Friday 2 December 2011

Two More Words that cause trouble - Teresa Lynn Dennis



  




This is a note from the Facebook group "Mystery Revealed". Although a "closed" group, this does not mean that it is closed. All you have to do is ask to join. It's nature is to explore what Christ in Us, the Mystery Revealed means. It has enormous ramifications which haven't quite hit anybody yet, least of all the existing church.


Edie Chill This IS the paradigm shift that has been set before us in this hour. It is Noah's Ark for this generation.
Everybody get in.


After reading Roger's note "The Two Words that caused all the trouble" - see Roger Hawkins, I was reminded of an email discussion I was having with a friend of ours. It revolved around another ‘holy grail’ of Western Evangelical Christianity, namely ‘believe’ and  'saved’. The motivation behind the question was that for many years Christianity has joined these words together making them cause-and-effect upon each other, namely, when a ‘non-believer’ believes then they are saved.

When looking at the words ‘to believe’ and ‘to save’ in Strong’s concordance, we saw the following:

To believe – Strong’s G400 – pisteuo – to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in… http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4100&t=KJV

To save – Strong’s G4982 – sozo – heal, be made whole… (among others)  http://concordances.org/greek/4982.htm)

The word believe in Western Evangelical Christianity has, in many instances, taken on the connotation of “the born again experience” or “saying the sinner’s prayer” – believing  requiring you to doing something and in that ‘doing’ you create a new reality for yourself – you are now a new creation,you are now assured of eternity in His presence, you are now in Him and Him in you. Likewise with saved – it has taken on the connotation of “going to heaven” or “not being separated from God anymore, in the now, and in eternity”. In a nutshell, when you believe your reality/identity will no longer be one of darkness, but one of light and you will now have assurance of eternal life in heaven, you’ll be saved.

This all comes out of the gospel of separation that requires you to do something, albeit in response to what God has done, to change your reality/identity/truth… something you can influence and make a reality by your doing…when you believe…you are then saved from the ‘dark’ side to now existing in the ‘light’ side, you are saved from your ‘sin nature’ to now having Christ’s nature and living in Him…the gospel of separation…God is separated from you and when you do something (believe) then you are no longer separated (saved).

When looking from the perspective of the gospel of inclusion, it’s not about anything you do. Firstly, believing does not make something true…a person believing a fact does not make the fact true or a reality…it already is… they are merely ‘thinking to be true’, ‘persuaded of’ or ‘confident in’ the already existing fact…The same applies to being saved… it has all been done – the finished work of the cross – we are included and in union with God – every single one of us – all of mankind, it is a reality and it is our identity – it is a fact, be persuaded there upon, place your confidence therein, count it as truth… and wholeness and healing will be yours to know…because your ‘saving’ was done at the cross, and what you will now know and experience is the truth thereof… No amount of your believing can make this true – it is true and you come into an understanding of the Truth…that already is!!!

Now THAT’S GOOD NEWS!!! That is what we want to be telling the whole world!!! That makes evangelism exciting!!!

I rewrote one of the bible verses, most often used to defend the premise that believing leads to saving, as follows:

Act 16:31  And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:31 And they said, know (think to be true) the Truth (that He has done it all, a finished work of the cross) of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be whole, and your house. (Teresa’s paraphrase)

  • Colin Lagerwall Excellent, Teresa.....the scared cows are being roasted on the spit !
    Yesterday at 05:57 · · 3
  • Fay Gillbanks Lagerwall Expressed clearly and deliciously Teresa :))
    Yesterday at 06:57 · · 2
  • Colin Lagerwall Sorry ...*sacred* cows
    Yesterday at 06:57 · · 2
  • Roger Hawkins Colin, the sacred cows should be scared!
    Yesterday at 07:03 · · 7
  • Chantel Dennis Wooohooo!! So brilliantly exciting!!
    Yesterday at 07:12 · · 2
  • Colin Lagerwall There we go Roger :)))
    Yesterday at 07:15 · · 3
  • Joy King Living in REALITY ;)
    Yesterday at 07:53 · · 2
  • Dafré Troskie Great post Theresa, in a nutshell clearly cut, the only ones opposing this is the religious mindeds, so fly sis fly you are an eagle always been one, not suddenly miracle wand changing, merely uncovering, awakening, I think the shock of realizing the lie initialy is anethetising, but when they really get their strenght back they will get up and retaliate.
    Yesterday at 13:12 · · 3
  • Edie Chill This IS the paradigm shift that has been set before us in this hour. It is Noah's Ark for this generation. Everybody get in.

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