Saturday 19 July 2014

Sons of Hell by Rich Novek

Matthew 23:15; Sons of Hell?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a SON OF HELL as yourselves. Matthew 23:15

So is the "hell" that Jesus is referring to the place where the overwhelming majority of humanity will eventually end up at some distant time or is He referring to something that has nothing to do with the status quo perception of hell?

So when we think of hell, what is the one glaring characteristic, and the thing that humanity fears more than anything else?

Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, IN all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else IN all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is IN Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-38

So we know NOTHING can separate us from His Love because we cannot live or love apart from the One who is Love. And if it's His perfect union Love for others that dwells IN us, then what is it that dwells IN the heart of a...Son of Hell?

Only one thing...the lie of separation!

The Pharisees were okay with Jesus earthly ministry and even gave Him the coveted titles of master, teacher, etc., but that was only until...

I and my Father are One. John 10:30

Up until Jesus showed up on the scene the Pharisees thought they had the God market cornered. And according to their "self preserving" law, for them to see themselves as being One with God would be nothing short of blasphemy. After 400 years of Pharisee rule, their perception of God was as some impersonal, distant, and punitive taskmaster, not the loving Father Jesus showed us He was, and the One reason He showed up on planet Earth when He did.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have Life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

So a REAL "Son of Hell" is someone who follows the prevailing belief and becomes an advocate of all things separation. They are the ones who continue to hold to their own "self serving" and powerless form of a separated God. They know everything there is to know about the "letter that kills" but know NOTHING about a "one-on-one open and laid bare" intimate relationship with the Spirit who gives Life. They have never KNOWN the One who said that He would never abandon His own Sons, The REAL Sons (and daughters) He ransomed with His own Life from the father of all lies, separation, and division.

And the sad truth is, so many of these same Pharisees and teachers of the "Christian" law are still promoting this same separated "Sons of Hell" message today. And they're doing it week after week IN "brick and mortar" churches across the planet.

And it's this same false message of a separated, distant, and punishing "God up there" they dare call the message of REAL Grace!

No comments: