumcision, came to town … and Peter began to act like a different man! The bottom line to his actions was fear ! He stopped eating with his brothers and instead started treating them as the uncircumcision. It was infectious! The other Jews also began acting out of character (that’s the new character, mind you) and copied Peter’s example. It was so bad that even my buddy, the rock-solid Barnabas, got caught up in the hypocrisy!

Okay, you may say, What’s the big deal? So, he stopped eating dinner with the goyim! It’s not like he was preaching a false message! But it was exactly that. Can’t you see how his actions were presenting another message of freedom? Chances are that you don’t … and that’s no surprise. I say this because your modern culture and thought processes have been built upon the Greek philosophy system. Now, I had quite a few run-ins with that, but your whole concept of knowledge has taken what I saw to the extreme. Hey, most of you people can’t even think without one of these systems!

Let me see if I can describe what Peter was silently telling these uncircumcised believers. Imagine this. You’re at a social gathering where much to your surprise you find yourself accepted by some people you had previously considered snobs. Things are going well and you are feeling like one of the gang until some really cool people show up and join the party. All of a sudden you realize you are being treated as an outsider again. So much for the acceptance, huh? You’ve been there before, haven’t you? The stuff that hurts is the silence and the subtle looks of rejection. You don’t have to be told, “We are embarrassed by you”, but it comes across loud and clear. That is what Peter communicated. Because of his fear of reputation, he told the Galatians this simple message: You are not one of us … you didn’t really think that you were our equals, did you?. What else is the rejected one left with than to consider that in order to be accepted he must have whatever it is the other person has?

I know what I said to him had quite an impact because it was almost a rewording of what he so boldly said at the Jerusalem meeting. Talk about Deja Vu, huh?

Here is what I asked him. If you are one of the initiated, but you live like the uninitiated, where’s the rationale to push the uninitiated into receiving the initiation? Put another way: If you are one of the insiders, but you live like an outsider and not like an insider, how can you force the outsiders to live like the insiders? Oh, sure, we were born into the initiation (automatic insiders) … we aren’t one of the heathen sinners (outsiders)! But hasn’t God taught us that being made right is not a matter of doing this law that we were initiated into? Don’t we know that it is through faith in Christ that God has included us among the righteous? Even we, the initiated (the insiders), had to believe in Christ Jesus for this righteousness that comes by faith and not by following the set of rules. Because nobody can be made right by following the rules no matter how hard he tries. But if we are trying to be made right in Christ, and in doing so we see ourselves as the sinners we despise, does that mean that Christ, through what he has done, brings sin? This is an insane question, for it is not the grace of Christ that causes sin!

Listen to me. If I put myself back into the system I tore down of trying to prove I’m better than you, who is it that is proving that I am a law-breaker? I am! The crucified and risen Christ has nothing more to do with sin. Don’t you get it? It is the old system of rules that killed me, which, in turn, removed me from that system of rules, which has removed me from the sin … for the purpose of making me alive to the God I had been dead to! When Christ was crucified, I was crucified. The man I used to be, the initiated one, is no longer alive, but it is Christ who is my very life! This life I am now living in this body I live by the faith that has its source in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

I’m not going to void out the grace of God with another message (spoken or not); because if you can make yourself right or improve yourself by some kind of law (God’s or man’s) or rule or principle or self-help course, then Christ did not have to die … it was for nothing!

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Have you guys gone wacko or something? Did you forget everything I told you about Jesus? Don’t you remember how it used to be so OBVIOUS to all of you that Christianity is a miracle? Did you forget that your former mindset was exposed as death? Don’t you remember that HIS death on the cross was the end of everything you USED TO BE? Can you tell me just ONE thing? This new life … the Spirit of Christ, Himself living in you … did it come from something you did? Or was it a miracle that came about through faith? Have you gone insane? You KNOW the Spirit came and made you alive by the miracle of hearing! You think you can make that new life BETTER by something you do? Are you stupid or something? Remember all the opposition and rejection you had to put up with from your friends and neighbors because you had turned away from the community religion (Now, that was a system of rules and regulations!)? Was that all for nothing? What I’m asking you is this: are you telling me that God does what he does based on how well you do what you do? Or is it a miracle that happened when you heard and believed? I think somebody has been messing with your heads!

Kinda harsh, huh? But this situation was critical and I called it as I saw it. The believers from Galatia were acting as if they had been put under a spell. They were listening to this “Don’t you know we’re children of Abraham?” stuff … and they were buying into it! Hey, look, even Abraham was made righteous when he believed God, not because he did something to deserve it. I find it rather odd how his so-called children think they get better by what they do.

God told Abraham, “All the nations shall be blessed in you”. And even in the writings they hold so dear it attests to this fact that “The righteous shall live by faith”. Now, if the promise came through Abraham, you can be sure about this: it has come to those who are of faith. And you know who the ‘Sons of Abraham’ are? You got it … those who are like Abraham … believers! Let me tell you something. These guys who are of the Law aren’t the real sons of Abraham, they are under the curse of the Law! Hey, if they understood the books they quoted from they would know that the law is NOT OF FAITH! Those whose lives are based on law-keeping must continue on that basis. How it is that they come to you with a mixture of life by laws and life by grace is a contradiction of the very essence of both. It’s against the law! Their books have to be burning their hands. Christ came and delivered us from that curse by becoming the curse FOR US!! In doing so, we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

You think I left something out? You think maybe the Law changes what was promised to Abraham? That’s exactly what the Galatians were considering. The men who came behind me with their version of the message of freedom put serious doubts into the minds of those who had experienced such an incredible joy … they had been freed from guilt, shame and fear.

Let me ask you: did you realize that the promise was made to Abraham … and to his SEED? Not SEEDS, just SEED. Do you know who that is? It is Christ. So, then, who is the promise to? The promise was made to Jesus Christ! That means you would have to be in union with him in order to receive the promise. I hope you are getting the connection. I hope the sense of it is causing your head to rattle a bit!

Look, this promise was made over four centuries BEFORE the Law was even given … what does that tell you? You think God changed His mind or something? I’m telling you right now that if this promise comes about by some kind of obedience on your part then it is NOT A PROMISE! Those impostors thought they knew Abraham, but they didn’t know anything!!

You want to know why the Law was added after the promise? Listen well and follow this. It took the one broken command of Adam (the only one recognized by God) and multiplied law-breaking to the extreme. What does that tell you about how well the law works for bringing perfection? If it DID make people right THEN there would have been a conflict between the Law and the promise. But there was no law given by God that did anything to improve the condition of any man. Are you still fooled by the facade? Instead, the Law put the nails in the coffin until Christ appeared!!

Do you understand what I am saying? Before the miracle of faith came God’s people were locked up and had nothing to do with faith … that came with Christ. Do you know what relationship my people had with God before Jesus got here? We were like children who had to be lead about by the hand and NEEDED supervision … THAT’S WHAT THE LAW WAS TO US!! But now that He HAS come the REAL sons of Abraham are NOT under such supervision!

Those religious, self-righteous men had played into the fears of the Galatian believers. You understand those fears all too well. You may think it was much different back then, but you are under the same kind of influences yourselves. You find yourself feeling less than those who boast of doing well. You think you’re not as good as the morally upright. You are sure that you are not as close as the one who is on fire for God. You become convinced that you are not as connected to God as the dedicated. You question your own sincerity in view of those who appear to walk the talk. Don’t you know who you are? ALL OF YOU who believe in Christ are Sons of God and there is nothing that separates one from another or puts some in a better class than the rest.

Have you missed something? Hasn’t it struck you that the circumcision ritual leaves half of us out of the picture? Actually, all of us received the removal of the flesh through the death and resurrection of Christ when we what we were was cut away from us. The distinction of male and female has no bearing on our true identity. Social status means nothing, either. Let me ask you: what group of people do you consider as being outside the scope of God’s grace?

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You know what else amazes me? People read this letter and think that I was questioning the DESTINATION of the Christian, when, in fact, I was describing THE LIFE we have been called into! From our earliest experiences to the present day, this life is totally unlike any principle of living we have ever known. It is this difference we seem to forget as we go through our everyday routines. Somehow, the miraculous nature of our new life in Christ gets pushed right out of our actual considerations. No wonder so many of us live in such confusion.

You know, it wasn’t a bad thing for Israel to live under the law… it was in accordance with God’s plan of keeping them in custody. You know how some people have hired a nanny to keep after the children until they are grown? Well, the Law was the nanny for the children of Israel … and their childhood lasted from Moses until Christ! That’s a long childhood. Their whole existence was lived in view of, “This is what I am supposed to do and/or not to do”. They were given corresponding punishments and rewards that hung over their heads. If it sounds similar to the way in which you were raised, it should. All of us were born into this prison … and the law intensified it for us! And this is what Christ came to redeem us from.

The Galatians had no reason to be intimidated by those who were hanging on the old system. The time had come and it had passed them by … they were still being led by the hand as little children! And they were trying to make the true sons of God feel as if they didn’t really belong. But how does one who doesn’t belong call out to the true God and call him, Daddy? Don’t you realize that if the Spirit of Christ has been sent into the outsiders that also means freedom for the insiders? Those who were insiders have nothing over those who were outsiders.

Here is what we really miss: the life principles of those without God are the same as the life principles of those who are under the laws of God!! What else did you think it meant to “turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things”? Paul told them that by turning to the law they were actually returning to the same operating principles they had been called out of. And if this is what Christ is all about, who needs Christ?

The Galatians were showing all kinds of signs that they had regressed to their former bondage. They were falling into the religious habits the Jews had observed under the nanny. Just a quick look around most religious groups today reveals a similar condition! You believers today hold to forms that have no life, but only give the appearance that you have your stuff together. Whatever happened to freedom?

In case you don’t know, I hadn’t planned on going to visit the Galatians in the first place. It was accidental … if you can call it that. I got thrown off from my original plans. I was in bad shape from an illness and I didn’t look so good. Which means their first impression of me gave them reason to look down on me as being the representative of God, but they didn’t. After all, what kind of a God sends sick people? But they heard God’s voice through me. The joy they received was not because I impressed them … they accepted me as Christ. This had been a miraculous thing. What had happened? Were did their joy go? How had I become their enemy? Because I was telling them the truth?

Those impostors who were wooing the Galatians were being dishonest. They pretended to care. They said they were concerned about improving relationships with Christ, but they only wanted to increase their own little kingdom. Their formula was simple: entice them … shut them out … make them beg to get in! I have no problem with the sincere love that seeks another’s good, but that is often not the case. Open your eyes, there are impostors desiring to get you in their group. Just notice how they are doing what they are doing … it should be quite obvious!

Okay, maybe you’re considering some formula to make you more spiritual. That’s what the Galatians were doing. They figured if circumcision was the thing they were missing then why not do it? They were desiring a system of performance to live by, but they had no idea what that system really was. Do you? Do you know the significance in the fact that Abraham had TWO sons? Listen, there is a difference between a son of Abraham by the natural means and a son by the miraculous!

God had made a promise which left no option but to believe Him. But time passed and it didn’t seem to be working, so Abraham and Sarah (aka Abram and Sarai) decided to take matters into their own hands. It was actually Sarai’s idea. She begged Abram to go have sexual intercourse with her slave-girl; it doesn’t appear that he put up a fight. Didn’t you know it was the custom for a free woman to have children through her slave? In their minds they were doing the right thing! Call it what you will … “acting in faith”, “putting feet to prayer” “making practical application” … but they had attempted to do God’s work their way! And their solution caused a major conflict. Ishmael was conceived and the free woman was despised by the slave. Years later (leave it to God’s timing, huh?), God did give Sarah a child (Issac) and it was a miracle child for she was an old, old woman. The results? The child of bondage harassed the child of faith.

Don’t you see it? The productivity of the flesh always questions the productivity of the Spirit. Here is the lesson we have learned in the world: If you want to get things done you gotta do it yourself! The lesson of God is this: Let God do what God promises to do! In the meantime, know this: the children of bondage will despise you and call you illegitimate, which is what they did to the Galatians. They questioned their identity. They called their life-source (the Spirit) a dry well. Then they tried to convince them that it was up to them to produce some fruit! “Get excited when you discover you can’t produce! Shout with joy when it appears that nothing is happening! For there is more productivity in those who can’t produce than in those who seem to be fertile!” Don’t you get it? Don’t you know who you are? Are you going to sit there and let the impostors define reality for you? How long will you let them question the source of your new life? How long will you let the dead tell you how to live? How long will it take you to realize that there is a foundational difference between those born of the Spirit and those born of the flesh? How much slavery will you endure because the religious world convinces you that you are still the same? Stop operating as if you have the same Momma! Stop living as if you need laws and rules to control you. Refuse to listen to those who are not of faith, do not let them sink their claws into you! For you have been born of the Spirit!

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So, why did Christ set us free? We were set free for FREEDOM! So stand firm in it, and don’t give into anyone who wants to take it away from you! I tell you this because those who are in bondage can’t stand the idea that you may have escaped; and they will do anything to pull you back into prison with them.

With the Galatians, circumcision was the thing that took their focus off the freedom of Christ. They were considering that maybe they could get closer to God if they went along with the program. The deceptive part of the persuasion is that it all sounds very Christian at the time. Is there some pressing issue on your mind that makes you feel less spiritual than others? Are you feeling pressured to perform certain Christian duties in the hope that you can improve your standing with God? Are you seeking some sign or spiritual gift in order to prove yourself? This is what circumcision was to them … a token requirement of spirituality.

If you give into this, then the freedom of Christ is not doing you any good at all! Don’t you understand? I’m telling you, if you go along with their game and receive their initiation you will find yourself trapped into performing all of their standards! What did you think? Didn’t you know that if you grabbed the tiger by the tail you had to deal with the claws and the teeth? Once you turn away from the miracle of freedom in Christ (even in such a small thing) you have set the pattern of living for yourself. All of your life starts to revolve around doing the right thing … which becomes the thing you are obligated to do … which becomes your bondage. And what does any of this have to do with the concept of freedom? Hey, you have cut Christ right out of your actual living. The life of grace is far above the pathetic life of living under the law. If you are trying to make yourself right by trying to do right, you have fallen from a high calling. Justify it to yourself, but a free man knows the difference.

What is the life of freedom? What has the Spirit taught us? To wait for God to do what He has promised. Remember Abraham and Sarah? Remember what they produced when they thought they were doing the right thing? We do not produce righteousness by our efforts, the Spirit brings it about through faith … that is the promise! Live every moment in anticipation of what He is doing. For what we do or what we don’t doesn’t mean anything, but instead, it is faith that operates through love.

You know, all the talk about obedience made me sick. Why is it that the Galatians were doing so well before those guys got a hold of them? Is it possible that maybe their push for obedience stopped it from happening? It’s a funny thing … when you’re living in expectation of the miracle of life in Christ obedience is a by-product. Then someone comes along who convinces you that it’s not happening unless you are producing some specific fruit or gift. It only takes a little bit of this thinking to permeate all of your thoughts. The men who were preaching circumcision should have had their whole thing cut off! Whoever is troubling you has it coming as well. I don’t care what they tell you: I didn’t preach circumcision then and there is nothing in my writings to support anybody’s formulas. If I did then I would have been perverting the good news of Christ; because it’s offensive to the natural mind. If you can get closer to God by something that you do (or don’t do) then who needs a Jesus who only came for those who are too far gone to help themselves in any way?

Have you been listening to what I’ve been telling you? Do you understand what I mean by another message of freedom? Do you know why it rattles my cage? There is no freedom in those other messages! You were called to freedom … and many of you have traded it in for a counterfeit! Do you not know what the Galatians were doing with their stupid move toward circumcision? They were trashing freedom by attempting to turn it into something else altogether. But the thing they were calling freedom was no longer freedom. It was only a shell that was becoming was a place where sin could function! Don’t you understand that those who have died to sin don’t live there anymore? Freedom contains no place for sin to operate … but Law does. If you are persuaded to commit to somebody’s program by doing their thing, then you are only giving sin a place to work in your life. By the way, how many of you thought this verse was a caution to balance freedom? You guys never cease to amaze me!

Don’t do it! Don’t relapse to the self-serving facade of love, but really serve one another through the miracle of love! Or didn’t you know that this miracle fulfills everything the law requires? But if you opt for the sin-conscious existence that picks on each other for not living up to each other’s favorite principles, you’ll eventually destroy each other! Yeah, if you and I are holding our tigers by their tails all we have toward each other is teeth and claws!

Have you found yourself caught up in an ongoing, desperate struggle to not do evil? That’s not Christianity; that’s what you get when you are looking to principles or rules to control you. I’m telling you to look to the Spirit who produces life and you will not do its bidding! Don’t you understand that there are only TWO sources and they are as different and night and day? The Spirit of God, and the spirit of the world. One is the very essence of life; the other is found in death, for it lacks life. Laws and rules deal with the stuff that makes the evil world tick, so it makes no difference how much you want to produce good and keep from evil … you just can’t do it and you know it because you have tried and it doesn’t work!

But hear this now: if the Spirit of Christ is your life you are not under the law. You may think you are under the law. And you may live as if you are under the law. But you are not! What is produced by the law is obvious – listen and see if it doesn’t sound like the stuff you have seen in operation amongst yourselves since you have been turning away from grace.

Don’t you harp on morality and purity because you see the lack of it in your own life? And the insane desire to feel the Spirit’s operation is nothing more than living by the senses. How can you be satisfied with Christ when you are always looking for something more? You consult your formulas as one who trusts his horoscope. Your standards give rise to hatred, jealousy, despising and resentment because you compare yourselves with yourselves. You are always disputing and challenging each other, and blowing up when you can’t change the other guy. You are constantly creating new reasons to split with one another, but you can’t stand it if someone has something you want. Your life is an expression of the simple fact that you are out of control … you find yourself giving into anything that will help you bear it!

Do you think those who do things like this are the ones who inherit the promise to Abraham (which is God’s kingdom)? But do you also know that this is not who you are? I warn you: stop taking heed to those who have no part in the inheritance!

Now, the inheritance is what the Spirit produces; and He is the one who has given that unexplained inner drive to care for each other more than your own selves. What? Did you think you did that? No wonder it has become such a difficult task. He is the source of the joy that doesn’t make sense, and is the one that makes fear go away. His patience is not a matter of putting up with one another by ignoring each other’s faults, but by having taken them out of the way! And what magic do you think causes you to treat each other in a genuine kindness that doesn’t care about getting something from it? His goodness is pure for it comes from the only one who is good. Considering the fact that your natural born inclination didn’t believe God … how does he now call you of faith? His gentleness comes from having taken the judgment himself! The self-control He produces is made possible by having killed our uncontrollable former selves … truly a miracle!

Do you realize there are no laws against these things? Those who belong to Jesus have already died to what they used to be. Live in this place where law has no bearing. Quit with the rule-based life already … it only causes us to get boastful. You are familiar with the routine. If I do something that I think is better than what you do, I get prideful and arrogant about it. It only produces envy and despising.

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So, how do you deal with each other when you see one who is breaking the law? Hello?!? Shouldn’t that tell you something? You need to be careful how you handle these situations because you will find yourself falling right back into the same old patterns of using some kind of a law, a rule, or a principle to correct the law-breaker. Hey, look, I’m talking to you who are spiritual … you who have the very life of God within you! Do you hear what I’m saying? This is the exact point where we usually lose it and jump back into bondage, because while I may view myself in freedom I see you doing something wrong and I approach you as one who needs advice on how to deal with your problem. Hey, the problem here is that your brother has forgotten who he is … and you have, too! Forget the advice and the formulas. What the guy needs is for you to lift this weight of bondage off of him through the power of the message of freedom. When this happens you will see Christ’s command to “Love one another” fulfilled.

Anyone who thinks he has a reputation or considers himself a somebody is playing the comparison game. Give it up, where do you get off with this reputation stuff? But when you’re operating under a system of rules and regulations it creates a framework with a system of degrees and credentials. It’s this measuring of one against another that produces the illusion. In reality, God has taken those who the world considers nobodies and gives them significance in the life of another … the risen Christ Jesus!

You want to boast about something? Get off this thing of comparing yourself to others! Now examine your own work. Without the comparison game to place yourself above or below one another what are you left with? Don’t you find that Christ is your life and only in him can you boast? Now, those who teach this freedom to you … support these guys in every good way.

Let me ask you something. Do you remember how God established that all things would produce “after its own kind”? Do you suppose that he will suspend this natural order of reproduction? Get real. The life lived under a system of rules®ulations(law) is trapped by the weak and worthless elemental principles of the world and only produces more of the same! So, don’t be surprised at the stuff you see happening in your life when you turn from Christ and determine to produce it yourself. On the other hand, true life – the quality that is eternal life – is only produced by the Spirit. What I’m telling you should be obvious! A poisoned well only produces poisoned water, a living well only produces living water.

So, don’t be fooled by appearances and lose heart in doing that which is truly good … for there is always the tendency to do the right thing instead of being the living thing. It’s just too easy to get tired of not seeing enough action … remember the product of Abraham’s impatience. As to doing good, you don’t need any rules to tell you how to live … it is in you; that is the miracle of God’s indwelling. So, why is it that we always question the good we want to do by trying to justify it with a principle? Know this: a principle comes in, the life goes out … and love with it. You have been made alive in Christ, live free and count upon the fact that the Spirit of Christ is leading you non-stop into love for one another, especially toward fellow believers. Go for it!

I want you to know that I have given this whole matter my personal attention … I wrote this myself. In my day, men who desired to look respectable would coerce others into the initiation rite of circumcision for the simple reason that they would not have to suffer the rejection reserved for those who preach the message of freedom. It’s no different today. Look around you and notice the things your religious leaders are respected for: degrees, morality, signs and wonders, spiritual gifts, a strong stand on their favorite Biblical principles, knowledge, heritage, oratory skills, programs, buildings, large crowds, a denomination, etc. Don’t be fooled … that is what they are preaching! For when the man who was rejected by the whole world (by hanging on the cross) is proclaimed as the only way to freedom it doesn’t sit very well with the pride of man. For it is one thing to claim to believe in Christ thinking it is a good thing to do; and entirely another to know that you were so far gone that you couldn’t do a thing and that you desperately need his sacrifice.

Whether it was the circumcision farce of my day or whatever you hold to today as the thing to bring you closer to God, it really doesn’t make any difference. Don’t you know that those who pass the initiation don’t keep the law themselves? No, they are only looking for you to join their club and receive their brand on you so they can glory in one more convert! As for me, may I have no cause for boasting except in the thing that the organizations of man despise, which is the cross of Christ. It is this very instrument of death that separates the world from me … and me from the world! Whatever the initiation issue is that you are considering (or are holding to now) means nothing, nor does the lack of it mean anything. Simply stated, it is not what you do or what you don’t do that counts for anything, but it is the new creation that you have been made in Christ that counts for everything. Those that want a rule … there it is! I know, that sounds like an anti-rule, but the peace of God is upon those who hold to it.

I’ve had enough of these guys with their brand marks … don’t let them cause me any more trouble! They’re showing theirs, well I can show mine … and I have lots of them. I count it a privilege to have suffered for Jesus and the scars all over my body are his brand marks on me … not that the world considers them something to be proud of. God’s grace through Christ be with your spirit, my brothers.

Introduction

What do you think it was that got under Paul’s skin to make him write a letter like this? If you don’t think he was stirred up, then you have been reading something else and NOT Galatians. For Paul, the reality of freedom was on the line with these believers. There had been some people who came in with an alternative message to Paul’s. This gospel of theirs apparently sounded pretty good. But Paul was furious about it, and he claimed that it would invalidate the freedom they had been experiencing. The Galatians were about to buy into that lie by undergoing a token experience that would be their introduction into a whole new way of life. Because most of us today aren’t affected by circumcision we overlook the slew of initiation rites that have become the same thing to us. Make no mistake about it , we have fallen for so many circumcisions that it makes what happened to the Galatians look like a picnic!

I penned this particular Shovelation shortly after having written Galatians ‘98. In fact, I used Galatians ‘98 as the basis upon which to write this letter. Like I’ve said, I’m not attempting to write new translations, which makes this even less of a translation than the first. Having said that, I believe this letter expresses more of the heart and soul of what Paul wrote than what most theologians will ever teach you despite all their years of Seminary and linguistic training. My Galatians-Shovelation follows the form and context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, but I wrote it as a letter from ME to those of you who have been struggling with sin and with a lack of life and freedom in Christ.

Galatians

This open letter comes to you from one of the many nobodies God has called. I bring good news to you who struggle with sin and bondage and with the truth of freedom. Just so you know, I am not backed by any kind of religious establishment, for my message is rejected by most. I am well aware that what I’m about to tell you will sound overly simplistic and out of touch with reality. Despite what may appear, there’s nothing that happens in your life that is not directly affected by the freedom of Christ. It was to deliver us from this present evil world that he gave himself for our sins.

I have viewed the Christian scene for decades, and it disturbs me. It disturbs me because you are so willing to try any means of freedom other than Christ himself. Sure, many will agree that grace is important, but their version of grace is pathetic. You have been so influenced by the religious system and all its methods of freedom the idea that grace is all you need probably sounds ridiculous. What I want to know is, what formula or program have you settled for to help you cope with daily living? Although it may seem to work for a time, I’m telling you that it’s not freedom.

There is only one message that brings freedom, and it has been twisted for centuries. It makes no difference who offers it to you – whether a messenger from God or a respected preacher – anyone who tells you there is freedom in anything other than Christ and his finished work should be viewed as offering death! If a restaurant served me their dinner special that had rotten meat with maggots in it, I wouldn’t be fooled by the propaganda that claimed it was fresh, would you? Why then, do you accept a perversion of freedom as being the real thing?

There are lots of deceivers who say they believe in grace. Of course, if they actually did believe it, would they be so caught up in the reputation game? Oh, I know what it’s like to be considered an authority in spiritual things, for it used to be important to me, too. I don’t care that the system doesn’t validate me. You know what? If religious validation was important to me, then I wouldn’t want anything to do with Jesus Christ, because the system didn’t validate Him, either.

Many have claimed that I have nothing different to offer, that I’m just a product of my upbringing. Sure, I’ve studied theology and I’ve read many important men’s views, but I didn’t learn this message of freedom from a book or from a man. This truth comes from Christ. If He hadn’t opened my eyes to it, I wouldn’t have seen it. I used to resist this freedom just as many of you have. Although I had shown great promise and was actively involved in ministry, I turned out to be quite a disappointment to my teachers, my peers, and my family. Believe me, I heard and felt their condescension.

You see, I thought I already knew God’s grace, but what was being revealed to me began to blow my whole belief system apart! God, who makes no mistakes, purposed this inconvenient interruption before I was even born. Had I followed the advice of my peers I would have abandoned this so-called heresy before it ruined my chances of operating within the system! Why do I tell you this? So that you don’t try to credit any man with the message of freedom that I speak. Its understanding comes directly from God! And what proof do I offer? Only that those who hear me give God the credit for it.

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Did you know there were spies among us? Or did you think we had nothing worth spying on? We might be naive, but deceivers can detect the slightest scent of freedom. Haven’t you noticed how someone always seems to be around to squash it? They’re in bondage and can’t stand the thought that someone else could be free. If I seem unbending it’s only in this. The fact is that someone wants to take this from you. Don’t you see what they are doing with their programs and their entrance requirements? Don’t you see the distinctions they use to split believers? They talk about unity, but their words would convince you that you are a lesser Christian who should go to the next level by a dedication or an action. Fill in the blanks, it’s all the same! “Because I fall short in ___ I must do ___ in order to get ___ !”

The written formula makes it look more like the program that it is, doesn’t it? And it forces you to put on a mask! For how can you evaluate someone through the reality of Christ when the system demands that you judge them by the flesh? We can do such stupid stuff under that influence! These programs may seem so biblically correct, but haven’t you seen how it has been used to categorize? If there are Spirit-filled Christians, then do the rest not have the Spirit? If there are obedient Christians, are all others disobedient Christians? The list is almost endless, but the distinction is the same: some Christians have it and some don’t! And because we have read the Bible in view of the formula, it seems to support the formula.

Look at it another way. Let’s say you do the so-called spiritual thing and join an accountability group, and in the process you discover just how carnal you are. Do you think it is Christ who tells you that you are still a sinner? Do you really think it is His Spirit who convicts you of sin? If I put myself back into the system that sets one above another, who is convicting me of carnality, and who is calling me a sinner? I am!

Christ has nothing more to do with sin. Don’t you get it? It is the old system of rules that killed me. It is that death (through Christ) that removed me from the system of rules. And His death also removed me from the sin. He did this to make me alive to God! For when Christ was crucified, I was crucified. The sinner I used to be is no longer alive, and Christ has become my very life! This life I am now living in this body I live by the faith that has its source in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me.

So, do you think we should void out the grace of God with another message of freedom? Listen up. If you can really find freedom from the things that overpower you in this life by following some kind of a program or system with steps to victory, then Christ didn’t have to die at all! It would all have been for nothing!

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Have you gone insane? You act as if you’re under a spell. Remember when you saw this life in Jesus as miraculous? Don’t you remember that His death put an end to what you used to be? Tell me just one thing: this new life - the Spirit of Christ living in you - did it come from something you did? Or was it a miracle that came through faith? You know the Spirit came and made you alive by the miracle of hearing! But do you think you can make the new life better by something you do? If that’s what you think, you are insane!

I know they claim to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but how have they set themselves up as the authorities of spirituality? The word they study doesn’t support such an arrogant attitude. I know you have your own Bible and you check out what they tell you, but you validate it by following their system of interpretation. Man’s wisdom will always justify itself!

You have been convinced that your relationship with God is a changing thing - here one day, but gone the next. You might call it fellowship, and speak of being in or out of it. Or you might call it knowing God, getting closer to God, getting right with God, or abiding in Christ. However you refer to it, the result is always the same: You become convinced that you are not as close to God as you should be!

How is it that you have missed the reality of salvation? Could it be that you have fallen for the concept that this thing called salvation means going to heaven? Maybe that’s why it has little affect on how you see yourself right now. Maybe that’s why you see no true salvation in your day to day living. That’s why you look elsewhere for freedom.

The promise of having the righteousness of God is not found within a program, nor can we get closer to it by anything we do. The Bible everyone quotes from declares that believers are already made the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those who hold to the Bible as an instruction book have only turned it into a book of rules - a curse - for by it they are always lacking. Following solid, Biblical principles is not of faith. Christ has delivered us from the curse by becoming the curse for us. By what He did, we have received the promise of the Spirit through faith.

I know many Bible verses seem to suggest more than what I’m telling you, but do you think any will contradict its main promise? The promise was made to Christ, so in order to receive a promise given to Christ you would have to be in union with Him. The promise of being one with God through His Son was made way before there were any Bible verses and before there were any programs derived from such verses. Somebody has been reading it all wrong, because if this promise is given by obedience on your part then it’s not a promise. Those who tell you differently just don’t understand the book they study.

I know you’ve heard different views on the law, but its purpose was to push law-breaking to the max. I know it doesn’t sound right, but it’s not open to debate. And it sure throws the concept of being made better by obedience right out the door. If it made anyone better, then God made a major goof. But there is no conflict between the law and the promise - one kills, the other makes alive!

Before Christ came, God’s people were separated from a life of faith through the law. They were like little children who had to be led about by the hand, they needed supervision. But now that faith has come, those who belong to Him are not under a supervisor. So while you’re considering one of the programs that ranks your spirituality among your peers, I have a question to ask. Don’t you know who you are? ALL of you who believe in Christ are equal as sons of God and there is nothing that separates one from another or puts some in a better class than the rest!

Now, Israel was supposed to live under the law, for God gave the law as a nanny to keep his wandering kids in line. Their life consisted of a series of punishments and rewards that dogged their every step. But this is exactly what Christ came to get them out of. They were imprisoned by the same kind of performance standards we know all too well. And they longed for the coming of the promise.

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The intimidation you feel is not from God but from the system. Where do you get the idea that membership means anything to God? The time for His people to be led about by the hand in such a way is long gone. But many, like little children forming a clubhouse with rules to join, want to say who does or doesn’t belong. But if you don’t belong how has the Spirit of God caused you to call out to the true God as “Daddy”? If He has been sent into the outsiders, then true freedom is also available for the insiders. This means that those in the system have no advantage over those who are not a part of it.

Do you know what you really misunderstand? The way your life operated as an unbeliever is no different than how religious people function. Don’t you realize that we were all stuck in the same “That’s just the way life is” mentality? But now that you’ve found God - or should I say, since God found you - where does this desire come from to return to that pathetic concept of life? Were you taken out of your slavery and into His freedom only to trade it off for their slavery? Just look at the religious rituals you have constructed in an attempt to keep yourselves in line!

So, who am I that you would listen to me? If you were to do some research you would no doubt come away quite disappointed in what you discovered. I would have to agree with you when you asked, “Would God send somebody so unqualified on such an important mission?” And yet I’ll tell you: be like me, because I’m no different than you! If you hear me - and in that hearing, you hear Jesus - you’ll know with a certainty that it is not because of my impressive reputation. And if I am telling you the truth will you consider me your enemy?

Those who are appealing to you with a different concept of freedom aren’t being honest with you. Don’t you see through their concern into their hidden agenda? Aren’t you aware of the techniques they use to get you to seek them out? My God, don’t you know they’ve learned that if they shut the door on you, you’ll do whatever it takes to get back in? Of course it’s always good when someone seeks you if it’s truly for your good, and if it’s not just when someone else is watching.

You say you want to live your life by solid, Biblical principles, or that you want to do the right thing, or WWJD … don’t you hear the implications of such performance-oriented motivations? Looking to such programs have perverted godly desires. Think not? The story of Abraham and his TWO sons give a different perspective.

God made a promise that didn’t seem to be working, so Sarah decided God needed their help and convinced Abraham to have sex with her slave-girl. Of course it was a mistake, but to them it had the appearance of godliness. Don’t you think they prayed for God’s will before, during and after the act? You’ve been there enough times yourself. God didn’t give them a child until they ran out of options and saw the impossibility of the promise.

The issue of belonging to God is one of legitimacy. In other words, who is the rightful heir? As with Abraham’s sons, the appearance of being first in line is an illusion, and so the miracle child ended up being harassed by his older brother. And it shouldn’t take a brain-surgeon to figure out the motivation, for that stupid little kid was getting his inheritance! Ishmael’s taunts would have been designed to undermine Isaac’s sense of identity, which is the same questioning of your own identity as a rightful heir of God through Christ. How many times has your salvation been questioned? How many times has it been suggested that you don’t really belong to Him or that you have a lower standing? How many doctrines have categorized you as illegitimate – as a bastard? Haven’t you noticed that the productivity of the flesh always questions the productivity of the Spirit? Its message is that you cannot trust freedom to produce anything of worth! But if you hear the simple lesson of Sarah and Abraham you will find that you have a reason to rejoice when you can’t see any fruit, or when it appears as if nothing is happening!

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Christ set us free for freedom, don’t let anybody convince you otherwise! You are no longer in the prison you grew up in, why do you live as if it’s part of your new reality? Let me be very blunt. If you give into the system’s requirement (whatever it is) you won’t need Christ! Or didn’t you know that this token religious requirement bull is only a scam to lure you in? Those of you who have found your worth in your performance have cut Christ right out of your daily living. You’ve slipped from operating in freedom, and are living as if you had not been taken out of your former prison!

Have you learned nothing from all your Bible study? Don’t you know how true godliness is brought about? What does the story of Abraham and the promise tell you? When everything inside you screams out that you have to do something spiritual, refuse that lie and live in view of what God has done. Expect Him to perform His work in you to His satisfaction in His time. Of course it doesn’t appear as if it’s working. But hasn’t the child of your own performance convinced you that you’ll keep getting the same worthless results? For your life in Christ Jesus has nothing to do with what you do or what you don’t do; instead, your life is a miracle of faith operating through love.

Don’t kid yourself, your attempts at obedience have only gotten in the way of the reality of obedience. Who has convinced you to pursue this counterproductive course of self-effort? It’s not God, so don’t even go there! And it only takes a little bit of this poison to permeate all of your thought processes. I only wish that whoever is doing this to you will have their imprisonment made openly obvious. There’s only one reason you’ll hear someone trying to twist what I say to fit with their system: they don’t want their rejection of true freedom to go public.

Refuse to let their system of performance pervert your freedom! For when you turn freedom into a set of Biblical principles you effectively re-establish a structure where your world revolves around sin and not around love by which you serve one another. Don’t you know that the whole system of doing is fulfilled by love? So why do you revert to principles that only establish a system of measurement by which you tear each other up? I advise you to take care because you will eventually destroy one another!

Instead of continuing down this performance-oriented, sin-conscious road to mutual destruction, I suggest you live your life in the expectation that God’s Spirit is the One doing His work in you. This is the only reality you can fall back on to curtail evil desires.

Don’t kid yourself, the stuff of your old life goes against everything of the Spirit - and vice versa. We’re talking total opposition. That means that you can’t produce any spirituality just because you want to, nor can you keep from doing evil by any attempts on your part! You can’t do it and you know it because you’ve tried and it doesn’t work! But if the Spirit of Christ really is the One doing the work in you, then you are not under the law.

But look what you have settled for. Public programs that spotlight moral issues (which only seem to reveal the immorality of any who get caught in its glare)! Living in the fallacy that life is as it appears to the senses. Dissatisfaction with who you are and what you have. Seeking God’s will in the same manner as those who consult the horoscope. Holding to principles that establish a system by which you can scrutinize one another, resulting in hatred, jealousy, despising and resentment. A system that promotes disputes and challenges. A mentality that goes nuts when it can’t change or control someone else. The formation of new programs or teachings to subdivide the body of Christ. A neatly packaged facade that is really out of control, and displays the addictive characteristics of giving into anything that will help you cope with it and produce the illusion that all is well!

Spirituality is not found within these parameters. So don’t give in to the enticements no matter how right they seem!

This is what the Spirit of God produces in us. True love from within that is not explained or understood by any system. An inner rejoicing that is not conditioned upon our feelings or circumstances. An unexplained power that destroys fear and produces a compassion that allows us to deal with one another, and to treat each other with a not-of-this-world consideration. A good that cannot be measured or compared. A life that can do nothing but believe. A gentleness found from one who took the judgment on Himself. The self-control He offers has been made possible by having killed our uncontrollable former life.

Has it escaped your notice that there are no laws against what we have in Christ? Quit with the rule-based living already, it only produces destructive comparisons.

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You hear all this, and yet there’s something nagging at you concerning believers who sin, isn’t there? You may agree that there are problems with a life based on biblical principles, but aren’t we supposed to deal with those who go against the principles? This is indeed a delicate situation, but not for the reasons you have heard. If you were to examine the question it would scream out the obvious: What causes a believer to get caught up in breaking laws anyway?

I’m talking to you who have God’s Spirit, don’t you realize that your brother has forgotten who he is? Be careful with your approach, for you are the one who is in danger. For when you view him as a sinner who needs your advice, you have let go of freedom and have embraced the law-based system in the exact place where God’s grace is most effective, and most needed!

Forget the advice, what the guy needs is for you to lift this weight of bondage off him through the power of the message of freedom. This is where we really love one another! But those who are trying to impress the so-called less spiritual by coming across as more spiritual have fooled themselves into believing their performance ranks them above those they minister to. But if you were to examine your work without the comparison game you would discover your real worth; for it would be readily obvious that there is no place to boast except in Christ alone! Support those who teach this freedom.

What? Do you think the manipulative mindset of “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done!” can bypass God’s decree that things produce after their own kind? It makes no difference how supposedly spiritual your attempts may be, a system of performance can only produce the seeds that produce corruption! The seed of the Spirit of God can only produce the life of God! So don’t let appearances cause you to lose heart in doing that which is truly good, for the tendency to do the right thing always desires to keep you from being the living thing!

Abraham knew the discouragement that comes from seeing nothing happening; he would tell you to wait for God’s results because it will come about. Don’t let the impatience of your old performance mentality pressure you into trying to finish what God started. Know this: the Spirit of God is actively working in you right at this moment, as He always does.

As you discover desires of goodness (especially to a fellow believer), refuse to justify it in your mind by trying to determine what Jesus would do. You know the process. But doesn’t the uncertainty of the whole thing tell you that that’s the old, dead mind trying to reinterpret the desires of your new life? What else can you call it when you are asking God to give you proof of His working in you, when the reality of His life being your life has been stated as fact by the message of freedom? Stop questioning the freedom, act according to the life that is in you!

Pay close attention to what those in the system use to make themselves appear respectable, for this is what they really preach! They will urge you to conform to their program, because without it, they would be faced with the fact that their so-called Savior was despised, rejected and condemned by the same system they are part of! Aren’t you aware that those who want to pull you into it are not even true to their own programs? They really only want you to join their club so they can bestow their label on you and glory in gaining one more member!

Think whatever you want to about me, but I know for myself that God has faithfully and consistently - and sometimes, painfully, I might add - removed anything by which I could boast except the very thing the world despises, which is the instrument upon which Christ was rejected by the system. It is this very thing that separates me from the world - and the world from me. The issues you hold mean nothing, nor do the lack of them mean anything, either. The only thing that counts is the new creation. God’s peace is on those who are found in this.

Introduction

Martin Luther called the letter of James “an epistle of straw”. I think that means he didn’t like it. He understood that salvation was by grace through faith and viewed James as promoting works for salvation. Though many have learned how to handle some of its so-called problem passages, especially “faith without works is dead”, James still haunts most salvation-by-grace people as being ammunition for legalism. If it wasn’t for all those favorite verses that many treasure as defining “practical” Christianity, the letter of James may have been thrown out long ago!

So, was James promoting legalism? Hardly. But realize that James was NOT Paul. He had not been yanked out from his people to spend most of his life with outsiders but had remained in Jerusalem. The difference? James showed his Jewish brothers how their history in the true God was all about this Jesus. James’ message to Israel: your fortune is Christ. But Paul was sent to proclaim Jesus to those whose history was an outright rejection of the true God. And while His own people rejected Him, the people who were considered as dogs accepted Him. Paul’s message to these people was clear: Israel’s failure is your good fortune!

Is it possible that WE have turned James into something he was not? He may not have had the understanding of grace that God gave Paul, but he was NOT lacking, for he had the same Spirit as Paul. But what if James was NOT written to make believers squirm in guilt and shame? What if our insistence for practical Christianity has turned James into one big legalistic dissertation? What if there was a viable alternative that takes into consideration the whole context of James so that it flows from one thought to the next as a letter would? What if James was NOT legalism’s friend?

Who was James? Most agree he was the half-brother of Jesus, and the leader of the Jerusalem counsel. Paul’s statement, “certain men from James” in Galatians 2:12, suggests his name carried some authority in Jerusalem. It’s often assumed that his supposed legalistic Jewish emphasis intimidated Peter which caused the situation mentioned in Galatians 1 and 2; But Peter messed up from his OWN fear that the James-Gang might not understand his lifestyle changes from living among the so-called heathen. Paul referred to these men from James as “the party of the circumcision”. But did that mean they were pushing circumcision or was that just who they were? Question: How many times did you assume Daddy was coming home to beat you because Mommy said, “Just wait till your Father comes home!”? Did that fear ever cause you to make your brother look bad in an attempt to make yourself look better? If so, you understand what happened to Peter.

In Acts 15, Peter pleaded before the counsel to reject the push to circumcise Gentiles. The matter was deeper than it appeared, for what it really said was, “We are better than you and you can’t have what we have unless you submit to our standards.” The upshot of what Peter had to say was that “WE” failed our own standards so how could “WE” even suggest that “THEY” try to keep what “WE” never could? Paul agreed by relating what he saw God doing among the Gentiles without the Jews’ input (This is what offends those who claim special status). And what did the so-called legalistic James say? He agreed wholeheartedly!?. He sent a letter to the Gentile believers saying “These guys who disturbed you weren’t speaking for us!”. But what about the four rules he included in the letter? It’s interesting that Paul didn’t object, and that the Gentiles were encouraged by it. What if it turned out that these four things (even the fornication) just happened to be integral elements of their former pagan temple rituals that violated the Jewish conscience and was destroying the sense of unity between them? For there is no other sense in which abstaining from those particular four things would cause them to “do well”. And if it was that simple then maybe that’s why the Gentile believers could breathe a sigh of relief as they realized WHY their Jewish brothers were upset at them and how easy it would be not to offend them anymore. What if James was not trying to lay some Law on the Gentiles but instead was appealing to them as the “stronger brothers”?

What if our misunderstanding of James has come from a centuries-old tradition of forcing his letter into the mold of Paul’s? Could that be why we THINK we have to balance James 2 (Abraham justified by works) with Romans 4 (Abraham justified NOT by works)? We end up explaining what it doesn’t mean but haven’t a clue as to what it does mean. If James was describing the miracle of life in Christ you would never know it by our modern interpretations.

I find it noteworthy that James didn’t offer any proofs of Jesus’ authority to the 12 tribes. It appears that these Jews may not have disputed it, though not necessarily have all believed it. What if James was actually forcing the issue of FORM vs. REALITY? What if, in his own style, he was suggesting that “not all Israel is Israel” (i.e. those miraculously born of God)? What if an equivalent letter of today would be addressed to those who, in form, hold to Christianity, but not necessarily to Christ? What if this letter drew attention to the SOURCE of the miracle instead of to the words of its followers? A letter like this might be calling the believer to recognize WHERE his life comes from so that he is not so easily fooled by what religious people claim. Doesn’t this describe a letter that should be written “To The Church of America”?

James

To the diverse Christian Church of America, whether in buildings or homes, organized or not. Greetings from a servant called James who is joined to God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I think it is apparent that the American Church has achieved an amazing level of success in this world. I say this because there is a stark contrast between what I read in the Bible and what I view of the modern form. I’m not referring to the drastic difference in culture, for EVERYTHING has changed in that respect. No, the discrepancy I see presents some pretty interesting questions which the church, as a whole, seems reluctant to deal with … except in a superficial manner.

How is it that you have come to associate physical, temporal well-being with the blessings of the gospel and, therefore, any damage to that well-being as coming from a of a lack of faith? Is that why you hide your failures from each other? Does that mean you have forgotten the promise of God that says afflictions are a gift that increase your dependence on Him? Why, then, would you seek to hinder the results of the work that teaches you to stand, in faith, as perfect and complete, and lacking in nothing? Unless, of course, some of you really don’t know God. If you are coming to realize that this is the case, then ask God, who gives impartially and generously and without ridicule - and understanding will be given. But the request must be for the miraculous work of God, and not your attempt to motivate Him with deals or promises. Those who approach God like this may look like they have it all together, but on the inside they are raging back and forth like the ocean in a storm. Let such a person expect NOTHING from God; for in reality, they’ve asked nothing from God. They have only divided their mind to accommodate the idea of God, for they ask just in case He is there. In truth, their whole life is unstable, despite all appearances.

What difference should it make to the offspring of God how they are rated by the system? So, what measurement do you use to determine your worth? Don’t you know that a nothing in this world is everything in God. Now, those who rate well by this world’s standards also need to consider the poverty of that illusion. Haven’t you seen enough to know that those who are caught up in the insane pursuit of wealth are cut off in the middle of their endeavors (no matter how long they live) and that they die unsatisfied? So, do you really think your worth can be validated by the ILLUSION that you are doing well in this world? What if true “approval” cannot be revealed except by means of its CONTRAST to the approval rating of the world? What I’m telling you is that God’s validation of you will never rate well on any of the “checklists” of successful living; for those who truly “do well” are disqualified by their obvious ongoing failures. Your “fortunate” situation won’t be seen until the approval rating of the world is gone for good, where those who actually love Him are revealed as the recipients of life. For this is what God has promised.

I can hear it already from some who would take this opportunity to say, “God made me do evil!” To which I say, You’re full of it!” Evil desires don’t come from God so what you suggest is an impossibility. The desire to do evil comes from a source other than Him. A person gets carried away because of the corresponding desires within him. These desires conceive and give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it produces death. Do you not realize what comes from where? There is only one source of true goodness and perfect gifts and that is from above. It comes from the Father, who is light, who doesn’t change or have any hint of darkness in Him. Our miraculous birth is the result of HIS desire being conceived in us by the True Word. And what is the fruit of God’s desire? He has produced a new creation from out of the old which belongs to Him!

Those who have been born of Him know this within themselves. So, I say, LISTEN … and be quiet long enough to hear the reality of God. Do you really think those initial reactions of righteous indignation by which you defend yourself and attack another are God’s doing? Don’t you recognize the old motivation of using anger to say what you really wanted to say? Believer, why do you hold on to the old source as if it had value? Discard the perception that those evil motivations still belong to you. Instead, realize that your deliverance is not found in your abilities, but in the miraculous conception of the Word within you.

It is imperative to discover who you really are. Does the implanted word activate you from within, or are you one who only has the hearing of the natural which gives an illusion of godliness? It’s just like a man who checks himself out in a mirror, and is hit with the stark reality of what others see. The problem is that the urge to do something about it goes away as soon as he can’t see himself and forgets what he looks like. But what if one’s gaze was to be held in place upon the finished reality of freedom, and instead of becoming a forgetful hearer he miraculously becomes an effective doer of the word that has captured his gaze.

What difference does it make what someone thinks about himself if it’s not true? How many consider themselves religious or God-fearing and yet their words reveal something other than their boast would suggest? Now, don’t make the mistake of focusing on the occasional slip of the tongue, for one whose words deceive his own heart are right out there in plain view. Such a one cannot help BUT to reveal his true nature by what comes out of his mouth. But recognizing it requires listening past all the self-endorsing claims. And then, the worthlessness of this man’s religion becomes obvious. Is there such a thing as a pure religion that isn’t corrupt? As far as God is concerned it would be this: helping those you would be looked down upon for even associating with; giving where there is no possibility of a return; doing good, knowing it may be judged as evil; refusing the approval found in comparison.

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Friends, where do you get the idea that this miraculous faith we have in Jesus Christ coincides with your personal biases? I find it amazing how quickly a person’s worth is evaluated among you by the car they drive or that little label on their clothes. This is the attitude of a corrupt judge who is bought by those whose payoff is the highest. My fellow heirs, is it, or is it not true, more times than not, that God has chosen those who are at the lower end of the financial scale to bestow this rich faith upon? After all, this is what He had promised to the people who loved Him. So, why is it that under all the pretenses, those who don’t seem to measure up are often considered losers? Isn’t it usually the upper class or the yuppies who give you the most grief, and who have the means to hire “shark” lawyers to steal from you? And don’t they also make sure to insult you by calling Him into question (which is the real evil they speak of the name by which you are called)?

Now, if you are loving your neighbor as yourself, which is the fulfillment of our king’s rule, then you are doing well. BUT if you are playing the game of picking and choosing those who can benefit you, you are sinning. And the law will do what the law does: it pronounces you to be a law-breaker. You could keep the whole law and yet mess up in JUST ONE THING and you would still be guilty of all of it. Do you think you can get around the law’s judgment by pointing out those whose sins are “worse” than yours, as if that makes you look any better? A law-breaker is a law-breaker, and it condemns you no matter how well you think you are doing by it. So, why do you evaluate yourself and those around you by its fixed reality? Instead, speak and act as those who are to be judged by the fixed reality that has freed you from condemnation. The judgment of the law shows no mercy on those who don’t show mercy, which comes from partiality. But mercy prevails over damnation.

So, my friends, are you so easily fooled by the wagging of the tongue? Do you think a man’s CLAIM to believe will override the reality that he has no life working within him? Do you think a faith that consists of words will deliver him from the judgment of the law? What kind of miraculous power do you suppose is contained in mere verbiage? If you were tell a cold, hungry man, “Jesus loves you, be warmed and filled”, and yet you don’t give him any clothes and food, what has been produced by your pronouncement? The same holds true for this professed faith. If the claim is there, but the substance of it that works from within is not there, then it is a lifeless thing.

Do you find yourself often in the position where you have to tell people that you have “faith”? Well, don’t be surprised if someone challenges your words by saying, You have ‘faith’ and I have the doing of it; show me this faith you speak of that has no substance, and I will show you my faith by the stuff that is produced by it. What are you going to produce – more words? So what if you believe that God is one? The demons have no doubts about that, either, and it scares them silly. Your rationale borders on insanity if you don’t realize that this faith is worthless without the functioning of it.

After all, wasn’t Abraham, the father of faith, shown to be righteous by what he did when he set out to kill his son for God? Considering the fact that the only eye-witness to the deed was about to be offered as a sacrifice, Abraham was obviously not trying to please men (but I doubt anybody would have thought it was from God). Don’t you see how faith was the invisible substance behind his actions; and in turn, the actions were the visible instrument by which that faith was carried to completion? And so, that which had been declared about him – Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness – was shown to be true . By the way, who do you suppose circulated the story of Abraham’s faith so that he came to be known as the friend of God? Abraham … or Isaac? Don’t miss the fact that this story shows a man motivated by faith, doing something that didn’t appear right, but being shown as righteous by the thing he did to the one who had the greatest reason to doubt it. It wasn’t only his claim to believe God.

And there’s another unlikely example from the Bible that shows how a person is justified by what they did. Her name was Rahab, and she was a PROSTITUTE and also a foreign enemy. She turned against her people and hid the spies who were sent to survey her city before destroying it. And then she lied to the guards as to the whereabouts of the intruders; and then sent them safely back with a promise from them for protection. For she, also, had been motivated by the miraculous working of God to do this thing. Once again, in the life of this woman, the outworking of faith was not something that would have appeared to be right in the eyes of her own people, nor would her emotions have convinced her that it was of God, but it was. For as the body without the life of it is dead, so also faith without that which carries it is dead.

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My friends, in view of illusions so easily created by words, I recommend that you seriously consider your desire to become teachers. Don’t you realize the intense scrutiny it puts you under? For we all mess up in many ways, but in order not to mess up in what you say you would have to be perfect, able to control every other part of the body. That’s the way it is with bridling a horse; the bit goes in the mouth and you can turn the whole thing. Ships also have huge and powerful engines, but it’s a relatively small rudder by which the pilot steers it in the direction he desires. And the tongue is no different. It’s a small part of the body, but it makes huge, unsupported CLAIMS. Learn the lesson of ‘Smokey, the bear’: it only takes a spark to get a massive forest fire going. And the tongue is a flame thrower, for it speaks from the realm of sin. It is positioned in the body in such a way that it adversely affects everything. For the whole body follows along on the path created by its unfounded claims, which come from the source of evil.

In the realm of nature, man has learned to control every kind of creature he has discovered, but has not managed to tame the tongue – it is uncontrollable and full of poison. But you’ll keep trying anyway. We use the tongue to say wonderful things about the Lord and Father, and then with the same tongue abuse those who were created in His image. Cursing and blessing from the same mouth? My friends, there is something wrong with this picture. Do you get both pure and contaminated water from the same source? Can an orange tree yield a crop of apples, or a tomato vine produce lettuce? No way. And you won’t siphon water out of the ocean thinking that maybe you’ll get a fresh drink, either. It’s time to rethink this whole thing.

Those of you who have been given insight and understanding: don’t get duped by the illusion that what you say can PROVE the reality within you. Instead, wisdom calls you to let your motivation speak for itself by the outworking of His goodness. But if the wisdom within you is bitter, unfulfilled desire and selfish ambition don’t make claims of having His life, for it is a lie against the truth. This wisdom does not have its source in the God who is outside this realm, but is tied to the earth, to the natural, to the demonic. For the source of unfulfilled desire and selfish ambition is filled with instability and every evil. But the wisdom that comes from the source outside of the natural is, above all else, untouched by contaminants, then harmonious, considerate, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without pretense. And this fruit of righteousness is sown accordingly by those who have been made compatible with it.

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But those of you whose life-source is motivated by partiality, tell me where you think the arguments and conflicts among you come from? Which source do you suppose they originate from? Don’t they come from your desires that are at war within you? You have unfulfilled cravings which drive you to murder. You don’t have the ability to get what you want so you fight and nitpick each other. Your desire is not met because you don’t ask. And then you ask and don’t receive because your asking is not for the miraculous working of God, but is just your attempt to get what you think will fulfill those unquenchable desires.

You unbelieving, godless people, don’t you know that your alliance with the world keeps you in hostility to God? The one whose desire is the friendship of the world proves to be the enemy of God. Or don’t you think there is any meaning to this verse: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? And His greatest gift is found in this, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Hang all your pretension and submit to God. Resist the evil one and he will flee from you. You’ve heard the words, now, listen again. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” “You sinners, cleanse your hands”; and “you double-minded, purify your hearts!” I have no comforting words for the enemies of God. Instead, be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. I am tired of your games and your pretenses. Open your eyes to the insufficiency of the life you boast in, and He will become your sufficiency!

How do you rationalize speaking against your brother? The one who speaks against a brother, or judges him, speaks against the LAW and judges the LAW. If you judge the law, then you are not one in whom the law is fulfilled, but instead a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, and He is the One who is able to deliver or to destroy. So, what place do you think you have to judge your neighbor?

I challenge the arrogant boasting of you who say things like, “Today or tomorrow, we are going to build a business and make ‘X’ amount of dollars in the first year!” But the simple fact is that you don’t even know what might happen to your life tomorrow. You are just dust in the wind that goes as quickly as it comes. A wise man would say, “These are my plans, but as always, they are subject to the greater plans of the Master.” But, no, your life is a pretense of arrogant claims, for all such boasting is evil. But you are digging your own grave. For in your arrogance, as you claim to know the right thing to do, but don’t do it, that thing, to you, becomes sin!

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You who are rich in this world, but have nothing in God, pay attention to what I say. I will be your “Ghost of Christmas Future”, for it is bleak. Feel the heaviness as you buckle under with uncontrollable sobbing. For behold, your riches have disintegrated and your “toys” are all broken. Everything you have valued has been devalued – the memory of your loss will haunt you forever. Are you unaware of the significance of this time in which you store up your temporary riches?

All the money you gained by taking advantage of the misfortunes of others will come back to haunt you. And the cries of those devastated by your greed have reached the ears of God. You have lived a life doing what you wanted when you wanted, and your greed has made you fat just in time for the butcher. You have condemned the righteous, you have squashed his life … yet he makes no move against you.

My beloved family, wait for God’s work to take care of itself, for He brings all things to a conclusion. Learn a lesson from the farmer who waits for the ground to produce its crop. Though it rains in the spring and later toward the end of summer, most of the time it is dry. But he knows that the dry season is all part of the growing cycle, so he is not discouraged as he waits for the expected rains. Be like that farmer, wait in hope. And know that this time, where the more you look for growth the less you see it, will come to a close. Be strengthened in knowing that this lack of appearance is not a mistake. For you are those whose gaze has been fixed upon the reality of freedom – don’t fall back into comparing each other to unkept principles. Otherwise, you will find yourself playing a game in which you also come up short. Consider this: the Judge, with His righteous judgment eagerly waits to reveal the righteous ones and their righteous deeds. So, why do you insist on evaluating by a system that will never detect it?

You have not been left without some positive role models in this high calling of suffering and patience, you know. Consider the heroes of old who spoke in God’s name. Don’t we respect them because of the hardships they endured? Job has become the icon of ‘suffering without cause’. His wife begged him to curse God and die. His three friends (who first sat silently for a week in mourning) ended up taking turns trying to convince him that he was to blame for all the tragedies. And yet the conclusion of the story was that God justified him and restored to him more than what he lost. For despite appearances, God remains faithful and compassionate.

Do you know what I want you to learn most of all? That you don’t have to fall into the trap of trying to prove the truthfulness of your words with more words. After all, how much validity is added to what you say by affirming it with, “I swear to God!”? A thing is either true or it is not; let your words reflect that reality without having to call upon a mute god to backup what you say. Otherwise, you force yourself back into the mentality of judging and being judged. Is that what you want?

So, let your words fit with what’s really going on. If you are suffering, let your words be directed to the One who is working the very best in your life. If you are encouraged, let your words come out in songs of praise and rejoicing. If you are in a weakened condition, let your words call for those who stand strong in Christ so that their words are directed to God on your behalf as they present you as one in whom the Spirit lives. And the prayer of faith will deliver you and the Lord will pull you out of this. And as far as any sins that have been produced, they will not be held against you.

Therefore, be open with one another about such faults and together speak to the Father so that healing may take place. For the true words that issue forth from those made righteous by God can accomplish much. The prophet, Elijah, was a man just like you and me and he spoke the words of God that it would not rain, and it didn’t rain for three and a half years. Then he spoke again and the rains poured down so that the earth bore fruit again.

My friends: if you see one among you who strays from the truth and you turn him around, I want you to know that the one who shakes a sinner from his deception will deliver his soul from death and will cover a lot of sin.

Introduction

Important: First John needs to be read from John’s perspective, not Paul’s. Ignore this and you may see what John was NOT saying, but you’ll miss most of what he WAS saying.

John wrote this letter to a group of believers who were doubting their own relationship to God. Do you think he spoke so much about having confidence because they felt so confident? Listen:

I have NOT written to you because you do NOT know the truth, but BECAUSE YOU DO KNOW it, 1 John 2:21

Hmmm … sound like maybe they THOUGHT they didn’t know the truth? So, why do we read this letter and come away with MORE reasons to doubt? It doesn’t fit. This lack of confidence was being fueled by people among them who did NOT belong to God. These impostors created the illusion of having such a deep relationship with God that it caused the believers to question their own.

These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 1 John 2:26

Too obvious to have fooled them? How often has hindsight revealed your OWN gullibility?

John’s letter might throw us off, but it made sense to those he wrote it to. They understood that WE didn’t refer to THEM, but to the APOSTLES as that group sent by Jesus to proclaim the message of union with God. He contrasts WE with THEY because there was another group vying for this position of authority - the DECEIVERS. [The fact that ALL believers are ALSO sent by Christ is a reality found in what the APOSTLES had to say; the lies of the DECEIVERS would have us believe that only those who meet up to special criteria are qualified.] My paraphrase is from the perspective of John doing a rewrite for our benefit. I’ve inserted some related thoughts from John & 1 John to reinforce the letter’s train of thought. I’ve even restructured some of the grammar just to keep our favorite verses from breaking the flow of the whole letter.

1 John

In the beginning God spoke. Remember, He SAID “Let there be light” and there was light. Each time He spoke something, the thing said created whatever was said. It was the raw power of God. We saw that power, that WORD, with our own eyes. We heard it with our own ears. We touched it with our own hands. We were captivated by it. The one we followed was the word spoken by God. He was the Eternal Life that was with the Father. He became flesh and stood right in front of us - and this word is what we proclaimed. There was nothing special about us, but whoever believed our message was joined together with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Writing these things down fulfills us.

You make simplicity so complicated, but the message we got from Him was clear: God is light, there are no dark places in Him. Consider the fact that anyone who comes to the light is in the light; those who don’t, remain in darkness. Plain and simple. If I have been joined with Christ, then wherever I walk I am in the light. The reason you think it’s not that simple is because you judge with your eyes. Somehow, you equate the word of man with the word of God. But the stuff that comes out of men is nothing more than vain boasting, while the word that came out of God is powerful and accomplishes what He was sent to do.

Now, if I find myself surrounded by those who claim to be in the light but really aren’t, I’ll live in a continual state of confusion as I adopt their outlook on the new life. Such was the case with those I wrote the letter to - and it is pretty much the same with most of you. Blind men are demanding that you follow them. They structure their words to deceive you into thinking they have something they don’t. And they are encouraged that you have been intimidated into following after their empty facades.

Listen. A blind man might possibly claim to see, but a man who could see would not be fooled even if the words were convincing. Now, if we, the ones sent by Jesus, told you we were joined together with God, but we still walked in the darkness, we would be liars. How could there have been any truth to our claim and why would you fall for it? For if God and us were joined together, the darkness in us would also have been in HIM. But if God had done something to take the darkness out of us and bring us into the light THEN we really were sharers of His life - and we really had this union of the Father and the Son to offer. The WORD OF MAN means nothing; but the reality of being in the WORD OF GOD means that the evil deeds of darkness were removed from us who were in the light. This is what was done by Jesus, the son of God - the WORD MADE FLESH - by shedding his blood.

What if we had claimed to have no evil deeds of darkness? We would have been fooling ourselves; and the truth would not have been in us. We, instead, had come to see that our whole existence had been in the darkness and that there had been absolutely NO LIGHT in us. It is this ability to call things as they are that revealed who we were - just as the blind man who was given sight was able to confess “Once I was blind, but now I can see. “

GOD is the faithful and righteous one, NOT US. We had been blind until He gave us sight. And we, who couldn’t help but to verbalize our former blindness, were the ones who had been forgiven from all sin. We were the ones who were being kept untouched by that which is not of God. If we were denying these deeds of darkness (which is all that those in darkness CAN do) we would have been making the God we represented out to be a liar. For this was the reality of our condition before He took us out of it. If we hadn’t been in agreement with this assessment, His word would not have been in us.

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Since believers act according to how they see themselves, I had written this letter to pull their minds out of the trap of sin-consciousness. And for those who sinned, we spoke to them of the one who had spoken for US to the Father: Jesus Christ, the righteous. For He successfully took OUR place to deliver us from our sins. But we weren’t given exclusive rights, we didn’t have more of God than the others who believed through our word.

Here’s how WE knew that we had come to know God: a miracle had happened, and the life of God was being worked out through us. Those who make CLAIMS of knowing God but don’t have the REALITY of God are liars. There is no truth in them no matter how good they make it sound. How someone rates himself is immaterial; but the one who rates the Word as his worthiness has been made perfect in the love of God. For this is the reality of Jesus: the life of God lives in man. The one who SAYS he is in God is not really in God unless the reality of God is in him.

My letter was not a new thing from God, it was the same word spoken to us many years before which was the same word we had spoken to them. But the thing that made Jesus’ word new is the FULFILLMENT of it. Never had the word been fulfilled in a man, but Jesus WAS the word made flesh - and we were witnesses of that miracle. So, this thing IS new because it happened in us, and now it is happening in you. For the light is really here and has been driving out the darkness.

Now, if you hear anyone claiming to be in the light, but the real thing in him is HATE for his brother, the claim is a false one. He is not in the light at all. Are you totally unaware of these blind men parading around as if they have true insight into God? Forget the claims and the arguments over doctrines and religious viewpoints, the one who is in the light has been made new and the new person that he is loves his brother. Don’t you get it? Being in the light has changed everything. For it has removed the reason you stumbled. You, along with us, were brought out of the darkness and NOW we see. The brother-hater is still in the darkness and walks as one who doesn’t know where he is going. This is because he CANNOT see. He trips and stumbles and is clueless as to why. If you listen, you will hear the blind reveal their blindness; for their words revolve around their intense desire to make themselves appear as if they are better than you.

• I wrote to the weak to remind them that their sins were forgiven because of HIM.
• I wrote to the mature who forgot that they DID know the One who was from the beginning.
• I wrote to the strong to remind them of their true strength, for Christ overcame the evil one.

• Weak ones, you KNOW the Father, ignore those who would convince you otherwise.
• Mature ones, you KNOW the One who is from the beginning.
• Strong ones, DO NOT FEAR the evil one. For the true Word is your strength.

Have no desire for the empty shell of humanity once made in the image of God, for the thing designed to reveal God in this world constantly seeks to fill the Spirit-void with something else. Its desires are merely futile attempts to find fulfillment - don’t be infatuated with them. Your connection with this empty shell has been severed; the void in you has been filled with the Spirit. But those old perceptions continually call to you as if you still belong to it. Those who are filled with the love of this world do not have the love of the Father in them. And here, in a nutshell, is what the world desires to fill its emptiness:

• the endless, unfulfilled craving to gratify the senses,
• the endless, unfulfilled craving to achieve empty dreams and false perceptions,
• vain boasting of the perceived (but empty) achievements of life

There is nothing more to it, and it is NOT from the Father, and it is passing from the scene. But YOU who have been made NEW by passing from this world into the reality of the light are the ones who have the desires of God - and you will remain forever.

You’re still in the grand finale of the age. Don’t pass it off because it has taken so long. This is the predicted time of the Christ-hating spirit. It was proved to me when I witnessed the infiltration of deceivers among our own ranks. We weren’t psychics or mind-readers, we had been fooled too many times. But we came to understand that they would eventually show themselves to be not of us. We had no special program, but it was our insistence of holding to the light of God that smoked them out. Those who rejected us rejected CHRIST, for that is who we held to.

I tell you as I told the believers then: your validation comes from the One who is not of this world. God Himself has declared you to be His own through the Spirit He has put in you. I didn’t write to them because they DIDN’T have this. But someone had tricked them into thinking their relation to God was inferior. That was a LIE. I wrote to them because they DID know the truth through the same Spirit who indwelt US, and also to tell them that NO lie is of the truth no matter how convincing it appeared.

Okay then, who is this liar that I have been referring to? It is the one who denies that the word-made-flesh, Jesus, is THE ONE chosen by God to save humanity from its curse of emptiness. THIS is the spirit against Christ, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Don’t be deceived, it is only an illusion that one can have God without the Son. Those who deny the Son ALSO deny the Father. Those who agree with God concerning His Son ALSO have the Father.

Remember what I tell you about those who are NOT of the truth. But as far as YOU are concerned your spirituality cannot be measured by their criteria. Instead, hold to the message of HIM who was from the beginning - it’s Velcro effect will validate you. When it sticks to you - and you stick to it - you know one was made for the other. Those who are not of God CANNOT abide with the truth of Christ, and the reality of the message has no place to hold to. The discovery that it won’t go away assures you that HE won’t go away. This is the promise that He made to us during His time on the earth: ETERNAL LIFE.

Like I mentioned to you already, we had been caught off-guard that there could have been a traitor among us. Are you as naive as we were? I’m not asking you to go on a witch-hunt, only that you be aware that deceivers always slip in when they detect a confidence they don’t understand. Your confidence undermines their dilemma of not really knowing who or what they are. It is easier for them if you to live by the same fears they do. Here is the truth about YOU: the validation of God is not merely a concept, but it is something real that remains in you and no man, by his techniques or greater knowledge, can add to what God has already done in you. Instead, what God filled you with is the very thing that teaches you about all things. This is in contrast to the measuring stick of the world; for it is true and it is not a false perception. God’s authentication, which is the power of the message of Christ, has been telling you something every time it calls to you: He is still in you, and you are still in Him.

There is another distinction between us (who were sent by God with this news) and those who have come in with their own program. THEIR position has nothing to do with that of THEIR followers. They actually gain higher status among them by how much closer they are. But WE are no different or better or have any higher standing than those who have believed in God through us. If YOU received it from US and it doesn’t stay in you - it doesn’t stay in us either. For what is true in you is true in us. YOUR remaining in Christ is OUR confidence as well. It will be shown at His appearing that we are not the same as those lying deceivers who are in the darkness and shrink away from Him in shame when the Light shines on them. Let me ask you, would those who are giving you their programs stake their standing before God on how well you continually perform it? How could they? THEIR standings are based on THEIR performance. OUR remaining in Him is based on the fact that HE put us in union with God by what HE did.

I speak to those who KNOW. And you know HE is righteous, don’t you? That knowledge is in you because of what HE put in you. Pay attention to the validation of God because it also tells you this: those who truly do right are born of the righteous one.

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Why do you think it should be so difficult to recognize the deception of those who are claiming to speak for God? Listen past their words into the reality of what they preach. They breed fear and insecurity with their words. But we have a FATHER who assures us by calling us CHILDREN OF GOD, and that is what we are. It makes no difference that the world can’t see it, they didn’t accept Jesus as being born of God, either. For who we really are cannot be evaluated by any of our senses, nor do we have any idea what that life will look like when the outer shell is finally peeled off. We do know this much, though: when HE appears, WE will be exactly like Him because we will see Him exactly as HE is. There is no other possibility, since He is light and there is no darkness in Him.

YOU have the same thing WE have which is what HE had. Those who find their hope in Him walk in a reality where sin has been removed - which is the same reality He walked in. On the other hand, everyone who sins also has a bent to do so, they can’t help it. For that’s what sin is: the automatic move away from God. But, you know, He came specifically to take AWAY sins; and in Him there is no sin. There is a reality hidden from our human perceptions: the one who has been joined together in Him DOESN’T sin; but the one who sins hasn’t seen Him, nor does he know Him. Don’t let anybody trick you on this, for the one who does right IS right, EXACTLY in the same way that Jesus is right. So, I ask you, what makes Jesus right?

The evil one is daddy to all who sin, for sin has been his legacy from the beginning. But the son of God showed up to create a new reality from out of the old. By His doing, he destroyed the doings of the evil one. Here is the reality of His new creation: no one who is born of God sins because God’s seed is in him. Why do you look at yourself as if you were still part of the old creation? Anyone born of God CANNOT sin because they share the same nature with God. Can’t you see the obvious difference between God’s kids and the devil’s kids? The one who doesn’t do God’s deeds - or can’t love his brother - is not of God. The distinction of loving one another is the prime reality of the message we passed on to you. This same difference existed between the first set of brothers. Cain was of the evil one and he hated his brother because God had accepted Abel’s deeds as being right. And it drove him to kill his brother.

So, why are you surprised when you discover that this world’s love is only an illusion? And why be shocked that under the thin facade lies a real hatred that is directed at YOU? This reality of love in us is what convinces us that we have crossed over from among the dead into true life. The one who doesn’t have this love still remains in death. Everyone - regardless of the facade of professed love - who hates his brother is a killer that has no conscience. And cold-blooded killers don’t have the eternal knowledge of the Father within them.

Love? With so many claiming to be authorities, how can we know what love is? Because it’s essence has been revealed in this: unlike the brother-hater, Jesus laid down HIS life for US. Love IN US works itself out in the same way - though it will be questioned by many, just as HIS love was also questioned. Your society has gotten used to philanthropists and humanitarians whose wonderful deeds are praised throughout the world, but none of it replaces the true motivation that comes from a heart set free. How is it that you have come to associate the world’s kind of love with the love of God? What I’m asking is this: how many times have you taught yourself to ignore the pretension of generosity in someone who only helps those who can pay him back, but manages to avoid helping the brother truly in need? But you, who are in Christ, true love is an indisputable reality that has been put within you which causes you to lay down your life for each other. Don’t let the world’s absurdity sway you into thinking that words are the power behind love; or that saying something just right will make up for the lack of reality.

Do you realize that this distinction causes us to know that we are of the truth? It’s also what brings assurance before God when we are hearing that damning voice that accuses us before Him. And it makes no difference what it is that we condemn ourselves over, because God is greater than that damning voice. And keep this in mind: He ALREADY knows your deep secrets and your fears that they are severing your relationship with Him. Wouldn’t you agree that if that damning voice had no more evidence against you - if it was silenced - then you would have confidence before God? It is this ASSURANCE that there is no more condemnation - I say again, NO MORE CONDEMNATION - that brings the realization that He gives us whatever we ask. For contrary to the old perception that something within us displeases God, it has been made known to us that we, through the finished work of Christ, are the ones who do what He says. Yes. WE are those miraculous creations that do His will. It is the voice of condemnation that tells you otherwise. As that voice is being silenced it is being revealed that we really do please God in all we do.

Stop, and consider: WHAT is it that we have been called to? Believing in the name of His son, Jesus Christ; and loving one another. And those in whom this is true are the ones who live in him, and He lives in them. HOW do we know that He lives in us? By the Spirit He has given us.

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Loved ones, don’t accept every appearance of reality created by someone’s words. What I’m asking of you is to look behind the mask to see if that spirit is really of God. Are you not aware that there are MANY false prophets out there? Don’t be distracted by how well the words are crafted, listen past the words for the life of God in what is being said. I’m not suggesting that you expect some kind of magical radar-scanner thing to happen, as it’s not that complicated. Those who are born of God have the knowledge of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, within them - it is their birthright. They are the ONLY ones who can truly agree and, therefore, speak of the reality of the joining of the Creator and the human creation in the person of Jesus Christ. Those who are NOT of God do NOT know who Jesus really is and can only QUOTE or PHRASE the words that seem to buy their acceptance among those they want to deceive. Listen for it, for this is the spirit that HATES Christ. You’ve heard about the coming of this spirit - the antichrist - but are you not aware that it is ALREADY here?

YOU ARE FROM GOD and you are already victorious over these God-less spirits, for the One who is in you is greater than this spirit that is now in this world. THEY ARE FROM THE WORLD and they can only speak from that source; and they understand each other. WE ARE FROM GOD; those who know God understand us, and they receive the truth we speak. Those who are not of God CANNOT receive what we say. It is the simple reception factor by which we can distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of deceit.

You, who are loved, concern yourselves with loving one another because LOVE, and NOT empty words, is what comes from God. Realize this: those who have love in them are the ones who are born of God, and they also KNOW God. Those who don’t have this miraculous love in them don’t know God for the simple reason that GOD is love. How is it that WE got the love of God in US, though it is not in the world? This is the thing that happened when God sent the only Son He fathered into the world, so that through the Son we would also live. This is where love is found, and it’s NOT that WE loved God, but that HE loved US. Stop talking about YOUR love, for God initiated love in sending His Son to sacrifice Himself on account of our sins that separated us from Him.

Don’t you see how loved you are? Now, if God loved us in this manner, there should be no question as to where love comes from, nor whether this love was given for us to love one another. For if no one in this world has ever seen or known God, yet we love one another, IT IS A MIRACLE that is only made possible because GOD LIVES IN US. And it’s not partial or inferior, because He has PERFECTED this love in us. And the reason we KNOW that we live in God and that God lives in us is because He has put His Spirit within us. And we have SEEN and we testify to this reality that the Father has sent His Son to be the rescuer of this world that has no love within it. So, that those who, from within, speak forth this agreement that Jesus is, in fact, the one who is born of God - God is within this person and this person is within God.

As to this love that comes from God, we have miraculously come to know it, and have found ourselves to have believed that He has loved us. God is love, which means that those who live in love live in God and God lives in them. By this miraculous union with God, He has perfected love within us, so that when we are called into judgment we can stand in confidence. For this is what we have come to know and to declare to you that as Jesus Christ is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear AT ALL in the love that comes from God. But this perfect love casts out fear since fear involves punishment, which has been taken from us. But the one who truly stands in fear due to the impending judgment that is coming upon him is not perfected in love.

The cause behind our being able to love is that God initiated love toward us. If someone mouths the words, “I love God”, and yet he hates his brother, he is a liar. For it is only an illusion that a person can love an invisible God while he hates a visible brother. For this is the impact of the word He spoke to us that those who love God would also love their brother.

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Trash your preconceived notions based upon self-endorsing claims. Don’t you see that just because a person may TALK about faith in God it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she believes in God? When the smoke clears it becomes obvious that faith is not made of the words that speak of it, but of the reality that is spoken of. Those who have that gut-level faith that Jesus is the one and only promised deliverer who came in the flesh are born of God. And whoever actually loves the Father loves the offspring of the Father. This connection is so vital that you can KNOW that you love God’s children from the love you have for the Father. And that’s not all. For when assurance replaces that running-commentary of condemnation in your head, the fact that you really do keep the commands of God is a testimony to your love for those born of the Father. For this is the love of God in us: OUR keeping of HIS commandments.

Lest you confuse His commandments with difficult duties that we learned to dread, think again. Having been born of God has removed us from the bondage of the performance-based life of those in the world. He not only took us out of it, but He made us victorious over it. How so? Through faith, we do what the world, with all its resources, cannot. And if overcoming the world is a reality in those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then it is certainly not found in trying to keep a difficult command.

Who is this anointed one of God - this Jesus - who has caused us to be victorious? He is the one who came not only by the life-blood of the Spirit, but also by the life-blood of man. And the Spirit, who is the truth, testifies to His identity. For there are three witnesses of His identity - the Spirit, the life-blood of the Spirit, and the life-blood of man - and they converge in a unified voice of agreement in only one place: Jesus Christ. We have heard men and their testimonies; we have also heard the far superior voice of God. And what did we hear Him say? “This is my beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased. “. The one who believes in God’s Son has this testimony within him, and so agrees as to the identity of the Son; the one who does not believe God’s claim about the Son makes Him out to be a liar by the testimonies he speaks to you. This is because he has not believed what God testified about His Son. Do you hear the witness? It has been spoken to us; for in giving us His Son He has given us the eternal life that is in the Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

I write to you as those who DO believe the witness concerning the Son of God - that He is what His name claims. I write because many desire to steal the CONFIDENCE you have in Him. Know this: you DO have eternal life - which is the true knowledge of God. Let me tell you of our confidence we had before God. For in making us sharers of His life we were also made sharers of His desires; and as sharers of His desires He HEARD us in anything we asked. KNOWING He heard us in whatever we asked we ALSO knew that we had ALREADY been given whatever it was we asked of Him. This same assurance belongs to you.

So, in this confidence, what do you ask when you see your brothers sinning? Those who are born of God have passed from death into life - their sins are not unto death - ask life, and God will give it for those who are trapped in the deception. There is no confidence in asking for brothers (like Cain), who remain in death and sin toward death; I was not suggesting it. Now, if ALL unrighteousness is sin, how can there be sin not to death? The perspective of our confidence is the true identity of those born of God - for they DO NOT SIN. But the reality is that HE who was born of God KEEPS those born of God untouched from the evil one and his deeds.

The assurance WE knew that I want to pass on to you is this: YOU are of God, while the whole world exists in the evil one. You have been given the knowledge that the Son of God has come - He has put this understanding within you - so that you DO know Him who is true. It also teaches you that you are IN the true one, His Son Jesus, the promised One. No matter what anyone else tells you, THIS is the true God, and eternal life. My little children, be on your guard against all those false concepts which attempt to replace this life.