My OperaMy Peace And Rest
Saturday, January 5, 2008 12:34:28 PM
A happy and prosperous new year to everyone. As we begin a new year I have been reflecting over the past year in my search for Truth and I see that there are still many unanswered questions in my mind and heart. I have also come to the conclusion that it does not matter that questions remain as I doubt anyone will ever have all the answers they would like to have while living here on earth.
However, there is one thing that has become what I would call “forever settled in my heart” and that is the fact that our Redeemer has come and He fully and totally accomplished what He came to do. As I read through the Old Testament scriptures I see it more and more clearly that the prophecies were about Jesus and what He would accomplish at the cross. Not something that is in our present day future, although it was future to them when they prophesied it because it was before the cross that God showed these prophets what was coming.
It has been a bit difficult at times to see some of these things, and there are yet many that I do not understand, because of the “church upbringing” that I and most of those that believe in the total redemption of the entire human race had as well. When you go through almost 30 years of listening to the bondage and the poison that comes from the vast majority of pulpits, the only way our thinking pattern can be changed is for God to reveal Himself in us and to show us what it means to have been redeemed.
The scriptures (OT writings) are quite clear in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel etc that the purpose for the Son of God to come and redeem the human race back to Father God was to get rid of the sin that was passed on to everyone. It was also for Him to take the judgment that was ready to be sent upon the human race upon Himself so that none of the human race would have to face any of it.
What is this sin I mentioned in the last paragraph? It is the sin of unbelief that Adam fell into when he tried to be like God when he actually already was like God because God had created him in His image. Is the sin that Jesus died for an action? No, I believe the sin Jesus died for is a condition. If He died for our actions and deeds then why do we all still have things in our lives that are at times “not so good” in the eyes of people? It is because we are still human and that is the way God created us.
We must look at people through His eyes and not through what we may perceive as good or bad or anything else. The love of God was shed abroad in our hearts, not to judge others for what they may be doing or not doing, but to see them accepted in the Beloved. If we look at what others do then we must look at what we do or don’t do as well and we all fall into the same category when it comes to that. If we look at actions and deeds to see if a person is holy or not so holy, then we are looking at them through our own minds and hearts and we are arriving at our own conclusions.
God sent His Son to redeem the world by taking away their sin. Not actions and deeds, but the condition Adam had placed the entire human race under. He did this at the cross and the entire human race was restored back to Father God at that time which is why Jesus could say “It Is Finished”. There is nothing left to be done. The cross was the end of the human race under Adam and a new race of redeemed people began. We are all part of that new race in Christ. That is my peace and my rest as we begin a new year.
However, there is one thing that has become what I would call “forever settled in my heart” and that is the fact that our Redeemer has come and He fully and totally accomplished what He came to do. As I read through the Old Testament scriptures I see it more and more clearly that the prophecies were about Jesus and what He would accomplish at the cross. Not something that is in our present day future, although it was future to them when they prophesied it because it was before the cross that God showed these prophets what was coming.
It has been a bit difficult at times to see some of these things, and there are yet many that I do not understand, because of the “church upbringing” that I and most of those that believe in the total redemption of the entire human race had as well. When you go through almost 30 years of listening to the bondage and the poison that comes from the vast majority of pulpits, the only way our thinking pattern can be changed is for God to reveal Himself in us and to show us what it means to have been redeemed.
The scriptures (OT writings) are quite clear in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel etc that the purpose for the Son of God to come and redeem the human race back to Father God was to get rid of the sin that was passed on to everyone. It was also for Him to take the judgment that was ready to be sent upon the human race upon Himself so that none of the human race would have to face any of it.
What is this sin I mentioned in the last paragraph? It is the sin of unbelief that Adam fell into when he tried to be like God when he actually already was like God because God had created him in His image. Is the sin that Jesus died for an action? No, I believe the sin Jesus died for is a condition. If He died for our actions and deeds then why do we all still have things in our lives that are at times “not so good” in the eyes of people? It is because we are still human and that is the way God created us.
We must look at people through His eyes and not through what we may perceive as good or bad or anything else. The love of God was shed abroad in our hearts, not to judge others for what they may be doing or not doing, but to see them accepted in the Beloved. If we look at what others do then we must look at what we do or don’t do as well and we all fall into the same category when it comes to that. If we look at actions and deeds to see if a person is holy or not so holy, then we are looking at them through our own minds and hearts and we are arriving at our own conclusions.
God sent His Son to redeem the world by taking away their sin. Not actions and deeds, but the condition Adam had placed the entire human race under. He did this at the cross and the entire human race was restored back to Father God at that time which is why Jesus could say “It Is Finished”. There is nothing left to be done. The cross was the end of the human race under Adam and a new race of redeemed people began. We are all part of that new race in Christ. That is my peace and my rest as we begin a new year.
