Christian Fundamentalism

4 Stages of Faith

The Fundamental Conception of Christianity "Do you accept the Lord Jesus as your personal savior?" Can the answer to one question be the total sum of salvation? Not one answer, nor one definition of so many paradoxes can be fundamentally defined. Faith in Christ and agape love of our fellowman, knowing in our silence Gods presence, walking by His Spirit, having compassion towards other people can only be found in our interior selves Spirituality is sharing charity and forgiveness with everyone we touch. No amount of preaching, condemnation or judgment fits into unconditional love, meaning we have let our egos go, to the way of our inner self, working on humility and finding the peace St. Paul speaks of as the "peace of God that excels all thoughts, " accepting the shortcomings of others unconditionally and seeing all as equal children of God, simultaneously. (1 Cor 3:16; Phil 4:7,13)

True Christianity is about love, agape love. It is about faith in a divine man that gave his life for mankind, opening the way for acceptance to God's family. This faith can only be reflected in the way we treat our fellow man, at the same time, our compassion and agape love can only be exhibited with our willingness to both know ourselves and see God deep within us, in our nothingness, through our faith. This is because our faith in Christ, is our awareness of God within us, in turn we gain the ability to detach ourselves from others, reliant on God alone. It is with this detachment, that enables us to see the Christ in all others. It is to see beyond the doctrines and creeds of men and scripture to the Spirit behind the letter. It is to see that faith in God is simply our awareness of God within us and the entire realm of humanity, including all those outside of the Christian religious persuasion. Christ is our ability to see him in the Hindu, Buddhist, Jew and every human alike. This is the difference between the fundamentalist, bible literalist and the mystic or univeralist. One needing clear cut simplistic answers with certainty and security, seeking to save the world, sending out missionaries, literalizing men's words as Gods, while the other travels to the higher consciousness, recognizing the ambiguous nature of God, seeing the mystery of His Spirit, His energy, the indescribable life force of unconditional love and acceptance, an acceptance that is inclusive to all, black/white, male/female, gay/straight.

When we literalize the words of men, words slanted by culture, society, ancient values, perceptions, ideas, tribal codes and prejudices, words compromised by human interpretation, human language and human fallibility, we immediately fail to walk with God's objective truth and in most cases fail to carry out the meaning of agape love towards the people we meet. Our faith is null and void. Sadly, many church goers solely rely on this docrinal view of faith, limiting it to the literalization of text, applying their sacrifice and knowledge for personal salvation, relying on creeds, dogmas, traditions and the percception of the bible as the "inerrant word of God," containing objective truth, uncompromised by human transmission, translation, and interpretation, in turn, putting this far ahead, crowding out, and even completely lacking, the forgiveness, mercy and agape love to all the people they meet.

John Spong relates:

"We must be aware that time and place, language and circumstances inevitably color objective truth. There may well be an eternal objective truth beyond all of our words, but the minute that truth is spoken by a human being who is subject, it ceases to be either eternal or objective. It becomes then truth compromised by time, concept, vocabulary, history, and prejudice." Both the sacred Scriptures and the creeds of the Christian church can point to but they can never finally capture eternal truth. The attempt to make either the Bible or tradition "infallible" is never an attempt to preserve truth. Indeed, those who would freeze truth in any words, concepts, or creed will guarantee a time warp that will finally doom that truth to extinction. Only allowed to float in the sea of relativity will survive the ravages of subjectivity. Only truth that can constantly call out new words capable of lifting yesterday's experience into today's mind-set will finally survive." (1)

CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM       MOSES "Mohammed Was A Terrorist"       "Kill Every Man, Woman and Child" CBS Jerry Falwell         Moses “I think Mohammed was a terrorist. I read enough, by both Muslims and non-Muslims, [to decide] that he was a violent man, a man of war,” Falwell tells Simon. “In my opinion…Jesus set the example for love, as did Moses, and I think Mohammed set an opposite example.”       "Kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man - Numbers 31:17 "Devote every city to destruction, men and women and little children. Leave no survivors." 2:34-35

While some fundamentalists are only mildly lost in either in scripture, religion, culture or tradition and are not far from being balanced, kind and just individuals, many others, regardless of their faith, continue to walk in the flesh, being radically lost in a self righteous and smug satisfaction of themselves, assured of being "saved," resulting in both a judgmental assessment of others and a total lack of mercy and love for the people they meet, including other Christians and those considered to be non-Christians, who are all Christ's brothers. To them, a man from the inside may fail to follow all the rules, refuses to walk the precise Christian subculture walk and talk, and for this he cannot live up to their mental requirements, looked on with contempt. While the man on the outside, lacking faith, non-believing in doctrines, creeds and traditions, is viewed as a "sinner" and is therefore condemned as "not saved." Fundamentalists can blindly follow all of their literal interpretations of laws, rules and words, yet to fail to know love, is to not know the essence of God and oneself, the place of his inhabitation.

"Any man that says, I love God, but hates his brother, is a liar." 1 John 4:20

Perceiving scripture beyond God's literal words of objective truth, permit us to acknowledge each author's inspiration as spritual and valuable works, of which their is no substitue, yet men's fallible words of subjectivity, allowing ourselves to gain freedom from the fundamental walls of security and certainty with clear cut answers into the freedom of the uncertain, insecure and ambigious nature of God's awesome mystery, His indwelling brings us a certainty of a knowing presence, yet paradoxically enter us into the indistinct uncertainty, with no simple clear answers, no Big Daddy God Cop in the sky, ruling as a King, to bless the good and execute judgment on the bad. Yet fundamentalists, limit their views to the literalization of men's words, seeing only the letter. They know the writings, they have faith in their docrinal view of Christ, knowing their Christian religion, church and religious organizational doctrines, creeds, dogmas and interpretations,

"Any man that says, I love God, but hates his brother, is a liar: For, how can a man that doesn't love his brother who he can see, love God who he can't see?" 1 John 4:20

knowing what men have interpreted and wrote as his commands. They in turn, scrupulously attempt to perform all

"To The Extent You Did It To One Of The Least Of These My Brothers, You Did It To Me" Matt 25:40

Contrary To Popular Belief, ALL Of Humanity Are Christ's Brothers, Including Non-Believers

of the so called required sacrifices, but mistakenly, their knowing is not of love and therefore not of Christ. Judging and condemning the Muslim, the Hindu, the Jew and those outside doctrinev as "unsaved," failing in ability to see Christ residing in them, for they have never found God within their very selves. Looking at the man on the street, who in their eyes, is a drunkard, fornicating sinner and judging him as a lost soul, who will either burn in a fiery hell or die, as to them, he no doubt, is separated from God. And yet this so called sinner lives with kindness, empathy and agape love to those he or she encounters in their daily existence. Yet the bible literalists, who have this faith in "the inerrant word of God" and their perception of Christ, who in turn,

All of Us Fall Short, But A Continual Attempt To Live A Life With This Attitude, Will Be The Only Determining Factor Of Our Outcome

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider all others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" Phil 2:3-5

attempt to walk the walk and talk the talk, fail to perceive the meaning of true kindness, empathy and consideration towards their fellow man, "considering all others to be superior to them" (Philippians 2). They cannot see the Christ in all others for they have never found him within themselves. The man on the street, who they cannot not tolerate as a child of God, has no faith in men's interpretive words of who Christ failing to follow many religious teachings, breaking many laws, with total absence of external sacrifice. Yet this man or woman is not only more righteous than they are, but is acceptable by God in their treatment of others. Where as they, the faithful fundamental Christians and fundamental followers of almost any faith - my way or the highway- who have a superficial faith in Christ, are blinded by their obedience to sacrifices, legalism, scriptures and religion, having no idea that they don't even know God and that their faith is not internal but an external display, which will perhaps put them in shock one day if this is revealed to them. (Matt 7:21-23)

Look around and you will see that

People who truly have God, have peace, and therefore have no need for organized religion. Church and religion are for those who have a void. This is the void that leaves one discontent and searching.  Finding the self or that is, losing oneself to the center of being, there one finds God, or what the Buddhist sees as the "Void." This is the void of emptiness where one finds fullness and contentment.

Outside the Watchtower and visible Church organizations: Exists The Desert of Life. This is the place we find God, where meditation is vital, prayer and conversation with God, the helping of others on an individual basis and the sharing with each other the faith in Christ and love of our fellow man exists, where the internalizing of the true spiritual nature of Christ resides. This is where the truth really is. In the churches and human organizations come human external achievements, missionary work, organizational arrangements, counsels, conventions, pastoral directives with theological guidelines. As advantageous as any or all of this may be, it all consists of external works that can be either beneficial or detrimental to the true spiritual nature of God and Christ; the internalizing, daily reliance, dependence and transformation of the heart with faith in Christ and love of man. The place to have an encounter with God. The safer place being "outside the camp" of ALL religious organizations OR limiting the association to a spiritual one only. For the reaching out of social association is to find the members having a serious lack of internal faith and dependence of Christ, the lack of real love of their fellow man, an immature zeal, and the religious subculture and organizational achievement put far ahead of individual mercy to others on a large scale basis.

Look around and you will see that many who are visibly seen as zealots, missionaries, preachers and teachers, are in many cases, but certainly not all, caught up in personal achievement, being the blatantly obvious ones who lack love, mercy and kindness to the unimportant, unknown and socially "incompetent," who fail to live up to their unique world of Christian subculture. While the older, slower and wiser ones, the nobodies in the background, have the compassion of Christ. This is the result of bible literalism.

The Greatest evil that people of faith face from outside the church is the obstruction of worship. The greatest evil that they face from inside the church is the subversion of worship.

those who are visibly seen as zealots, missionaries, preachers and teachers, are the blatantly obvious ones who have lack love, mercy and kindness to the unimportant, unknown and socially "incompetent," who fail to live up to their unique world of Christian subculture. While the older, slower and wiser ones, the nobodies in the background, have the compassion of Christ. The missionaries life to save others is sadly a lower form of spirituality that fails to see God in all others, who separates God from man, only allowing a doctrine of men's words to allow them a bridge between them and God, always believing they are inside a sinner. Worthless and unworthy, yet thankful for the free gift God has given them, failing to recognize that all men have God deep within them, to be found with faith, love and mercy towards all others.

Walking with God is sharing charity and forgiveness with everyone you touch. No amount of preaching, condemnation or judgment fits into an unconditional love, meaning you have let your ego go, your own self power and strength subordinated to the way of God's Spirit power "dwelling inside," working longer on humility and finding the "peace of God that excels all thoughts, " accepting the shortcomings of others unconditionally and seeing them as equal children of God, simultaneously. (1 Cor 3:16; Phil 4:7,13)

The Real Spirit of Agape Love Is True Balance,
The Very Opposite Of Fundamentalism

If taken for face value, as the "inerrant word of God," here is a man who was from the top. Jesus, a divine man from God himself. And what did he do? He didn't hang out with the theologically educated persons, who in addition to being righteous, also followed all the sacrifices almost perfectly. The Pharisees were orthodox followers and loyal subjects of God's commandments and laws as so many fundamentalists in all religious cultures are. Yet their lack of agape, mercy and forgiveness voided out all of their hard, fine and outstanding works. Jesus in turn, rejected them, befriending and associating with those considered to be outcasts, the poor, crippled, sick and those looked down upon, those considered to be known sinners, such as tax collectors, who extorted money, prostitutes and others of that caliber. These persons obviously spoke harsh language around Jesus, spoke of their entertainment preferences and hobbies that Jesus may or may not have agreed with, but he did not get bent out of shape and offended, with a fundamentalist, restrictive, self righteous viewpoint. On the contrary, he ate with these people, had compassion for them and in an understanding, kind and respectful way taught God's view, his unconditional love, in all matters, including those views that agreed and disagreed with their lifestyle. This way of teaching had such an impact, that one tax collector, the chief tax collector Zach-chae'us, publicly stated he would give back all that he extorted from people and then some fourfold, including half of his belongings to the poor. No doubt, Jesus was there to bring forth an inclusive community. Those considered outcasts were to be taken in. No longer would the Gentiles, the Samaritans, women, blacks and homosexuals be considered as inherently unclean and despicable people, but rather they would be accepted as God's children, those loved by Him, as "in Christ, there is no slave or freeman, no male or female, for all are one in Christ. (Gal 4:16-19; Matthew 11:19; 2:15-16; Luke 19-10)

Many Christian Fundamentalists, who may do amazing things from the spirit, and attempt to painstakingly follow all the scriptures just so perfectly, do not have trust in the real spirit of God, the spirit that lives deep within us all. Interior solitude is not something to be found with an entertainment of various miracles. Putting our restrictive rules on others, with the pressure to conform to our religious perception of God, is the spirit of legalism, the same external spirit that the fundamental Pharisees and bible literalists had in Jesus day. The Pharisees were not all bad people. They were righteous and perfect in both orthodoxy and sacrifice, however they, like today, followed man's written words, interpretive words, subjected and slanted by culture, politics, society and fallibility. These words were allowed to dictate to them what and who God is just as they are allowed to do so today by fundamentalists and bible literalists. This is the letter that blocks the spirit, that of Love and mercy. To know God is to be a balanced person. A person who can sit and eat with prostitutes and extortionists, not getting offended by the TV shows they watch, the speech they use, the clothes they wear or the many disagreeable actions they may take that are not hurtful towards others. On the contrary, the unconditional love, the spirit of God, does not get bent out of shape and offended at this, but allows others to speak words in their slang language and socially unacceptable etiquette styles.

God moves us to show empathy, compassion, pity and consideration for all those accused by the prejudice of others, labeled as outcasts, low life's and drunks, at the same time not living a life that endorses hurtful actions, as many of them do. Balance, mercy and love is true discernment, compassion, the showing of honor and value to each individual, "considering others superior to you" and is the highest level of love, universally possible by all humanity. Inclusiveness is the true teaching of God. Unfortunately this cannot be found in the majority of fundamentalists of all religious cultures, yet lives with those who seek God behind the letter in these same cultures. Although being sincere, well wishing, and strongly driven to do what is right, fundamentalism and literal viewpoints on scripture contains seeds of hypocrisy, unbalance, self righteousness and judgementalism, lacking both true perspective and discernment. This is the letter taken literally, the word without the spirit, that is the absence of the living word of God that exerts power and ability to distinguish between one sidedness and prejudice and that of paradox and inclusiveness, with the ability to see the subjectivity of truth that can never be objective when taken from the literal explanation of other men. God is an experience, not an explanation. (Phillipians 2:1-5)

The Pharisees Vs. The Tax Collectors

It is interesting, the Gospels relate that "while Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?" (Matthew 9:10-12)

The Pharisees had a point. They scrupulously followed and obeyed all of God's laws and both knew and studied the scriptures intensively. On the other hand, the tax collectors did not walk the Jewish subculture. The did not walk and talk the talk. Not only did they not obey the law with the Pharisees perception of God's commands, but in addition, extorted money out of people, and for this, utterly despised. And here was Jesus talking to them, sitting down with them, socializing and even and eating with them. Eating with folks back then was a big deal, an act of hospitality, friendship and approval of the guests lifestyle. Unlike the Pharisees, who would not even think of doing such a thing, Jesus was neither self righteous, tightly wound, caught up in religious service and life style, nor did he judge or condemn these labeled outcasts. Jesus instead practiced an all inclusiveness with mercy and compassion.

As the Pharisees asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?," Jesus, on hearing this, said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Here he was saying that all the sacrifices that the Pharisees worked so hard at, were not the reason Jesus came to teach, nor were they the message of what he taught, but mercy, kindness, understanding and forgiveness, total inclusiveness and acceptance of all others, were the core of his teaching, something that the Pharisees lacked, something that fundamentalists Christians lack today, as they prohibit women to teach, condemn homosexuals and consider those without literal interpretation of scripture to be unsaved, separated from God. Thankfully they no longer use their literal interpretation to support slavery and segregation of African Americans, as spiritual men, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., have turned the tides on bible literalism.

		The Righteous Pharisee		The Sinful Tax Collector
			"I tell you that this man, the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:-10-14)
		The "Pastor," "Church Goer," & Devoted Christian.	Who Did God Choose? The Tax Collector	The "Worldly" Man, Who Smokes, Drinks & etc.

Most people who are scrupulous in obedience to the scriptures, laws, rules and legal requirements of their religious leaders, pastors or slave classes, tend to become confident of their own righteousness and eventually start to judge others and look down on them. This is what happens in an external worship, with legal requirements to obey and sacrifices to perform. This is the result of seeing the surface, studying details and failing to think outside the box of literalism.

This way of thinking was no different in Jesus time as he told this parable to some "who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else,: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get, "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:-10-14)

Can not this same parable be told today? One just has to replace the Pharisee with a "pioneer," "minister," "pastor," "missionary," or "reverend" and in turn, replace the tax collector with a mere "publisher," "worldly person" or "sinner," who smokes cigarettes, drinks alcohol, listens to loud music, never reads the bible, never goes to church/kingdom hall, never preaches literal doctrine and fails in his treatment of others at times. In turn the so called righteous fundamentalist, the law abiding witness, prays to God and thanks him that he or she is not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers,-or even a mere "worldly" person, as this self righteous person, pioneers, preaches, reads the bible daily, teaches his family the theology of his religion, donates his money and his time. But it is the sinner, the "worldly" person who smokes, drinks, commits adultery and carries on who truly humbles himself and expresses repentance, asking God for the mercy to forgive him. "I tell you that this man, the spiritually weak man, the sinner, rather than the good church goer and pioneer, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." When a person finds Christ within his or her self, deep down inside the interior silence of humble retreat, it is only then, that he or she can see God in all others, can put away judgment, allowing things to be, to exist under the spirit of unconditional love with the freedom of forgiving.

It Was Not Their Knowledge And Obedience That The Pharisees Lacked, But Their Mercy, Their Failure to See Beyond Men, Behind Letters.

But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. Mat 12:7; Hosea 6:6

Jesus himself, preached over and over, that it is mercy, justice and charity that pertains to God, not religious theology, belief and sacrifice. The Jewish Pharisees, God's chosen religious leaders, had the knowledge of the scriptures, and scrupulously performed all the right sacrifices pertaining to their literalistic view on the scriptures. Yet Jesus condemned them for their failure to

A Warped and Judgmental Saying Used By Fundamentalists:

"Friends Don't Let Their Friends Burn"

see beyond, above and behind, as they failed to show forgiveness and mercy towards their fellow man. The poor man on the street, lepers, so called demonic possessed persons and the poor slobs (Amaharets - people of the dirt) of society were all part of the inclusive society Jesus was trying to convey.

Fundamentalism is the putting of black and white rules over the Spirit. It is reaching for security in human weakness, certainty in tangible and external answers. It is idolatry. Anytime we use men, organizations, creeds, traditions and even scripture itself, to lean on for security we put aside the ambiguous mystery of God, in turn practicing idolatry. I vote for the uncertainty, the insecurity, the willingness to enter into the unknown, the areas without clear distinct outlines,

Orthodoxy must never be permitted to become the protective coloration for the self-interests of the status quo; the entire record of scriptures cries out against this utterly sinful abuse. PETER J. GOMES

the pictures that lack sharp focus. In turn I find God, a knowing presence of love, peace and joy, a quiet whispering softness that resides silently within. It is here we find God, not in the pages of words, written by other men, perhaps men who knew God in their own nothingness, yet subjected their "knowing presence" in human terms the minute they interpreted their experience. Jesus Christ broke the law, he was far from a fundamentalist, far from a bible literalist, He did not walk the walk and talk the talk. According to the fundamentalists of his day, he simply could not be the Messiah. No man who blatantly broke the obvious laws of God, so plainly written could be the messiah. Yet Jesus was God, right in front of them. No different today, fundamentalists, evangelical circles, TV evangelists, cults and groups alike are faced with today with people directly in front who they consider outcasts. people with God within them, as all of humanity have, but they reject them and prefer laws, rules, church organizations, men and popular theology ahead of the Spirit. Our walk with Christ is so very internal, It is only then we can manifest this externally.

	Christianity Is Not A Badge Of Moral Superiority

The Bible is filled with ordinary people. What we know of the greatest known prophets, were that of people just like us. Most at times, were confused and lacked trust. Many felt inadequate and attempted to forsake their God-given assignments. Moses complained that he was not eloquent enough and that people wouldn't believe him. Isaiah claimed himself unworthy, "a man of unclean lips." Samuel was just a little boy. Ezekiel was sent out to preach to dead bones. Jonah refused to go to Nineveh, and yet God took these people and turned them into something for his purpose.

These people, along with countless scores of other people that God used, did not consider themselves superior, above others, elevated in their assessment of themselves and their treatment of others. Those that slanted towards that way of thinking were always rebuked, including Jesus' Apostles, confused men, who sought prominence many times, Jesus patiently correcting them, slowly bringing them change, growing in maturity, as their letters written in years later confirm.

Think of Nicodemus, that wise doctor of Israel, in John's gospel, who comes to Jesus by night to learn of life. His a very much confused and uncertain, this Nicodemus, when he hears Jesus say, "You must be born again." As a fundamental bible literalist, he had no idea of what Jesus said, thinking "how can a man enter his mothers womb again?" So, too, are so many modern-day people confused when they hear that phrase, "born again." To so many it sounds like a statement of spiritual achievement, a destination at which one has already arrived and when it is uttered with the spiritual pride with which so many American Christians utter it, as a badge of spiritual and moral superiority, we can understand why people are confused and mightily put off. What "born again" in the gospel means, however, is literally to begin all over again, to be given a second birth, a second chance. The one who is born again doesn't all of a sudden get turned into a super Christian. To be born again is to enter afresh into the process of spiritual growth. It is to wipe the slate clean. It is to cancel your old mortgage and start again. In other words, you don't have to be always what you have now become. Such an offer is too good to be true for many, confusing for most, but for those who seek to be other than what they are now, who want to be more that the mere accumulation and sum total of their experiences, the invitation, "You must be born again," is an offer you cannot afford to refuse. The Bible is an account of that great company of people who have both sought and found a way. We should take them seriously, for they have much to tell us. (3)

God's Grace

Perhaps the most repeated and emphasized message of the letters written by Apostle Paul is the message of God's grace. Repeatedly, Paul instructs and teaches to the various congregations and individuals that mankind is now under God's grace

Under God's Grace

It is only by imitating God's grace to our fellow man, by showing kindness and forgiveness, even though it's not deserved, can we be exercising faith in the Christ.

or undeserved kindness. Paul has an unusual self loathing of himself, even accusing himself of being a "wretched man." unable to be rescued. Yet even he, found solace, forgiveness and acceptance under the umbrella of Christ's reconciliation of men with God. This is a kindness of God or a grace that is claimed by Paul as undeserved by mankind, apparently from his own self perception and literal interpretation of the mythological figure Adam, and the tale of inherited sin. But through the blood of God's son, the Christ, mankind is now reconciled with God and his sins are now forgiven, under God's grace or undeserved kindness. This grace would be the interpretive meaning for Paul as both the very meaning and teaching of Christ, man's role model, whose steps, Peter tells us, are to be followed closely. Here's the point: it is only by imitating God's grace to our fellow man, by extending our own individual grace with the showing of kindness, mercy and forgiveness, even though its not deserved, can we be exercising true faith in the Christ. This no doubt requires us to become part of an inclusive community. We can no longer condemn those not embracing our theology, women, blacks and homosexuals. Sadly, most have no conception that they are under the obligation to put others under their own grace, living life in imitation, exercising, undeserved kindness and inclusiveness to their fellow man, that is all of humanity. We are all under the law of the Christ to put our neighbor under our grace. By "loving our neighbor as ourselves" we in turn are doing this directly to the Christ, who said:

"To the extent you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 (Romans 1:4-6; 3:23-25; 4:15-17; 5:1-3, 14-22; 6:1-2, 13-16, 11:4-7; 12:2-7; 1 Cor 3:9-11; 15:9-11; Galatians 3:17-19; 5:3-5; Ephesians 2:7-9)

Unbalanced Sayings - Lacking Focus on Christ Alone

Jesus Christ is for us the end of prophecy. Despite all the contradictions that can only be solved by the greeting card industry, all scripture, is to revolve around the God experience of men. The writers of the Gospels and New Testament saw God in Christ and used their texts to support their experience. He was their center point, the "Word," the "way, the life and the truth." He alone being the "Alpha and the Ome'ga," the "first and the last," the "beginning and the end." To look at him as a person, is to see him in faith, a faith that is non visible to the eye, and dwells deep within us. In our meditative practice, our reflection of ourselves, our humble internal prayer, we can find the person, God. When we loose this focus, looking to various last day prophecies, to the bible itself as God's literal word, we idolatrously loose God's perspective and true meaning, tipping our balance and value of both the experience of God behind the letters of scripture and our very lives surrounding them as coming from the person God, above and beyond the men who subjectively recorded their compromised interpretation of him. As Eugene H. Peterson relates as to our sole focus on God:

"Without this controlling center, the Bible is a mere encyclopedia of religion with no more plot than a telephone directory." A conscientious reader of the Bible is always in danger of ending up with a mind full of unsorted and unevaluated sayings and incidents: a talking snake, a floating ax head, a curiously repeated law not to boil a kid in its mother's milk, carefully compiled but dubiously important genealogies ("the name of Abishur's wife was Abigail, and the she bore him Ahband and Molid"), thundering prophetic oracles introduced by the awesome "Thus saith the Lord," pungent aphorisms ("you are the salt of the earth . . . the light of the world"), unforgettable paradoxes ("I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me"), and stirring perorations ("I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"). By the time we get to Jude, it is entirely possible to be reduced to puzzling over the significance of the archangel Michael contesting the devil over the body of Moses. What are we to make of this grand but bewildering mass of material? Is there plot, order, development, or theme? There has been so much action and so much said, such a diversity of style and content, that a devout mind is liable to enter confusion. If the field of study is expanded to religion through history and across cultures the bewilderment deepens." The task of keeping Christ as center is continually difficult. Other things elbow their way to the front: the golden rule, the doctrine of atonement, the ten commandments, Paul's teaching on justification, diagrams of the trinity, denunciations of the wicked. there is not much chance of losing Christ altogether-too much has been said, too much preached, too much written for anyone to forget that he is one to be reckoned with. But it is very easy to remove him from the center and give him an honored place in a religious hall of fame along with Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, and Mohammed." (1)

Jesus Christ is the center of all New Testament scripture, and as noted above, the center of the revelation of St. John's Apocalypse. Remembering verses of scripture, quoting various laws and sayings, recalling catchy phrases and parables are of no real value. God is more than a person in the hall of fame of goodness, more than a book of words. Our focus is on our relationship with him, each other, society, people we meet day to day, our treatment, attitude of all those who cross our paths.

Literalizing Text

Prophets of Old Were Not Predictors of The Future

Excerpt from John Spong's, "Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism:"

Contrary to the way the prophets were understood in early Christian history, they were not predictors of the future, Jerry Falwell has written:

"I believe the Bible is God's word also because of fulfilled prophecy. Dozens of predictions are made in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the New Testament in every detail. There are so many cases of fulfilled prophesies in the Bible that only the atheist or agnostic would believe them to be merely coincidental. Over two dozen prophesies have been fulfilled relating to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ alone. At least twelve of those are found in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, which was written several hundred years before Christ was born! Fulfilled prophecy is an indisputable evidence that the Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."

That quotation will hardly stand in the world of biblical scholarship. What this pastor calls fulfilled prophecy represents one of two things, both of them far removed from what he claims. 

1. Either the Christian author was writing the story to conform with prophetic hints (Did Psalm 22 predict the events of the cross, or did the Gospel writers pattern their story of the cross after their very familiar psalm).

2. Or the author was employing a dreadful  and disturbing method of wrenching Holy Scripture out of its context in order to make it serve Christian missionary aims.

The servant passage of Isaiah, the son of man passages of Ezekiel and Daniel, the triumphant passage from Zechariah, the shepherd and Bethlehem passage from Micah all became vital and valuable tools for understanding and interpreting Jesus in the Jewish context. In each instance Matthew altered the original meanings of these texts to suit his own needs. his zeal overwhelmed his rationality.  JOHN SPONG

For example, the Matthean words "He shall be called a Nazarene" (Matt. 2:23), a quotation not easily identified with any verse in the Hebrew text, was made by the author of this Gospel to refer to citizenship in the town of Nazareth. This suggestion is about as farfetched an idea as one might imagine. In Matthew's eagerness to fashion his story to his Jewish audience, he violated the meaning of his Hebrew text time after time. The enigmatic text in Isaiah 11:1, for instance that referred to a branch out of Jesse could hardly be used to undergird the fact that Jesus went to live in Nazareth, yet that appears to be the way Matthew used it. That word that is translated "branch" in Hebrew is Nazir. It can mean a number of things, but to make it refer to a citizen of the town of Nazareth is not one of them. Nor can the Hebrew holy man called a Nazarite (Num. 6:2, 6-8: Judges 13:5, 7, 16:17), and defined as one who did not cut his hair or drink wine, be related to living in Nazareth. The details of the crucifixion and burial were not predicted by Psalm 22 so much as they were deliberately shaped by that psalm. The servant passage of Isaiah, the son of man passages of Ezekiel and Daniel, the triumphant passage from Zechariah, the shepherd and Bethlehem passage from Micah all became vital and valuable tools for understanding and interpreting Jesus in the Jewish context. In each instance Matthew altered the original meanings of these texts to suit his own needs. His zeal overwhelmed his rationality. (7)

 

Faith In Christ

Awareness To God's Spirit Within

Those With Faith in Christ Are Those That Can See Him Within Themselves, In Turn, All Others We look deep within and see the universal Spirit, we obtain the ability of "awareness" of God's inner dwelling, this is our "mental strength," "our inner peace that excels all thoughts" and our "power what is beyond normal" giving us a "way out" for survival, while living.

Those Without Faith Look Externally For God, To The Word's of Men and Religious Organizations Seeking the noise of other men, taking the words of men as the Word of God, obtains us a false sense of security. We rely on what we perceive to be the inerrant Word of God, when in turn we fail to find him within our interior silence, never knowing his presence and peace that excels all thoughts with the Shalom and joy of trust. We cannot see God in others when we cannot see Him in ourselves.

God looks for "mercy and not sacrifice." It is only this mercy and loving kindness to others, that truly exhibits the "fruitage of the spirit," not the performance of sacrifices of a person who has faith.

Trust someone, is taking chances. Because we trust this person, we are willing to give them access to areas in our lives that leave us open and vulnerable. We are willing to risk personal loss, because we trust this person always to act in our best interests. This is the trust we must have in God, in order to please him. Not blind faith, or acting foolishly against our common sense and intellect. Not acting on out of our emotions, overriding the power to reason properly, which gives us a clear understanding and not mere intellectualism, which blinds persons. We can not call that faith. But using common sense, listening to God, trusting is his word, the bible (not "slave classes" or governing bodies of men), being willing to act on those words and taking some chances and risk in our lives, this is faith. Because we trust and believe in God to the extent that we will leave ourselves open.

"Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even thought we cannot see it up ahead." - Hebrews 11:1 - Living Bible.

Notice that faith is having total confidence and assurance.

We "must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who see him, for without faith it is impossible to please God." But faith is more than assurance, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."- Hebrews 11:1-6

Faith can be compared to obtaining a title deed to a piece of property. The property is not seen (only the paper), and to those without faith in a piece of paper, it lacks evidence, yet it is the very substance of a binding agreement, the evidence that assures you the property truly belongs to you. You put your trust in this deed.

Faith is not blind, but at the same time it is action performed without total certainty and a without a full understanding. It is willing to take a chance because we trust in God and his caring for us. Only after the action is taken does full understanding take place. As Apostle James puts it,

"Let us keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. In fact, let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways." (Heb 11:1, 6; James 1:5)

Hebrews states:

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6

Faith is the only way we become conscious of God's holy spirit dwelling inside us, giving us the "power beyond what is normal" to use and open this faith that God supplies. It our doorway of awareness to walk according to the spirit and show agape love, putting mercy ahead of sacrifices. Faith is something we give to God and he gives back to us. No matter how many "works" of sacrifice we perform, it is with faith that enables us to become higher in our consciousness level, to trust in God within us and see Him in all others." (2 Cor 4:7; Heb 10:24-25; 11: ; Gal 6:10

Without Love of Our Fellow Man, There Can Be No True Faith

Without Seeing The Essence of God, Unconditional Love, Within Ourselves, There Can Be No Love of Our Fellow Man (With God's Spirit) 1 John 4; Romans 8:9

Without Both Neither One Is Valid

To have faith is to take action before having complete understanding. It is action taken with a degree of uncertainty. Faith is the substance that we hold on to in place of the promises we are waiting for. The "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrew chapter 11 did not receive their reward, in their lifetime and were willing to leave their places and locations of religious and economic security for the promise of living in the "city with real foundations," "heavenly Jerusalem with myriad's of angels." Yet they had their faith in God in place of it. Their faith acted as the substance of God's promise, although they did not see it and could only hope for, their faith also was all the evidence they needed. (Heb 11; Heb 12:22; 9:24)

Having trust in God, we are not supposed to let worries overwhelm us. Were told that if we truly "seek the kingdom first," with our faith, which to trust God living deep within us, enables us to show acts of mercy, above sacrifice to our fellow man, as we gain an inner knowing of God's presence, a letting go of our worries to God. We obtain a "peace that excels all thoughts" and the "strength" of his spirit to deal with the hardships we face, a mental strength to endure. We use his Spirit within us in internal prayer to maintain and grow, abound in life, progressively moving forward towards our humble desires. This is why Jesus repeatedly told his disciples to have faith, overcoming anxiety.

The major step, and apparently the only step to really find God, is to discover his silent presence within us, his force that enables all life to exist. With this, a revealing of truth occurs, faith is strengthened, trust is formed, resulting in awareness of interior love and perceiving it in others. The "Spirit bears witness with ours," confirms our faith as one of "God's children," he lives in us, intimately connecting in mysterious ambiguity, supplying a subtle, yet knowing "comfort," "a power what is beyond normal" something supernatural, beyond human explanation. Through solitude, prayer meditation, an inner humble desire to quietly listen, are key ways to make room in inside, allowing our awareness to strengthen in the darkness of our faith. Faith, trust and humble willingness is our doorway to the Spiritual realm, allowing ourselves to find God's Spirit to work on our hearts. Both external and internal noise distract us, as we move to cease adequate degrees of activity, as we move slowly into quiet areas of our interior. our trust and faith in knowing right here and now, we have a place in with God prepared for us, as a "kingdom that can't be shaken." (Romans 8: Galatians 4:5-7; Luke 4:14; 2 Corinthians 4:6-8; 1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 12:28)

Faith is our trust in being non-separate with God, removing our conditioned teachings on being sinners, separated from God. knowing, realizing, becoming aware in assurance that we are worthy creations of God, his sons and daughters, part of His family, We are his royal priesthood and special people, his possession. We know in trustworthy faith, that we are not alone, nor are we separated from God or His divine and indwelling Holy Spirit. We can find no fear here, as "there is no fear in love." knowing in he lives in all living things, in us and reflects all that is beneficial, wisdom and love. When we adopt a stance of unconditional love, we automatically abandon fear. In the absence of fear, in the presence of God's unconditional love, we find the solution to the mystery of manifestation. Once we truly know that we are not separate or alone, fear is replaced by unconditional love and we have gained access to the Holy Spirit. Our awareness is our faith, our knowing and realization.

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer describes faith as patiently detaching ourselves from the outcome, trusting in God's Spirit, the universal intelligence to manifest our desires.

"This provocative line is from A Course in Miracles: 'Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait and without anxiety.' This is the mainstay of infinite patience. The notion of certainty and patience go together. When you trust and know that you are connected to that universal, all-providing intelligence, then you simply allow yourself the virtue of patience. You place no time constraints on your manifestation and you go about the affairs of your life with an inner awareness that says, 'I've got all the time that I need and I am certain of the outcome, as I will allow it to show up as it will, in due time. The secret to being patient is in the certainty of the outcome. When that certainty is manifested in you in the form of trust and a knowing, you can then turn your thoughts away from the desired outcome. Without anger of anxiety you are able to turn your attention to whatever it is that occupies your daily life schedule. Your knowing and your infinite patience put you at ease. You have practiced all of the principles of spiritual manifestation, and then you have allowed the universe, God's Holy Spirit, to handle the details. Your inner sense is that what you want to manifest is already here, and your inner attention is on the feeling of well-being that you are already blessed with what it is you seek. Consequently there is no pressure for you to make it show up immediately. The inner bliss is a function of the power of your infinite patience. Later on in A Course of Miracles, we are reminded that "Patience is natural to the teacher of God. All he sees is certain outcome, at a time perhaps unknown to him as yet, but not in doubt." I love this idea of having a certainty about the outcome and being unconcerned about the details. When we become impatient, we literally devalue ourselves and our connection to the divine Holy Spirit. Impatience is a failure to trust in the universal intelligence, and it implies that we are separate from the all providing Spirit. Impatience implies that our ego is the boss of desire. This form of self-importance needs to be addressed. When you are certain about the outcome, and unconcerned with the how and when, you have cultivated the power of infinite patience, and simultaneously you have detached yourself from the outcome. When this detachment takes place, you are able to go about your daily business of raising your children, doing your work or training, meditating and communing with God and just patiently observing. Patience is natural when you trust in the oneness of the universal intelligence (of God). One of the ways to develop patience is to contemplate how patient God has been with you. When you were in times of denial, or self-abuse, or self-absorption, or hatred, God was infinitely patient. God does not scold or punish you when you are off the sacred path, nor does God desert you. This is the same kind of patience that you want to develop. Infinite patience is a sign of trust (faith), and it calls upon infinite love to produce results in your life. When you let go of impatience, you are aligned with the God force (Holy Spirit), and all of the anxiety that tells you what is lacking and missing in you life is gone. Anxiety produces fear and self-pity and attaches you to time. When fear based impatience takes over, you lose you infinite self and become once again subject to the ego, which has no patience with anything about infinitude. (5a)

Beyond Literal Doctrine In God's Unconditional Love

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; Not my will, but let your will be done." Luke 22:42

On the surface it appears God's Will is separate from Jesus. Yet Jesus also stated:

"I an the Father are one." John 1:30

To be in "one" with God we are the same in wills, when we use our free wills with unconditional love towards others. It is our egos that try to separate ourselves from God. The will of God's is always ours when we live a life of unconditional love, free from hate and violence, free from judging others, uncontrolled, and voluntary. Wayne W. Dyer relates:

"What has come to be referred to as "the will of God" is an invention of man to gain control over others. If you are convinced that there is a God's will that is separate from you, then those who claim they know God's will can dominate and control you. If you adopt this belief system, then you fall into the trap of "his will versus my will." You want to do certain things, but the "will of God" dictates otherwise. Unconditional love and becoming a co-creator in your life is possible when you know that God is not separate from you. You and God are one and the same.

"I pray also for those who will believe in me, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one." John 17:21-22

In the New Testament Jesus says to the multitudes,

"I have said you are gods," John 10:34

And later,

"When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me he sees the one who sent me." John 12:44 What it means to be in a state of oneness is that you know the unconditional love that God has for all of creation is also the unconditional love that can be you, if you make the choice. Your free will is your freedom to embrace any thought that you desire. This free will is your gift from God. Use this free will in a spirit of love that has no conditions imposed on it. The love that God has for you is without condition. There is no restriction or censorship placed on this love granted to you by the divine creator. You have complete freedom to do as you will, for your will (not you ego), and God's will are one and the same. You have the freedom to choose your thoughts within this grand scheme of unconditional love. (8)

The majority of Christian religious groups enforce the condition of doctrine, dogmas, creeds and traditions in order to be in "one" with God and receive His outpouring of Spirit, enforcing requirements and conditions on God's unconditional love and Spirit.

"No one can come to the Father, except through me." John 14:6

Yet how can this be if God's love is unconditional? Paradoxically, going through Christ to get to the Father cannot be doctrine in itself, but in both His and our unconditional love and allowance of free will towards all others. To be unconditional love, there cannot be restrictive judgments and requirements placed outside of our own unconditional love, with our total use of free wills to choose unconditional love, bringing us joy and inner peace. This is precisely why Jesus stated that anyone who sins against Him, by failing to put faith in the doctrine of Him, is forgiven. Christ is about the opening of doors, Inclusiveness is the only answer to unconditional love. No one is exempt from God. This is why St. Paul tells us, not doctrine but "love is the laws fulfillment."

"All things will be forgiven men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit." "For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him." Mark 3:28-29

Dyer continues:

"If it is the same as God's love for you, then you are living unconditional oneness. If you place restrictions on that love, or withhold it dependent on your judgments and hatreds, then you make it a conditional love and remove yourself from the possibility of co-creating with God. You are in conflict with the divine essence that is God. This conflicted state is nothing more than the imposition of conditions on your ability to love. Suppose that God decided to withdraw his unconditional love from you and the world and conditions were placed upon everything. (This would include the condition of a faith in doctrines and theological teachings). In this kind of world the people in it would have to function without freedom of thought and expression. The entire cosmos would collapse in an instant. Life flows with the freedom of unconditional love. This is the very essence of life. No deity demands that you think a certain way or you will be cursed and destroyed. In our world we have unconditional freedom for our thoughts to be what they are. That is how you are loved. That is your gift from the divine creator, expressed through your individuality. Take that freedom away and you are not longer a human being. You lose your humanity when you lose the unconditional love that allows you to think as you choose. Now suppose that you are able to function in the same unconditionally loving way simply allowing yourself to be without judgment. What if you have no hatred and only extend the freedom to choose to others? You would be experiencing what is called "oneness." Your will and God's will would not be in conflict. The conflicts that you experience are from the ego. Your ego is the idea you carry around of your separateness from God and all of God's creations. This ego needs to be reminded of its superiority over others. Thus conflict is created. But you do not have to participate in this folly. Your highest self only wants peace and is unconditional love. Use this love for the purpose of co-creation. Every moment that you create by radiating unconditionally loving thoughts is a reflection of the same love that was responsible for your creation. Creating (or manifesting) is the act of bringing unconditional love from within your being into a form that we call the world of the concrete. In this sense, then, unconditional love can be thought of as the power to participate in the act of co-creation." (8) Parenthesis added.

What about the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew and millions of others? It is true, they do not put faith in the theological doctrines that embrace Christ and the religion of Christianity. There is a rejection of the literal text, written by men who saw God in Christ. Yet many cease to be fundamental in their own theological teachings and philosophies, allowing them to unknowingly follow the "law of Christ," in turn, living in harmony with the Spirit of the law, the Spirit that goes beyond letter and lives in the hearts of all men. Even so, the gospels writers interpretive sayings of Jesus, include his words of forgiveness to those who reject him. (Mark 3:28-29; Matt 12:31-32)

"For Example, Whoever Speaks a Word Against The Son of Man, It Will Be Forgiven him . . ." (Mark 3:28-29; Matt 12:31-32)                 Unlike The True Meaning Of The Christ, The Watchtower Believes Only Jehovah's Witnesses Are God's People, And All Other Religions Are From Satan The Devil. Many Other Churches Also Put Doctrinal Theology Above "The Love Of Christ," And Teach That All Persons In Non-Christian Religions Will Not Be Not Saved. (Eph 3:19)

In Luke, he writes his story of Jesus in chapter 9:24 as stating, "Whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for my sake is the one that will save it." History shows many persons were willing to suffer, die and "lose their soul" for loyally following Christ. But what many considered following him, were instead following literal interpretations, church dogmas and loyalty to group conformity which in the end, cost them their lives. The "love of Christ surpasses knowledge" and "is above all human understanding." Sacrifice is worthless compared to mercy. For God takes delight in loving kindness and not in whole burnt offerings," this love coming from experience of God, not explanation. No human words can capture, nor doctrine, dogmas and creeds contain the spiritual language of God that far surpasses bible literalism. (1 John 4:8; Hebrews 1:3; Hosea 6:6; Eph 3:19)

If a person is unknowingly following a law or code because his moral "conscience" tells him to do so, is he not still a follower? Apparently Apostle Paul implied so, as he stated "For whenever people of the nations that do not have law do by nature the things of the law, these people although not having law, are a law to themselves. The are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts , while their conscience is bearing witness with them and , between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused." So the "people of the nations" were "both accused and excused" by the Mosaic law for what was "written in their hearts" even though they did not specifically follow or have

Those being "accused or excused" by God: As Paul separates the ignorant from the evil. Their conscience is what bears witness and God alone will be the judge. "For whenever people of the nations that do not have the law (of Christ), do by nature the things of the law, these people although not having law, are a law to themselves. The are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts , while their conscience is bearing witness with them and , between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused." Romans 2:14-15

"Circumcision of the body is a good thing if you obey the law. But if you break the law, you are like a man who has not been circumcised with this mark of the Jew. So if a man who has not been circumcised obeys the law, will he not be like a man who has been circumcised? Some people have not been circumcised, but they obey the law. They will show that you should be punished. You have the written law and you have been circumcised, and yet you break the law. If a person is a Jew only on the outside, he is not really a Jew. And true circumcision is not something that is done on the outside of the body. If a person is a Jew inside, he is really a Jew. It is God who praises him, not people. True circumcision is done in the heart. It is in the spirit, not in the body. Such people are not praised; but God praises them. Romans 2:25-29

doctrinal knowledge of the Mosaic law code. This same principle can also be applied to "the law of Christ" that is "written on hearts," and those that do not externally know the law of Christ and neither have "faith in Christ" or the doctrinal knowledge of Christ and the bible, but internally "do by nature the things of the law of Christ ... they demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts ... and are being accused or even excused." (1 John 4:2-3; 5:11; James 1:20; Jer 31:31-33: Romans 2:14-15, 28-29; Romans 8; 1 Cor 9:21)

When a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto and others, both do not have or even reject the doctrinal knowledge of the Bible, but "do by nature the things of the law of Christ," they are unknowingly " following the law of Christ" and are therefore having their own consciences "accusing or excusing," them, which in turn will be judged by God. They are not fundamental followers of Christ, bible literalists who put law and sacrifice above the law of love, the letter above the spirit, it is the life of justice, honor, love and above all mercy that determines our outcome and recognition of Christ, never our obedience to theology and religious teachings. Ii is our seeing Christ in both in ourselves and others, that aligns us in agreement with the law of Christ, differentiating between ignorance and evil. God dwells within all men, Jew, Christian, Hindu and Muslim alike, our fruitage there of determines our willingness to see the Christ in both ourselves and others. Living a life of love, is the law of Christ putting human consciences in agreement with God's will, which although being our own that is doing "excusing," God will be the judge, as we "have the law of Christ written on our hearts." This is reflecting God.

The human conscience that is united with the Holy Spirit can be described as Thomas Merton explains,

"The whole function of the life of prayer is, then, to enlighten and strengthen our conscience so that we not only know and perceive the outward, written, precepts of the moral and divine laws, but above all lives God's law in concrete reality by perfect and continual union with His will. The conscience that is united to the Holy Spirit by faith, hope, and selfless charity becomes a mirror of God's own interior law which is His charity. It becomes perfectly free. It becomes its own law because it is completely subject to the will of God and to His Spirit. In the perfection of its obedience it "tastes and sees that the Lord is sweet," and knows the meaning of St. Paul's statement that the "law is not made for just one man." (1 Timothy 1:9)(6)

But the conscience that does academically know of God's Spirit to be guiding it tends to seek its instinctiveness of right and wrong, and search for spiritual meaning of the inward sense of morality. Merton further comments on our natural human conscience we are born with,

"We do not have to create a conscience for ourselves. We are born with one, and no matter how much we may ignore it, we cannot silence its insistent demand that we do good and avoid evil. No matter how much we may deny our freedom and our marl responsibility, our intellectual soul cries out for a morality and a spiritual freedom without which it knows it cannot be happy. The first duty of every man is to seek the enlightenment and discipline without which his conscience cannot solve the problems of life. And on of the first duties of society to the men who compose it is to enable them to receive the spiritual formation they need in order to live by the light of a prudent and mature conscience. I say "spiritual" and not merely "religious," for religious formation is sometimes no more than an outward formality, and therefore it is not really religious, nor is it a "formation" of the soul."(6) "Conscience is the indication of hidden things, of imperceptible acts and tendencies that are much more important than itself. It is the mirror of a man's depths. The reality of a person is a deep and hidden thing, buried not only in the invisible recesses of man's own metaphysical secrecy but in the secrecy of God Himself. Conscience is the face of the soul. Its changing expressions manifest more precisely the moral action of the soul than the changes of man's countenance manifest the emotions within him. Even the outward face of man is only a reflection of his conscience. true, only a very little of what is in a man's soul ever shines out in his face: but the little that is there is enough to speak eloquently of the conscience within.' (6a)

The Gospels write that those who sin against Christ, will be forgiven.

Jesus words in Mark 3:28-29 and Matt 12:31-32:

"All things will be forgiven men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit." "For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him."

This can include persons who do not confess faith in Jesus on a doctrinal level, but are showing "love to their fellowman" thus being "forgiven" and "excused" with a second opportunity to put faith in him at a later time, when he is revealed. Jesus then further states:

"However, whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin."

However, it is with God's Spirit in us that we love those who are united to us in Christ. The more plentifully we have received of the Spirit of Christ, the more perfectly we are able to love them; and the more we love them the more we receive of the Spirit. It is clear, however, that since we love them by the Spirit Who is given to us by Jesus, it is Jesus Himself Who loves them in us. (7)

People who do not show love, but show hatred, greediness, wickedness and selfishness on a continual basis, neither have the law of Christ on their hearts and cease to confess Jesus, in accordance with the "will of God," nor "exercise faith" in him, despite their doctrinal confession of Christ and loyal religious service, therefore guilty of Marks interpretation of "blaspheming against the holy spirit and everlasting sin." But those with faith and those ignorant within love show to have the law of Christ written on their hearts are forgiven. (1 John 4:1-3; Mark 3:28-29; Matt 12:31-32; Romans 13:8; Matt 7:21)

"Treat Other People Exactly As You Would Like To Be Treated by them - This Is The Essence Of All True Religion." - Matt 7:12 Phillips Modern Translation According To The Context, This Is What "Walking Through The Narrow Gate And Hard Road To Life" Is. Nothing More And Nothing Less. - Matt 7:1-14

Paul writes in Romans chapter 2:

"Circumcision is of no value if you break the law. So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision ?" Another wards it is what is written inwardly on the heart that determines a man's outcome with God, not the outwardly or external formality of obeying his laws. "For the real Jew is not one who is outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical." Rather "The real Jew is one who is inwardly and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is from God and not men." (Romans 2:25-29)

Paul words on circumcision appear to convey that verbal affirmation of Christ along with his teachings are merely external and outwardly. The real Christian is not one who is outwardly, nor is having detailed knowledge of scripture. Rather, the real Christian is one who both has faith in Christ and inwardly exercises obedience (love of God and neighbor) internally from the heart.

What is God asking back from us? Rules, regulations? No, for external rules written down are

The Conclusion of The Matter

"For he that loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" -Romans 13:8

the "minding of the flesh, which means death," while the internal rules of love, written on hearts are the "minding of the spirit, which means life and peace." Not organizational policies, rules and regulations but faith in Christ, who lives within us, "to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God." "For love is the law's fulfillment."

As King Solomon put it:

"The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man."

What are his commandments? It is as Apostle John states:

"This is his commandment, that we:

(1) have faith in the name of his son Jesus Christ and;

(2) be loving one another."

And it is by observing this commandment of "love," that we "gain the knowledge that we are in union with him." "For the entire Law stands fulfilled in one saying, namely: You must love your neighbor as yourself." (1 John 3:11,23-24)

(Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8; Romans 8:6-11; 13:10; Ecc 12:13)

Summary

According to Christian theology, having trust in God and faith in Jesus as the Christ and Lord and Savior, we need

	We Can Obey Law But Not Walk In The Spirit,
	"Not everyone who (has faith in me and) calls me their LORD will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who (put faith in me and show agape love toward their fellow man) obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their LORD. They will say, "We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles." But I will tell them, "I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!"
	Matt 7:21-23 (Words in Brackets Added)

not worry. If we truly "seek the kingdom first," with faith in Christ, along with acts of mercy, not sacrifice, putting trust in God, we are promised that he will watch over us. He will not pay our bills, cure us of illness, nor prevent the physical and mental abuse others do to us, nor feed us physical food, but what he will do, is give us the "power beyond what is normal," a "peace that excels all thoughts" and the "strength" of his spirit to deal with the hardships we face, a mental strength to endure, "not letting us be tempted more than we can bear." It is only with faith in Christ that we can please God to receive this strength, however, despite having this, our personal salvation does not rest on our faith in Christ alone without our living in accord with the spirit he supplies us. We are under the obligation to love our fellow man with mercy and forgiveness. Nor do those without faith in Christ who live a life of love according to the law of Christ, despite being works of the flesh, receive death or punishment. Rather, our salvation is obtained on two factors. Our faith and reliance on Christ and his plans for both us and the world and second, our life actions pertaining to the Christ, the agape love we show to our fellow man. It is only these things that will determine our standing with God, for this is the "will of God" and the true meaning of the Christ. (Matt 7:21-23)

Life itself is a test. The test of knowing God is about our faith and how we treat our fellow man, not about what doctrines we profess or knowledge we obtain or works of sacrifice that we perform. Rather our test is our perception of God within us and all others, with our mercy, kindness, empathy, compassion and forgiveness towards our fellow man. This is the true meaning of the Christ. Beyond words of men, behind fundamental clear cut answers. We enter in the mystery of the living spirit, alive in agreement to "love one another," extending our own personal grace and forgiveness to our fellow man, fall short, yet always progressive in our forward movement to forgive and grow in agape charity. Many persons do not care, forgive, letting their own selfish pursuits come before everyone and everything else in their lives. While others, under the same selfish inclinations of the ego, recognize this and are constantly adjusting themselves, consciously making a continual effort to put their selfish tendencies away and put the forgiveness and consideration of others in the forefront.

Footnotes: 1 John Shelby Spong, Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism, p. 169 1a Eugene H. Peterson, Reversed Thunder, p. 27 & 29 2 Jack Deere, The Beginner's Guide to The Gift of Prophecy, p. 151 3 The Good Book, p. 187 - Peter J. Gomes