Salvation and sin seem to be connected so it would seem that it would be wise to explore the connection. I have come to believe that, since I relate to God under the new contract which liberates me from having to gain entrance to heaven by my obedience to the law, sin is not so much a breaking of the law as it is a teaching of a lie. I will try to do as Jesus did when He taught. He used analogy. This is a particular kind of comparison between two living systems, like Heaven and Earth, and using some common factor that exists between them to understand. Jesus often made the comparison between humans and trees. What do trees and humans have in common? They both interpret the information given to them in the soil, or their root structure environment. In this comparison, we too are like trees, an interpretation system. We take in informatin through our root connections. These root environments can be compared to the communities through which we have received our interpretations of information in the past and to which we are connected now, and, in fact, Jesus made such comparisons. Jesus taught comparatively, not by justification through Scripture, but by justification through His understanding of nature. We must assume that because His earthly father was a carpenter, that Joseph taught Jesus to know about trees. He had to know which trees to use in construction. The wood of the trees was suited for different purposes. The wood was laid down in rings, the product and reflection of the environmental conditions at the time. We can learn much from thinking of Jesus as a human who had to learn just as we must learn. But the education of Jewish boys was an integrated learning, involving the study of God's Word and the Study of Nature. God's Word was the vertical arm of the Cross, the product of the Jewish interpreters who told Jesus the meaning of the Scriptures within the Jewish tradition. The horizontal arm of the Cross is the product of the study of nature. And in Jesus' case, it was trees and the uses of the wood from them for different purposes. Jesus' death on the Cross established the teaching that the life of living systems is in the Blood. He suffered the torture of what some say was more than 5000 lashes to his back laying it open to the bone, and the crucifixion, bleeding to death, to make a point. Jesus, as a human, was continually teaching, offering his illumined insights into the struggle for understanding truth in a world dominated by anti-word, anti-truth, angels. We also know, if we believe God's Written Word, that Angels often accompanied Jesus. They served to enlighten Him and since His Spirit was one with God's, He had no selfish interests. He trusted His father in Heaven to supply His needs. But He was very much concerned over mis-interpretation of Scripture and continually remonstrated the interpreters who enjoyed the respect of the people. Little children's angels enjoy the continual attention of God, hence, focusing on what can help a little child to avoid suffering and pain, is certainly a way to gain instant attention from God. And, in fact, Jesus confirms this view.
One time when I had a financial problem and went to face a man who was probably going to put me into bankruptcy, my wife stayed home and prayed. She knew the outcome before I could tell her, as she described the office which she had never seen, and she told me of seeing two ten foot tall angels standing behind me and when they began to talk to the single six foot angel behind the bank president, he became favorable to helping me. I have always believed in angels, but not so much as after this experience. Jesus had a host of angels around Him. Not only did he have the daily experience of studying God's Word, getting and receiving the interpretation of that from His mother, father and Jewish community, but He was also accompanied by the Angels of God offering Him the insights and giving Him the illuminating knowledge of God to diferentiate between the Lie and the Truth.
Jesus attracted large crowds. Since many were conversant with the law, we can assume that He was not telling them about the law, but interpreting it for them in light of present lies. His words were not all recorded, so we can also assume that they must have been directed at specific lies that affected the daily living of the people to liberate them from the burdens that these lies imposed. And, He specifically focused his remarks on the weakness of the law as it was written to explain the meaning that God meant. This is known as syntax today. There is a saying in Judaism, where there are three Jews, there are four opinions about what the Law says. Now the art of understanding is to argue the various opinions until a compromise can be reached, for Jews. The ultimate determination was the affect the interpretation has on improving the quality of one's life, not on accusing or condemnation.We can and do learn much from Jews, but what I have done is to read those Jewish author's books that God has put before me. And, they have been a correcting and confirming influence for me
One of them labels the time we are living in as the Age of Negative Discovery when we will discover that much of what we have believed to be true will actually be proven to be a lie. Rosen offers this proof about the study of nature. Human nature is particularly affected in what Jewish authors write.
The one problem Jesus did not have is His nature problem. It was always one with God's. Ours, on the other hand, is not. We are natural born liars. And we must work out our salvation in fear and trembling.
When one person making comments on Heaven, in this forum, and those standing around God dressed in White, he fails to mention the answer to the question that is posed, "who are those dressed in white?" "They are those who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb." Now if we can see the parallel between robes and teaching, and between Blood and Word of God, this statement takes on an exciting and challenging meaning. Being Liars by nature, we interpret nature through the eyes of the Liar. But it is the Blood of the Lamb, His Word, that makes it possible for us to have new eyes, new interpretations. And, gradually, if we are willing to humble ourselves to the fact that we have believed and taught a lie, we can wash our teaching in the Blood and gradually purify it and make it come to gain authority over the lie.
In another forum I asked a member, what do you teach your children about how to save their teeth? His reply was that he teaches them the Gospel. And I agree, if the child will study dentistry with that Word of God written on his or her heart, they will be given eyes to see the lie about how to save teeth as I was because my parents saw to it that the Word of God was engraved on my heart. It became my lie detector as I studied the nature of teeth. But, it would seem to me that others could learn from the learning experience of those who have discovered the truth and help their children to be able to avoid the ravages of dental disease, the suffering and the pain caused by a teaching that is a lie. And, unfortunately, exported in well-meaning missionary teachings to God's poor and imprisoned.
Certainly I applaud those who teach the Scriptures to children and have them experience teaching them to others, but we also "study" nature, most of us unconsciously accepting the "scientific" messages which are by their nature, lies. And, this is the point I have been trying to make. We study the Scriptures, but we cannot relate them to problem-solving in this world. Jesus did because He studied both the Scriptures and Nature. And He was able to make the right connections and to use them to explain the meaning of God's Word as God intended the meaning to give His people a better quality of life, not to judge and condemn them or accuse them either.
But by closing our mind to this concept of the inter-relatedness of the Scriptures, their correct interpretation, and Nature, with its correct interpretation, we escue the obligation to work out our salvation, extracting our truth from the lie, and delivering it to the world at the risk of being more than just rejected and humiliated. At the actual risk of losing all that we possess. Having no place to lay one's head, no money to buy food, or clothes, or transportation, but always having these things when one is working out his/her salvation, the extraction of one's personal truth from the lie, in fear and trembling. Works won't get us in. Faith, however is demonstrated through works. My faith is based on the Word of God as it has been interpreted in a chain of emergent understanding for over 2000 years. And it is that faith which has allowed me to cast my net, taking in all kinds of fish, but being able to separate out those which are not fit to eat and keeping the keepers.
What has all this got to do with angels? It has to do with explaining the inter-relationship of them to our personal knowing trip. Where did those books come from. I did not go out looking for them. They came to me. Where did those opportunities to listen to and to observe the faith of others come from? I have to believe in Angels and am grateful that God gave me two very powerful ones to accompany me on this journey to knowing.
When God asks the question, through Paul, "Don't you know that your role in the Reign of Truth will be to guide angels and Saints?" It seems to me that He is saying that even this World is an assist for imagining the next life. It will be a place where guidance is needed. Who will have those jobs? Those who have worked out their salvation in fear and trembling here, extracting a truth from a lie, and risking exposing the lie. Who were the major opponents of the corrected interpretations of Jesus? They were the "religious" people of the day. And they continue to be.
One time when I had a financial problem and went to face a man who was probably going to put me into bankruptcy, my wife stayed home and prayed. She knew the outcome before I could tell her, as she described the office which she had never seen, and she told me of seeing two ten foot tall angels standing behind me and when they began to talk to the single six foot angel behind the bank president, he became favorable to helping me. I have always believed in angels, but not so much as after this experience. Jesus had a host of angels around Him. Not only did he have the daily experience of studying God's Word, getting and receiving the interpretation of that from His mother, father and Jewish community, but He was also accompanied by the Angels of God offering Him the insights and giving Him the illuminating knowledge of God to diferentiate between the Lie and the Truth.
Jesus attracted large crowds. Since many were conversant with the law, we can assume that He was not telling them about the law, but interpreting it for them in light of present lies. His words were not all recorded, so we can also assume that they must have been directed at specific lies that affected the daily living of the people to liberate them from the burdens that these lies imposed. And, He specifically focused his remarks on the weakness of the law as it was written to explain the meaning that God meant. This is known as syntax today. There is a saying in Judaism, where there are three Jews, there are four opinions about what the Law says. Now the art of understanding is to argue the various opinions until a compromise can be reached, for Jews. The ultimate determination was the affect the interpretation has on improving the quality of one's life, not on accusing or condemnation.We can and do learn much from Jews, but what I have done is to read those Jewish author's books that God has put before me. And, they have been a correcting and confirming influence for me
One of them labels the time we are living in as the Age of Negative Discovery when we will discover that much of what we have believed to be true will actually be proven to be a lie. Rosen offers this proof about the study of nature. Human nature is particularly affected in what Jewish authors write.
The one problem Jesus did not have is His nature problem. It was always one with God's. Ours, on the other hand, is not. We are natural born liars. And we must work out our salvation in fear and trembling.
When one person making comments on Heaven, in this forum, and those standing around God dressed in White, he fails to mention the answer to the question that is posed, "who are those dressed in white?" "They are those who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb." Now if we can see the parallel between robes and teaching, and between Blood and Word of God, this statement takes on an exciting and challenging meaning. Being Liars by nature, we interpret nature through the eyes of the Liar. But it is the Blood of the Lamb, His Word, that makes it possible for us to have new eyes, new interpretations. And, gradually, if we are willing to humble ourselves to the fact that we have believed and taught a lie, we can wash our teaching in the Blood and gradually purify it and make it come to gain authority over the lie.
In another forum I asked a member, what do you teach your children about how to save their teeth? His reply was that he teaches them the Gospel. And I agree, if the child will study dentistry with that Word of God written on his or her heart, they will be given eyes to see the lie about how to save teeth as I was because my parents saw to it that the Word of God was engraved on my heart. It became my lie detector as I studied the nature of teeth. But, it would seem to me that others could learn from the learning experience of those who have discovered the truth and help their children to be able to avoid the ravages of dental disease, the suffering and the pain caused by a teaching that is a lie. And, unfortunately, exported in well-meaning missionary teachings to God's poor and imprisoned.
Certainly I applaud those who teach the Scriptures to children and have them experience teaching them to others, but we also "study" nature, most of us unconsciously accepting the "scientific" messages which are by their nature, lies. And, this is the point I have been trying to make. We study the Scriptures, but we cannot relate them to problem-solving in this world. Jesus did because He studied both the Scriptures and Nature. And He was able to make the right connections and to use them to explain the meaning of God's Word as God intended the meaning to give His people a better quality of life, not to judge and condemn them or accuse them either.
But by closing our mind to this concept of the inter-relatedness of the Scriptures, their correct interpretation, and Nature, with its correct interpretation, we escue the obligation to work out our salvation, extracting our truth from the lie, and delivering it to the world at the risk of being more than just rejected and humiliated. At the actual risk of losing all that we possess. Having no place to lay one's head, no money to buy food, or clothes, or transportation, but always having these things when one is working out his/her salvation, the extraction of one's personal truth from the lie, in fear and trembling. Works won't get us in. Faith, however is demonstrated through works. My faith is based on the Word of God as it has been interpreted in a chain of emergent understanding for over 2000 years. And it is that faith which has allowed me to cast my net, taking in all kinds of fish, but being able to separate out those which are not fit to eat and keeping the keepers.
What has all this got to do with angels? It has to do with explaining the inter-relationship of them to our personal knowing trip. Where did those books come from. I did not go out looking for them. They came to me. Where did those opportunities to listen to and to observe the faith of others come from? I have to believe in Angels and am grateful that God gave me two very powerful ones to accompany me on this journey to knowing.
When God asks the question, through Paul, "Don't you know that your role in the Reign of Truth will be to guide angels and Saints?" It seems to me that He is saying that even this World is an assist for imagining the next life. It will be a place where guidance is needed. Who will have those jobs? Those who have worked out their salvation in fear and trembling here, extracting a truth from a lie, and risking exposing the lie. Who were the major opponents of the corrected interpretations of Jesus? They were the "religious" people of the day. And they continue to be.
