Like a chestnut tree

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you. The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him. (vv. 19-21)

Adam’s fall was a necessary step to know God. (I apologize for a typo in my previous post.) Adam could not become like God through his works. Everything happened so that we would eagerly wait for God’s total grace that comes through Jesus Christ. The reason why the Son was resurrected was not because He kept the law perfectly. The Father raised the Son because He loved and still loves Him. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. Our relationship with God is based on agape (unconditional and sacrificial love). As a father loves his child unconditionally, our Father loves us unconditionally.

There is one condition for us to become the children of God. That is the Holy Spirit. Not only the Spirit makes us know God and understand His words, He also enables us to do good works. So the children of God are inevitably the light of the world as the Son is. We cannot meet this condition. The Spirit is given only to those God chose before the foundation of the world. Therefore, God’s grace is total. However, the world hates us because they do not understand God. In this evil and adulterous generation, people receive praise from others if they preach a different name.

I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. (John 5:43)

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Many ministers and priests boast that they can make people receive the Holy Spirit. They force people to speak gibberish while loud music is played. Some people get the false sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit and say that they now speak in tongues. But the work of the Holy Spirit is always connected to the understanding of God’s words.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. (v. 26)

Total Depravity is right because we are all sinners as Adam and Eve sinned against God. But we must not say that Adam was holy and righteous. Holiness and righteousness belong only to God. And only God can love. Faith, righteousness, holiness, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and love belong only to God. All these are unchangeable. Adam may have had some knowledge, wisdom, or understanding. But his fall proves that he was not like the Son. Adam and Eve did not have the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, their son, Abel, knew God. The knowledge of God given to Abel by the Holy Spirit is evident in his understanding and sacrifice.

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering. (Genesis 4:3-4)

The Holy Spirit makes us understand God through the Bible and enables us to obey Him. The Spirit does not let us dwell in sins. God saves us from temptations.

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.The one who does not love Me does not follow My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” (vv. 23-24)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. (v.6)

The four chapters from 14 to 17 explain to us the reason why God made the world in the first place. It explains why the kingdom of God is the kingdom of priests.

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)

Theologians and ministers preach that Adam could have obtained eternal life by observing God’s command during the probation period. They preach that Adam was already perfect except for eternal life. Anyone who believes that righteousness is from observing the law is happy with this nonsense theory. From the beginning, our righteousness is from faith in God. Perfect faith is not changeable. But Adam and Eve became unfaithful by their own choice. If anyone thinks life depends on obedience to the law, he/she inevitably agrees to the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ. But we know the theories have significant flaws.

The four chapters from 14 to 17 explain that God made all creation to build the kingdom of His priests, who are one with Him. Theologians and ministers preach that Adam knew God and was holy and righteous. But there are two many differences between Adam and Christ. And verses 6 and 15 clearly tell us that Adam neither knew God nor kept His command. He did not love God.

Any hypothesis needs to be tested to see if it is the same as the reality. Our reality is the Bible. The Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ are based on the bad hypothesis. These theories are different from the reality. Their idea is that perfect obedience to the law is the only way to bring righteousness and life. Their hypothesis is wrong. From the beginning, Adam was not given the promise of eternal life through his obedience to God. When God made the covenant with the Israelites, it was for them to know that they could not please God with their works. Even if they could please God with their works, their works did not change their relationship with God. They remained as slaves. And God cursed them when they disobeyed.

Therefore I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest. (Psalm 95:11)

There are passages in the OT where God referred to the Israelites as sons and daughters. But we understand that He was referring to His elect among the Israelites. God saves only His remnant people chosen from eternity.

For though your people, Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. (Isaiah 10:22)

This has been God’s plan from the beginning. God trains His chosen through suffering and challenges. Once all the training is done, the kingdom is perfected. We will receive an imperishable body. With this in mind, we know that Adam was not given any promise of becoming the head of the church. Adam’s fall was a necessary step to know God. Therefore, PERFECT OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW IS NOT THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE. Christ is the way. It is Christ’s person and works that enable us to be the children of God. Because He is the Son of God, He made us the children of God. Because He became the Son of Man, He paid for our sins as our only representative. Christ’s two natures are inseparable.

God made a conditional covenant with the Israelites just as He did with Adam and Eve. However, the saints are not under a conditional covenant but the one and eternal unconditional covenant through the Son. God planned and completed all the works for the Son to be our head. Christ is our Lord. Because the Son is one with the Father, we are also one with them. This is the foundation of Christianity.

Heretics preach as if they uphold the law. They say that we need to do this and that to be saved. But we know that there is nothing good in us. If we do anything good, we know that it is from God. Because we know that God’s grace is all we have, we love the Son. Because we love the Son, we preach the kingdom of God. Christ’s commandment is to love God and His people. This love is self-sacrificing. It is about speaking truth. It is also about preaching the kingdom of God. But I hardly see anyone preaching the kingdom of God.

Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (vv. 12-15)

Therefore when he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. (vv. 31-32)

… and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

True believers are glorified together with the Son and the Father because we are one through the Spirit. This is explained further in chapter 17. The word “glory” exists only for God and those united with Him. This glory was given to us through Christ’s obedience written in Romans 5:12-21. Those who follow the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ say that Christ’s obedience to the law has brought us eternal life. But it is simply not true. Paul himself refutes the idea in Romans 8:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:14.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

… knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and will present us with you. (2 Corinthians 4:14)

Our eternal life has already been achieved when Christ resurrected. And we will resurrect to the eternal life on the last day. Our eternal life has nothing to do with the perfect keeping of the law.

Adam and Christ were not given the same condition unlike what many theologians and ministers believe. Adam was a mere slave and Christ is the Son of God. If obedience to the law brings glorification, Adam should have been glorified in the Garden of Eden. But his failure to overcome the temptation proves that he was nowhere near God. He was not like the Son of God. In fact, Adam and Eve wanted to be like God by following the devil.

Christ’s obedience written in Romans 5:12-21 is related to His death on the cross. The cross of Christ brought us God’s glory. We are justified and glorified through the blood of Christ. We are no longer rebellious servants like Adam and Eve. We are now the children of God through faith. Faith is the work of the Spirit.

The Reformation focused on explaining how a man is saved. However, the Reformers failed to see the whole picture of God’s plan from the beginning to the end. Their mistakes still affect us. Many people do not know how to interpret the Old Testament. Many Christians think that the Israelites are still the chosen people of God. The elect are those who received the Holy Spirit by grace without any previous merits. We are chosen before the foundation of the world.

… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-5)

Everything is focused on the kingdom of God. Christ came to preach the kingdom. His work was focused on making His chosen people the children of God. He made the Father known to us through His words and actions. Christ’s death and resurrection made us perfect, not His obedience to the law. Perfection is not about being sinless. Perfection is about being God. Adam and Eve were made upright. But they did not have God’s glory. They were neither righteous nor holy. Only those who are given the Spirit are holy and righteous and can overcome temptations. In many ways, we are still sinful and weak. But God sees us as His own children. God sees us holy and righteous. He disciplines us when we go astray. But He will never cast us out. The relationship between the Father and the Son is not based on obedience to the law. It is based on love. Christ showed us God’s love on the cross. Therefore, our relationship with God is based on love, not on the law. Anyone who receives the Holy Spirit obeys God’s words, not out of fear but out of love.

I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another. (vv. 34-35)

Only the Son made us the children of God, not Adam. Adam’s obedience did not make him glorified. God did not allow anyone to help the Son because the adoption of the saints had to be done only through the death of the Son. Salvation (in other words, glorification) of the saints is God’s sole work.

Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.” (v. 38)

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. (Romans 6:8-9)

The Lord’s Supper represents our union with Christ. And it is done regularly in every visible church. I understand the Reformers debated hotly over what it means and how it should be done. I do not think that the ceremony has some spiritual power to change people. Unless it is supported by the knowledge of God, it is a mere ceremony. The Lord’s Supper is a daily reminder that our Lord died to make us live forever along with Him.

In this passage, there are two things that I want to talk about. One is that the Lord’s Supper happened before Christ’s death. And the other is that the washing of the disciples’ feet explains to us that our salvation is the work of Truth and Spirit (v.10).

Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but not all of you.” (v. 10)

The Lord’s Supper could have happened after Christ’s resurrection. But it happened before because we had to die just as God warned Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:17:

… but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.  

Some people misinterpret this and say that God did not kill Adam and Eve because He loved them. Adam and Eve became separated from God because of their rebellion. Being separated from God is death. Indeed, all human is born dead and enslaved to sin. Although one may say that he/she did not commit a crime that brings punishment, the absence of the knowledge of God is sin. Those who rely on their good works remain dead to God.

Although it was not us who died, God considers that we died because Christ, our representative, died because of our sins. Therefore, anyone who is not united with the Son through the Holy Spirit is still a rebel. Those who reject the Son will receive eternal damnation. We claim that Jesus is our Lord because we are united with Him. We believe not only Him but also the One who sent Him. No one can have faith in God without the power of the Spirit. I mentioned that the feet represent the work of the Spirit in my previous post “Ezekiel 1”. Anyone who received the Spirit preaches the Gospel. We are all disciples of Jesus Christ. The disciples wash people with the Word and prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit. We read that verse 14 is fulfilled in the Book of Acts.

So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for you. Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. (vv. 14-17)

One may attend the Lord’s Supper over 100 times and yet it means nothing if he/she does not have the Spirit. This person may talk about God and quote Bible verses as if he knows God, but his unfaithfulness will eventually be revealed through his own words. It is not a church ordinance that changes people. It is the Word and the Spirit who make us perfect. We are now the children of God.

We received punishment and have been pardoned forever because Christ died and resurrected with us. God did everything alone.

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her guilt has been removed, that she has received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)

“Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (vv. 27-28)

For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me. (vv. 49-50)

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

Our adoption as the children of God, Christ’s death and resurrection, the knowledge of God, and our eternal life were fulfilled through one event – the crucifixion of Christ. And all the blessings from God are rooted in our union with Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us faith and strengthens it. Theologians and ministers believe that our eternal life is from the perfect keeping of God’s commands (the law). I repeatedly mentioned this is not true. They believe that Adam could have obtained eternal life if he had kept God’s command during the probation period. The Bible never talks about Adam’s probation period. And anyone who understands the redemptive history of the church knows that their theory does not make any sense. I can only conclude that their idea is from the devil who wants to take us back to slavery. We know that Adam is different from Christ. They want to believe that Adam was holy and righteous. Adam was born upright but did not have the knowledge of God as the Son does. Adam was bound to fall by his own wisdom. His fall happened for us to seek Christ. There is no hope in Adam. Only through Christ, we obtain eternal life.

In chapter 12, we understand that Christ came not only for the chosen Jews but also for the chosen Gentiles. In verse 27, Christ clearly tells us that He became a man to die for the church. Our righteousness is from faith in the triune God. All the saints understand the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We know what God has done and will do through the Bible.

The Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ have been criticized by many theologians and ministers throughout history. Yet, the followers of the devil are more numerous than the saints. Their words prevailed over God’s own words. God sent many prophets, but they did not listen. They kept their stubborn ways and taught false doctrines to others. They preach that their eternal life is rooted in obedience to the law. They say it is Christ who kept the law for them. But it is still the same. Christ fulfilled the law. But they say that Christ fulfilled it by keeping it perfectly. Thus, they add to what Christ said. Anyone who puts hope in the law will be judged by the law.

So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31)

He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. (Colossians 1:18)

So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. (vv. 17-18)

During His life on the earth, Jesus resurrected a few dead people. It may appear to many that Jesus was not the first person resurrected. But Jesus is the firstborn from the dead because those who believe in Him escape the wrath of God on the last day through His death and resurrection. The righteous God did one righteous act to make us righteous.

So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. (Romans 5:18)

This act of righteousness is Christ’s death on the cross outside Jerusalem. Only Jesus could satisfy the Father’s demand. And it was the very reason why the Father sent His only Son.

But Jesus answered them by saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (vv. 23-24)

The Father did not want a man who was sinless as a sacrifice but His only Son with the Spirit so that the Son could be the head of the church. Christ’s work on the earth is focused on the kingdom of God.

Theologians and ministers often separate Christ’s two natures. Many understand that Christ became inferior to the Father when He became a man. The Gospel of John refutes the idea. Whether in heaven or on the earth, Christ has always been equal to the Father and has the same authority. He does not speak on His own initiative but speaks what the Father tells Him because they are one. We do not worship only the Son but the triune God. Theologians and ministers often praise Jesus separate from the Father. When we praise Jesus, the Father also receives the praise. But it is the Father who ordained Jesus’ death for His kingdom. As Psalm 22 tells us, Jesus is both on the receiving end and the giving end of worship.

From You comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. (Psalm 22:25)

The Father accepts only the praise from His Son. Therefore, the saints who are one with Christ are accepted as the children of God. Our worship and prayers are accepted. Although we were born dead, God made us alive through faith that He gave us. Even in the OT, Abel was a saint because of his faith in God. He believed in the blood of Jesus Christ and therefore, he gave the sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock.

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

In this passage, we read that God’s salvation has always been for people from different tribes and nations. God does not show favoritism. But God made the Israel nation so that we learn from their history. Their history in the OT tells us God’s will in all His creation. But His people reject just as Christians reject Christ at present by following false teachings. Theologians and ministers will continue to follow the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ even though the Bible rebukes them. There is no hope without knowing the meaning of the cross of Christ.

Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (v. 3)

Christ is from the Greek word christos, which means “the anointed one”. It is the same as the Hebrew word messiah. In the OT, three groups of people got anointed: priests, kings, and prophets. Anointing their heads with oil symbolized that they were set apart from the rest for the will of God. Jesus Christ is the Christ because of the specific task given to Him. No one other than Jesus Christ was given the task. That task was dying for His people.

Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.(v.7)

I mentioned before that Mary understood this through the Holy Spirit. The disciples of Jesus did not understand it until his resurrection. Mary represents the church in this passage. She knows that she is sinful and does not deserve grace. Yet, she received grace and was grateful for God’s love. Later we will read in chapter 20 that Mary was concerned about Jesus’ body missing. I think that she was worried that Jesus would need the body to resurrect because that was a common belief of the Jews. Jesus’ body was very important for Mary because her life (the church’s life) depended on His resurrection. I am not saying that we must preserve our bones to resurrect on the last day. Jesus’ body needed to be preserved so that His disciples could see the resurrected Jesus and be the witnesses.

Mary’s anointing of Jesus is important because we understand why the Son of God became the Son of Man through it. Jesus died for His people to free them from slavery. Jesus was the one and only sacrifice to God to redeem His people. Although many Jews accused Him of breaking the law, He was sinless and was the law itself. He, who is one of God, saves His people by making them the children of God. God’s only begotten Son could do this. There is no one who can satisfy God except Himself. No human can satisfy God by works. We understand this clearly by looking at Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

I do not believe that Adam and Eve were holy and righteous. I know it is a common belief in the Protestant churches. Adam and Eve were upright but did not understand God as the Son does. They were mere slaves to God although they thought they were wise and great. They wanted to become like God. The devil knew this, and it was easy for him to tempt them. Adam and Eve rebelled against God and trusted the devil because of their lack of knowledge. They did not know God. Therefore, the saints need the Son to be free from the curse of the conditional covenants. There are only blessings for the children of God because of the Son. The Son is obedient to the Father and equal with Him. Only the Son can free slaves because the Father has decided before creation to give the church to the Son. The reason why I strongly oppose to the Active Obedience of Christ is because it leads us back to salvation by works. Jesus came to die for His people. By believing in the one and only Son of God, we are the children of God. Christ did not gain righteousness by works of the law. Christ’s death and resurrection is the reason why we are righteous. Anyone who says that the cross of Christ is not enough will be cursed eternally.

But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall eliminate the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah: the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you spoke falsely against the Lord.’” (Jeremiah 28:15-16)

Caiaphas and Hananiah may seem different from each other. Caiaphas spoke truth and Hananiah spoke lies. But both were false prophets. In Caiaphas’ case, he prophesied truth but had a wrong understanding of the prophesy.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.” Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation;and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. (vv. 49-53)

There are many false prophets in the world. Most of them do believe what they say and lead people astray. Those without the Holy Spirit are bound to disobey God. The distinct feature of false prophets is that they speak what most people want to hear.

Hananiah spoke about what the Israelites wanted to believe. He opposed to Jeremiah’s prophesies. Therefore, he gave people false hope and assurance. We believe that the reprobates go as destined. But the false prophets and teachers will receive more severe punishment than those who sin in ignorance.

Caiaphas knew that Jesus would die for the children of God. But he misinterpreted it and believed what he wanted to believe. He made the Jews reject Jesus Christ.

Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was in their best interest for one man to die in behalf of the people. (John 18:14)

His interest was to guard his position and wealth. So were the interests of the chief priests and the Pharisees.

Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, “What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.” (vv. 47-48)

The sins of these false prophets and leaders are written in Matthew 23:13-36. Even now, the false prophets and teachers are doing the same things. We must be careful when hearing their messages because they always use Bible verses to promote false teachings. There are two things that we must avoid: legalism and antinomianism. I think it is not wrong to say that all false teachings promote either legalism or antinomianism. Legalism is no better than antinomianism. Both deny the total grace of God and what it does to one’s life.

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

Now they were all weeping and mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” (Luke 8:52)

This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” (v. 11)

In the two different occasions written in Luke 8 and John 11, Jesus described the dead people as sleeping. It is not that He considered every dead person as sleeping.

But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60)

God considers the death of His saints as sleep because they are to be resurrected to eternal life on the last day. We think that everyone dies. From God’s point of view, physical death means nothing. The saints already live eternal life at present because God always keeps His promises. Our resurrection to eternal life is already completed because of Christ. The kingdom of God is in our midst because Christ and we are united by the Holy Spirit.

Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Many Christians think that we must do something to get saved and we can lose salvation if we disobey. Many Christian cult groups believe that. Their leaders oppress their followers and make them unable to question their authority. But the Bible clearly tells us that it is the faith in God that gives us the eternal life. And this faith cannot be separated from the knowledge of God. We cannot believe in someone whom we do not know. But we do know God because of the Word and the Spirit. Moreover, God gave us the Bible so that we can meditate on His words every day.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25-26)

So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” (vv. 41-42)

I heard that the Roman Catholic church and the Jews believe that people must be buried when dead so that they can be resurrected. It is believed that the Roman Catholic authority dug out Luther’s bones and burned them. This is from misunderstanding the Bible. The saints are already living the eternal life. God made the world to build His kingdom. He will carry out His plan without any changes.

Then there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. (Revelation 11:1)

Christ came to us to preach the kingdom of God. Those who are His listened to Him. Our salvation is not from our free will. Anselm believed that all people have free will. That is why the Active Obedience of Christ leads people to slavery. We do not choose to believe in God. It is God who chose us. Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.I and the Father are one.” (vv. 25-30)

Many Christians focus on the miracles that Christ performed such as healing the sick. We must be careful when interpreting the miracles because they must be accompanied with the truth of God. God does give the power to perform miracles to false prophets to test and train us. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 explains that.

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall eliminate the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

Many false shepherds around the world claim that they can heal the sick and that they are sent by God. But they do not understand the Bible. They speak lies about God. There are many Christians who say that they became reborn when they heard the words of a preacher, a Christian book, or a hymn. I do not think they are truly reborn because one must be changed through the words of God, not by a man’s words. The distinct feature of a reborn Christian is that they understand the words of God. The Jews in chapter 10 failed to understand that Christ was the Son of God because they judged Him by their own standards. Therefore, Christ told them that they were blind. Anyone who misunderstands the old covenant and the Israel history cannot understand why the Son of God became a man. Not knowing Christ leads to death because we understand the Father only through Him. That is why Christ is the Word and Truth.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

The Jews did not condemn Jesus for His works but for His words. They did not see that His words and works were in harmony. Christians need to be trained to recognize the false Christians. However, the churches have gone corrupt and are unable to educate people. I do talk about my dreams but do not believe me if my words speak lies about God. But I do speak about the common Christian beliefs. Didn’t the Reformers preach Sola Gratia? But many have turned away. They have accepted the false teachings of the false theologians and ministers who infiltrated into leadership. The Protestant churches have been heading downhill since the 17^th century. But it is also God’s will because they were given limited knowledge. The demise of visible churches is God’s will because false Christians occupy them.

In chapter 10, Christ leaves Jerusalem and goes away beyond the Jordan. And we read that many people came to Him and believed in Him there.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He stayed there. Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” And many believed in Him there. (vv. 40-42)