Is sin still a problem?

 The question I want to address in this article is this: “Is sin still a problem?”  

This is an important question, and how one answers it reveals whether they believe the evangel of the grace of God.  This is the evangel of the grace of God given to the apostle Paul:

1Cor 15:1-4: "Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you, which also you accepted, in which also you stand, through which also you are saved, if you are retaining what I said in bringing the evangel to you, outside and except you believe feignedly. For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures,"

I underlined the phrase I want to focus on in the above passage: “Christ died for our sins”.  What does this really mean?   In christianity, this phrase means almost nothing.  Their “good news” essentially begins with this, “you are a sinner and your sins still stand against you!”  To the majority of christians, nothing of merit happened at the cross of Christ.  If you can get them to admit it, Christ’s sacrifice only made it possible to be saved from sin.  I want to show you from the scriptures that Christ dying for our sins means so much more than just a mere possibility of being saved from sin.

Let’s start here: Rom 5:6,8: "For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died. ... yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes."

Paul makes it clear here that Christ died for the sake of (the betterment of) those that are infirm, still in accord with this wicked eon, and irreverent.  We know from Romans 3:9-18 that this is describing all of humanity.  Why did God sacrifice His son for our (all humanity) sakes?  He did it to commend His love for us.  Knowing that we are infirm sinners who could never be justified or righteous on our own, God sent His son to do what we could not. 

Rom 3:21-24: "Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus"

God, through Jesus Christ’s faith ^[1] is currently reckoning believers in Paul’s evangel righteous, but this righteousness is for all.  This righteousness is also God’s own righteousness.  All have sinned, and all will be justified gratuitously (without cause in themselves) in God’s grace, through the deliverance in Christ Jesus.  This is affirmed in 2 Cor. 5:21:

2Cor 5:21: "For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him."

Jesus Christ, who had God’s spirit without measure (John 3:34), being righteous and knowing no sin, was made a sin offering for our sakes.  Was this sin offering successful? Most definitely.

Rom 5:18-19: "Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one righteous [effect] for all mankind for life's justifying. For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just."

All humans are constituted sinners through Adam’s disobedience:  Rom 5:12: "Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned --"  In like manner, Jesus Christ’s act of obedience (Phil. 2:8) will constitute all righteous.  Adam’s sin will not have a more powerful effect on humanity than Christ’s sacrifice as a sin offering, quite the opposite: Rom 5:15-16: "But not as the offense, thus also the grace. For if, by the offense of the one, the many died, much rather the grace of God and the gratuity in grace, which is of the One Man, Jesus Christ, to the many superabounds. And not as through one act of sinning is the gratuity. For, indeed, the judgment is out of one into condemnation, yet the grace is out of many offenses into a righteous [effect]."

Alright, so we know that God purposed His Son to be a sin offering for our sakes to show His love for sinners.  What does this prove?  It proves that God acted first, (in fact, God purposed this from the disruption of the world, Rev. 13:8) while we were His enemies, God removed the enmity between Himself and humanity:  Rom 5:10-11: "For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation."   This message of conciliation is an essential part of Paul’s evangel, as the heart of the evangel is what God through Christ has done on behalf of sinners.  Paul expands on the message of conciliation in 2 Cor. 5:

2Cor 5:18-21: "Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation, how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation. For Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as of God entreating through us. We are beseeching for Christ's sake, "Be conciliated to God!" For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him."

This passage encapsulates what a true ambassador of Christ will be sharing with the unbelieving world.  Christ died for your sins.  God sent His Son to die on your behalf. God is not reckoning your offenses to you because Jesus Christ died as a sin offering for your sakes.  God loves you and has proven it by taking care of your sin through His son Christ Jesus.  Be conciliated (be at peace with) to God!  He is at peace with you!

Paul states his evangel, the evangel of the grace of God in another way here:  Rom 4:24-25: "but because of us also, to whom it is about to be reckoned, who are believing on Him Who rouses Jesus our Lord from among the dead. Who was given up because of our offenses, and was roused because of our justifying."  Jesus was given up because of our offenses, he died for our sins, and the resurrection of Christ by God absolutely seals the deal of our justification.  If Christ had not been roused, we could not share the good news of the conciliation:  1Cor 15:17: "Now, if Christ has not been roused, vain is your faith -- you are still in your sins!"  The death of Christ for sin and the resurrection of Christ go hand in hand, as the two major parts of the evangel.  God roused Christ because of our justifying. 

When one truly understands what the evangel means (that Christ died for our sins, was entombed and roused the third day),  we will know and understand this along with the apostle Paul:  2Cor 5:14-15: "For the love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that, if One died for the sake of all, consequently all died. And He died for the sake of all that those who are living should by no means still be living to themselves, but to the One dying and being roused for their sakes."  When one understands the evangel, they will know that Christ (the One) died for the sake of all, and consequently all died.  We will come back to what it means to be “living” later.  Paul expands on the truth that all died with Christ in Romans 6:

 Rom 6:6-7: "knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of Sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for Sin, for one who dies has been justified from Sin."  The old humanity was crucified with Christ.  It’s dead.  The body of Sin has been nullified.  We know from 2 Cor. 5:14 that since Christ died for the sake of all, all died.  “One who dies has been justified from Sin.”  Young’s Literal Translation has this for Romans 6:7: “for he who hath died hath been set free from the sin.”  Young’s has “the sin” and the Concordant version has “Sin”.  As James Coram puts it, sin “personified” has been completely taken care of.  

Back to our original question: “Is sin still a problem?”  I pray that the scriptures we have gone over have shown you the truth that no, sin is absolutely not a problem because of Christ dying for our sins.  Sin is a not a problem for anyone.  One that has been given faith to believe the evangel (Rom 12:3), that Christ died for our sins, was entombed and resurrected the third day will know that sin is not a problem.  

Rom 4:5: "Yet to him who is not working, yet is believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent, his faith is reckoned for righteousness."  Believers believe God when He says He will justify the irreverent (again, that’s everyone) gratuitously in His grace.  God is currently reckoning believers righteous.

Rom 5:1: "Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ,"

Believers, understanding the evangel that Christ died for their sins, and roused because of their justifying are able to embrace the conciliation, having peace with God.  

Rom 6:3-4: "Or are you ignorant that whoever are baptized into Christ Jesus, are baptized into His death? We, then, were entombed together with Him through baptism into death, that, even as Christ was roused from among the dead through the glory of the Father, thus we also should be walking in newness of life."

A believer is able to walk in newness of life, with the knowledge they were baptized into Christ’s death. 

Rom 6:5-7: "For if we have become planted together in the likeness of His death, nevertheless we shall be of the resurrection also, knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of Sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for Sin, for one who dies has been justified from Sin."

A believer knows they are free from Sin, for they know the body of Sin has been nullified.

Rom 6:8-11: "Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to Sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to Sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

A believer knows they died with Christ, and like Christ, died to Sin once for all time.  This allows us to reckon ourselves dead to Sin, completely ignoring it, and living to God in Christ Jesus.  Believers are living to God, walking in newness of life.  Believers are the living mentioned in 2 Cor: 5:15 referenced above, and are able to live “to the One dying and being roused for their sakes.”  

Rom 7:24-25: "A wretched man am I! What will rescue me out of this body of death? Grace! I thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Consequently, then, I myself, with the mind, indeed, am slaving for God's law, yet with the flesh for Sin's law."

A believer, with the knowledge of the truth of the evangel in their mind, is able to slave for God’s law, which is a reference to the evangel itself and the grace of God it represents.

Rom 8:1-4: "Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit, for the spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death. For what was impossible to the law, in which it was infirm through the flesh, did God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sin's flesh and concerning sin, He condemns sin in the flesh, that the just requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who are not walking in accord with flesh, but in accord with spirit."

A believer knows that because of the evangel, nothing is condemnation to them in Christ Jesus.  The spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus is the evangel (same as God’s law mentioned in 7:25), the truth that they have been freed from the law of sin and death.  God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh, nullifying the body of Sin (Rom 6:6).  Sin is done.

Col 2:10-14: "And you are complete in Him, Who is the Head of every sovereignty and authority, in Whom you were circumcised also with a circumcision not made by hands, in the stripping off of the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ. Being entombed together with Him in baptism, in Whom you were roused together also through faith in the operation of God, Who rouses Him from among the dead, you also being dead to the offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He vivifies us together jointly with Him, dealing graciously with all our offenses, erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross,"

Believers can know that they are complete in Christ.  The old humanity was crucified with Christ, in believing this, God rouses us into newness of life (a new creation, 2 Cor 5:17), understanding we are dead to our offenses and the old humanity.  Anything that could have been hostile or condemning to us was nailed to the cross.

Rom 8:31-34: "What then, shall we declare to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Surely, He Who spares not His own Son, but gives Him up for us all, how shall He not, together with Him, also, be graciously granting us all? Who will be indicting God's chosen ones? God, the Justifier? Who is the Condemner? Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, Who is also at God's right hand, Who is pleading also for our sakes?"

A believer can know, through the evangel, that God is for them.  God is so for them that He gave His Son up for us all.  No one will or can condemn them, with God reckoning them righteous because of Christ’s faith unto death and His subsequent resurrection by God for our justifying.  

Eph 1:13: "In Whom you also -- on hearing the word of truth, the evangel of your salvation -- in Whom on believing also, you are sealed with the holy spirit of promise"

Believers are sealed with the holy spirit of promise upon hearing and believing the evangel.  

There are so many benefits and blessings that a believer can enjoy now, and will enjoy in the future.  Believers in Paul’s evangel are promised the snatching away, eonian life, ruling and reigning with Christ among the celestials and more.  In this article I wanted to focus on sin being taken care of, and how that message is a key component of Paul’s evangel and the many blessings that knowledge bestows on the believer.

Eph 4:17-18: "This, then, I am saying and attesting in the Lord: By no means are you still to be walking according as those of the nations also are walking, in the vanity of their mind, their comprehension being darkened, being estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the callousness of their hearts,"

2Cor 4:3-4: "Now, if our evangel is covered, also, it is covered in those who are perishing, in whom the god of this eon blinds the apprehensions of the unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of the glory of Christ, Who is the Image of the invisible God, does not irradiate them."

Unbelievers either have not heard the true evangel or have had there apprehensions blinded and are thus ignorant of the fact that God, through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection has taken care of sin and secured the eventual justification of everyone’s life.  Their ignorance in the fact does not make it any less true, but they are “estranged from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.” Believers are not estranged from this and are able to walk in newness of life.  It is absolutely true that God has chosen believers to be believers before the disruption of the world (Eph. 1:4), but we are not God and live in the relative.  We do not know who is chosen to believe, so we, like Paul, share the evangel with anyone and everyone, telling them the evangel, the good news of what has been accomplished.  

Believe the evangel!  Sin is no longer a problem! Christ died for our sins and was resurrected because of our justifying!

Rom 5:20-21: "Yet law came in by the way, that the offense should be increasing. Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds, that, even as Sin reigns in death, thus Grace also should be reigning through righteousness, for life eonian, through Jesus Christ, our Lord."

1Tim 2:3-6: "for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras),"

Rom 1:16-17: "For not ashamed am I of the evangel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing -- to the Jew first, and to the Greek as well. For in it God's righteousness is being revealed, out of faith for faith, according as it is written: "Now the just one by faith shall be living.""

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[1] - Jesus Christ’s faith is the faith in view here.  These are other scriptures that mention Jesus Christ’s faith and the fact that His faith is the basis on which we are justified: Rom 1:17, Rom 3:26, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:22, Phil 3:9.  

Also, Dean Hough has recently published an article in Unsearchable Riches Magazine titled “God’s Righteousness Manifested Through Jesus Christ’s Faith For All”.   I highly recommend you read this, I found it very edifying.  It is the very last article and starts on page 135.  

Why I, as a member of the body of Christ, have no use for conspiracy theories.

In this blog post I want to give the scriptural reasons for why I, as a member of the body of Christ, have no use for conspiracy theories.  I want to make clear from the very start that I am not writing this to start any controversy or arguments over these matters.  The reason for writing this up is that conspiracy theories seem to be popular amongst the body of Christ, and I don’t believe they should be for the reasons I list below.  I consider conspiracy theories to be a distraction at best for members of the body of Christ.  I encourage you to read this in its entirety and consider my scriptural reasons as to why I believe this.   

Roots in insubordination -

Rom 12:21; 13:1-2: "Be not conquered by evil; but conquer evil with good. Let every soul be subject to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except under God. Now those which are, have been set under God, so that he who is resisting an authority has withstood God's mandate. Now those who have withstood, will be getting judgment for themselves,"

Tit 3:1-2: "Remind them to be subject to sovereignties, to authorities; to be yielding, and to be ready for every good work, to be calumniating no one, to be pacific, lenient, displaying all meekness toward all humanity."

In my experience, many if not most conspiracy theories that have been shared with me or that I have run into, have been rooted in insubordination.  These theories vary of course, but the premise of most can generally be summed up as this: “the government/elites have been lying to you, so that they can bring about their nefarious plan.”  This premise is then used as the reasoning for being insubordinate toward the government/elites in question. 

Not one time in any of Paul’s letters do I ever read him tell us, as members of the body of Christ, to be insubordinate toward our governments or the civil authorities.  I do read him tell us to be subject to sovereignties and authorities, yielding, lenient, peaceful, meek, and gracious toward all.  Why does Paul entreat us to act like this? Because as ambassadors of Christ, we are to have the same disposition that our God and Father has toward all, which is graciousness.  We should be living like we actually believe the evangel of the grace of God and in the conciliation.  Correctly cutting the word of truth plays an important part here.  In this current administration, we are entreated be of the same disposition as our God and Father.  We are not in the coming day of Lord, when disobedience toward the authorities (both civil and religious) of the time will be required by faithful Israelites and those who want to worship the Living God (Rev 14:9-12).  This truth about correctly cutting cannot be understated.  Unlike in other administrations, when worshippers of the Living God were encouraged to be insubordinate toward earthly authorities (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Peter in Acts 5, and saints during the coming day of the Lord) not once does our apostle Paul tell us to be insubordinate, but to be subject.  This entreaty that Paul is making to members of the body of Christ of course, but it is an entreaty he sees fit to mention multiple times in his letters.

I do not believe we as members of the body of Christ should have a part in anything that spurs on or spreads insubordination, in keeping with the attitude we should have as ambassadors of peace.  I believe conspiracy theories aid in spreading insubordination and encourage this attitude, which Paul says we should not have as members of the body of Christ, therefore this is one reason I have no use for conspiracy theories.

I made a video a couple of years ago titled: “We are ambassadors of peace, not ambassadors of evil”. This video went into detail on the verses I shared in this section and I also read some of A.E. Knoch’s commentary on these verses, which I find to be very good.

Conspiracy theories are unreliable towards understanding the end of the eon -

Many (especially christians) have been looking to conspiracy theories instead of the scriptures to gain understanding about the events coming at the end of the eon, which in Daniel, is referred to as “the era of the end”.  It seems to be becoming more prevalent, and this should be of no surprise.  With modern internet platforms of media, news and information that use algorithms to feed people more of the things they like to read, see and hear, rather than things that challenge their positions, it is no surprise these are becoming more popular.  Christianity, as a whole, has no idea about the truth of the conciliation and frankly, God’s plan for the eons and His plan for humanity.  They believe it is their job to “root out evil” not realizing that Christ is returning to the earth not to congratulate christianity, but destroy it along with its lies.  Regarding the era of the end,  “research” done into conspiracy theories is often more exciting than a diligent and laborious study of the scriptures.  The scriptures let members of the body of Christ as well as the Israel of God know what they need to know concerning the era of the end.   

The important principle of correctly cutting the word of truth comes into play here, in remembering the different expectations of the Israel of God and the body of Christ.  In my blog post on the snatching away  of the body of Christ, I go into why there are no signs for the body of Christ that will precede the snatching away, as we are to be awaiting our Saviour: 

Phil 3:20: "For our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the Lord, Jesus Christ,"

Conspiracy theories will not give us a “sign” of when the snatching away will occur.  If we needed a sign, God would have given us one in scripture.  We are to await our Saviour.

In contrary to the body of Christ, Israel still has the seventieth seven (periods of 7 years) prophesied by Daniel to go through before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives (for Israel) and the establishment of the 1000 year kingdom on the earth.  

There is an important section of scripture that I believe most have forgotten about, and that is the 11th and 12th chapters of Daniel.  The purpose of the prophesy given to Daniel in these chapters is to inform future,  faithful Israelites as to the era of the end.  This prophecy, of which I believe everything from Daniel 11:6 onward is future, goes into detail about the conflicts that will be occurring among the nations surrounding Israel just before and during the era of the end. It also identifies for them who the antichrist/man of lawlessness will be, he is called the “despised person” in Daniel 11:21.  It is very detailed, and when these events take place they will serve as signs for faithful Israelites during that time.  Faithful Israelites are charged to be watching for the coming of the Lord (Rev 3:3, in contrast to the body of Christ, who is told to wait, Phil 3:20).   This prophecy and the other prophesies in Daniel, as well as the Unveiling of Jesus Christ (Revelation) as well as the other scriptures written to Israelites will be the information they need to watch and overcome in the era of the end.  

In Daniel 11 and 12, the “intelligent” are referred to a few times.  In 11:33: “The intelligent of the people shall cause many to understand” and in 12:3: “The intelligent shall warn as the warning of the atmosphere,”. The intelligent among faithful Israelites will be watching, reading this prophecy, understanding it and warning the others.  Again, the purpose of this prophecy is to warn faithful Israel of the coming false messiah, and help them watch for the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.  These intelligent of the the people are of Israel, they are not members of the body of Christ.  It is not our responsibility as members of the body of Christ to warn during the coming era of the end, we will not be here.  It is also not our job to warn about it right now, but to share the evangel of the grace of God.  

There is an interesting statement made by the messenger to Daniel in Daniel 12:4: “Now you, Daniel, stop up the words and seal the scroll until the era of the end, when many shall swerve as evil shall increase.”  On page 427 of his book “Concordant Studies in the Book of Daniel”, A.E. Knoch wrote the following concerning this verse:  “In the last book of the Bible the opening of the sealed scroll is not a figure for disclosing its contents, but for introducing its fulfillment.  So, it seems to us, we must understand the charge to Daniel.  The contents of the scroll are not concealed until the era of the end, but the fulfillment cannot occur until the time appointed.  This may be taken as one of the strongest reasons why we should avoid historical “applications” until we are confronted with clear-cut fulfillments.”   When these events prophesied are being played out, they will be very obvious to the intelligent among the people (Israel).  

So, my point after all of that is that neither the body of Christ, nor faithful Israelites need conspiracy theories to understand the era of the end.  For the member of the body of Christ, we wait for the Lord Christ Jesus, as there are no signs for us.  For Israel, they have the prophetic scriptures, and the intelligent among them shall read, understand, and warn the others.  I do not believe they will have use for conspiracy theories either.  I believe they will more than likely be distractions from the truth.  

I also reject the notion that, in rejecting conspiracy theories, one is “drowsing” or asleep as described in 1Ths 5:6: "Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as the rest, but we may be watching and be sober.".  I believe that it is reasonable to understand that “the rest” mentioned in verse 6 is a reference to unbelievers, who are the “they” in verse 3: 1Ths 5:2-5: "for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming! Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape. Now you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day may be overtaking you as a thief, for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness." 

To be watching and sober, one has no need for conspiracy theories but of this: 1Ths 5:8-9: "Yet we, being of the day, may be sober, putting on the cuirass of faith and love, and the helmet, the expectation of salvation, for God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

The vast majority of conspiracy theorists are unbelievers and the Day of the Lord is going to come upon them as a thief in the night, they are unaware and drowsing. 

If one wants to have a good and true understanding of the era of the end, stick to the scriptures and expositions of the prophesies in the scriptures.  I believe A.E. Knoch’s “Concordant Studies in the Book of Daniel” and “The Unveiling of Jesus Christ” are some of the best.  I will link to them below this post.

The potential for calumny - 

Here is the definition of calumny from Dictionary.com:

-a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something 

Paul entreats us as members of the body of Christ many times not to calumniate:

Tit 3:1-2: "Remind them to be subject to sovereignties, to authorities; to be yielding, and to be ready for every good work, to be calumniating no one, to be pacific, lenient, displaying all meekness toward all humanity."

Eph 4:31: "Let all bitterness and fury and anger and clamor and calumny be taken away from you with all malice,"

Col 3:8: "Yet now you also be putting away all these: anger, fury, malice, calumny, obscenity out of your mouth."

Those that spread conspiracy theories are at risk of calumniating those that are the subject of the theory.  The reality of a conspiracy theory being true or false can be debated, but I haven’t run into one that has been confirmed to be 100% true.  It doesn’t matter what or who it is about.  I don’t think that the fact that most conspiracy theories are designed to injure the reputation of someone or something can be debated.  I haven’t run into one that attempts to shine a more positive view on someone or something.  

Looking at the scriptures from Ephesians and Colossians above, bitterness, anger, fury and malice are attitudes that Paul says should be taken away and put away from us.  These attitudes seem to coincide with conspiracy theories very closely.  These attitudes that Paul tells us that we should put on, are usually conspicuously absent:

 Col 3:12: "Put on, then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, pitiful compassions, kindness, humility, meekness, patience,"

Paul entreats us to calumniate no one, and there is risk in calumniating with spreading conspiracy theories. For me, the risk in calumniating is too high, as it is very difficult (impossible?) to find out whether these theories are 100% true.  Therefore, this is another reason I have no use for conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories give men too much credit - 

One of the reasons that we know the scriptures are inspired and true is that they shine such a poor light on man.  To paraphrase Martin Zender: “We know man didn’t write the scriptures because they would have made themselves look better.”   The scriptures highlight the failures of men and the success of God.  I believe conspiracy theories give too much credit to those who are supposedly carrying out the conspiracy.

Concerning the era of the end, many conspiracy theories that have been put in front of me say (generally) that the “elites/government/new world order” are planning the events described in prophecy.  I don’t believe this at all.  For one, the day of the Lord is coming upon the people of the earth as a thief:

1Ths 5:2: "for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming!"  See also: 2 Peter 3:10

Also, in Daniel 12:10 Daniel is told this: “Many shall purify and whiten themselves and be refined; yet the wicked will act wickedly.  None of all the wicked shall understand; yet the intelligent are understanding.”

The day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night, and the wicked will not understand what’s going on.  They most certainly aren’t planning the era of the end,  that gives way to much credit to wicked men (true or false), who are dupes of the Adversary and slaves to the flesh.  

Most conspiracy theories rely on the ability of millions of people working together to keep secrets from the rest of humanity.  I believe this gives way to much credit to supposed wicked groups of people to bring about a nefarious plan.  Tell a secret to a group of two or three and the secret will most likely be let out, let alone millions.  

I believe conspiracy theories as a whole generally give too much credit to men in their ability to carry out massive plans (a pattern I have not found in scripture) therefore, this is another reason I have no use for conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories do not bring peace - 

Peace is a huge part of Paul’s evangel for the body of Christ.  God wants us to have peace, and Paul repeats this salutation or a form of it in all of his epistles: 2Ths 1:2: "Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." 

 I haven’t had a conspiracy theory bring me peace.  The scriptures and the prophecies therein do bring me peace.  Conspiracy theories, in my experience are focused on evil or wickedness that is thought to be happening.  I see no benefit in this.  We are not told by Paul to focus on the evil things (true or false) going on in the world, to do this is, I believe, is the opposite of what Paul entreats us to do: Col 3:2: "Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth,".   

I don’t think we need to be telling people about the evil things (true or false) that go on in the world either.  We are supposed to be ambassadors of peace, not ambassadors of evil.  We should be preoccupied with sharing the evangel of peace, not sharing bad news of evil doings.  I have seen some members of the body of Christ say that they are supposed to “expose evil”.  In Titus, Paul says this: Tit 1:9: "upholding the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able to entreat with sound teaching as well as to expose those who contradict."  This is similar to what he says to Timothy: 2Tim 4:2: "Herald the word. Stand by it, opportunely, inopportunely, expose, rebuke, entreat, with all patience and teaching."  Those in the body of Christ called to do so are told to expose teachings that contradict the evangel of the grace of God.  These are religious lies.  These are lies that hide the truth of the evangel, not evil things (true or false) that the civil authorities are doing.  

This ties back into the first reason I listed in this post for having no use for conspiracy theories.  Right after Paul’s entreaty to Titus in Titus 1:9, Paul says this: Tit 1:10-11: "For many are insubordinate, vain praters and imposters, especially those of the Circumcision, who must be gagged, who are subverting whole households, teaching what they must not, on behalf of sordid gain."  Paul tell Titus to expose those who contradict, because many are insubordinate, vain praters and imposters, teaching what they must not.  Later in his letter to Titus, Paul him to expose false teachings that go against the saving grace of God then immediately tells Titus to remind others to be subject and yielding: Tit 2:15; 3:1-2: "Speak of these things and entreat and expose with every injunction. Let no one slight you. Remind them to be subject to sovereignties, to authorities; to be yielding, and to be ready for every good work, to be calumniating no one, to be pacific, lenient, displaying all meekness toward all humanity.”  Paul is not telling Titus to expose evil in the form of conspiracy theories here, which have the tendency to encourage insubordination.  On the contrary, he is telling Titus to expose false teaching that goes directly against the evangel of grace, which would include teaching that encourages insubordination.  

I do not believe conspiracy theories encourage peace, for the sharer or the hearer, therefore this is another reason I have no use for conspiracy theories.  

In conclusion -

I see no benefit in a member of the body of Christ engaging in or spreading conspiracy theories for the reasons listed above.  My hope is that these reasons will be considered and contemplated on.  This is an entreaty for the body of Christ to be concerned with things of consequence and be preoccupied with the evangel of the grace of God, as ambassadors of Christ.

Phil 1:9-11: "And this I am praying, that your love may be superabounding still more and more in realization and all sensibility, for you to be testing what things are of consequence, that you may be sincere and no stumbling block for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that is through Jesus Christ for the glory and laud of God."

1Tim 6:20-21: "O Timothy, that which is committed to you, guard, turning aside from the profane prattlings and antipathies of falsely named "knowledge," which some are professing. As to the faith, they swerve. Grace be with you! Amen!"

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I highly recommend the following two books, “Concordant Studies in the Book of Daniel” and “The Unveiling of Jesus Christ”, both written by A.E. Knoch.  They can both be read online for free here:

Concordant Studies in the Book of Daniel

The Unveiling of Jesus Christ

 

You don’t have to serve the angry god of christianity

The god of religion, especially Christianity, is angry and does not have a plan for eradicating sin from his creation, therefore, he is not the true, Living God described in the scriptures. Let’s explore this. I am using the Concordant Literal New Testament.

The scriptures tell us that God is love: 

1Jn 4:8: "He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love."

God is love, and christians will swear up and down that their god is too. Most christians will say their god loves all people, and has “provided a way for all people to escape the consequences of sin”. This is not a scriptural phrase, but it is a common one amongst christianity. Belief in free will, and the “responsibility of the sinner” (also an unscriptural phrase) to repent and believe in Jesus is what characterizes these christians. This simply boils down to the need for one to save themselves. What Christ accomplished on the cross is irrelevant, as sin is still a problem and their god is still angry. The act that flips the switch of salvation is performed by the sinner, and it is up to them, out of their “own free will” to make sure that switch gets flipped.

The rest of christianity that does not believe in free will, and to their credit, believe scripture when it says God is in complete control over His creation (Rom 9, among many others). They also understand that faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9) and that there is no way a person will seek God without an act of God upon the person (John 6:44, Rom 3:9-20). For the most part this group of christians also knows that God has chosen an elect group of people out of the rest, but they have no clue what this elect group is for.^[1] They think only this elect group will be saved. They have grasped some of the most basic truths about God, and little else. The result of their beliefs is that their god has created the majority of people with the purpose of sending them to hell to suffer eternally, while saving very few.

The first group at least believes their god wants to save all, but he has hamstrung himself by giving his creatures free will. He wants to save all, but he just can’t. He is powerless to save. The second group’s god could have saved all, after all, he is in complete control of his creation, but he has chosen not to. This god plans to eternally torture the majority, and his followers simply say “oh well”, or “god loves the non-elect differently.” I was unaware that unending torture was a different kind of love.

Here are two quotes from two popular christian teachers, which highlight the attitude and demeanor of the god they serve:

"The church’s goal is not to make unbelievers feel comfortable and nonthreatened. On the contrary, it is to make them feel uncomfortable with their sins and threatened by God’s judgment and the terrors of hell that they face." —John MacArthur, Grace To You

“The god that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire ...” —Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry god

Neither of these two men know (knew, in the case of Edwards) the Living God. How can I say such a thing? Their statements clash directly with scripture. For one, the Living God is a happy God:

1Tim 1:11: "in accord with the evangel of the glory of the happy God, with which I was entrusted."

God meant for sin to come into His creation and affect His creatures. Adam sinning did not take God by surprise. People who don’t sin don’t need a Saviour and God has chosen to express His love for all by saving us while we were sinners:

Rom 5:8: "yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes."

And yes, this love is definitely for all:

Rom 11:32: "For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all."

1Tim 4:9-10: "Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers."

Neither John MacArthur or Jonathan Edwards understand what Christ accomplished on the cross. They would have no problem admitting that all are sinners and need a saviour, but they do not understand that God sent Christ to take care of sin once and for all and Christ accomplished what He was sent to do.

Rom 3:21-24: "Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus"

This is a packed passage, it starts with the phrase “Yet now”. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, something changed. Yes, Paul spent a large part of the first three chapters showing that all are under sin, and no one could be or will be justified by works of law. Now, Paul begins to explain God’s remedy for sin. “Yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction,” through Jesus Christ’s faith (not yours or mine), God’s righteousness is for all, and it is currently on all who are believing. There is no distinction between believers and unbelievers when it comes to needing God’s righteousness because “All sinned and are wanting of the glory of God”. Everyone is “justified gratuitously in His grace”. Gratuitous means “without cause”, and this is proper, as no one can do anything in themselves to earn or gain the righteousness of God. This righteousness of God is given “through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus.”

Everyone has been justified (made righteous, NOT pardoned or forgiven) from sin. Sin is absolutely no longer a problem. Rom 4:25: "Who [Jesus our Lord] was given up because of our offenses, and was roused because of our justifying." God roused Jesus because of our justifying; justification is a done deal. Paul gives more proof of this:

Rom 6:6-7: "knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of Sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for Sin, for one who dies has been justified from Sin."

“Our old humanity was crucified together with Him”, all mankind is included in the old humanity, and it was crucified with Christ. Like Paul says in Rom 6:4: "We, then, were entombed together with Him through baptism into death, that, even as Christ was roused from among the dead through the glory of the Father, thus we also should be walking in newness of life." Paul doesn’t want us to be ignorant of this, though christianity is. Someone might then protest, “only believers were entombed and baptized together with Christ”. Let’s see what the scriptures say:

2Cor 5:14: "For the love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that, if One died for the sake of all, consequently all died."

Christ died for the sake of all, that is, for the betterment of all. The consequence of this is that all died. And like we saw in Romans 6:7, “one who dies has been justified from Sin.” That settles that then, all are justified from Sin.  

The good news (evangel) gets even better:

Rom 5:10-11: "For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation."

God sent His Son to die for His enemies. Who does that…would you do that? Would I do that? God did that. Rom 5:6: "For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died." While we were still infirm, still in accord with this wicked eon (Gal 1:4), still irreverent and still enemies, Christ died for our sakes. This is how God chose to prove His love for mankind (Rom 5:8). MacArthur, Edwards and christians like them do not know this. God is conciliating the world to Himself through the death of His Son.

2Cor 5:19: "how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation."

I want you to notice and see that what scripture is saying here is the exact opposite of what both MacArthur and Edwards said in the above quotes. Their angry god is not the God of the scriptures, the Living God who sent His Son to die for His enemies, thus proving His love for them. In their theology sin is still a problem, reigns in hell forever, eternally condemning and keeping those in hell under it. The reality is God through Christ has justified all (yes all!) from sin, sin has been put away and has no power. God is also conciliating all to himself, not reckoning our offenses to us, destroying the estrangement on our side, proving His love through the sacrifice of His Son.

2Cor 5:20-21: "For Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as of God entreating through us. We are beseeching for Christ's sake, "Be conciliated to God!" For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him."

Remember, God is love: 1Jn 4:8: "He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love." Be conciliated to God, because He loves you and has always been conciliated to you. When you are conciliated to God, there is then reconciliation.  

God wills that all mankind be saved, and Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all. God’s purpose will come to fruition.

1Tim 2:4-6: "Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras),"

Believe this wonderful news, the evangel of the grace of God:

1Cor 15:3-4: "For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures,"

The fact that Christ died for our sins is a crucial part of the evangel. The belief that God will send anyone to hell because of sin, after sending His son to die for the sake of sinners, is absolutely ridiculous.^[2]

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[1] - The “elect” in this current administration of grace are believers in Paul’s evangel and are chosen for a purpose: Eph 1:4: “according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight,”. And the purpose of this chosen group of believers is: Eph 1:10 : ... to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ -- both that in the heavens and that on the earth --". In the next two eons, Christ and His body (the body of Christ) will accomplish this: Col 1:20: "and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens."

[2] - Coming to the knowledge of Paul’s evangel and being given faith to believe it is enough to know that the idea of an eternity in hell or annihilation of any person because of sin, is utterly unthinkable. Yes, there are passages of judgement in scripture, and they are all perfectly congruent with the salvation of all and the justification of all from sin. God has a part for vessels of indignation to play in His plan for the eons. This does not mean they are not justified from sin and will not be vivified at the consummation of the eons. Rom 9:21-22: "Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor? Now if God, wanting to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction," The idea of eternal hell or annihilation is propped up by bad translations, primarily bad translations of words such as: hades, Gehenna and Tartarus, which have all been mistranslated as hell in various translations. The words aion and aionios are also mistranslated as eternal or forever, when eon or age is the proper translation. I believe every passage of judgement described in the scriptures, and there is no contradiction with the fact that God will save all.