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Once one understands that
neither God's justice nor His righteousness is based on law, the entire
legal religious system of self-justification by works falls apart at the
seams. Subsequently, the idea of Christ's sacrifice as being
substitutionary becomes completely unnecessary and without merit.
Orthodox Christianity and the
rest of the world's religions are all based on these legal definitions
when it comes to justification, salvation, righteousness, and
relationship with the Supreme Being. Apostolic Christianity is not, but
you will search high and low to find only remnants of it in the world
today.
The reason that you find all
the religious systems of this world based on such a false premise is
easily understood. It has come about because the men who define
and maintain them, have done so from within a worldview that bases
essential human value and lovability on knowledge of, and correct
implementation of, moral codes. It is no wonder then that
religions would spring up from those worldviews that would simply be
projections of the same. Subsequently, the perceived purpose for
life, along with the supposed cause and solution of our problems,
naturally revolves around the same legal foundations.
Unfortunately, orthodox Christianity has inherited these tendencies and
has added other doctrinal positions that do their collective part to
continue to oppress and enslave men to the sin.
However, the final message of
God in the Bible, and the message of apostolic Christianity, which has
been all but lost today, is that God's justice and righteousness for
humans is based on his promise to re-establish his kingdom on this
earth, and our belief in that promise. It is a covenant-based
standard for righteousness and relationship. This is truly the good news
that Jesus came to proclaim and confirm through his life, death, and
resurrection.
His life was spent preaching
the certain coming of the kingdom of God, and the importance of healing
for life in the kingdom. His death and shed blood marked the end
of the system established by the first Adam, whereby justification of
human value is by works of law. And
it marked the beginning of the originally intended system and world
order whereby justification of human value is based simply upon His
covenant with men to love them as a father. Jesus believed in that
system because he had complete trust in his Father’s love for his own
imperfect humanity. This belief led him to lead a sinless life, and his
resurrection confirmed that the promise of God regarding our own
resurrection into the kingdom is assured.
(The doctrine of the trinity
of God and Jesus’ pre-existence as a god-being is a travesty of
monumental proportions for humanity.
This doctrine was naturally formulated by a false worldwide
religious system that, by it’s very nature, could do nothing other
than turn men away from the very power that could heal them of their
dysfunction.)
The ultimate truth and
meaning behind the Abrahamic covenant is really that God has a father's
heart…one that accepts, appreciates, respects, values, and loves his
morally imperfect children. In the end, God’s covenant with
Abraham and his descendants (which we have access to through Christ) is
a Father/son covenant. For
human beings made in God's image, belief in that "promise"
(promise is by grace and not works) provides the foundational basis of
healthy life in the kingdom of God. This was the case before the
garden incident, and will be again in the age to come.
It’s really that simple!
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