Like a chestnut tree

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

The author of the Book of Hebrews starts the first part of the Book with Christ being the Son of God. I assume there were people who did not think Jesus was the Son of God at that time. I also suspect that there were people who worshiped the angels. The church confesses true beliefs whenever she is attacked by strange teachings. Some saints were given the task to refute false ideas in order to protect the purity of the church in the past. The Letter to the Galatians was also written because there was a great need of educating people for defending truths. God wants the church to become the chestnut tree.

The hypostatic union of Christ, which is the theology term for Christ’s two distinct natures in one person, is against Nestorianism, which sees Christ has two persons. The Book of Hebrews supports the hypostatic union of Christ. The ultimate sacrifice had to be Christ, not just a mere man. Christ is the Son of God and also the Son of Man. Christ did not become the Son of God when he was born as the Son of Man. The Son was begotten before the world began.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”? (Hebrews 1:5)

The author of the Book quoted from the Psalms many times. King David was one of the Psalmists. David refers himself as a sinner and a mortal. But his prophetic writings are not about himself but Christ. I think Luther once said that the Book of Psalms is the summary of the Bible. However, people refuse to sing the Psalms during the public worship because they do not understand what the Book says.

Anselm separated Christ’s human nature from His divine nature. Therefore, Christ had to work, in other words, keep the law perfectly, to become the perfect sacrifice. It is true that Christ was the blameless Lamb of God. But we do not say that Christ had to work (keep the law) to gain righteousness either for Himself or His people. It was not an action (or no action) God required of Adam. Adam could not satisfy God because he did not have the heart of the Son. The Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) sees that Christ came only as a second Adam by misinterpreting Romans 5. Earlier I explained that Adam could not achieve anything for the church. Hebrews chapter 1 explains that Christ is not just a man, but the Son of God. It is wrong to say that Adam was made equal to Christ. While many theologians write a fiction concerning Adam in the garden of Eden, the apostles rarely mentioned Adam. If Adam could have achieved eternal life by works, he should have been mentioned much more throughout the Bible. Paul clearly tells us that Adam was from dust and Christ was from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47).

We must remember that the right understanding of Christ leads to the right understanding of the Father. The righteousness that God has and wants from us is not about morality that the ministers and theologians teach. Righteousness is about having the mind of God and being one with Him. God’s will is in the salvation of sinful people and making them His children. The righteous Son of God did the righteous act on the cross for the elect people. It is orthodox to say that Christ’s work on the cross made us righteous or to say Christ made us righteous.

Your throne, God, is forever and ever; The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your companions. (Psalm 45:6-7)

It is not the works that makes Christ. The works are the result of being Who He is. The author of the Book of Hebrews also follows the golden rule – the person and the work of Christ. He talked about who Christ is first and His work after. One thing we must remember is that Christ becoming a man did not take away His authority as the Son. He did not need to gain righteousness just because He became a man. On the cross, Christ perfected the law by abolishing the shadows and giving us the right to become God’s children, which no human including Adam could or can do. The author of the Book needed to start with the life of Christ as a man for the CT and the AOC to be orthodox. Both doctrines negate the fact why Christ existed before the world began and why He is the second person of the Trinity because they see that Christ came only to solve the problem Adam caused. They fail to explain why the world was made for Christ and through Him.

The CT and the AOC became the core doctrines of the Protestant churches because the theologians in the 17^th century wanted to emphasize a moral living. There may be people who help the poor, go to church on Sundays, give money to the needy, etc. But if they do not hold the right understanding of God, they are lawbreakers. While holding the false doctrines, they think they keep the law. But God does not see them as they see themselves.

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect. (Hebrews 10:1)

There is a certain logic flows in the Bible. There is no doubt that the Covenant theologians accept the fact that Christ is the Son of God. However, mixing what is right and what is wrong makes them bad teachers. The devil also mixes truths and lies. We must pay attention to what they tell us at the end. Are they telling us about Truth that has freed us or trying to take us back to Egypt?

When I first started to speak against the Covenant Theology (CT) and the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) online a few years ago, one man strongly disagreed with what I wrote and laughed at my English. He wrote something like, “Your English is so poor and what you wrote doesn’t make sense.” He went on and wrote about the Hebrew meaning of Emet because I wrote about Christ being Truth. It appeared that he had much knowledge about philosophy and had studied the Hebrew language and the Jewish religion. He did not seem to know the difference between the Jewish religion and Christianity. The Jewish religion and the CT plus the AOC see that the root of our righteousness is the law. The Jewish religion does not see Jesus as the Son of God. The AOC also does not see Jesus as the Son of God. If there had been anything that we could learn from the Jewish religion, God would not have established Christianity. God has separated us from the Jewish religion during the first reformation after Christ’s death and resurrection.

Since I became interested in the CT and the AOC, I had a chance to talk to a theologian through email. I asked him if Calvin indeed had the idea of the CT and the AOC. Although he seemed to be fond of John Owen, he did not try to convince others that Calvin supported the CT or the AOC like other Covenant theologians. He simply denied that Calvin had the idea of the CT or the AOC. He wrote to me that Calvin needs to change his view of Christ in order to support the CT. Calvin is dead so can’t change his view now. He also wrote, “Christology is the proper dogmatic locus for the covenant, not vice versa.”

His email confirmed that my suspicion regarding the CT and the AOC was in line with my understanding of Christ. Christology is the study about Christ’s person and works. Christ’s person includes the two natures of Christ.

In this modern and very forgiving world, anyone can say anything about God. It is considered as just a different idea. But there is only one truth. And that truth is found in the words of God. If an idea is not congruent to the words of God, God, who uses the plumb line (Amos 7:8), will demolish it at the end.

I’ve explained why the AOC is not orthodox. It holds a wrong view of Christ. Covenant Theologians appear to use the Book of Hebrews a lot to back up their theories. Therefore, it is important to examine this Book to see if their theories are true. They believe that Christ had to qualify Himself to be righteous by keeping the law perfectly AS A MAN. And that was His righteousness AS A MAN. And that righteousness earned by His works is imputed to us. Does the Book really say that?

The Book of Hebrews explains the perfect sacrifice and high priest, who is the SON OF GOD. Concerning the two natures of Christ, we do not separate the two natures. When I say that the Book emphasizes the Son of God, I do not mean that the Book separates the two natures of Christ. The author (possibly Paul, Luke, or someone else) knew that Christ lived on the earth as a man. What the Book tries to explain is that only the Son could satisfy the Father. The Father sent His Son and helped Him fully to achieve all the tasks given to Him. Even when Christ was most challenged and tempted on the cross, He did not deny the Father because His knowledge and love of God did not depart.

When Christ cried, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”, He fulfilled what was said in Psalm 22. After His death, He was resurrected to life by the power of God. This happened so that the saints could endure the harshest trials and torments by remembering Christ’s submission and resurrection. Christ really suffered on the cross and yet, believed in the Father. He was truly man and also truly the Son of God. Could Adam suffer for us? No, Adam did not trust God. The work on the cross is not something a man can do. No creatures can satisfy God. It is because God’s will has always been in the kingdom and the new creation through the Son.

In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. (Hebrews 5:7)

This passage was not written to tell us that Christ had to do the work to earn something. It is easy to interpret that His work (devout behavior) earned the Father’s mercy.  But the Father already gave the glory to the Son even before creation. In fact, all creation is for the Son and through Him. Christ had the full knowledge of the Father. Adam’s fall and the cross were the necessary steps to achieve the kingdom.

for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)

And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed. (John 17:5)

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)

When interpreting Paul’s letters and the Book of Hebrew, we must read them with the Gospel of John. Paul and John are not talking about a different Christ. But Paul’s words have been misinterpreted.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Paul emphasized that Christ became a man to represent us as we read Romans 5. That does not mean Christ was not the Son of God. I believe that many people taught by Paul misinterpreted his writings. Not because Paul or other apostles did a poor job but because most people did not receive the Holy Spirit. Consequently, Paul of Samosata became the Bishop of Antioch in the third century, who saw Christ as a mere man. How could a heretic become a church leader unless he was supported by many? You can look up the life of this heretic, who was known for ill-gotten wealth and corruption. Christ did not come as a mere man who had to earn something from God by works. All mankind want to idolize a person or a few people. In fact, they idolize themselves. They make their own gods.

“Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord GOD says this: “Because your heart is haughty And you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas’; Yet you are a mortal and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God— (Ezekiel 28:2)

Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and bows down before it. (Isaiah 44:15)

Those who emphasize, the man Jesus, corrupts the churches. If we divide Christ’s two natures, we end up worshiping the man Jesus, which is another idolatry.

A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (Galatians 3:10)

All the laws were given NOT for us to gain eternal life by observing them, but to seek the Son of God. A sinless man with the Holy Spirit is one with God. God could have sent a sinless man with the Holy Spirit to die for us instead of the Son of God. But God did not do it because the sinless man with the Holy Spirit must have the beginning in the Son. The saints are the sinless people with the Holy Spirit. We are blameless and holy because our sins are washed, and God will not remember our sins any longer. That is the promise of the new covenant. And we received the Holy Spirit who dwells with us forever just as Christ promised. But our new beginning is not in Adam, who was prone to rebel and sin, but in Christ. We, although born as the descendants of Adam, are no longer mortal. We are immortal although our bodies die because we are one with God. We are the new creation with Christ as the head.

The wrong understandings of Adam started very long time ago. The Protestant theologians still refer to the writings of Anselm of Canterbury. This man has been criticized by some because of his Nestorian ideas and rejection of the substitutionary atonement. I believe Anselm’s ideas can also be found in Aquinas.

I will briefly talk about the heresy of Nestorianism. Most of us are not theologians. And I think it is better to stay that way. But I’d like you to be aware of the error of Nestorianism because it has convinced many Christians. The orthodox teaching is that Christ has two natures, one human and the other divine in one person. Nestorians believe that Christ has two separate persons. The orthodox understanding of the two natures is written in Article 19 of the Belgic Confession and the Athanasian Creed.

Nestorianism started because Nestorius rejected to see Maria as a mother of God. I think Nestorius tried to explain why Mary was not divine. The Roman Catholic church still believes that Mary had what they call “immaculate conception”, meaning she was free from the original sin, which is not true. I assume Nestorius came up with a heretical idea while trying to explain that Mary was a mere human. However, what Nestorius did was to separate Christ’s two natures. So, he claimed that Christ has two different persons in one body. The orthodox understanding is that Christ’s two natures are distinguished and yet, undivided/inseparable. The two natures are not mixed. And yet, they are in perfect harmony and unity. It is easy to think that His human nature contradicts to His divine nature. But, as I mentioned previously, the sinless Son of Man with the Holy Spirit and the Son of God are in harmony. This may be the reason why God made human in His image. Theologians use this to justify salvation of all mankind saying God loves all people. But we know that not all people will enter the kingdom. We are made in God’s image in relation to Christ’s work on the cross and the kingdom of God. Christ’s two natures are important and vital to understand because the saints and God are united through Him as John 17 explains.  In Christ, both human and God dwell in harmony. Indeed, Christ is the new temple.

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

I believe that not only the Protestant theologians in the 17^th century, but also early Reformed theologians also had immature ideas about the two natures of Christ. Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man. We cannot say that Christ used only one nature at specific occasions. We must not say that Christ used only the human nature during the temptation period or at the cross. Christ was and is truly human and truly God. His human nature did not need righteousness other than the righteousness He already had because only God is righteous.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21)

Truly righteous God came to redeem His people so that we could become the children of God. Now having the Son’s knowledge, faith, and love for God and His people by uniting with Him, we are righteous as the Son is righteous. This righteousness comes by faith in God who has perfected and will perfect us at the end.

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Although the Protestant theologians like John Owen changed the AOC and said Christ did not need to keep the law but did it for the church, this error has not really disappeared. This is what Louis Berkhof wrote:

“… if Christ had not rendered active obedience, the human nature of Christ itself would have fallen short of the just demands of God, and He would not have been able to atone for others.” (https://www.monergism.com/christ%E2%80%99s-active-and-passive-obedience)

Even though the Protestant theologians changed Anselm’s AOC, the Nestorian idea is still there. True righteousness requires being united with God. It is closely related to having the mind and the knowledge of God. If the church’s righteousness (or eternal life) depends on the law, that righteousness can be taken away when disobedience happens. Besides, her righteousness exists as long as the law (written code) exists. There is no more law that condemns us because Christ has perfected it. Instead, there is the law of liberty, love.

If indeed what God wants from us is only to obey all His commands, the Son’s obedience to the law is only for His benefit because we are sinners if we break a single law. I believe that Anselm’s theory has some logic although we can only conclude that he believed in the imaginary god he invented. Owen’s AOC lacks logic and can only lead to the original AOC as we read in Berkhof’s writings. The Son’s perfect keeping of the law does not benefit us if God wants individual saints to keep the law perfectly. If Christ’s righteousness depends on keeping the written code, He is not the Son. Instead, He is only a man. Therefore, this is a Nestorian idea. Our righteousness must come from the Son who is one with the Father and died and resurrected for us. The reason why the Lord’s Supper happened before His death is because the church must die and resurrect with Him. The church is one with God. The church is the adopted children of God through the Son. And the Son’s righteousness is the church’s righteousness. There is no more deaths in the kingdom.

And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)

I do not want you to just believe what I wrote. I hope you are like the Bereans who examined everything using the words of God.

Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

I have been emphasizing the errors of the Reformed theologians in the 17^th century. But their errors can also be found in the writings of Luther. Both Luther and Calvin studied theology under the Roman Catholic Church. They also studied law as a profession. Both followed the theories of the Roman Catholic theologians although Calvin was more careful not to go beyond what was written in the Bible. I believe that the Reformation was not without limitations. We know that Luther and Calvin did not talk much about the Book of Revelation. We now can see that the Bible must be interpreted as whole. Because God does not change like people do, we conclude that the end was planned before creation. God has ordained the third reformation so that we get rid of bad theories and focus on the coming kingdom.

My view of Adam in the garden of Eden is not new. It is orthodox as Irenaeus wrote that Adam was made immature. Worshipping Adam is NOT God’s will. I read Luther’s view on Adam. It appears that Luther had wrong understandings of Adam. I think both the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church share the same view of Adam. That is Adam was perfect, had the Holy Spirit, and was full of the knowledge of God. I do not think it was Luther’s fault that the Protestant theologians hold the wrong understandings of Adam. The Protestant theologians learnt theology through the writings of the Roman Catholic theologians. Owen, in particular, is known for his much reading of different theology books and writings. Some believe that he tried to bring the Roman Catholic and the Protestant together. As it is wrong to separate what God has joined together, it is also wrong to join what God has separated.

With Luther’s ideas of Adam, one inevitably concludes that Adam did not need Christ in the garden of Eden. Luther concentrates on the sin that Adam committed instead of why he sinned or what he lacked. Concerning this, Calvin did not want to speculate on why God let him fall. The Reformers heavily relied on Paul’s writings starting with Luther. Paul’s writings draw our attention to the original sin if they are misinterpreted. Paul’s intention was to praise Christ’s work on the cross. But speculative theories have taken our attention from God’s mercy on the cross to Adam in the garden of Eden.

I believe that Luther used the term, the active (meaning the active obedience of Christ (AOC)) and the passive righteousness, which he had learned from Anselm and other Roman Catholic theologians. The Roman Catholic church and also the Protestant church have been interpreting God’s righteousness in relation to the law (or God’s command in Adam’s case). If the law brought righteousness, there was no need for Christ because God could have helped Adam to continue to keep God’s command. But Adam’s righteousness was mere uprightness. Adam lacked the knowledge of God and could not overcome temptation. Besides, the theologians have missed the fact that God’s mercy is also righteousness. God proves Himself righteous by doing righteous deeds. That righteousness was shown on the cross.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, … (Romans 3:21)

But the LORD of armies will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat in the ruins of the wealthy. (Isaiah 5:16-17)

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)

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.The Lord watches over the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has dealt generously with you. For You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. (Psalm 116:5-8)

Concerning Romans 3:21, Luther appears to have understood the meaning. But he did not separate the righteousness by faith from the righteousness (in fact, uprightness) by works as if faith came because works failed. From the beginning, God planned righteousness by faith. Missing this important truth may be the reason Luther suffered from depression. His misunderstanding of Adam‘s righteousness resulted in emphasizing the original sin and punishment. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law considered righteousness that comes from keeping the law. They judged Christ and put Him to death. They did not understand Christ when He said:

Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION [for those in distress], AND NOT [animal] SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].” (Matthew 9:13, from the Amplified Bible)

Here Christ quoted Hosea 6:6:

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

If God only wanted the Israelites to keep the Mosaic law, the sacrifice is more important than showing mercy. If God only wanted Adam to keep His command externally, He would have saved him from eating the fruit and let him live in the garden of Eden.

We must understand that God’s will is in making the kingdom. God wants His children to be like the Son, who knows, understands, believes, and loves God.

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, For He will bear their wrongdoings. (Isaiah 53:11)

The knowledge of God can only be gained through the Son (the Word) and the Holy Spirit. Adam could teach us nothing about God. His inability to overcome the temptation is the evidence that he did not know God as the Son does. Therefore, we must wear the Son’s righteousness that came through His work on the cross. We become righteous because we believe in the Father and the Son, who saved us from the eternal damnation. True faith comes from true knowledge of God.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will live securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’ (Jeremiah 23:6)

From the story of the young ruler in Mark 10:17-27, we learn that we do not have self-sacrificing love. Only God has such love. That love was shown on the cross.

Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” (v. 27)

Christ did not say this verse to tell people there are some rich people going to heaven. Christ told the ruler to keep the law and show self-sacrificing love, not because he could do it. Rather, He told him so that he would believe in Him. God’s love is beyond human ability and imagination. If the same condition was applied to Adam as to Christ, we know that he did not seek God’s mercy or show self-sacrificing love for Eve. It is not because Adam ate the fruit, and the fruit made him evil. Adam trusted his own wisdom.

The man said, “The woman whom YOU gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12)

When Adam sinned, he blamed both God and Eve. Therefore, it is right to view that Adam was immature and was no way near to Christ’s maturity.

I do not think that what God wants from His people is only to obey all His commands. However, theologians believed that was the case. With their understandings of Adam, his fall happened by chance without God’s knowledge. Moreover, Adam could have saved all mankind while Christ saves only some. We still need to take the burden of the original sin because what Adam lacked was the will and efforts to keep God’s command according to their theory.

I have repeatedly refuted the Covenant Theology (CT) and the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) and some of you may be sick of hearing them again. But we cannot go forward unless we understand why they are wrong.

The CT is tied to the AOC. One may think the AOC is proved wrong if the CT is proved wrong. But some take only the AOC as orthodox, not the CT. I’ve explained why the CT is wrong by re-examining what Paul wrote in Romans 5:12-21. I may be considered as uneducated in regard to theology.  But I believe anyone who has received the Holy Spirit knows God and is able to discern. I believe there will be people who will do better job than I am doing. The CT results in salvation of all mankind which the Bible rejects as I’ve previously explained. Making a certain number of people the children of God and training them has always been God’s plan. God gives them eternal life and He will dwell with them forever. This is the kingdom of God. All saints are united with the Son. With the Son as the head, the church rules in the new heaven and the new earth. God made everything for the Son and through the Son. The Son is the Lord of the Sabbath because we truly rest because of Him.

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

We are no longer subject to fall and separate from God. This freedom in Christ has been attacked by people in churches because idolaters always want to do something to feel secure. There are also people who continue to pursue immoralities saying that they are saved by faith. These liars are great in number, and the saints are tempted to turn to either side. But we are always protected by the words of God.

The Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA) does not follow the CT but accepts the AOC as orthodox. This is a bit tricky because the Reformed theologians in the 17^th century have changed the AOC from the original form. I’d like to read Hoeksema’s Reformed Dogmatics if they are available online for free. I do not understand why the book is so expensive if the PRCA is proud of what Hoeksema wrote. God gives His saints the knowledge for free of charge. Of course, the workers receive wages. But now Hoeksema is dead, why do they charge people who want to read about the knowledge given to him for free? About two years ago, the Reformed Protestant Church (RPC) came out of the PRCA claiming that the PRCA preaches men-initiated repentance. I believe that any church that supports the AOC eventually turn to men-initiated salvation. The RCA and The CRC corrupted themselves in a similar pattern. There is no future for RPC if they don’t drop the AOC in my opinion. The RPC was started by two ministers. And I dreamed about two men from 2018 (or maybe 2017). There is one dream that I haven’t mentioned, which I hope to do some other time.

I think Hoeksema did only half reformation when he denied the CT. The only reason I can think of why the PRCA accepts the AOC is because they think the root of righteousness is keeping God’s commands (or the law). If I recall correctly, one of their prominent theologians from the PRCA claimed that the AOC is necessary for people to keep the law. His idea is in line with the Reformed ministers and theologians in the 17^th century England. Again, this is from the misinterpretation of the OT.

I consider that there is only one kind of righteousness in the whole universe. The word, righteous, belongs only to God. Even if one may look like doing good deeds in the eyes of the world, he/she is not righteous if they are not united with God. As only God is righteous, only God is good.

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept since my youth.” Now when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!” Those who heard Him said, “And so who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27)

This ruler considers that Christ is good because of His deeds. Christ tells him that the ultimate source of goodness is the Father. The ruler believes that Christ can answer his question. As he connects good deeds with eternal life, he came to Him to ask how to inherit eternal life. Christ tells him to keep the law. It may appear that keeping the law gives eternal life. But the ruler is required to do more than keeping the law. This passage does not suggest that the ruler cannot keep the law because of the original sin. Adam was born immature and was prone to rebel. Even Adam needed Christ in the garden of Eden. Some people misuse Total Depravity to worship Adam in the garden of Eden. We must be careful not to do that. Christ asks the ruler to show self-sacrificing love, which the ruler cannot do. Verse 27 does not indicate that there are rich people who will enter the kingdom. People use this verse as an excuse to keep their wealth. But what the verse indicates is that only God can do what is impossible for men. That self-sacrificing love was done on the cross by the Son. And because of what the Son did, we also love by the power of the Spirit. Only the Son, united with the Father, does righteous deeds.

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)

Concerning the cross, theologians insist that Christ’s human nature did the work on the cross. We must not separate Christ’s human nature from His divine nature. It is true that Christ became a man to be our representative and suffered for us on the cross. The pain and agony was real as any man would feel. But the work on the cross is not something any man, even Adam before the fall, could do. The cross required a man perfectly righteous and knows God, a man who is one with God, a man who is God. The cross cannot be separated from the knowledge of God and the fulfillment for the law. I believe that one cannot become righteous by works, rather the righteous person united with God does righteous deeds. Righteous deeds prove one is righteous. But they do not make one righteous. Therefore, keeping God’s law does not make one righteous. But one who is righteous keeps the law. The law cannot make one righteous. The law is not the source of our righteousness, but God. There is no way a man becomes righteous by works.

People often miss the fact that eternal life is connected to the knowledge of God. Christ spent most time on the earth on teaching. As Christ resurrected, the church was resurrected to eternal life. That Christ who died for us is the Son of God, who knows the Father. We must remember that Christ, not Adam before the fall, has made the Father known to us.

No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18)

The main problem of the churches around the world is the misunderstanding of the OT, beginning from Genesis 1. Theologians and ministers are to blame. However, they were also fooled by people who claimed to have studied theology as a profession and read many books. The orthodox understanding of Adam in the garden of Eden is that he was made immature. There was no condition that Adam could meet to achieve eternal life. Besides, eternal life is always connected to the covenant of the free woman, which Paul describes in Galatians 4. This is unconditional covenant. And the Son is the mediator. Adam who was born as a slave cannot inherit the kingdom unless he is united with the Son through faith.

Many people misinterpret that all God wants us to do is to keep His commands perfectly, and people must live by obeying them. This is the covenant God made with the sons of the slave woman. But it is not the covenant God planned before creation for the saints.

Adam’s problem was not his lack of will. His problem was that he did not know God. And the apostles repeatedly tell us in the NT that only the Son reveals the Father because He is one with Him. If you read the prophetic books of the OT carefully, you will find that the root of disobedience is lack of knowledge of God. Somehow the theologians and ministers have missed the importance of the knowledge of God.

Therefore, My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their nobles are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. (Isaiah 5:13)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Hosea 4:6)

Then I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God. (Jeremiah 5:4)

Job who was called upright kept God’s commands. But he thought he was more righteous than God. He did not know only God is righteous, or God is the source/root of righteousness. Job thought that righteousness was from morally good works. He admitted that he was a mere mortal but thought he was better than Adam and even God.

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom (Job 31:33)

When God rebuked Job, He did not mention of Job’s sins. Instead, God mentioned of who He is and what He has done.

You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! (Job 38:21)

God said this to remind Job that he was a mere mortal, who lives a short life. In contrast, wisdom who was formed before creation has always been with God.

Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. (Proverbs 8:30-31)

… but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24)

Calvin wrote about the saving work of Christ in chapter 17, Book 2 of the Institute. Anselm of Canterbury, who was the author of the two-fold obedience of Christ, believed that Christ had to keep the Mosaic law perfectly for His own righteousness. Calvin simply denied this at the end of chapter 17:

“To inquire, as Lombard and the Schoolmen do, whether he (Christ) merited for himself, is foolish curiosity. Equally rash is their decision when they answer in the affirmative. How could it be necessary for the only Son of God to come down in order to acquire some new quality for himself?”

What the Reformed theologians did in the 17^th century was to change it to suit their need. Owen insisted that Christ did not need to keep the law as the law-giver but did it for the church. The church, who is united with God and becomes righteous by having the mind of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, do not need righteousness from the law. Again, righteousness is not from keeping the law, but the righteous person does righteous deeds. And all the Reformed ministers and theologians think that the root of the church’s righteousness is the perfect keeping of the law. Chronologically Adam came first and then Christ. But Christ existed before Adam. Paul’s comparison of Adam and Christ in Romans 5 has been misinterpreted by those who analyze the Bible chronologically. Christ cannot be inferior to Adam or the conditional covenant because He was before creation.

Adam could not achieve anything by works because God ultimately requires of us more than external obedience. Adam corrupted his own heart before eating the fruit. Therefore, the root of our problem is inability to overcome temptations. And its cause is the absence of wisdom. Wisdom gives the knowledge of God. Christ overcame temptation after being publicly anointed with the Holy Spirit so that everyone would know that what He does is from the Father. We cannot love God without knowing Him. We cannot believe in God without knowing who He is. Only the Son who is one with the Father knows and loves Him. He is indeed perfect. So, when Christ says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:48)”, He indicates that we must be united with Him. Therefore, keeping God’s commands is not a means to gain righteousness but the result of being united with Christ.

Paul’s idea of obedience is always connected to the cross. What the cross shows is self-sacrificing love. Paul connects this obedience with suffering. Without suffering, there is no true obedience. No one born from the dust could die for the rest of mankind. It’s because God’s will is in the new creation, not mankind born from the dust. Only Christ, as the head of the new creation, could die for the church. Adam could do nothing for the church.

When God repeatedly told the Israelites that they were punished because they disobeyed, He wanted them to eagerly wait for the Savior. If Christ did not exist before creation and came only to solve Adam’s sin, it may be right to say that Adam’s covenant is superior to Christ’s covenant. But Christ existed before creation, and the world was made for Christ.

John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’” (John 1;15)

… for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)

As God had planned everything before creation, the eternal covenant rules over all the conditional covenants. The new covenant requires God’s people to be united with Him and become His children.

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

Keeping God’s commands is not a condition for righteousness but the result of being reborn as a child of God. The church’s righteousness is not from perfect keeping of the law as the Son’s righteousness is not from the law. By uniting with Son through the Holy Spirit, the saints become perfect as the Father is perfect. If we are united with Christ, we have true faith and the knowledge of God. And we truly love God. Therefore, when we are judged according to our deeds at the end, God sees us as perfectly righteous, not because of our deeds but because we are united with Him.

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

I’d like to mention briefly about Richard Muller because people who follow the AOC seem to have great respect for this man. No doubt this man is a great admirer of John Owen. But I do not feel any joy of the gospel or the coming kingdom when I listen to him. Likewise, I do not feel anything when I listen to N. T. Wright. I’d like to spare you from the pain of listening to or reading his words. But if you think that his words are right, I don’t have any desire of stopping you. There is a reason why God has warned me not to dive into human philosophy. It takes away the purity of God’s words. It is a waste. Loving human philosophy may be the reason why the church at Ephesus was condemned of losing the first love.

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4)

I think the most blessed are those who have come to know God through the words of God, not by reading men’s fading theories about God. Considering this, I may not be totally guiltless because my writings are not without error. But I believe that I have been given a task and hope to maintain the purity of the gospel till the end. I do not doubt that the church will have the perfect knowledge of God at the end.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed. (John 17:50)

If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— (John 10:35)

“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.” (John 17:27-28)

God gave us the Bible so that we would know who He is and what His wills are. Although God used some people to write each book of the Bible, what is written is from God. We must understand that the goal of reading the Bible is to know and understand God.

The Bible teaches us that God is beyond human understandings, and we must rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. God does not change like people do. If God created the heavens and the earth and destroys them later, we conclude that God had a purpose when He created all things. And the answer is in the Book of Revelation.

I read that Luther and Calvin were puzzled regarding the Book of Revelation. Luther and Calvin focused on how one is saved. Calvin admitted that God let Adam fall into temptation but did not want to speculate on the reason. I believe that the task is given to us living in the third reformation. The answer is found in the Book of Revelation because God had already planned the glorious end before He created all things. Therefore, Genesis must be interpreted with Revelation in mind. Those in the Reformed think that Luther and Calvin were sent by God and their words are like God’s own words. They were given certain knowledge to carry out the tasks given to them. Not all words of Luther, Calvin, or any Reformed theologians are without error. God gave none the full knowledge of Him except His Son. And the Son is the words of God. I am not writing to criticize Luther or Calvin. But I think they had limited knowledge which was enough for the second reformation.

According to the Covenant Theology (CT), we would be in much better status if Adam had not sinned. From God’s point of view, Adam’s sin was a necessary step for us to learn about God. God had already planned the adoption of some people born of Adam through Christ. Without Christ, there is no adoption or eternal life. And Christ achieved this on the cross. Since God does not see His saints as sinners, we are free in His love and mercy. Yet, our freedom is not what the world thinks. Christ did not nullify the law but perfected it. And the law of Christ is the law of liberty, which is love. The Covenant theologians do not want us to have that freedom. As I’ve mentioned previously, some ministers think that the end status of the saints are lower than the angels because the angels never sinned and are not the descendants of Adam. Some think we are merely going back to the garden of Eden where, from their imagination, Adam walked with God and was a friend with Him.

The Book of Revelation tells us that the saints are clothed in white. But Adam was naked until he realized that he needed a covering. As Adam was made immature, he was naked. Remaining naked was not God’s intention. We must understand that Adam’s fall did not happen by chance. Adam trusted his own judgment and wisdom. God let him be tempted by the devil. God did not tempt Adam but did not save him from the temptation. Adam wanted to be like God by his own hands. The saints become one with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit without works. We, who will live with God in His kingdom, become holy as the top of the mountain is the most holy (Ezekiel 43:12). If not, we are not the children of God. The beautiful life of Adam that the Covenant theologians invented is actually the life in the kingdom, which is coming soon. All God wants from us is faith in Him. And all saints receive faith as a gift so that salvation is the result of 100% grace. God does not want us long for the life that Adam had in the garden of Eden, but eagerly wait for the new heaven and the new earth.

By Christ’s blood, we are bought and become the children of God. Christ became one with us and is the head of the new creation. Because we are children of God, we never fall again. In the kingdom we do everything God’s wants us to do in deeds and in heart because we are truly one with Him and know, understand, and love Him. Even if we stumble many times in this life, God will never forsake us.

Anyone who tries to bind us to the law and sin and worships Adam does not know why God created all things. The first things happened for the kingdom. When the kingdom comes, the first things pass away.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 1:4)

It is not that God delights in watching people suffering. But suffering is for training just as Job had to suffer to know himself and God. The Son also had to go through much suffering as we must suffer for Him. His suffering is connected with the cross. Suffering of the Son have led us to obedience. The cross makes us obey God because we become the children of God. The Son had to suffer as the representative of us who were dead because of the original sin and our own sins. Although He was blameless, Christ went through suffering so that we would become perfect through Him. Through the cross, we died to the law. By Christ’s resurrection, we are made alive and become the new creation.

In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:7-10)

The words of the LORD are pure words; Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

The Covenant Theology cannot explain the adoption and the new creation. Adam was from dust. Christ is from heaven. Only Christ is the head of the new creation.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 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. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:13-20)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

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. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)

The Covenant Theology is based mainly on Paul’s words in Romans 5:18-19. The Covenant theologians insist that Christ received the same condition as Adam did in the garden of Eden. They believe that Christ’s obedience to the Law obtained eternal life. Thus, they make the source of our eternal life the Law, not the resurrection of Christ. They miss the fact the purpose of all creation including the heavens and the earth is the kingdom. Their theory is focused on one’s eternal life as if Christ came only to save them from eternal damnation. From the beginning of His public ministry, Christ proclaimed the coming kingdom. Saving His people was a first step for the kingdom. The Covenant theologians see the cross only as forgiveness of sins and lead people to believe that Adam before the fall was perfect because he was sinless and righteous. Earlier I explained that Adam’s righteousness was mere uprightness. It appears that they want us to take the burden of the original sin because they insist Adam could have not sinned if he had tried. Many Protestant ministers and theologians have emphasized the beautiful life that Adam had in the garden of Eden. I do not think Adam had the beautiful life as they think he had. Adam was made as a slave who does not know God’s business. Iranaeus, the student of Polycarp who was a student of apostle John, believed that Adam was made immature. The original man and woman were made immature so that they and their descendants get fully matured through Christ. Therefore, we must not embellish Adam’s life in the garden of Eden. In the Bible, there is no mention of Adam walking with God as His friend. The beautiful life of Adam was invented by people who want to divert our focus to the law and punishment from the kingdom. Salvation must not be explained without the kingdom because Christ came for the kingdom.

As I previously mentioned, their theory leads to salvation of all mankind, which the Bible rejects. And reading Paul’s letters, one might conclude that Christ saves all mankind. If so, faith is not a gift from God. Salvation is up to one’s decision to have faith in God. If so, we are obligated to convert everyone to Christianity. Looking at the history after the English civil war in the 17^th century, that is what many Protestants believed inside – salvation of all mankind by works. It is not surprising that the Methodist church started in England. When I say “works”, it is not just about keeping the Law but also believing God from one’s own initiatives. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that all Protestant churches, even the Reformed, focus on one’s will and efforts. Those who follow the traditions of the 17^th century Reformed religion still think they can persuade people to believe in God. I think the movement is flourishing when I see what the Gospel Coalition (TGC) is doing. There are other Protestant churches, especially the Reformed Baptist churches, that use the same tactics that the 17th century ministers used to convince many. Aggressive church planting does not increase the number of the saints because the number was set before creation. All these Christian organizations and churches want is money and fame.

Paul was given a task of building visible churches in Asia. He was sent to the Gentiles who had never heard of God of Israel or Christ. God gave Paul the heart of love towards the Gentiles. Paul also tried to convince the Jews. The Book of Acts tells us about the wonderful history of the birth of Christianity. We are excited to read that many people became Christians. And the ministers and theologians emphasize the wonderful works of God written in the Book of Acts. We must remember that the conversion of many happened because God wanted to expand the visible church quickly. The miracles we read do not happen now because they are no longer needed. After that period, the whole Europe followed Christianity. God did the expansion of visible churches again after the Reformation. So, Christianity was preached beyond Europe. Almost all tribes and nations have the Bible in their own languages. However, not all who are called Christians are the saints.

When I was in a Reformed Church, I attended a Bible study session. In our group, there were four elders, including the minister. While reading a passage, an elder questioned the meaning of it. I don’t remember which verse it was. But I remember answering him saying that not all in the visible church are saved but only those who have received the Holy Spirit. Surprisingly, the elder was shocked to hear what I said. He believed that he and all his family and friends in the church were saved. Everyone looked at the minister to say something. And he agreed to what I said. His face turned red and kept saying, “I think” as he explained the difference between the visible church and the invisible church. While I was in the church, I was accused of being theologically wrong by the elders. The minister knew that I was not wrong but did not support me, probably because he wanted to keep his job. I think he was the one without legs in my dream.

Expansion of visible churches was God’s will. The church history is the mirror image to the Israel’s history in the OT. As Israel went to exile, the visible church will go into exile. The church era is ending because God wants us to eagerly seek the coming kingdom. The earthly tabernacle must be destroyed again and again.

I think Paul focused on preaching the good news of salvation. And the Reformers relied heavily on Paul’s letters. The Reformation focused on one’s salvation. It is not surprising to see that the Protestant ministers do not talk about the kingdom. Actually, the word, kingdom, is stolen by other cult religions. The word, Holy Spirit, is also stolen by heretics. The Reformed church ministers who claim to hold the Reformed doctrines hardly use those words at the pulpit. Their focus is not the kingdom. Their understanding of the Holy Spirit is shallow. If their understanding of the Bible is from Paul’s words, does it mean that Paul had the same understandings as they do? I do not think so. But Paul’s words must be interpreted with all the truths written in the Bible in mind. Interpreting his words literally pose a risk of misinterpretation. Paul himself denies faith that comes from one’s own initiatives.

…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… (Ephesians 1:4-5)

If Paul indeed believed salvation of all mankind, then he is not an apostle but a heretic. It’s because God said repeatedly that He would save some and destroy others.

And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32)

God made Paul a highly educated man from youth unlike the disciples of Christ because he was given the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles who were affected by human philosophies and wisdom. The Gentiles in Asia were influenced by Greek culture and religions. Paul had the ability to argue with the Greek philosophers because he had much education. For the same or a similar reason, God appointed Luther and Calvin who had learnt theology and the law at universities. This does not mean one must learn theology like they did to talk about theology. God wanted all to learn about Him and made the Reformers to write confessions and catechisms. However, they have limits because the Reformation focused mainly on one’s salvation, not the kingdom. That task is given to us living in the third reformation.

Despite the teachings of the apostles, the early church leaders such as Paul of Samosata of Antioch and Sabellius of Alexandria had wrong understandings of Christ. This means that most have misinterpreted the apostle’s writings and held heretical teachings as orthodox. It is believed that the Book of John was written much later than the other three books – Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John emphasizes the deity of Christ. I assume that this was because there was a strong need for people to learn about the deity of Christ. Paul of Samosata denied Christ as God and Arius was his student. The Islam is believed to be rooted in Arianism.

Was it because of Paul’s writings that people denied Trinity and the two natures of Christ? It was not because Paul had wrong understandings of God. But people misinterpreted and misunderstood the apostle’s writings. Even now, people reject truths while quoting his words. Only by the Holy Spirit, one can hold true faith coming from true knowledge of God.

Paul now and then spoke of his own opinions and wrote in human terms. One must be careful not to interpret his words literally.

I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. (Romans 6:19)

True theology requires the understanding of the whole Bible from the beginning to the end. It is the inspired words of God. One must remember this truth: GOD DOES NOT CHANGE.

In time of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will pass away. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end. (Psalm 102:25-27)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is! For brothers to live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (v. 2)

All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. 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. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (vv. 12-16)

In my opinion, the letter to the Galatians has the most logical flow among all Paul’s letters. Or it may be that the Galatians still have much relevance to today’s issues in churches. Paul admitted using human terms/arguments to explain the mysteries of God to persuade people in other letters. But I see little of that used in this letter. It is compact, clear, and straightforward. It is easy to see what was in Paul’s minds. There is no trace of the Covenant Theology or the Active Obedience of Christ.

As always, the conclusion or the summary is the most important. In this chapter, Paul talks about love among the saints. Love is the foundation of the kingdom of God. Paul seems to refer this love as the law of Christ to distinguish it from the Mosaic Law that condemns. Paul repeatedly connected this love with Christ’s death on the cross.

Paul never says that Adam could have saved all mankind if he had kept God’s command in the garden of Eden. Instead, he talks about new creation through Christ. The new creation could never be achieved through Adam.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (v.15)

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)

Those who support the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) say that the idea can be found in Luther and Calvin. Both were educated under the Roman Catholic system. There may be a trace of the heretical teaching by the Roman Catholic scholars in their writings. But I am confident that both have not written anything that would weaken Christ’s work on the cross. Christians have been criticized for being antinomians by the legalists. Although the saints uphold the Law, we sometimes overly emphasize the Law to avoid such criticism. There are always people who misinterpret the freedom and indulge in sins within churches. The letters in the NT rebuke and admonish people in churches who are prone to fall into temptations. This does not mean our salvation depends on our works.

Those who follow the Covenant Theology (CT) believes that Christ came to fulfill a condition. And by His works, that condition was met. They conclude that Adam also had to meet a condition in the garden of Eden. They say that Adam had to work to earn eternal life. This theory lacks the understanding of the relationship between the Father and the Son.  It is true that the Son came for a purpose. For that purpose, the Son did everything commanded by the Father. But it is important to know that the Father provided everything for the Son to achieve the goal of making the kingdom. It is because the Father has the unconditional love for His Son. The Father’s glory is the Son’s glory and vice versa. The Son is one with the Father. If God puts a condition to reach a goal and meets the condition by HIMSELF, it is more appropriate to say that God has planned and fulfilled it. The word “condition” is used unnecessarily to distort the true nature of the Covenant of Grace. It is not the works that fulfill but the one who does the works. The nature of the covenant (or promise) between the Father and the Son is unconditional love. Adam was a shadow of Christ, but he was not like Christ. God tested him and he failed because of the nature of the relationship between the Father and Adam was not like that between the Father and the Son. Therefore, Adam needed Christ in the garden of Eden. By his works, he could achieve nothing. But Adam thought he was like God as we read Ezekiel 26-28.

The Father and the Son are united in love. God invites us to that relationship by being united with the Son. The conditional covenants exist for us to seek Christ. This is where the Federalism fails. There is no love in their theories. There are only the Law, sin, and punishment. When they use the word, love (or grace), it feels out of place. Their god tests, punishes, and saves to show his love and grace when he could have helped Adam and saved all mankind according to their theory. Their god deliberately promoted Adam’s disobedience. And their god delights in punishing and watching people suffering. They keep saying God inevitably punishes because He is just. They long for the garden of Eden without suffering. Then why did God give Adam a test that he could not overcome? The churches have become a place where people are beaten by the Law, feel guilt, fear, and work for salvation.

I have had a few opportunities to talk about the Covenant Theology with a few ministers. One graduated from the Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. I was shocked when he said the saints do not become better than angels at the end. I challenged him with 1 Peter 1:12. Then he changed his words and said that we become a little better than the angels. I could see that he learnt theology by books not through the words of God. If God does not give us more than Adam received in the garden of Eden, we can only conclude that Adam’s failure happened accidentally without a purpose. Adam’s failure teaches us how stupid we are without being united with God through the Spirit. But the Son of God is also the Son of Man with the Spirit, different from Adam. Only through Christ, the saints can become adopted children of God and live forever. We will never fall again. God gave Adam the test that he could not overcome so that we would wait for Christ. Adam’s failure leads us to seek adoption through Christ.

The Covenant Theologians have confused people and led them to salvation by works. They say that God was angry because Adam failed to keep His command. They emphasize on the Adam’s failure and beautify Adam and his life in the garden of Eden. With their theory, there is little understanding concerning why God made the world in the first place and why the saints become adopted children of God through Christ. In their theory, the depth of God’s love is shallow. The kingdom is rarely mentioned because they love to return to the garden of Eden. Their god appears to intervene only when men accidentally fail out of his control because he did not prevent Adam from failing. In addition, they made Adam equal to Christ and made him the only head of all covenants in the Bible. They say there are two covenant heads – Adam and Christ. But they see Adam has determined the fate of Christ, thus superior to Christ. They see Christ as a mere problem solver.

The AOC supports the CT because the theory sees that all God care is obedience to His commands, the Law. It sees that the demise of mankind is because of Adam’s disobedience. The CT and the AOC shift the focus from love shown on the cross to the Law. With the CT and the AOC, it is difficult to explain why God saves only some out of all mankind. They assume that there was a possibility of Adam to succeed and gain eternal life by his own obedience, which means all mankind could have been saved because of his obedience. However, God, who does not change, saves only a certain number of people. This indicates that Adam never had the ability or possibility to save all mankind by his obedience. Besides, the Bible never mentions of the probation period that the Covenant Theologians believe.

The AOC and the CT see that the cross is only for forgiveness of sins. The Covenant Theologians have failed to connect Christ’s resurrection with the saints’ eternal life. Paul and other apostles have repeatedly emphasized the importance of the cross.

My conclusion is that those theories were made in attempt to weaken Christ’s work on the cross. And those who nullify the power of the cross need to read the Bible again.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (vv. 18-23)

Paul was strongly against the circumcision group because they supported salvation by works. God does not approve of someone because of his/her works. If so, there is no grace. Grace is full, complete, and unchangeable. However, many Christians believe that they need 99% of grace and 1 % of works to be saved. Grace is always 100%. Anyone who received mercy and love from God through Christ is under 100% grace. This person inevitably produces good works because of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians think that good works must be shown outside and be recognizable to others as a proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Christianity become a national religion, and when there is no distinction between the civil government and church, the church authorities define and impose their version of a holy life on people. The consequence is false piety and pride. And that is what happened in the 17^th century England. The USA was built by the Puritans who were not afraid of murdering people and stealing others’ lands and properties in America. They did them because they were not true Christians. Yet, they went to church every Sunday and were fed the false sense of salvation by church authorities. In their own eyes, they were holy and just, were chosen by God, and were saved. They thought they were superior to the gentiles who had not heard of God. Rather than leading them to the Bible, they mistreated them and committed crimes. Thus, those gentiles mocked God. At present, there is a growing movement in previously colonized nations to reject Christianity.

You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written. (Romans 2:23-24)

Her mother country, the Great Britain, was equally bad if not worse. The current turmoil and strife in the world can be traced back to those Christian nations (including other European nations) who colonized other nations and killed people around the world. Those Protestants were no different from the Roman Catholics who persecuted Muslims for not following the religion during the Crusades. What the church authorities were really after was money as we find it in the church history. One cannot be forced to believe in God. Faith is the gift from God. Yet, they acted treacherously against the words of God. False Christians often think they are the Israelites in the OT and are given the authority to kill people for their unbelief. Their misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the OT are still present strongly within churches because ministers and theologians have chosen people (more precisely, money) over God. Many Christians appear to believe that their governments need to support Christianity. While they say that everyone needs to live according to the Bible, I doubt that they are living a holy life. Churches around the world tolerate both spiritual and physical adulteries well. Ministers speak lies about God at the pulpit. Sexual crimes committed by church leaders appear on the news on a regular basis.

When reading verses 19 to 23, one may think he/she can produce the fruit of the Spirit by works. One might say, “I have the Holy Spirit. I will try to produce good works.” The truth is that even reborn Christians do the deeds of the flesh everyday. Even though we wake up in the morning and renew our desires to produce the fruit of the Spirit written in verses 22 and 23, we go to sleep at night thinking we have done more deeds of the flesh than producing the fruit of the Spirit. It is true that the Spirit produces only good works. It is not that we are not made perfect in the sight of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are perfect as we are, not because we do anything good from our own initiatives. We are perfect because we know that there is nothing good in us from the beginning. Adam was born as a slave. Yet, God made us His children. Nothing can make us fall again. If God had made the requirements of our salvation as 99% of grace and 1% of works, none of us would fulfill that 1 %. Salvation requires 100% grace. For that, we rejoice. We are like those beggars who were invited to the banquet written in Luke 14:16-24.

But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’ And yet they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I purchased a field and I need to go out to look at it; please consider me excused.’ And another one said, ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ And another one said, ‘I took a woman as my wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here those who are poor, those with disabilities, those who are blind, and those who are limping.’ And later the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon them to come in, so that my house will be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my dinner.’”

There are many Christians who refuse to believe that their good works are meaningless and even evil. They think they need some help from God to achieve salvation. When they are told their works do nothing, they get angry. They think they can produce more good works, get holier everyday, and receive better rewards than others at the end. Hence, they reject Christ of the Bible. They believe in their version of Christ, an anti-Christ. Even though one is grown up learning the Reformed doctrines and have vast knowledge on theology, he/she eventually refuse 100% grace if not reborn. Only those who are truly reborn by the Holy Spirit understand 100% grace.

Luther’s last words are believed to be “We are beggars, this is true”. Despite his theological errors and pride, he was a reborn Christian if he meant 100% grace in those words. And I believe he was a reborn Christian. The new covenant promises the Law written in our hearts. We put our hope in God’s faithfulness to the covenant He has established through Christ. We are perfect although we think we are not. We are perfect because we believe in God.

“For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. (vv. 1-2)

… if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:17)

There are so many important truths written in chapter 4. It would take hours, if not days, to explain the core Christian doctrines written here. But I’d like to focus on one thing, that is our adoption as children of God. If one truly understands this adoption, he/she will not fall into false doctrines.

In verses 1 and 2, Paul speaks of the divine election. The Father does not choose sons out of slaves. He does choose sons neither by foreseeing what they would become in future nor by examining their actions. He already knows who His sons are before they are born. However, until the appointed time, the children are no different from slaves, meaning they go through the elemental things of the world.

So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. (v.3)

Paul emphasizes again here that salvation is not just by Christ alone but also by the Holy Spirit. Adoption is not possible without the Holy Spirit.

Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” (v.6)

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, …  (Titus 3:5)

Everything Christ did on the earth was focused on the making of the priestly kingdom of God. And the adoption is in the center of the kingdom. Many Christians want to believe that Adam was a son of God or an adopted son of God. But he did not have what a son of God must have – the divine wisdom that makes him know, understand, believe, and love God. Adam’s true status, a mere slave who does not know the Master’s business, became evident when he ate the forbidden fruit. Disobedience came because Adam was not a son of God. Adam did not have the Holy Spirit.

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)

God does not only want people who obey Him but also, more importantly, understand, know, believe, and love Him. Therefore, we must be careful when we interpret the word, obedience, in the Bible. God’s ultimate goal of creating people is not just obedience to Him. Obedience, like any good works, is only a consequence of the new relationship with God.  

Therefore, it is absurd to say that Christ had to keep the Law perfectly (obey God’s commands) to gain righteousness for His church. Christ did not come to keep the Law but to fulfill it. What the Law truly requires is the adoption through God’s grace, mercy, and love. That adoption Christ fulfilled on the cross.

The Covenant Theology along with the Active Obedience of Christ has many different theories because it was born out of human needs, not according to the truths written in the Bible. Many Christians struggle to understand them because the Bible speaks against them. Those doctrines focus on men’s salvation from men’s point of view. They lack in richness that the true gospel brings through the words of God. They were born because some evil people wanted to bring people back to slavery. I do not doubt that God will forgive those who spoke and wrote in ignorance. But now that God has started the third reformation, the doctrines must go. The church era is ending.

Do not worship churches or church authorities. But like the Galatians, many people in churches want to hold onto them, think that they would bring salvation. Without knowing God, there is no salvation because God gives every child His Spirit. And the Spirit testifies through the words of God that righteousness is NOT rooted in the Law because we are children of God, not slaves.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:16-17)

If our righteousness is based on the keeping God’s commands, our adoption is conditional, not unconditional. As the relationship between the Son and the Father is based on the unconditional love, our relationship with the Father must be the same. It is the Spirit who teaches and nurtures us so that we become good children of God. Obedience comes naturally, not by some strange doctrines.

And you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time the son who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is even now. But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:28-31)

The reason why I have been tireless criticizing the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) is because they have opened the door to work-based salvation. They have led people back to slavery. The AOC, in particular, can lead either legalism or antinomianism. There is no middle ground. Besides, it started from Anselm’s heretical teaching.

From 2016, I have been shown that people are ignorant, and they are going back to Egypt in my dreams. I hardly had any knowledge on theology or the church history back then. But God has made me know His concerns and write them.

The church era is ending. Hold onto the true gospel. Do not be like the Galatians who went back to slavery.

So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:16)