What is Clouding our Vision?
I sent this note to a friend who was struggling with doubt and fear… and thought that someone here might benefit from it too.
If Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the Jewish prophets of old, then the world has been redeemed to the Father (according to those prophets), reconciled completely, and in all certainty.
The thing is, if we understand that we have been redeemed to the Father, our minds can become free from the doubts we hold about God’s nature, and free from the fear of death. This is the renewing of our minds… the salvation from our delusions about God.
If we don’t understand that we have been redeemed to the Father, it doesn’t change the fact that we are redeemed and will spend all eternity in the loving embrace of the Father… it only affects our entering into salvation (the renewing of our minds from a state of fear, into a state of peace) during this lifetime on earth.
God went through great lengths to reveal His love for us, why can’t we see it? What is clouding our vision?
The fallacy of religion has held a burden over our heads for a long, long time. It tells us that WE must take part in our redemption (by receiving God’s grace). It tells us that WE are responsible for our righteousness (by our performance). It puts US at the center of salvation. But reality tells us that we are not capable of such responsibility. We can never trust our ability to decide properly, or correctly enough. We will continue in doubt, no matter how hard we try to mask over our inner thoughts.
Only by understanding that it’s not about us reaching out to God, but that He has already reached out to us, can our minds be freed from all that haunts us. Know that, and live in the understanding that your relationship with God cannot fail, because you have nothing to do with it! Only by removing ourselves from the picture can we experience true peace.
It doesn’t matter what I do, or don’t do… my relationship, my redemption, my righteousness… are all because of Jesus — ALONE! Not me and Jesus… just Jesus! Knowing that, has saved me from all my doubts and fears, and has brought me into an incredible freedom to love wildly and share the joy of salvation relentlessly. It’s easy to love God and love your neighbor as yourself… when you begin to know "who God is… and who He is NOT"!
Bruce, I have a friend at our school that has been asking me a lot of questions and I think he is starting to get this message. What you have just written is so clear and beautiful that I can’t wait to print it out and give it to him tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this.
Bruce what can i say? I just wish i would have heard this preached and taught to me many years ago.
You said,my relationship, my redemption, my righteousness… are all because of Jesus — ALONE! Not me and Jesus… just Jesus! Knowing that, has saved me from all my doubts and fears, and has brought me into an incredible freedom to love wildly and share the joy of salvation relentlessly.
I will carry these words close to my heart always my friend.
Thankyou for sharing these words of wisdom here with us all.For in them i see the heart of our father.
kenneth.
Well said and amen to your post, Bruce.
We agree on Jesus!Yaaaaay!
I just really get into the details. This isn’t motivated by fear just the pure joy of daily coming to know God better as my relationship with Him deepens.
I’d still like to hear your definition of religion though.
Pam
Bruce,
I love the way you simplified this. Well written!!!!!!!
For me religion is just a cover up created by man in hopes to protect everyone from their personal fear that God will punish them. God is giving us the freedom to use our minds and make choices. Religion is a choice, not a requirement, but for most they feel the need to confine themselves to a society of people who live in fear, but with good intentions. For me the problem is that religion is a self righteous society. It is a group of indiviuals who choose not to think for themselves and instead follow the leaders. Leaders who themselves think they are sacred holy people who claim to do no wrong and are right with God. I appreciate a good motivational speaker every now and then, but I refuse to listen to someone tell me that I am a sinner that needs to be saved…every Sunday.
Yes, Mindy. Self-righteousness people demand self-righteousness from others. It is necessary to please them by believing correctly, performing correctly, and keeping up the appearance of contentment… no matter what the demands. This is the burden of religion. When we place requirements on others with the promise of eternal reward… whether it’s rites, rituals, performance, belief, or any correct-thinking (as perceived by them), that is the sign of a mindset of organized religion.
I believe very firmly that no one can “push” themselves onto God. We can fool ourselves for a time, and think that we have accomplished our goal, and have formed relationship with God through our actions. But, soon doubt sets in… doubt in ourselves and our ability to trust our actions that completely. Doubt leads to fear, and fear robs us of life. Man has never been able to forge relationship with God. It just isn’t possible. That’s why the Work of the Cross is so important… if we can only understand the message God sent. It’s not a complicated message meant for the intellect, it’s a simple message of peace aimed at the heart.
The only way to God is to know who He is, and coming to that understanding, we begin to feel ourselves inexplicably drawn to Him (even into Him). It is only through knowing that GOD IS LOVE that we can sense real, pure, honest relationship. Not relationship created by us and our actions, but one from Him directly, without our wanting, or our persmission. When we realize that it is God’s overwhelming desire to accept us into His Life, completely… without regard to our wants… can we find peace - Peace with God and peace with ourselves and those around us. When we understand that we’re all in the same boat… all called to relationship with our Loving Father without condition or requirement, can we find freedom from the doubt and fear that so powerfully brings “death” (guilt, and the resulting self-condemnation) into our lives.
LIFE is there for us, if we will just repent of “who we think God is” and begin to see Him for what He truly is… the Good Creator of our world, and the Source of our Life.
Bruce, you said “if we will just repent” but the scriptures tell us that repentance is a gift from GOD, that HE brings us to that place. So yes we repent, but it is not I , but CHRIST in me that does it. It is as the WORD says, “all is of GOD’.. what a releasing word!!! Its HIS flow in us, HIS gift, lest we should boast… No striving on our part, GOD gives us faith and we trust for HIS workmanship in us and HE is committed to do it. Now thats rest!!
Connie
Hi Connie,
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you found this little piece of the ‘net!
It sounds like this might have been the first time you’ve read my stuff. And while I see how you could have come to the conclusion you did, I assure you, that’s not what I was talking about. You’ll find that much of my writing is a little “tongue-in-cheek”, especially when it comes to terminology that organized religion uses to formulate their doctrines.
When I say “repent”, I’m using it in the form of it’s actual meaning, not within it’s religious connotation. Repent, meaning “to turn away from”, could easily be applied to the perception we hold of “who God is”. I’m not talking about “repenting” from our sinful nature, Jesus already took care of that on our behalf. But, that we should turn away from our twisted perception of God, and turn “to” the image that was revealed on the Cross of Christ, a God who endured death to show us that He counted us as more important than even Himself! That incredible act of love will change the world, if the “church” would just get out of the way and stop corrupting the simple message of good news… God is not angry with us!
“Repent from thinking God is angry with you”
But the point I am making, whether it be repentance or anything, is that the willingness and ability, comes from GOD, not my efforts. Phil 2:12 & 13 For it is HIM who works in me to make me willing and able, therefore I work out my deliverance. So even for me to repent from a way of thinking, this is part of what HE does in me. It is not about me making myself turn from thinking GOD is angry with me, trying to do it, willing it, choosing it, it is about resting in the one who is committed to me, the one who says “I am HIS workmanship and HE who began the work in me will complete it”. The rest is that I know HE will finish me and I just trust in that work, and it flows as HE wills it.
Maybe I am not a good communicator of what I am trying to say. Sorry.
Connie
Hi connie,you said, “I am HIS workmanship and HE who began the work in me will complete it”.How does he complete it?What is the it?Could it simlpy be the renewing of our minds?To me for it is worth,is that God our Father has created us in christ jesus that is were we see who we are. not who we will be.I strived far to long to find out just who i was.But when i beheld Jesus, i seen excactly who i was.God our Father brought forth a new creation and we are in him.Christ is the head of his new creation we are his body.So we are no different in Gods sight as christ is.He appeared in the presence of God for us.He made the two, both jew and gentile one in the body of his flesh and presented us all holy unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.This is the good news connie.He has completed the work already for you and me.Now enter into his rest.For when God our father creates then he rests.His work is complete and you and i are comp;ete in him.Paul said,i don’t know just what ill be, but i know when i see him i will be like him.Paul knew the work was complete.But in this life he could rest and behold just what he will be in the presence of God as if he were already there.Because he said,to be absent from the body,is to be present with the Lord.So there is no striving at all to be done on our part.Just behold him who to know is life eternal.
Peace to you my sisiter now just rest in him you are complete.
kenneth.
Ps,do yu think christ fulfilled this verse?Romans,..9v28,.For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
Ponder it connie, and rest in his righeousness freely imputted to you and me.
kenneth.
There is this mystery re past, present, future. In Cor. it says “He has delivered, HE is delivering and HE will deliver”. I guess thats cause GOD doesnt experience time as we do. I see us as having this redemption all settled in GODS books, but HE has chosen to put us on this little blue planet and “work things out”. We are having a fleshly experience and a spiritual experience. Redemption is not the same as salvation. Have you heard Mike Williams teach on that? Redemption is us bought by JESUS, but salvation is the word for deliverance which is a process. These are two different things I believe. I do nothing re the redemption, that is finished and secured for all creation but what is this earthly experience all about? I know I only have crumbs of revelation on that, but for perfect reasons that GOD knows, it is good and perfect that this whole scenario is going on. I dont see it as the devil in control, my flesh in control or anything else, GOD is in control and all is serving HIS most glorious plan. I do not see myself as perfect, I see myself as redeemed and loved and accepted and as Paul says in Rm, “In CHRIST we are walking after the law of the SPIRIT which is where our freedom lies”. I see a fine line where we get truth and we go too far one way. People walking around saying they are perfect when even the unenlightened world knows there not!! Maybe thats what JESUS meant by “The children of the world are wiser than the children of light”. My imperfection in the flesh is not a downer to me nor does it take away my rest. I know I am to have this fleshly experience and it is doing a good work in me. Thats the glory of GODs love and power in us, that we are who we are and yet we know HIS great love to us each day, HIS marvelous unconditional acceptance, not because I am perfect, but because I am imperfect. When GOD first began revealing HIS love to me, it was at the time I was so awful and HE didnt change a thing about me, thats what made HIS love so life changing to me, cause I knew HE loved me and accepted me, right where I was. I dont even think about me changing me, I just relish in HIS love each day that is committed to the process HE began and will finish. Then it is a natural flow from my inner bieng as to how my life goes.Some changes come and some do not. That is GODs business and it doesnt matter, cause its about HIM, not me.In Rm.8, is says one day all of creation will be delivered from bondage, and it also says, not yet do we see all enemies beneath HIS feet, but we will. It is difficult to communicate spiritual things I find and I confess I feel as tho GOD has shown me so much but I know it is only the crumbs that have fallen from the table. I am in need of much from HIM and I say with Paul, I know nothing, save JESUS CHRIST and HIM crucified…to know HIM and the power of HIS ressurection…
Connie
Coonie i loved what you had to say here.
Thankyou for sharing it with us.
kenneth.
We’re on the same page here, Connie. But, I think you’re missing my point about repentance. I’m not talking about the “turning away” from doing the things that harm us and/or others. I’m talking about turning away from thinking God is angry and must be appeased so that we might receive His righteousness.
That “repentance” comes from changing our minds about “who we think God is (angry, full of requirement and demand) to “God has made peace with us all”.
I wish dearly that someone would have impressed this understanding on me 35 years ago when I first found myself interested in God, but got sidetracked into the “church” instead. When I look at my life back then, and compare with what it is now, I feel like much of my life was wasted trying to satisfy the demands of an organization, when I could have been enjoying life within an organism (God).
I now understand that redemption belongs to all of us, but salvation only starts when we realize that fact. When our minds can be freed from all the anger, doubt, fear, guilt, etc., we can begin to rest in the heart of our Creator, without reservation. To me, this is the process of salvation… allowing the understanding of “who God truly is” to settled into our being, and save us from ourselves.
Great love to all!
Hi Bruce
Yea I think we were both just emphasizing different things. You were talking about a specific example of repentance(renewed mind about GOD and HIS cross) and I was focused on what repentance is or who is in charge of it.(gift and fruit of GOD and HE brings repentance)
My whole view of GOD has changed dramatically since I have had revelation of HIS love for me. I do not see HIM as angry or as a hard taskmaster. I dont know that I ever did but I was under condemnation cause I thought I should be doing more for GOD. Had an idea in my head about what a Christian was and that was my goal. I no longer have any of that. I never thought of all that as repentance but yes, I guess GOD was gracing me again with repentance cause I sure took a turn in my head and heart about who HE is. I am on the same page as you. I know all creation is redeemed and I know that rest in HIM and I am so grateful. When I first came into these things of GOD I was either weeping or shoutin’!! It is overwhelming to experience this GOD of love isnt it? This wonderous redemption and daily salvation and acceptance is beyond words.
Praise HIS name and thank you all for the encouraging words. I very much appreciate everyones input. It is good to have this fellowship.
Blessings
Con
Another amazing post! By Bruce
Growing up I felt like every single sermon was about ‘coming to Jesus’, repenting, the cross…and then I felt like I was hitting my head against the same wall over and over again. I felt like screaming…well if we’re saved then we should be joyful and excited about life rather then feeling awful. Maybe it just felt like the whole I am a sinner was the main message and then it’s like well, well if I am saved by grace shouldn’t I be joyful and full of peace vs feeling I’m like revisiting the same wall? How many times growing up did I recommit myself to Christ? I hope that makes a bit of sense to some of you. I guess I felt trapped. Like I was hearing the first part of a story, but the ending was taken out. I grew up Presbyterian and then I did venture to the charismatic side of Christianity and that unfortunately ended up being a disappointment. I still haven’t ’spoken in tongues’ yet, but I’ve moved past that phase in my life of desiring that.
To believe in 100% full grace for EVERYONE not just the elect (which I was taught growing up, which that whole part drove me crazy b/c if there are elect already predetermined to go to heaven, then how we can have individual free will to choose to believe in Christ and still be taught to evangelize the world?) that’s a lot to digest. Actually it’s probably easier to accept 100% full grace then the whole predestination doctrine.
Now that I’ve confused you all I’ll sign off for now. You guys should publish a book of all your posts. They are beautifully composed, easy to understand and no holds barred! AWESOME:)