Like a chestnut tree

When I started to understand God’s words, I found that the Book of Matthew and the Book of John give much knowledge about God and His Kingdom. The Father was pleased to manifest Himself through His Son (Word and Truth). And knowing the Son is the key to understand God and the Kingdom.

Historically, these two books were considered important by the Waldensians during the pre-Reformation era. I read that they trained themselves to memorize them by heart. They faced horrific deaths by God’s enemies just like other prophets did. It is sad the Waldensians now no longer follow sound doctrines and have turned to work-based salvation. This shows no single denomination or church stays orthodox for long as we read in Christ’s message to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. God plants His saints in various places at different times. They remain loyal to God by the Holy Spirit although their visible churches fall away.

Understanding the Bible as a whole is essential. I do not want to repeat what other scholars have written in various study Bibles or study aids. You can easily do your own studies by using various study aids available online for free.

What Matthew 1:1-17 shows is two things: Christ as Truth and God’s will regarding the woman (church)

Unlike the genealogy written in Luke 3:23-38, Matthew deliberately emphasized on the number 14. There are mysteries hidden in numbers that we have not yet fully grasped. I cannot say I know what all those numbers mean. Number 5 has been repeatedly emphasized in my dreams. And I found that it means grace.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:17)

Some say the Hebrew word David is to do with number 14. I do not disagree. But the Hebrew word associated with number 14 is Emet (or Emeth), which means truth. The word consists of the first, the middle, and the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And the gap between two letters is 14. This first, the middle, and the last pattern is also shown in creation: light-light-Sabbath. This is also the pattern of the Bible: Beginning (Genesis) -Wisdom books -End (Revelation). I believe Calvin once said Christ is the beginning, the end, and the center. John also starts his gospel talking about the Word, which is Truth. The Word (Truth) was in the beginning with God. And the Word is the wisdom of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

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)

Matthew included some women in the genealogy. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) and Mary. Study aids explain extensively about these women so I will not repeat. I believe the inclusion of those women means God’s will in the woman as a whole rather than individual woman. Church is often referred as a bride or our mother. Thus, the devil who had much knowledge, approaches Eve first, not Adam, because he knew that God’s will was in the woman and her Seed.

In the Reformed this idea of church being the mother is very strong. I think in some denominations especially in the Reformed church, the notion has gone too far. Some explain as if the mother (church) can save people by having the key of David, but it is always Christ who holds the key of David.

…He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens… (Revelation 3:7)

Only saints who have received the Holy Spirit can minister before God on the earth. Therefore, only the invisible church can use the key of David by God’s will.

Because of church traditions, women are often despised in churches. It is true women prophets were rare in the Bible. But there is no distinction between women and men in God’s world. That does not mean I promote women taking church office roles. There are certain earthly orders within churches that we need to keep until Christ comes.

When it comes to teaching, everyone must work according to the gift given to each. People often quote this verse to silence the woman or women who rebuke the wrongdoings of church leaders.

But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. (1 Timothy 2:12)

One must discern by the words of God and the Spirit when interpreting this verse. God gave authority to some women to judge, rebuke, and prophesy in the past. And He still does. People who are blind will reject God’s rebukes because they misunderstand God.

my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

We must also be aware of the fact that many people follow false prophets.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. (Revelation 2:20)

In the Book of Proverbs, there appear Wisdom and the woman of folly. (see Proverbs chapter 7-9). There are more women (and men) of folly than those who are wise. Saints must discern. And the only way to survive is to read and learn God’s words and pray for God’s mercy. Saints must not seek the approval of many people (or the world).

Now I invite you to read the Bible with me. As I go through the Bible, I will share my understandings of the words of God. My thoughts are not perfect, but you read the Bible together and make your own conclusions. There are certain things God clarifies in this reformation. If we have the same Spirit, we will have the same understandings.

We are now reliving the Israel’s history written in the OT. Jesus was named after Joshua who led the Israelite to the promised land. Jesus also opened the gate, and many were invited. But just as the prophecies were told in the OT, only the remnants are saved. Circumcision was a proof of being God’s people in the OT. It was replaced by ceremonial baptism after Christ was risen. But not all who received the circumcision were saved. True circumcision is the circumcision of the heart. And true baptism is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Both circumcision and baptism are shadows of the real seal – the Holy Spirit. The prophets in the OT spoke about both the end of the Israel nations and the Day of the Lord. Babylon invaded Israel and she reappears at the end as we read in Revelation 19. There are many similarities.

When I joined a Reformed church, I was astonished that the minds of the elders were very similar to those of the Pharisees written in the four gospels. They believe that they are chosen. They believe their authorities are given by God. They want to protect their blood lines. They believe the Law gives righteousness. I believe this is the result of the Reformed Puritanism. I heard this criticism is not new. There have been theologians who complained the Reformed puritans’ moral and federal view of the covenants. The Protestant (Reformed) churches have gone beyond repair. The wound is incurable. The words that the Apostles wrote after the death and resurrection of Christ are very relevant now.

The Bible consists of 66 books. In fact, it has 70 books because the Psalms consists of 5 books. Number 6 is a man’s number (Revelation 13:18). Some consider the Bible is full of men’s ideas. Others think the Bible is the words of God. I consider that the Bible tells us everything that we need to know about God. Yes, I do dream but they are not telling new things about God. The knowledge of God is in the 70 books. There are people who think the Apocrypha needs to be included as divine words of God. I think it is not wise to read them when you have not understood all truths from the 70 books. If they tell you anything other than what the 70 books teach you, then they are not the words of God. If they tell you the same things as the 70 books, then you do not need to waste your time.

When Calvin wrote commentaries on almost all books of the Bible and numerous sermons, it was not because he was a genius. Calvin understood the works of the Holy Spirit. Some call him a theologian of the Holy Spirit. A certain knowledge/logic of God was allowed to him by God’s will. With the knowledge, He understood the Bible and could write commentaries and sermons. Although his knowledge had limits and so does mine, we understand certain things revealed through the knowledge given to us. Luther was not given the same amount of knowledge as Calvin because he played a different role. Yet, we all are saved by faith given by God. But it is necessary the church understands and confesses the truths. Our knowledge of God never stops growing and we should not uphold church traditions like the Pharisees. God’s reformation did not stop. What has gone wrong must be corrected for the church to grow.

I have no doubt the knowledge of God will be very clear in the last generation. But as always, more knowledge means more persecutions and trials. Zwingli, Calvin, Luther, and all God’s servants did not live a good and happy life as the world desires.

I talked a little bit about theology. There are other important topics that I’d like to write about such as the role of the Holy Spirit and the meaning of the Law. Instead of writing them separately, I’d like to go through a few books of the Bible to explain them. Before I start, I’d like to mention briefly about Christianity and the gospel.

Gospel is not about going to heaven after death. Death and the afterlife have been the interest of many. People go to a church thinking they will go to heaven if they die as a Christian.

Gospel is about being a part of the Kingdom, God’s eternal dwelling. It is about being one with God. It is about knowing God, understanding God, and loving God. It is God who does everything to build His Kingdom. Men can do nothing as we see in the case of Adam and Eve.

But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Christianity has gone very strange, and I see many people call themselves Christians and yet, have no understanding of Christ. If you visit any church, you are likely to see people saying “Christ is my only king and savior. I love him!” but they have no interest in reading the Bible. They say, “I am not interested in theology stuffs.” Theology is about the knowledge of God. There is no true faith without knowing God. Even in the Reformed the knowledge got crooked. There are ministers saying Christ is the Creator. Although the Triune God created all things, it brings confusion when one says Christ is the Creator. We do not say Christ is the Creator, but the world was made by the Father through His Son.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. (John1:1-4)

The Father was pleased to manifest Himself through His Son and gave all authorities to the Son. The Father was pleased to manifest Himself through His words and they speak about His Son. All His words are summed up in the Word. The knowledge is so deep, and I can never say I know it all. Only I can see the glimpse of the mystery when I read the Bible again and again. The reason I emphasize on the Trinity doctrine is that it holds the essential knowledge of God. When one understands the mystery, the two natures of Christ can be understood. The ecumenical Creeds are useful in teaching people about Trinity and the two natures of Christ as I mentioned before.

This is what I have learnt so far.

God created the world for a specific purpose and that is His eternal dwelling. The dwelling is not a place but people. He could have made them like angels, but He chose not to because they had to be trained through sufferings so that they could be refined. They go through the preservation process by salt. God knows the benefit of sufferings. The devil was made as a necessary tool. The devil hates God, His plans, and most of all, His elect people. The devil disguises as a friend and an ally but he wants God’s elect to fail. God sometimes let His people to fall into temptations when they need to be disciplined. As in the case of King David, falling into a temptation brings disastrous events. Yet, God forgives His people. The world was made as the training place for His elect people. Once the elect people are fully trained, there is no need for the former worlds to exist. God will destroy all things and make everything new. Heaven and earth will pass away.  And new heaven and new earth will come. The gospel is therefore only for the elect people. For others it is the death sentence. They consider God unfair and cruel. They want a different king and serve the beast. God sees them as His enemies. God’s people are hated by His enemies because of God.

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. (Revelation 6:15-16)

Lastly, I heard that the Reformed theologians bring up Thomas Aquinas a lot in their discussions. Some boast that they read Summa Theologica in Latin. I think it is a waste of time. This trend is not surprising because John Owen was influenced by Thomism. He was called “Reformed Catholic”. And we can easily see where his heart was in terms of theology. Both Owen and Aquinas developed theology for the mass public. Owen combined TULIP and the ideas of Aquinas. For the sake of external piety and social/political stability, he weakened Sola Gratia by adopting Thomist ideas so that all people can be ruled under the new Protestant church. Because of his efforts, the Protestant church is no different from the Roman Catholic. I came across a man confessing that he is now a Muslim after going to a Protestant church and reading many theology books. He said he was a reborn Christian. And there are a lot to talk about how the Protestant churches define “Reborn”. But I will do it some other time.

The Roman Catholic church upholds the teachings of Aquinas. The reason the Roman Catholic church became corrupt is not because they were generous towards immoralities. They abandoned the grace-only doctrine, which Augustine had taught, to bring many people into their church. They promoted a men-made idol, and it led to other corruptions. Aquinas learnt theology based on human philosophies. He was greatly influenced by Islam because of the Crusades. And Islam is believed to be influenced by Aristotle and Arianism. Aquinas’ theology can never explain Trinity right. And his understanding of Christ is therefore crooked. Then people would say I should read this and that to know his theology. There is no need because Aquinas himself stopped writing at the end saying all his writings were like straws. The only thing we can learn from Aquinas is that his writings are rubbish. He himself denied at the end he knew anything about God. What is the point of studying his writings?

Why do people seek after pagan gods made by pagan philosophers when there is God who manifests Himself through the Bible? The answer is because they have not received the Holy Spirit. Yet or never.

Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? (2 King 1:3)

Saints receive the seal of God because they mourn over the abominations happening in churches. Sealing of the saints comes first and then the rest receive the mark of the beast.

Many people think Calvinism is equal to TULIP. Calvin’s theology is summed up in Sola Gratia. However, what we call Calvinism is associated more closely with the reformation happened in England. Sola Gratia is understood only by saints, but Calvinism was established to persuade the general public. Calvinism is more like Reformed Puritanism, which is influenced greatly by Puritan theologians like John Owen. Therefore, what we call Calvinism is either Reformed Puritanism or Owenism. We learn from history that theology goes astray when theologians focus on people, not God.

Whenever God reformed His church on the earth, His people separated themselves from the former system. In the time of the first reformation, Christ came and gave the right understandings of the prophecies spoken in the OT. Although Christ referred this as a new wine (Mark 2:21-22), it was truth that has been there from the beginning. During the second reformation, the Protestant church was considered as a new sect, but they revived the old and orthodox teachings written in the Bible. Augustine of Hippo already talked about the divine election a long time before the second reformation. Therefore, the early Reformers like Calvin insisted that they are the successors of the Apostolic church. This third reformation is not different. I am talking about an old idea about Adam. Irenaeus studied under Polycarp, who was a student of Apostle John. He viewed Adam as an immature being. I have not read Irenaeus’ writings and have no intention to read them. What I want to say is that my understanding of Adam is not entirely new.

In God’s world, reformation is equal to separation. After the third one, there will be the final separation. While the first two reformations were focused on preaching the gospel to the world, the third separation is focused on the Kingdom.

During the second reformation, the doctrine of divine election and reprobation was brought up again by the Reformers along with the Five Solas. There are many Christians who say they believe in God but consider the divine election wrong. I have no intention to persuade them. The knowledge is given by God and cannot be learned. Those who grew up in a Reformed church may have been taught about the doctrine. I am glad I did not grow up in a Reformed church because the doctrine can be used to suppress people and make them obey church authorities by causing unnecessary fear. When one’s salvation becomes a focus, the beauty of the doctrine is not revealed properly. The doctrine is not about one’s salvation. During the second reformation, one’s salvation was a focus as we read in Heidelberg Catechism Question 1 where it says “in fact, all things must work together for my salvation”. But God’s Kingdom should be the focus. It is important to shift our focus from our salvation to God’s Kingdom.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5b)

The understanding of the divine election (and reprobation) is related to the knowledge of creation. What I mean is that people do not accept the doctrine unless they understand why God created the world and why He will undo His creation at the end.

I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will remove human and animal life; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked. And I will eliminate mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. (Zephaniah 1:2-3)

The doctrine is not an invention of some men who wanted to protect God’s sovereignty. God does not need anyone’s help because His sovereignty is absolute. It is a matter of the knowledge of God. Does God have nothing to do and count our hairs all day long? Was God merely watching what people would do during the Reformation? Or Did God plan for the Kingdom before creation and fulfill all His plans by His own hands? Read the Bible and find the answers.

God’s purpose of creating the world and people is to build an eternal dwelling for Himself.

Behold, the dwelling placeof God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:3)

Saints become one with the Son and the Father through the Holy Spirit. And we worship God day and night. It is not only on Sundays that we worship. We worship everyday and every moment.

Day and night they never stop saying: “’Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 4:8)

For those who are still under the Law, this thought of continuous worship may terrify them because they attend public worship services because of guilt and fear of punishment. Indeed, fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But true fear is rooted from true knowledge of God. The end is love.

In the history of Israel nation, God dwelt in the tabernacle and then in the temple in Jerusalem. Those were only shadows of the true Kingdom. However, people without knowledge put emphasis on places and acts of worship then and even now. Instead of following what the early Reformers taught them, they went back to pagan ways of worship just like the Roman Catholic. And these actions were rebuked many times in the OT and the NT. In the OT, the public worships in high places and in the Northern Israel (at Dan and Bethel) were announced illegal but people still carried on. However, God is not concerned about where the worships are done now. The laws regarding worship were given as shadows of true worship.

Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (John 4:21)

This was shocking to the Jews, especially the Pharisees, who believed they lost their country because they did not keep the Law. But God was not concerned about the external form of worship. From the very beginning, God wanted people who know Him. And Christ came exactly for that purpose – the priestly Kingdom.

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

The Pharisees tried to accuse Christ of blaspheming God and the temple. They also accused Apostle Stephen of blaspheming their temple. Stephen explained that the earthly temple was never God’s final temple (See Acts 7).

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (Revelation 21:22)

Christ became the cornerstone of the Kingdom, where God will dwell forever. There are ignorant people who ask why Christ delays His coming. The answer is that the Kingdom (the new Jerusalem, the invisible church) was only born when Christ died. And she has never stopped growing since. Only when the end comes, she will be fully ready.

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)

The Gospel of John explains a lot about worship.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)

It was God’s will that Israel nation was built as a shadow of the true Kingdom and Christ was born as a descendant of David. Therefore, salvation comes from the Jews but not all Jews are saved as in the OT. Only the remnant chosen by grace will be saved regardless of their backgrounds.

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:5)

The priests of the Kingdom worship God without ceasing. And the important truth is that God accepts only what is from God – Truth (Son, Word) and Spirit. And this is shown in Psalm 22:22. The Father receives praise from the Son because the Son is one with the Father. The Son truly knows the Father. This is the only condition of true worship – one must be one with the Son and the Father through the Holy Spirit. All other elements of public worship come after that.

There are three important elements of publish worship. They are prayer, praise/singing to God, and preaching. Many churches, even the Reformed, fail in all three elements. All three are connected to the knowledge of God. As I mentioned, the Covenant Theology and the active obedience of Christ have done much harm and the knowledge became crooked.

At present, prayers are done without knowing what God has done and will do. People focus on their own salvation and are not interested in the coming Kingdom that will come down out of heaven. The Law is overly emphasized as if it can give people salvation. And although the Law is emphasized, they do not keep the Law.

Singing hymns made by men is also a big problem. Men-made songs are loved much more than the songs made by God. The Psalms are full of the knowledge of God, but people think some men-made songs with “love” and “Jesus” would please God more than the Psalms. Music is closely related to idolatry.

But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of victory, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But I hear the sound of singing.” (Exodus 32:18)

I heard Zwingli, as a wise man, removed all kinds of instruments and music from public worship because of its effects on people. People would rather dwell in ecstasy that music brings than listen to the words of God. That is human nature. People in churches believe they have the Holy Spirit, and they can write new music for God. For them, music is better than words of God because they do not get the same joy that saints get when reading the Bible. I do not want to waste my time arguing with them.

Lastly, ministers preach what is not true. Most of them preach against Sola Gratia and the divine election. And those in the Reformed denominations preach on the Covenant Theology and the active obedience of Christ, which bring wrong understandings of God and His Kingdom.

While I was in a Reformed church, I tried hard to persuade the elders. But they did not want to change their stubborn ways. They were satisfied with their ways of worshiping God. God showed me the state of the church before I joined in a dream. And God has announced that her wound is incurable.

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! (Acts 7:51)

People who receive the mark of God are those who mourn over idolatry.

Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it (Ezekiel 9:4)

It is not surprising God has shut the doors of many churches around the world during the pandemic because it is the first sign and seal of Christ’s reign on the earth.

The Covenant Theology focuses on the covenants that appear in the Bible. It uses the covenants to explain the redemptive history. But the Covenant theologians’ understandings of God’s covenants are crooked because of their view of Adam.

There are two types of covenants that God makes with people in the Bible. One is conditional and the other is unconditional which is summarized in Galatians 4:21-31. Conditional covenants are merely given to teach saints that there is no such thing as “if” in God’s dictionary. There is no such thing as “If I keep God’s commands, I will live.” Whenever God puts a condition to a covenant with people, they failed. The first examples were Adam and Eve. Then what does God teach us in this? God wants us to know and confess that we cannot do anything without God.

I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5)

The first covenant with men was a conditional one which Adam and Eve could not keep. The second covenant was with Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. (Genesis 6:9)

This word “righteous” was not just the word uprightness used for Adam and Eve. This is the first time that the word “righteous” was used for a man. Noah, as a man who received the Holy Spirit, walked with God. This does not mean that other faithful ancestors like Abel or Enoch were inferior. They were also righteous. This word “righteous” was used for Noah and Abraham specifically because they were the shadows of Christ, who is the head of the eternal covenant – the Covenant of Grace.

One may understand that a covenant is a contract between two parties as the world understands. In fact, the Father does it all. The Father and the Son are one.

Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. (Galatians 3:20)

Conditional covenants require the absolute obedience and loyalty inside and out. Unconditional covenants are blessings from God. A theologian mentioned that the Hebrew word Berakah (blessing) and Berit (covenant) have the same root. Only when we receive the Holy Spirit, everything the Father and the Son did together becomes blessings to us. Only then absolute obedience and loyalty to God can be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, even if we fail, God forgives our sins because we are no longer slaves like Adam but children of God.

He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:13-16)

Eventually, there is only one covenant, that is the Covenant of Grace. The only covenant God confirms is the everlasting blessing onto His people through His Son. We are no longer slaves but sons of God.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:7)

With this in mind, we need to be careful when we read about the federal justification and the active obedience of Christ along with the Covenant Theology.

The Reformed theologians have been emphasizing the federal justification. It is true that Christ shifted saints from the land of the dead to the Kingdom by His death. And we are declared righteous as the accused set free from the court room by the judge. But God’s court room is not like the world’s because the judge (Father) and the advocate (Son) are one. In His world, the judge is the advocate, and the advocate is the judge. The advocate does exactly what the judge says. What the Father wants, the Son wants. And the result is the Kingdom.

Those who think there is no hope without the active obedience of Christ doctrine consider that the Law gives the eternal life. They think Christ kept the Law perfectly and then with the righteousness He gained by keeping the Law, Christ imputed righteousness onto them.

Earlier I wrote why this is wrong. I won’t repeat the same things here. The only thing I’d like to reemphasize is that Agape is the fulfillment of the Law. And only God can do it.

This doctrine of active obedience of Christ must be removed, and this is the one of the reasons why we must separate from the former Protestant churches (and the Roman Catholic church).

The heart of the Reformation in the 16^th century is justification by faith. We need to be careful not to consider faith as a tool to get saved. The focus of the doctrine is grace of God. Faith is a gift of God. Every saint has this faith in God because everyone received the knowledge of God. We cannot believe in someone that we do not know. Faith is closely related to knowing God and His words. Faith is not complicated. Faith is simple yet get strengthened as we walk with God. Faith is the work of the Spirit. Everyone chosen by God before creation receives the Spirit at the appointed time.

 Sadly, it has gone corrupt along the way in the hands of the Reformers in the 17^th century England. They quote Luther and Calvin here and there and try to distort truths. They wanted a Christian nation. They thought they could convert anyone into Christian by causing fear through the Law. They sold indulgence like the Roman Catholic. And what we call a Christian nation does not have many true Christians but those who distort truths of God. Arminianism was condemned a long time ago but most of them follow Arminianism. And those who are in the Reformed follow the Covenant Theology and the active obedience of Christ, which God sees as rootless (unorthodox). They are no different from the Roman Catholic church.

This is the truth of justification – there is nothing that a man (even Adam before the fall) can do to be united with God unless God gives His Spirit. It is only by God’s mercy saints become united with the Son and the Father.

Earlier I wrote that Adam did not know God as the Son does because he did not receive the Holy Spirit. The word “breath” that God gave him was not the Spirit but a physical life. Even if we do not look up the Hebrew word to know the meaning of breath that Adam received, it is clear to see that Adam was not like Christ because he fell into temptation. On the other hand, the Son as the Son of Man with the Holy Spirit overcame the temptations from the devil.

Understanding this is crucial for restoring the knowledge of God and also the worship. There is no acceptable worship without understanding God’s will. When I started to have dreams, I understood the two things that God cared. The first message was: My children are not fed.  The second message was: Worship is unacceptable. Therefore, removing false doctrines and ideas in theology is critical.

The Reformed theologians try to explain everything by TULIP. But TULIP has limitations especially when we try to explain Adam before the fall. It is true that God condemns all men because of the original sin.

For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all. (Romans 11:32)

From here, ignorant people made up Adam as some superior being, a friend of God. But the Bible never says that he was a friend of God or was like the Son of God. In fact, Adam was a slave who did not know the Master’s thoughts. Some covenant theologians think Ezekiel 27 and 28 describe Adam in the garden of Eden.

In the pride of your heartyou say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a godin the heart of the seas.” But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. (Eze 28:2)

Most importantly, Adam did not believe in God. He trusted the devil’s words. Was Adam wise? Yes, in a worldly sense. Was Adam wise like Christ? The answer is: No.

The Bible, from the start to the end, explains that a man cannot keep a single command of God without the power of God. Therefore, the Bible denies salvation by works. There is no place for Arminianism, or Semi-Pelagianism in orthodox Christianity because even Adam before the fall needed Christ.

After everyone got shut up in disobedience because of Adam, we humans need a saviour who not only redeems us from our iniquities but also makes us be born again from heaven. Only Christ by the Father’s will can change our status from a mere slave who does not know the Lord’s will to a son of God. If we remain as a slave (although upright), we cannot know God. We will fall again and again if we remain as Adam.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (John 15:16-16)

Only Christ is given the task to make us sons of God and build the eternal dwelling of God – the Kingdom.

Here I am not going to discuss about the imputation or infusion of righteousness of Christ. Theologians made theology very confusing and some of the terms make things more complicated. In a nutshell, the Reformed believe that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to saints.

What I’d like to focus on is Christ’s righteousness. Those who hold immovable child-like faith do not need to be explained about this. But for the sake of the new visible church, I write this so that she is well-equipped to defend herself.

Earlier I wrote that I came across Romans 3:11-18 and the passage attracted me when I was 6. For a six-year-old, verse 10 and 11 were a mystery.

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. (Rom 3: 10-11)

I asked myself then: What is righteousness? Only in 2017, I started to understand the word. What I came to know in 2017 was that only God is righteous. When I understood the word, I was surprised to find out people define righteousness in many different ways. In churches, people often connect this word to God’s Laws and doing good deeds in the sight of the world.

Some may say that my understanding is the same as others. But there is a big difference. Even though one appears to live a pious life and does many good deeds in the sight of the world, God may see him/her as unrighteous. For example, the notorious heretic, Arius, was a church leader and was very popular among people because of his pious life. But he did not know God. He denied Trinity. He was the opponent of Athanasius, who was a true prophet.

To explain the difference, I need to write about the Holy Spirit. But I’d like to focus on the kind of righteousness that Christ had. Christ, as the son of God and also as the son of Man who received the Holy Spirit, had the same righteousness as the Father. But while His righteousness came from the Father, theologians explained that the righteousness of Christ imputed to saints is different from God’s righteousness, and that righteousness came from Christ’s works – active and passive obedience. This is very confusing and does not make much sense.

Even Calvin made this confusing. If I understood his writings well, he understood that one is righteous when he/she keeps the Law perfectly. And it appears that he separated Christ’s two natures when he explained about His temptations and sufferings. But I think he was merely explaining a particular passage at a time instead of understanding the entire Bible. He mentioned not to speculate on Adam’s fall but the reason why Adam fell is crucial in understanding Christ. But Calvin was careful not to go beyond what was written. Covenant theologians still struggle to prove that Calvin’s theology supports the active obedience of Christ and the Covenant Theology.

Calvin talks about the righteousness of Christ imputed to saints in his institute Book 2, Chapter 17. Unlike the Covenant theologians who emphasize on the Law, Calvin focuses on Christ’s suffering on the cross when explaining His righteousness according to Romans 5:12-21. Paul relates Christ’s righteousness to the death on the cross. Christ Himself explains that righteousness is related His returning to the Father (John 16:10). And Calvin admits that Christ’s righteousness is not from Himself but from the Father.

“Therefore, when we treat of the merit of Christ, we do not place the beginning in him, but we ascend to the ordination of God as the primary cause, because of his mere good pleasure he appointed a Mediator to purchase salvation for us. Hence the merit of Christ is inconsiderately opposed to the mercy of God.” (The Institute 2.17.1)

For a better understanding, you may read the entire chapter. But I’d recommend not to read theology books. The Reformers in the 16th century relied heavily on Paul’s letters to explain justification of saints and made speculative theories. What Paul tried to do was to explain God’s mysteries in a way a new believer could understand. Bringing human philosophies (especially Greek philosophies) into Paul’s letter is leading the opposite direction that Paul tried to show. Peter warned us a long time ago to be careful when interpreting what Paul said.

He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16)

It is crucial to understand the entire Bible to understand Christ’s righteousness imputed to saints. “Christ did everything!” We hear this a lot in churches. But it is actually, “The Father did everything!” And this Christ also says in John 5:19:

So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.

While theologians and ministers say we are saved by Christ’s merit, they treat His merit as His own. And they bring Adam to the table and say Christ did what Adam could not. Combined with the doctrine of Free Will, they emphasize the excellence of the will of a man called Jesus. Thus, they limit Christ as a mere man. It is not surprising that the original doctrine of the active obedience of Christ by Anselm of Canterbury tells us that Christ had to keep the law to qualify Himself. In other words, Christ had to work not to become like Adam. This is a heretical teaching.

Christ’s righteousness imputed to saints is the King’s righteousness not just a mere uprightness that Adam had. Adam was naked but saints are clothed with Christ.

But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets. (Romans 3:21)

God did not change His plans in response to men’s actions. The message written in the OT is the same as in the NT.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values] (Galatians 3:27)

Paul himself opposes the Covenant Theology because he does not see Adam and Christ in a parallel way. Christ is from above and Adam is from dust (1 Corinthians 15:47).  

Unconditional perfect obedience was required of Adam because he was God’s slave. Adam was not given knowledge of God as it was given to His Son. The Son’s (and also the adopted children’s) relationship with the Father are shown in these verses:

He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:13-16)

In conclusion, saints are clothed with God’s righteousness. This is the Father’s will. We are not merely going back to Adam’s position before the fall. Adam’s fall was necessary because God trains His people as silver is purified. The result is the Kingdom.

Theologians and ministers throughout history wanted to believe that God saved all and all they need to do is to go and preach the good news to convert as many as possible. Slowly their focus became people not God. Many made up stories to please many.

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:43)

And their errors are rooted deeply in theology. They encourage people to believe in the errors saying that people are made in the image of God. Their errors can be found in the understanding of Adam in the garden. These are the commonly spoken ideas on Adam:

• Adam was a son of God
• Adam had the Holy Spirit
• Adam was a friend of God and knew God
• Adam was righteous

These ideas need to be examined carefully. Paul explained the differences between Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:47-49:

The first man [Adam] is from the earth, earthy [made of dust]; the second Man [Christ, the Lord] is from heaven. As is the earthly man [the man of dust], so are those who are of earth; and as is the heavenly [Man], so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [the man of dust], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [the Man of heaven].

One may ask, “What about Luke 3:38? It says Adam was the son of God!” Firstly, the Greek word used here is not son (υιός). And secondly, Luke did not write the genealogy to claim that Adam was the son of God, but Christ was a man just like any of us and was also Messiah (Christ). As the second Adam, He came to redeem His elect people (See Romans 5:11-21).

Regarding the question if Adam had the Holy Spirit, many people quote Genesis 2:7 and say that God breathed His Spirit into Adam. The word used here is neshamah (breath, Strong 5397), which was also used in Genesis 7:22:

All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

Thus, the word used here does not indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. If Adam received the Holy Spirit, why did he rebel? Why couldn’t he overcome the temptation? His rebellion is contrasted to Christ overcoming the temptations. Before the mission, Christ was anointed publicly with the Holy Spirit. And God announced that He was the Son of God.

Next, whether Adam was a friend of God or not, there is no verse that we can find the answer from. But our Lord defined the meaning of being a friend with God in John 15:15:

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.

Many theologians and ministers want to believe that Adam talked to God in the garden of Eden as a friend. They put much emphasis on Genesis 3:8. Some claim Adam used to walk with God in the garden. Others say Adam was united with God. Calvin also mentioned that Adam was united with God, but he did not go on making up stories. It is true that Adam had a relationship with God. However, the relationship was a relationship between a master and a servant/slave. If Adam knew God’s plans but still rebelled, then it means he was just like the devil. But Adam was made upright (Ecclesiastes 7:29). Therefore, it is more accurate to say that he was a servant/slave of God who did not know God’s plans. Absolute and unconditional obedience was required of him to stay in the garden of Eden. But Adam rebelled.

God made man upright and uncorrupted, but they [both men and women] have sought out many devices [for evil] (Ecc 7:29)

Because of Ecc 7:29, there are many Adam-worshipers in churches. The word used here is Yashar (Strong 3477), which was also used to describe Job in Job 1:1:

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless (Tam, Strong 8535) and upright (Yashar, Strong 3477); he feared God and shunned evil.

It is amazing how God put the Book of Job in His Bible to explain His relationship with Adam. There is much to talk about Job.

In a nutshell, Job’s pride lies in his upright/righteous life. He believed that his life would be peaceful and prosperous as long as he followed God’s commands. Thus, when the disasters came, he could not understand. He says he is a mere man but thinks his work-based uprightness is better than God’s righteousness. At the end, he claims that he is better than Adam (or any other men) (Job 31:33). Three friends were given the task to rebuke Job, but their understanding of God was poor, so they failed. In all this, God taught Job a lesson. And Job finally confesses (Job 42:2):

I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Augustine and Calvin mentioned that the root of Adam’s rebellion was his pride. God considered Job as upright, but it was not the righteousness of God. Job’s work-based righteousness was leading to pride, which God saw and revealed. In contrast, saints rely on God’s righteousness:

And You have fulfilled Your promise, For You are righteous (ṣaddiq, Strong 6662) (Nehemiah 9:8)

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 (sidqenu, Strong 6664) (Jeremiah 23:6)

I do not recommend people to study Hebrews or Greek, but it is sometimes useful to look up references to avoid confusion. More study is needed regarding the use of the word Yashar to describe Adam (and Eve) and Job and not saddiq.

Surely there is not a righteous (ṣaddiq, Strong 6662) man on earth who does good and never sins. (Ecc 7:20)

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as rigorousness (Sedaqah, Strong 6666). (Genesis 15:6)

The words in Hebrews from Strong’s 6662 to 6667 appear to have the same origin.

My conclusion is that Adam was made innocent and upright, but his righteousness was depended on works. When he rebelled against God by eating the fruit, his righteousness was removed and became unrighteous. Saints do not clothe with such righteousness which can be removed. We are not merely returning to Adam’s state before the fall.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1: 3-4)

What I have written here brings the next topic, which is the nature of righteousness of Christ imputed to saints.

When I first learned about the doctrine of freewill, I thought the word ‘freewill’ was a strange word. What I mean is that one cannot have totally free freewill unless one is God. God is the only being that can do whatever He wants to do. Even now He can undo everything he did and start all over again. That is true freewill. However, God promised by His own name so that all he planned before creation would come true till the end. In that, we put our hope because God is faithful.

… By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD… (Genesis 22:16; see also Hebrews 6:13)

People, even Adam and Eve before the fall, do not have such freewill. If any of us has a freewill, then there exists “if”. The word “if” means things can change by my decisions. If Adam had not eaten the fruit…. If the Israelite obeyed all God’s laws… If the Pharisees listened to Christ… If King Saul obeyed God, If Christ did not die… And this “if” appears frequently in sermons, theology books, story books, etc.

The doctrine of freewill is summarized in Chapter 9 of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). The Covenant of Works (CoW) also appears in the WCF, and it has done much harm than good. The CoW sees that there is “if” existed in the garden of Eden before Adam ate the fruit. Most of Covenant theologians insist that Adam was given a probation period for God to test him. According to them, Adam could have obtained eternal life then and there if he kept the command till the end of the period. This is worse than a fairy tale.

Calvin, unsurprisingly, was skeptical about using this term. In his institute book 2, chapter 2, he explained the negative impacts of using this word. The word “will” is not the right word to explain the state of Adam in Eden, that of the fallen people, and that of the saints on the earth. Calvin saw the risks of misusing the word and warned the readers to be careful.

People may then argue that we are not like robots. To refute, I must ask them to explain their definition of a robot. There will be many different answers, and we have different ideas on freewill. What the Bible teaches us is that Adam’s fall was in God’s plan, and no one can change the future.

… for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Everything is finished! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water from the life-giving fountain to everyone who is thirsty. (Rev 21:6)

The doctrine of freewill also produced unwise speculations on Adam in the garden. Many theologians, especially those follow the Covenant Theology, think we are only returning to the state of Adam in Eden before his crime. They fail to explain why Adam was naked, but saints are clothed in white just like our Lord.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15).

Was Adam a friend of God? If he was, why did he distrust God and rebel? Did he really know the Father? There is much to write about Adam’s righteousness, but I will do it next time.