Hebrews 1:1-3"God, who at various times and in various ways has spoken in times past to the fathers by the prohpets, has in this last day spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of God."
(You Have Nothing To Do With It is a work in progress. The content is still being written/edited. Hoping for completetion of everything by late 2023 - early 2024. Thanks.)
The purpose of You Have Nothing To Do With It is twofold:
- Establish three foundational principles found everywhere in the New Testament (NT) but missing and contradicted in the teaching of Christianity, Catholicism, and all other religions.
- Reason from these principles, and thereby respresent the truth of God's Word in regard to being a Christian, and living like one. (The Christian/Catholic "church" is not doing either.)
The principles are:
Chapter 1 – All people sin, because all people are sinners, and all people are sinners, because Adam sinned. We don't choose to be sinners; we're inherently sinful. This subjected condition of separation from God (sin) results in our consistent experience of emptiness and frustration, and it inspires our infinite (futile) efforts to feel otherwise. Note: Sin equals temporary separation from God for everyone (self-animated), and this separation ends in eternal reconciliation for everyone (Christ-animated.) Eternal damnation/punishment for sin(s) is a doctrine of demons, and anti Christ.
Chapter 2 - God redeemed/ransomed everyone from their temporary condition of sinful separation through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Remission (forgiveness) of sin, redemption, reconciliation, and perfect right standing with God are the end of the story for everyone. What God accomplished (past tense) through Jesus was for the entire world, and we had/have nothing to do with it causally.
Chapter 3 - Jesus is the author and finisher of faith. Faith is authored, not offered. (There's not a single reference in the NT of God offering faith in the manner subscribed to by the Christian/Catholic church.) Faith is the result of hearing from God. Our faith is His work, NOT our choice. The causal force giving birth to faith is God, not "free-will." Therefore, if a man or woman doesn't have faith, it's because God hasn't authored it yet. We play no causal role in our experience of faith.
Now, let's contrast these truths with the anti Christ nature of current Christian/Catholic doctrine, which teach:
- We're all sinners because we sin, and because we sin, we deserve eternal punishment. The "church" calls torment in hell for sins the expression of a just God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Redemption from sin/separation and the gift of righteousness through Jesus are THE expression of God's justice.
- Redemption, remission, reconciliation and righteousness are conditional; not for everyone. Salvation only comes to those who choose to repent of their sins, and choose to follow Jesus. Those who don’t repent, and don't follow Jesus suffer forever in hell. Note: Different religious factions have different conditions. An entire other book would be required to list all the conditions Catholicism requires, and still another book to detail how Christians and Catholics (unintentionally) gaslight you into believing they have no conditions.
- Jesus does not author faith, He offers faith. Putting our faith in Jesus for salvation is a choice of our "free will." Whether or not you have faith, and how much faith you have, depends on you, not God.
Note: Calvinists have a different approach. For them, (very) generally speaking, it goes something like this:
- We were born sinners and deserve to suffer forever for being a sinner. (Unless we're one of the elect.)
- God redeems/saves the elect only.
- God gives faith to the elect only.
(I don't always represent Calvinism, but do so enough to reveal the heretical nature of what they teach. In the Calvinist worldview everyone was born a sinner, God elected a few for redemption before the foundation of the world, and those He didn't choose (billions) suffer torment forever for their sins. Therefore, we can rightly discern that Calvinism is an abomination to the truth, and absurd...to put it mildly.)
By insisting man (each individual) plays the causal role, not God, in regard to receiving redemption/salvation, and faith/power to live by, "the church" has exalted sinful human nature and reduced God to a servant of t's expression. We've fully re-established the same dynamic Jesus encountered, (and was crucified under), from the leaders of Judaism when His ministry began over 2000 years ago. Through the New Covenant of Jesus God exposed the Old Covenant of Moses, and those under "Moses" killed Jesus. Said another way; God's appointed ministers of the Old Covenant Law, and their zealous followers, rejected the Word of God when they heard it from God/Jesus. John 1:5 (Reflect on that for a moment. What a profound statement about human nature.) Even a cursory look back at church history - before and after Christ - shows a consistent pattern of "God's people" getting it all wrong amidst absolute certainty they're right. You Have Nothing To Do With It demonstrates how and why today is no different.
Redemption, reconciliation to God, and right standing with God had/has nothing to do with you in a causal sense. Paradoxically, the Christian/Catholic church, both past and present, insists otherwise. In their worldview the degree of God you experience in your life depends on you, but according to the NT, it depends on God. You Have Nothing To Do WIth It is a testimony to this reality.
John 14:6 - "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man may come to the Father but by Me."
Romans 11:32 - "For God has bound all to unbelief, that He may have mercy on all."