INTRODUCTION

Are you tired of being reminded of your faults? Does your church NOT accept you for who you are? Does your church community constantly remind you of your imperfections? Does it seem utterly impossible to "do right" with others and "be right" with God? Do you leave your church service feeling inadequate? Do your church leaders make you feel insecure?

If you answered, "yes" to even one of these questions, you might be feeling frustrated, depressed, and ready to give up trying to be faultless, perfect, or a "good person." After all, how is it possible to please everyone?

To be sure, we all have faults and imperfections, and so long as we are measured against the standards of others, we always will. Moreover, in our daily lives, each of us is constantly being reminded of these faults, in the hope that this will help us to change for the better. But there is a problem with this. That is, in reminding us of our faults, people tell us something we already know. We know that we are not perfect in the eyes of others. But being reminded of this fact does not help us change, but rather makes us frustrated and depressed. Surprisingly, this is what often happens in many church experiences.

If this has been your experience, what you need is not more "bad news" concerning your faults in the eyes of others, but "good news" concerning your perfection in the eyes of God. Indeed, it is the bringing forth of such "good news" that the church experience is supposed to be about. While you may have faults in the eyes of other people (who also have faults), in the eyes of God, you are without fault. In the eyes of God you are perfect.

God has told you that you are perfect; God has told you that you are righteous; God has told you that you are without fault...God, who is absolutely perfect, sees you just like he sees himself.

Most religious leaders want you to think that you have to "do right" to "be right." You do have to "do right" for your own sake. But you don't "do right" to "be right" with God. God loves you no matter what you decide to do!

If you are tired of being reminded of your faults and are ready for some more "good news" please continue to read.

The word "gospel" literally means something. You wouldn't know it by looking up the word in the dictionary. Webster's has it defined strictly in its modern day cultural and historical context. And you definitely wouldn't know it by most religious doctrines, either. They often are so divisive, intolerant, and downright hateful. But, thankfully, we have a resource for a more intimate portrayal of the real meaning of the word gospel, the inspired messages contained in the Bible.

Simply stated, the gospel means in the original language "good news". And there are only two varieties of this gospel: grace and peace.

There is no bad news in the good news!

And here's the good news. God loves all men and women the same. We believe ALL human beings have been made righteous in the sight of God, because, amazingly, somehow God chose to redeem the world as the scriptures state so clearly by the sacrificial life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. This is foreshadowed and predicted in the ancient Hebrew writings and eventually revealed in much of what is known as the New Testament by the recorded words of Jesus, Paul the apostle, and many others.

This is not Christianity; the Bible never uses that word.

What this is is people of all faiths, backgrounds, and proclivities, being loved, redeemed, reconciled, saved, heaven-bound, totally spiritually equal in the eyes of the Creator. Together, we're learning more about this good news. And reveling in it.

CHAPTER 1

Has the world believed a lie? This is the question I propose. I ask, “Have we believed a lie?” Has the whole world been fooled all these years? Since the beginning of time I suppose a few have not been fooled, but very little. There have been multitudes of religions, beliefs, and doctrines that have been preached through the ages that have all been looked to, to gain us some sort of favor with God. Yes there are many, as many as we can count. But they all harbor one belief. They can probably all agree on one thing. That one thing is they believe they have the answers to gain God’s acceptance. And believe they have the answers on how to get it. Even though all these religions most likely do not agree on how to attain his acceptance, they all have one thing in common. They all believe they have the answers to gain Gods acceptance and/or favor.

Maybe they believe that what they are doing keeps them in God’s favor or acceptance. One thing I can see about these religions is that they all try to lead us to God. They believe what they are doing is the right thing to do to gain God’s favor. I believe the whole world has accepted this lie that is taught almost every Sunday in almost every church setting no matter what the religion. The people are told what they are not doing right to gain God’s acceptance and what they need to do to get it. This lie is unknowingly spread throughout the world and has spread since Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. Why has the world so easily been fooled? We are reminded every Sunday we are not right with God according to most religious beliefs and then we are taught how to get right with God.

This lie is spread in many different ways, by many different beliefs and doctrines. Some believe you must confess each night to be right with God. Some believe you must confess your sin immediately to stay right with God. Others believe you must work your way into being right with God, some even believe you must confess to the priest to be right with God. And the list goes on and on. There is neither enough ink nor paper to write down all of the beliefs. One fact is for sure, most all peoples dilemma is “am I right with God and if not how do I get right.” Of course we have the popular church saying “get right or get left.” Another one is “turn or burn.” All these are just some examples of promoting the lie.

The lie needs to be exposed. The lie is so harmful. Most all churches preach how to get God on your side and that is our dilemma, isn’t it? So who has the answer? Well, first of all I would like to expose the lie. The lie the whole world seems to have believed for ages, even myself. I have believed it most of my life. I was raised in a Christian home. I was raised to confess my sins at night before I fell asleep. I was taught and preached to by preachers and evangelists alike to come to the alter on any given Sunday morning or it may have been a revival, to come up to the alter and get things right with God or I would go straight to hell. I was put on this road that seemed to never have an end.

Has the whole world been suckered by religion? Has it been suckered by all religion? No matter what belief they most all seem to spread this one lie. The lie to the world is “you’re not right with God.” The lie is “your not accepted by him.” The lie is “you do not have God’s favor.” And there suppose to have all the answers on how to get it. “Why is this a lie, you ask?” Well that's what I want to do is expose this lie by letting the world know what the lie is and what it does to us. We labor so hard to gain God’s favor. We sweat, we cry, we pray, we do, we don’t do, we restrain, we refrain, we abstain and with all this we still feel empty. We still feel depressed. We still feel angry, and sadly we feel resentment towards God. This religious fervor leads nowhere but backwards into lies and denial. Well if we can’t do everything just right as the preacher preaches which by the way, I’ll just let you in on a secret (he doesn’t do it all just right either.) But since we can’t do it all just right we must lie. We must lie to others and even to ourselves living fake lives in denial. This all sadly leads to depression and even suicide. Yes most suicides are caused from religious beliefs. Most all that kill themselves have heavy religious backgrounds.

How can these doctrines that lead us into destruction be the truth? The answer is “they cannot be the truth”. These religious beliefs promote destruction; they promote the lie that we are not right with God without our works of doing good enough to gain his favor and his acceptance. These doctrines are not the truth. Where does it end? Well it will not end as long as we believe we are not right with God. It will never end as long as we are taught what we must do to get right with God. It will never end as long as we are taught how to stay right with God. Religion has led us to this belief and it promotes this destruction. These doctrines of rules and regulations, these doctrines of laws to gain God’s favor, because we believe we have not attained it yet, kill the very soul of man. I guess, it in most part, is done and taught unknowingly, in the name of God. This lie that has so blinded us from the truth has to come to an end. This lie is used to manipulate and control people. It is sad to say maybe some pastors need this lie to survive as pastors. There is control over people by preaching this lie. It causes people to have a sense of need. It causes people to need the pastor for answers. He must have all the answers on how to get closer to God since he is the pastor and has already arrived. Right? Huh-NOT!!

Where will it end? Well maybe this letter or this book whatever you want to call it will open your eyes. Maybe this will remove the veil that blinds most all the world. I know this is hard. But it is the hard truth. And this truth will cause the walls of religion to tumble. They are tumbling now even as you read this. This lie that you are not right with God without your works and in spite of your deeds will come to an end. The world will know the truth and the truth will set the world free. Exposing this lie will be in the pages to come. Exposing this lie will be with great pain and tribulation. Exposing this lie will bring persecution. But knowing this truth will bring great liberty. Have you believed a lie? Religion exists because of this lie. It is fueled by this lie. Its whole existence is based on a lie.

Many Christians are struggling to gain God’s favor. They labor so hard to gain God’s acceptance but their minds tell them it is not good enough. Their pastor tells them it is not good enough. Their peers tell them it is not good enough. And they try and they try with no avail. Heartache and pain, depression and despair, anger and resentment towards God are all they get. They say why not just give up. All hope is lost. I tell you I am here to give you hope. I am here to tell you there is good news. I am here to tell you there is rest. I am here to tell you there is something to rejoice about. I am here to tell you it is all a lie. I am here to tell you the truth. Open your eyes and see. Open your ears and hear. Open your hearts and accept the good news.

Have you been fooled? Have you been lied to? Now is the day of truth. The lie has been exposed. You will no longer grope in darkness. You will no longer wander around in the wilderness. You have been brought into the marvelous light. Read on to see the lie exposed layer by layer. We are peeling off the scales of our eyes to see the greatness of the Lord. Most Churches are preaching each Sunday morning how to get God on your side. They are preaching how to get God to bless you. The pastor stands before you with great boldness preaching how to get right with God or burn. This goes on all over your town. This preaching of doctrines, laws, rules, and regulations goes on all over the world. The pastor tells you what you must do to get God to help you. He tells you what you must not do or God will leave you.

You go away discouraged. You go away broken hearted. Or better yet you go away with a false sense of I’ve finally arrived. The preacher challenges your salvation and whether you’re even going to heaven or not and most people leave confused. Can this be truth that is preached or is it just some doctrine that is not truth at all. Is this good news that is preached that leaves you lonely and wondering if God even loves you. They are all telling you lies. The Greatest lies ever told. The greatest lie believed by almost the whole world. The lie that says, “God is not on your side and cannot help you unless you do this, that and the other which is usually prescribed by the pastor who supposedly has all the answers.”

Let me expose this lie for you to set your heart free and to set your soul at rest. You will labor no more. The pages to come will bring peace to your heart. The pages to come will lift the veil that has blinded the world from the truth. The pages to come will reveal what God has already done for you. The pages to come will reveal that you have already attained everything from God. It will reveal you have favor with God. It will reveal you are already right with God. This book will open your heart to a great revelation of the Gospel. The gospel is the good news. The good news is you have been made right with God. You are righteous in his sight through Jesus Christ his son. You have been put on a trail to attain something you already have. You have been put in right standing with God already through Jesus.

Righteousness is a free gift. It has been given to you from God purchased already by his son Jesus. You need not continue to ride this treadmill that goes nowhere. You need not believe this lie. Your labors can cease. God has given you grace, peace, and righteousness freely through his son Jesus. Most Pastors and preachers alike are not preaching this good news. They are not preaching the gospel. They are preaching a lie that leads to despair. But I preach to you the gospel in these pages. I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, for in it is a revelation. The revelation that man is made righteous without doing anything right and when he does wrong it is not held against him.

This makes the religious angry. This makes the religious very angry. It stops their system that is built on doctrines of man and not of God. The religious through the past ages have brought persecution on those who preach the gospel, for the gospel says righteousness is a free gift from God. The religious say how can this be that God would give it freely? I have done well all my life and worked hard to attain it. So how can you say you get it freely? The religious have tried to do all they could to gain righteousness through their works and now we say God has given it to us freely. It makes

Them mad. But I am not ashamed to stand before them and say I have attained righteousness from God freely. I have done nothing to deserve it. It was given to me freely from God through Jesus and what he did at the cross.

They cry heresy. That's funny, when something lifts up Jesus and he gets all the glory the religious cry heresy. No glory to them I guess. This gospel of Jesus offends the religious. Paul said that the preaching of the cross is offensive. What did he mean? He meant it offends the religious and self-righteous because it takes away all their glory and glorifies Jesus. It removes all power to their system. I believe all this self righteous garbage will cease soon. This revelation of the gospel is spreading like wildfires to people who haven't heard it and many are getting glimpses of this glorious great news. I believe the Holy Spirit is preparing hearts to receive it more and more each day. If you are willing to receive and the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart, I ask you to please read on. Thanks and God’s grace, peace and righteousness be with you forever. Alright lets dive in. Let me point out some scriptures for you and explain them in depth so you can understand. 

CHAPTER 2

THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO ROMANS

(KJV) Ro 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Ro 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Ro 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Ro 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Ro 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Ro 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Ro 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Ro 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Ro 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Ro 3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Ro 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Ro 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. So here it is broken down for you. Let me tell you the truth here.

No one can ever be made righteous (put in right standing with God; favored by God or accepted by God deserving all his blessings) by doing good, what the law demands, or any deed that you feel or think in your mind that might gain you favor with God. The more we know God’s laws, or even make up our own laws of good deeds to gain God’s favor, and try to live by them and do them, the more our own hearts condemn us and lets us know it’s not good enough. The law was sent to let us know we are sinners. The law lets us know we will never please God through our works and our deeds to obey the law. The law was sent to bring us to our end. It w as sent to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we would turn to Jesus for righteousness. Paul said he didn’t even know he was a sinner until the law showed him. That’s what the law will do if you put yourself under it. It will condemn your heart and call you a sinner.

But God has shown us a new way, a new and living way, a new covenant. This way is not by obeying the law. It’s not by being good enough. This new way confounds the wise. This new way shakes the foundation of religion, which has no foundation at all really. This new covenant says God declares us not guilty. God has acquitted us. God says he holds no sin in our account. Now under this new covenant God totally 100% accepts us at all times, now and forever will. Under this new covenant Jesus has taken away our sins. We have been made righteous by Jesus' blood. We have been declared not guilty. This is the free gift of righteousness. Under this new covenant God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. He took God’s wrath upon himself at the cross. Jesus ended God’s anger against man. Jesus took God’s anger upon himself for us so that he would never be angry with us ever again.

God used Christ’s blood and used his death at the cross to save us from God’s wrath. Never will we have to fear that God’s wrath would come upon us, because Jesus took it upon himself at the cross. It pleased God for Christ to take our punishment. Now God will forever be pleased with us because of his son’s death for the remission of our sins. Now God receives us because Jesus has taken away our sins. He justifies us who believe on Jesus. He says we are innocent. He totally took away our sins forevermore. So what can we boast about that we did to earn righteousness? The answer is nothing at all. Can we boast that we have been so good to earn God’s favor? No. Is it by obeying the law? No. Has our good deeds attained righteousness? No. Why? Because our sin is no longer held in account against us because of what Jesus has done. It is because of what Jesus has done at the cross. By his blood and that alone has brought us in right standing with God.

By faith in Jesus Christ we have been saved. It is not by the good things we have done. We have all been acquitted by faith in Jesus. We have all been declared not guilty. We have had our sins taken away forever. No longer will our sins be held in account against us. Jesus and Jesus alone has declared us righteous? We are righteous, holy and accepted in God’s eyes. We are saints, kings and priests everyone no longer to be in bondage to the law for righteousness. We are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.

(KJV) Ro 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?Ro 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. Ro 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.Ro 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.Ro 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Ro 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Ro 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.Ro 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.Ro 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Ro 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. Ro 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: Ro 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. Ro 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.Ro 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:Ro 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.Ro 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, Ro 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Ro 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.Ro 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: Ro 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; Ro 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.Ro 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Ro 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; Ro 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Ro 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. So let me explain in depth for you.

Let’s take a look at Abraham. Was it because of Abraham's good deeds that God accepted him? The scriptures tell us that Abraham believed God, and that is why God canceled his sins and counted it to him as righteousness. He declared him not guilty for his faith in him. Abraham did not get all his good deeds counted as righteousness. No. He was given the free gift of righteousness.

Righteousness is a free gift. If he did good deeds to earn it then it would not be free. Righteousness is free. Righteousness is given to those who have not worked for it. It is given freely to those who do not trust in their good deeds for it. It is given to those who have faith in Jesus. God declares those who are sinners to be righteous in his sight who have faith in Jesus. Just as Abraham's faith made him righteous in God’s sight.

King David described this blessedness of the gospel. He said blessed is the man who God makes righteous without doing anything right. He said blessed is the man who sins are no longer held in account against him. This is the blessedness of the gospel so described by King David.

Is this righteousness given only to those who have faith in Jesus and keep the law, or is it given to those who do not keep the law but trust in only Jesus? Well what about Abraham? We say that he received righteousness through faith. Was it faith alone? Or was it because he also kept the law? So when was his faith counted to him as righteousness?

It was before he became circumcised. It wasn’t until later on, after God had called him righteous that he was circumcised as a sign of being righteous. It was his faith that made him righteous, not following the law of circumcision. His circumcision came after God counted him righteous. He was circumcised because he was made righteous, not to be righteous. So Abraham is our spiritual father. It is also our faith in Jesus that makes us righteous without obeying the law. We are justified by faith just as Abraham was by this faith and not by his works and we are not, by our works, just the same. Abraham found favor with God through faith alone. We have favor with God through faith in Jesus and that alone is what we claim to make us righteous.

So If your going to trust in obeying the law to please God your faith is made void and is of no effect. So, if you still lay claim that God gives righteousness to those who are good enough, you have made your faith void and of no effect. The fact is if we continue to try to gain God’s favor by trusting in our good deeds and keeping his laws, rules and regulation we always sin in our mind. We feel it’s not good enough and we deserve wrath and feel that God is angry with us. That is the way the law works. The law works wrath. We need to understand there is no law to break anymore. The law has been nailed to the cross. Where there is no law there is no transgression. No law to break, which means no sin. God’s righteousness is given to us by faith since there is no longer a law to keep earning or deserving it. Righteousness is a free gift. It is given by God undeservedly and unmerited through the blood of Jesus and by his death on the cross. It is a free gift by his Grace. It is the same as Abraham received it. He received it by his faith.

Because Abraham believed God and had faith God declared him not guilty. No sin was counted against him. This statement that Abraham was accepted and approved in God’s sight through faith wasn’t just for Abraham's benefit. It was for us also; assuring us that God would accept us the same way as he accepted Abraham who believed God who brought Jesus back from the dead. He died for our sins and rose again to make us righteous, perfect and holy. We are called saints, everyone. Kings and priest without spot or blemish. We are justified in God’s sight.

(KJV)Ro 5:1 Wherefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Ro 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Ro 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; Ro 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: Ro 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Ro 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Ro 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Ro 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Ro 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Ro 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Here is what you need to understand about these scriptures. Let me explain.

Now since we have been justified and made righteous in God’s sight through faith in Jesus Christ we have total peace with God. God is no longer angry with us. Jesus took his wrath for us on the cross. God’s anger was poured out upon Jesus so that we would never have to experience God’s wrath.

That is what this word (peace) means. It does not mean a tranquil state of mind. This word peace means God is no longer angry with us. He never will be angry again. Because we have faith in Jesus his wrath will not be poured out upon us. Under the old covenant God was always angry with his children. He was always at war, but now under the new covenant he has declared it to be peacetime with us. So now we have access by faith into his grace. Grace is God’s undeserving, unmerited favor. It says everything is a free gift. God through Christ Jesus freely gives everything to us. So by faith in Jesus we have access to this grace. We have access to this undeserved, unmerited favor with God. This is where we stand. We stand in this Grace. This is where we rest. We stand in this rest. This is where hope comes from. We stand in this hope. This is where the glory of God is seen. We stand in this glory.

This justification, this righteousness, this grace, this favor, this peace with God came by his blood. We shall never see wrath. We are saved from this wrath through him. Under the old covenant, under the law we were enemies to God. There was no peace. If you put yourself back under the law believing what you do good gains God’s favor and what you do wrong causes God to abandon you, you will feel as though God is your enemy. This peace will leave you. The law will condemn you. But we were reconciled to God by the death of his son no longer to be enemies but we have become his friend. Can you see now, it’s not by what you do good to gain God’s favor, but it’s by Jesus’ blood that we already have favor? We have received the atonement. What self-righteous people we have become to say we could gain God’s favor by what we do. What a slap in the face of Jesus to say his death and his blood was not enough.

We have received the atonement by his blood and his blood alone. We cannot do good enough. We cannot do anything to gain God’s favor. His favor has been obtained for us through Jesus and Jesus alone. This is what we rejoice about. This free gift of righteousness. This free gift of right standing with God. This is God’s love that was commanded toward us. He commanded it. His love came. Jesus died for us while we were sinners to declare us not guilty forever more! No longer will our sins ever be held against us. Never. We have been made righteous.

(KJV) Ro5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:Ro 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.Ro 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.Ro 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.Ro 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Ro 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Ro 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Ro 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Ro 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:Ro 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Alright lets break it down and make it simple.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. All of mankind was seen as sinners in God’s sight. Whether they had sinned or not it was counted against them because of one man’s sin. But the law had not come yet so God didn’t judge man until the law came to show man he was guilty in God’s sight. But before the law came there was no law to break or disobey. But then the law came to show man he was a sinner. Sin had entered the whole world by one man’s sin. It was counted to every man’s account, whether you had sinned or not. Because of Adam’s sin everyone was guilty. This was a contrast between Adam and Jesus who was to come. The free gift of righteousness has come the same way. It was by this one man’s sin that brought death to many. Through his sin or disobedience it was counted to every man. Every man became a sinner whether he had sinned or not. This was by one man’s disobedience. Well let’s look at the contrast. Death enters to many by one man Adam, but this one man Jesus brought righteousness to many. It even says that much more have been given the free gift of righteousness, brought to the whole world by the obedience of one man Jesus Christ. By one-man sin entered. For this one man, Adam brought death to many and caused them to be sinners through his sin.

But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought righteousness to many through God’s grace. Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to all, while Christ freely takes away our sin and gives righteousness instead. This is the free gift of righteousness given to us freely from God, Because of one man’s obedience, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s sin brought God’s punishment to all, but Christ's righteousness makes men righteous in God’s sight deserving no punishment at all. Christ made us acceptable because he obeyed. By one offence of one man, Adam, sin came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one man, Jesus, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

So then the law was given so that Adams offence might abound or be imputed to all. This means counted towards us to make us all sinners. It was charged to our account. But where this sin abounded or was counted against reigned over us. Grace has much more abounded, or reigned over us and ruled our hearts.

Take note, it says “much more.” Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Where sin reigned unto death, now grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. How? Is it by our good deeds? Through following laws, rules and regulations? NO! By Christ Jesus who gave his life for us so we are made righteous. God freely gives it to us.

CHAPTER 3

THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO SECOND CORINTHIANS

Most religious folk do not realize there is a new covenant. They haven’t been taught the new covenant verses the old covenant. Or maybe they have been taught a mixture of both. But you have to understand there are two covenants and the new one does away with the old one. I would like to tell about this new covenant for it has been given by Jesus Christ and signed by his blood to redeem the whole world. Redemption is purchased by his blood and then freely given to us. It does not say in this new covenant that we must obey every law of God or die. That is of the old covenant. We want to tell of this new one. We want to tell you there is life for you from the Holy Spirit under a new and living covenant. The old covenant, trying to be righteous by keeping the commandments, ends in death; in the new covenant, the Holy Spirit gives you life freely.

(KJV) 2co 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2co 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:2co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. 2co 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 2co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 2co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2co 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:2co 3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?2co 3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.2co 3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 2co 3:11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 2co 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 2co 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 2co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.2co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. 2co 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. 2co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

( English Version) 2co 3:1 Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you? 2co 3:2 You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge; 2co 3:3 For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh. 2co 3:4 And this is the certain faith which we have in God through Christ: 2co 3:5 Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God; 2co 3:6 Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life. 2co 3:7 For if the operation of the law, giving death, recorded in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the eyes of the children of Israel had to be turned away from the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory which was only for a time: 2co 3:8 Will not the operation of the Spirit have a much greater glory? 2co 3:9 For if the operation of the law, producing punishment, had its glory, how much greater will be the operation of the Spirit causing righteousness? 2co 3:10 For the glory of the first no longer seems to be glory, because of the greater glory of that which comes after. 2co 3:11 For if the order which was for a time had its glory, much more will the eternal order have its glory. 2co 3:12 Having then such a hope, we keep nothing back, 2co 3:13 And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face, so that the children of Israel might not see clearly to the end of the present order of things: 2co 3:14 But their minds were made hard: for to this very day at the reading of the old agreement the same veil is still unlifted; though it is taken away in Christ. 2co 3:15 But to this day, at the reading of the law of Moses, a veil is over their heart. 2co 3:16 But when it is turned to the Lord, the veil will be taken away. 2co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free. 2co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit. Let me help you understand this a little better.

The old covenant had a glory, even though it led to death. It had such a glory that the people could not look at Moses face because as he gave the people God’s law’s to obey, his face shown out with the glory of God, though the brightness was already fading away. This old covenant had a glory but compared to the new covenant it has no glory at all. Should we not expect a far greater glory in these days under the new covenant where the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the plan that leads to doom was glorious, then much more glorious is the plan that freely gives man right standing with God. In fact, as I stated before, that first glory as it shone from Moses face is worth nothing at all in comparison with the overwhelming glory of the new agreement. So if the old system that faded into nothing was full of heavenly glory, the glory of God's new plan for the free gift of righteousness to man is certainly far greater, for it is eternal, it is forever, it is once and for all nevermore to be changed or taken away.

So since we know that this new glory will never go away, we can proclaim with boldness the gospel of Jesus Christ, which says, we are righteous by the works of God’s hands and will forevermore remain righteous for it is his work and not ours. It is not as Moses and the old covenant, which put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not see the glory fade away. Not only was Moses’ face veiled, but people’s minds and understanding were veiled and blinded too. Even now as we speak in these days’ people’s minds and understanding of the gospel are veiled and blinded. Even now when the gospel is preached it seems as though a thick veil covers people’s hearts and minds. This thick veil is religion. This blindness is legalism. The religious cannot see and understand the real meaning of the gospel of grace, peace and righteousness. This veil is put on peoples eyes almost everywhere, almost every Sunday morning when the preacher stands before the congregation and preaches what all is wrong with us and how we must get right with God. This veil of legalism, this veil of religion does not let the people of God see they are already made righteous in God’s sight without their works and in spite of their wrong deeds. This veil needs to be removed by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The veil that is placed over people’s eyes every Sunday has to be removed. People believe a lie as long as they are blinded from the truth of the gospel. Yes even today as in the days of Moses hearts are blinded by this veil of religion, by this veil of self-righteousness. People are being led to think they are not right with God and they must obey the old law of works, do’s, and don’ts to be righteous in God’s sight. This old system has been done away with and a new one has come by the blood of Jesus that says man has been made righteous by the blood alone. We need to understand and turn our hearts toward Jesus and his death and sacrifice at the cross, then realize this gift of righteousness freely given to us by his grace. Then the veil will be taken away. I am here to remove the veil that has been placed over so many minds and hearts and expose the lie of religion. The Lord Jesus is the one who bought our redemption. He is the one who gained us freedom from obeying the old covenant of laws, rules, and regulation to be righteous.

2co 4:1 For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong: 2co 4:2 And we have given up the secret things of shame, not walking in false ways, and not making use of the word of God with deceit; but by the revelation of what is true, as before God, we have the approval of every man's sense of right and wrong. 2co 4:3 But if our good news is veiled, it is veiled from those who are on the way to destruction: 2co 4:4 Because the god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them. 2co 4:5 For our preaching is not about ourselves, but about Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants through Jesus. 2co 4:6 Seeing that it is God who said, Let light be shining out of the dark, who has put in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2co 4:7 But we have this wealth in vessels of earth, so that it may be seen that the power comes not from us but from God; 2co 4:8 Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them; 2co 4:9 We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help; 2co 4:10 In our bodies there is ever the mark of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies. 2co 4:11 For, while living, we are still being given up to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our flesh, though it is under the power of death. 2co 4:12 So then, death is working in us, but life in you. 2co 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith, as it is said in the Writings, The words of my mouth came from the faith in my heart; in the same way, our words are the outcome of our faith; 2co 4:14 Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you. 2co 4:15 For we go through all things on account of you, because the greater the number to whom the grace is given, the greater is the praise to the glory of God. 2co 4:16 For which cause we do not give way to weariness; but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day. 2co 4:17 For our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory; 2co 4:18 While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal. So let me tell you a little about these scriptures.

Religion puts this veil over people’s eyes and says you are not righteous unless you obey. It is a lie. The veil is being removed and people are seeing they are already made righteous by Jesus' obedience at the cross. The veil is being removed by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. We have become righteous by Jesus, even into his very image. We look just like him to God. When God sees us he sees himself. He is perfect therefore we are perfect in his eyes.

But we all, with open face (no veil) look into a mirror of the glory of the Lord, we have been changed into the same image as Jesus himself from glory to glory. We have been changed from the glory of the law that says we must obey to be righteous to the glory of the new covenant that says we are righteous by the blood of Christ, even as by the sprit of the Lord, done by him and not of ourselves. All these new things are from God. This new covenant I tell you about is from God. God has done it all himself for us. He has brought us to himself by his doing and not ours. He brought us to himself by what Jesus Christ did under this new covenant. He has brought us into his favor and freely reconciles us unto himself. This new covenant is the ministry of reconciliation and we have been put in it by God and are reconciled to him by his grace.

(KJV) 2co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 2co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 2co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 2co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God .2co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(English Version) 2co 5:14 For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death; 2co 5:15 And that he underwent death for all, so that the living might no longer be living to themselves, but to him who underwent death for them and came back from the dead. 2co 5:16 For this reason, from this time forward we have knowledge of no man after the flesh: even if we have had knowledge of Christ after the flesh, we have no longer any such knowledge. 2co 5:17 So if any man is in Christ, he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end; they have truly become new. 2co 5:18 But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace; 2co 5:19 That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace. 2co 5:20 So we are the representatives of Christ, as if God was making a request to you through us: we make our request to you, in the name of Christ, be at peace with God. 2co 5:21 For him who had no knowledge of sin God made to be sin for us; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So here it is in plain English. Let me explain for you.

God was in Christ doing this work himself without man. God in Christ gave us favor with himself and restored the world to himself no longer counting man’s sins against them but blotting them out forever. God has removed sin from man under this new covenant. This is the wonderful gospel I preach. It is glorious and marvelous. God is using this letter right now to speak to you, as though it were Christ himself. We are pleading with you to receive this truth of the gospel. Receive this unconditional love God has poured out upon you. You are reconciled to God already belonging to him, because God took the sinless Christ and poured into himself our sins. Then in exchange, he poured God’s righteousness into us, and redeemed mankind. You’re the redeemed of God. You are his people. You are a saint, holy and blameless in his sight. You are God’s friend. This has all been done by God and not by you. You cannot change it so I guess you’ll have to be God’s friend forever whether you like it or not.

CHAPTER 4

THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO HEBREWS

(Standard Version) Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of the good [things] to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. Heb 10:2 Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins. Heb 10:3 But in those [sacrifices] there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. Heb 10:4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; Heb 10:6 In whole burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Heb 10:8 Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein (the which are offered according to the law), Heb 10:9 then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. Heb 10:10 By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:11 And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins: Heb 10:12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Heb 10:13 henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Heb 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after he hath said, Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them; [then saith he,] Heb 10:17 And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb 10:21 and [having] a great priest over the house of God; Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water, Heb 10:23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised:

(KJV) Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) I will explain it for you. Here is what it is all about.

The old covenant, the old system of laws, rules and regulations gave only a dim foretaste of the good things Jesus would do for us. It was only a shadow. The scriptures say it even had a glory but compared to the glory of the new covenant it had no glory at all in comparison. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again year after year for sin. These sacrifices could not take away sin but only covered them for a year and then after the year was over the priest sacrificed again. This happened year after year, but even so they could never take away sin forever. If it could have, one offering would have been enough, but it wasn’t. If the sacrifice of bulls and goats could have taken away sins forever then there would have been no need for another sacrifice year after year, one offering would have been enough; the people would have been cleansed once and for all, and their feeling of guilt would have been gone. Yes that is right, once and for all. Listen to what the scriptures say. It says that if it had taken away peoples sins once and for all they would no longer have a guilty conscience.

That's right no guilty conscience. Is it possible that if those sacrifices of bulls and goats had taken away their sins that there would no longer be needed for another sacrifice? And if there was no need for another sacrifice, then that would mean that sin is totally taken away forever once and for all and therefore no guilty conscience ever. The scriptures say that with these yearly sacrifices that just the opposite happened.

Those yearly sacrifices of bulls and goats meant they would have to confess their sins again. And doing this reminded them of their disobedience and guilt. It did not relieve their minds, instead made them feel guilty again. You see it was not possible for bulls and goats blood to take away sins. This confession of sins and laying of the hands on the animals and then praying their sins into it did not take away guilt but was a reminder of their sins. What if somehow there was a sacrifice for sin once and for all. What if somehow there was a sacrifice that would take away our sins forever. What if somehow there was a sacrifice that did not need to be repeated. What if sins did not have to be repeatedly confessed reminding ourselves of it? What if there was no need for this because sin had been taken away once and for all forever. What if there was a sacrifice that removed guilt and made our conscience free of condemnation because sin had totally been removed. Well guess what “there is!”

His name is Jesus Christ The Son of God. Yes its true, this sacrifice of Christ did all this and more according to scripture. That is why Christ said as he came into the world, “Oh God, the blood of bulls and goats cannot satisfy you, so you have made ready this body of mine for me to lay as a sacrifice upon your alter. God was not satisfied with the animal sacrifices, slain and burnt before him for sin. But now he is satisfied. He is pleased. His anger upon the human race is satisfied. Jesus took his anger upon himself at the cross and satisfied God’s wrath against man and his disobedience.

Jesus said, “See I have come to do your will, to lay down my life, just as the scriptures said that I would.” After Jesus said this about God not being satisfied with the offerings of animals required under the old covenant, he then added, “Here am I. I have come to give my life.” What could not be accomplished under the old covenant now has been accomplished under the new covenant. In fact Jesus death done away with the old system (the old covenant) and brought us a far better one. Under this new covenant we have been totally forgiven with all our sin removed and cleansed once and for all by Christ dying for us. Our conscience can be clear at all times with no guilt ever. We should never be reminded that we are sinners for we are no longer sinners and never will be ever again.

Under the old covenant the priest stood before the altar day after day offering sacrifices that could never take away our sins. But Jesus gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time, and then sat down at the right hand of God never more to be sacrificed again Nor any need for another. For by that one offering he made all of us forever perfect in the sight of God. The work is finished. God’s will was done. God is satisfied and pleased with us because of Jesus sacrifice and forevermore will be. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this. He convicts our hearts and convinces us that we are not sinners but convinces us we are forgiven forever redeemed by the blood of the lamb. God says he will never remember our sins again. That’s right; God doesn't even remember that we used to be sinners. He will always and forever see us as righteous in his sight.

So now since sin has once been forgiven forever and forgotten, there is no need to offer more sacrifices to get rid of them. And so now we can walk right into the very holy of holies where God is, unashamedly because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new and living way. For the old way has passed away and all things have become new. This new way Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain or the veil-his human body-to let us go boldly with no guilt or shame into the holy presence of God. Now since Jesus is our perfect priest and has made a way to God by his blood, let us go right into God himself, with true hearts. Fully trusting and knowing he receives us. We can go with no guilty conscience of sin because sin has been taken away and our minds have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ making our conscience clear and we have been made perfect, because our bodies have been washed with the pure water of Christ. Now we can look forward to heaven and all God has promised. There is no room for doubt that we are accepted by God, because it’s not by what we have done but by what Christ has done as our great high priest. Now we can tell all with great assurance that we are righteous, holy and accepted by God at all times. We have confidence we are his, bought by Jesus blood and not by what we have done or will do to attain it. All praise and glory to our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets in visions, dreams and even face to face, telling them little by little about his plans. But now in these days he speaks to us only one way and that’s through his son, Jesus Christ, to whom he has given everything, and through him he made the world and everything there is. For everything is of him, through him and to him. He has become God. Jesus is our Lord and King and High Priest. He is in charge over everything there is. He is the High Priest of our Faith.

CHAPTER 5

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO COLOSSIANS

(KJV) Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Col 1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Col 1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Col 1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: Col 1:7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Col 1:8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Col 2:1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.Col 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. Col 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. So here is what Paul is saying. Let me break it down for you.

Our God and father has showered us with all blessings and filled us with great peace. This is the good news. This is the Gospel. Peace has come through the blood of Christ. We are deserving of all blessings from God. Jesus has purchased it all through his death at the cross without your or my deeds, good or bad. Jesus has purchased it all so it may all be freely given to us. This is this great gospel of God. Us hearing this good news changes our hearts and lives daily. This gospel is a revelation about God’s great kindness to sinners. His kindness has been poured out upon us sinners. He has declared us not guilty. This is the good news. Our father has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the kingdom of light. And we are the ones, us sinners, which have been rescued out of darkness by God himself, not our doing but his alone by the blood of Jesus.

He has brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light into the kingdom of his dear son, Jesus. He bought our freedom with his blood and declared us not guilty of all our sins. He made us righteous by his own will. We are his body now, made up of his people. We are his church already which he began himself for his own. He is our Lord and God for we rose from the dead with him who first rose from the dead. He is the firstborn from the dead and we all were born again with him when he rose. God wanted it this way. God wanted all of himself to be in his son and we are in him also without our good deeds of self-righteousness. It’s all by his righteousness. It was through what Jesus did that God cleared the path for everything and everyone to come to him. All things in heaven and on earth came to him. Christ's death on the cross has made peace with God for all of us by his blood.

God will never be angry with man again because he is pleased with the sacrifice of his son for all mankind's sins. No more wrath will ever come upon man for his bad deeds of sin because God removed sin from mankind forever. This includes all of us who were once so far away from God. This includes everyone. This includes every sinner, yes even you. You were his enemy and you even hated God, you were separated from him by sin, yet now and forever he has brought you to him to be his friend forever. He did this alone by his blood without your works or deeds. He even did this while you were dead in your sins not even giving God a thought. He has done this through his death on the cross of his own human body and now as a result, Christ himself, without the help of your own self-righteous works or your own good deeds, has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you. Not any sin at all ever.

You will forever be in his presence and never will be removed because you are not there of your own deeds but by him who has given his life to redeem you and the world. There is nothing between you and God to hinder you from being with him forever. No nothing at all left that he could ever chide you for. No chastisement could ever come upon you by God because the chastisement of our peace was upon him at the cross. He took it all upon himself for you. No punishment from God could ever come our way because Jesus took all our punishment to satisfy God’s anger. God is satisfied. He is pleased with you forevermore because he is satisfied and pleased with Jesus. You see Jesus took your place at the cross. It was an exchange. Now stand in this truth, believe the revelation that man is made righteous without his good works and in spite of his bad works. Be convinced of this good news. Be convinced of this gospel of truth, standing in it steadfast and firm on the rock that cannot be moved, Jesus Christ himself.

Stay strong in the Lord unashamedly convinced of the good news that Jesus died for you and me and everyone in the world to make us holy, blameless, and irreprovable in his sight, never shifting from trusting that he has saved us, redeemed us, made us righteous by his blood. This wonderful news has come to you today and is spreading all over the world. The walls of religion and self-righteousness of trusting in your own good deeds for righteousness are coming down. To Jesus be all the glory for man cannot boast about what he has done to gain righteousness because Jesus did it all. He is Lord. Jesus is Lord.

God has sent me to help his church and tell this plan to all. This plan that was predestined long ago, to redeem the world by his son Jesus Christ. It was God’s plan all along to redeem you without you. That’s his unconditional love. It seems this good news has been kept a secret by lies and disbeliefs that have been taught through the generations past. For centuries now it has been believed that righteousness has not come by Jesus alone but by our deeds and good works. A lie has been taught for centuries that God sees our faults and sins and holds them against us. It has been kept a secret, but now at last it has pleased him to tell it to you who love him and to those that don’t love him, the glory of his plan for sinners. And this is the secret, this is the lie uncovered: that Christ Jesus in you is the only hope of glory. So everywhere we go, everywhere we teach and preach about what Jesus has done to all who will listen, teaching them as well as I know how; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Jesus has perfected every man. You are now presented before God himself perfect. Jesus has done this.

I write this; I teach this to let every man know you are perfect in God’s sight because of what Jesus has done. Don’t let preachers and teachers of all sorts of doctrine telling you how to get God’s acceptance spoil your faith in Christ by having you work to gain God’s acceptance. Don’t let their philosophies, their wrong and shallow doctrines of man’s ways to gain God’s favor, built on man’s thoughts and ideas, instead of what Christ has done through his blood by his death at the cross, spoil your faith. Beware of their teachings. They are doctrines of devils. I know that is strong words. It is true though. For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ. You are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest ruler and authority over every power. He is Lord.

When Christ brought you to God by his death he set you free from sin. He did this by the spirit. He baptized your soul in Christ and made your spirit perfect. For in this baptism our flesh that sin died with Jesus on the cross and was buried with him. Now your flesh is dead and can no longer be held accountable to God for its sin. The flesh cannot be justified therefore God Nailed it to the cross with Jesus to set us free from sin. Then we rose with Christ from the dead into a new life, a new birth, and a rebirth. We were born again with Christ. Our flesh died with his death to free us from sin. We can no longer do any wrong in the sight of God for our flesh is dead, then when Christ rose from the dead we rose with him into new life. Let me explain farther because it is important to understand. I know I am being redundant. I know I am repetitive. It is because the mind does not want to believe this. It has to be drenched in the good news over and over and over. Listen, so you were once dead in sin and trespasses. Your flesh was still seen in God’s eyes as sinful.

What you did wrong was counted against you with no forgiveness. Then God gave you a share in the very life of Christ. He died at the cross and our flesh died along with him. Our flesh that could not do right and could not be justified died with him. We were crucified with Christ and then rose with him to be seated at the right hand of the father forever. All our sins were forgiven and could no longer be held against us nor could our flesh do any wrong for it has been crucified and is dead. God blotted out the charges proved against us by the law. He blotted out the list of trespasses, the list of commandments, which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins, he took even the law that held the list, he took our flesh that broke the law and nailed them all to Christ's cross. They are all dead. In this way God took away sins power and set us free from even being accused of sinning ever again. Therefore sin has absolutely no power over you or me ever again.

God openly displayed to the whole world Christ's triumph over sin at the cross where they were taken away. He spoiled the system of laws holding our sins against us. He removed it forever. So don’t let anyone ever criticize you for what you do or do not do, for the law ended when Jesus came. The law was only a shadow of him who came, Jesus Christ himself. Don’t let anyone ever declare that you are lost or backslidden for it is impossible to be lost from God for he found you and made you his friend. He found you. You didn’t find him. Thank God it wasn’t left up to us to find him because we would have never found him if it were left up to us. Don’t let anyone say to you that you do not know God because of what you do or do not do, because you are now known by God himself because he made you nigh unto himself by the blood of Christ. You are always close to him, so near that you are in him and he is in you. You cannot get any closer than that. He is all around you. He is all over you. He is in you. You are in him. The preachers and teachers say you must worship as they do, and if you do not you must not be as righteous as they are. This is a lie. They say they have seen a vision, and say you should also. They say you must fall out in the spirit. They say they have heard from God and you must. They say you must give all your money. They say they dance and you must or you don’t know God as they do. This list goes on and on. These proud men that call themselves preachers and teachers (though they claim to be so humble) are so cleverly minded full of doctrines of men. These are doctrines of men and not of God. They claim to know how to get God on your side or how to gain his favor. They’ll tell you how to move the hand of God. They’ll tell you how to get closer to God. They’ll tell you how to get God to bless you. They are so puffed up with very clever imaginations but do not know the gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not know the gospel at all.

They do not preach Christ. They do not preach the gospel that says man is made righteous without doing anything right. They preach rules and regulations. They preach the law. They preach legalism. They preach self-righteousness. They tell all they have worked for, and tell all they have done to get God to do something for them. This is all self-righteousness and not the free gift of righteousness from God through Jesus. We are dead in Christ so why do we put ourselves in subject to these rules, laws and regulations to try to please God. These are doctrines of men and not of God. All they show is will worship. It’s the change of will and the change of mind. They are so proud they have whipped themselves into shape. So, since we died with Christ and he set us free from their ideas of how to gain right standing with God by doing good and obeying rules, laws, and regulations which is legalism and self-righteousness, why do we keep right on following them anyway when they gain us nothing with God? Our self-righteousness stinks in the nostrils of God. Why do we continue to be bound by these rules? These are teachings of men and not God. These rules seem good, for these laws require strong devotion. They require abstaining and restraining. They require commitment. They require a changing of the will and become will worship. They are humiliating and hard on the body, but they have no effect when it comes to conquering sin. They only make the man that does them proud. So since we are alive in Christ and have risen from the dead with him he has conquered sin for us already. Jesus is Lord. Glory be to Jesus forever. All worship to him and not to men.

CHAPTER 6

THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO GALATIANS 3

Ga 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Ga 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Ga 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Ga 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. Ga 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Ga 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Ga 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Ga 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Ga 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Ga 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Ga 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.Ga 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Ga 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Ga 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.Ga 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Ga 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Ga 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.Ga 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Ga 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Ga 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. Ga 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Ga 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Ga 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Ga 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Ga 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Ga 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Ga 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Ga 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Here is what Paul is trying to say. Let me explain.

Paul said, “Oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you?” Or “who has cast a spell on you?” The Galatians had known the meaning of Christ’s death very clearly at one time. But someone had changed their mind. Paul called it “witchcraft” to trust in something else besides Jesus. Paul said he had made it clear to them that redemption came only by Christ death on the cross. But someone had bewitched them. Someone had told them righteousness came by another means other than Jesus. This is a strong statement by Paul to call this witchcraft. Well what was it that Paul was calling bewitching or witchcraft? What had fooled the Galatians? What did they believe in besides Jesus? So Paul asked this question, “received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” This word “spirit” here does not refer to the Holy Ghost but it refers to Jesus. Always remember the subject in the beginning of this letter was Jesus and his death and still is. This word spirit or receiving of the spirit means also the receiving of spiritual life, righteousness or redemption. So Paul asked the question “did you receive spiritual life through the works of the law or the hearing of faith?” That is the question Paul is asking here.

Obviously they had been fooled into believing there spirituality or spiritual life had come from the works of the law which Paul made a very strong statement as referring to it as witchcraft. He said they had been bewitched. Don't get me wrong he is not saying the law is witchcraft, but the believing that the works of the law brought life eternal instead of what they had believed earlier, which is the preaching of faith in Jesus death at the cross. He called this foolish to turn away from what they had clearly been taught from the beginning. Paul asked this question again but in different words. But the same question. He asked “Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” So how had they begun in the spirit? Well look back at what was just said in the beginning of this letter. Remember the subject has not changed. They had begun in the spirit how?

By believing they were made perfect by the death of Jesus at the cross. So what is being in the spirit? Are you in the spirit? If you believe that you were made perfect by the blood and death of Jesus at the cross then you are in the spirit. Then what happened? They were bewitched into believing something different. They are now called foolish. He says oh foolish Galatians. why? Because they believed now that they are made perfect by the works of the law, which Paul re-asked “are you made perfect by the flesh?" This word flesh here also means by the works of the law. He says are you made perfect by the works of the law? What are the works of the law? It is doing good to get things from God and believing if you do badly you will get punished by God. That is the works of the law. The subject has not changed in this letter. So the works of the law is also called “by the flesh”. He lets them know right away that their flesh obeying the law or the works of the law, which they were not made to be in the spirit this way. They were not made perfect this way. But it was obvious. They were made perfect by the hearing of faith by the death of Jesus at the cross. That is the only way we were made perfect and spiritual or being in the spirit. It is by faith. Faith in Jesus and Jesus alone has made you perfect. His death at the cross has brought us into perfection. It is not by following the law.

Oh don’t be foolish to believe that your flesh by obeying the law or doing any good deed can ever bring you into perfection. Oh please don’t be bewitched into thinking that your flesh following rules, regulations and laws will ever make you perfect in God’s eyes. You have been made perfect by faith. The hearing of faith, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul said let me ask you again. This is the same question but even in different words but the same meaning. He’s trying to wake them up to see the truth that they had begun in but now are fooled into believing something else. Paul calls it witchcraft to believe in something other than Jesus. This something was righteousness by the works of the law. This was righteousness by the flesh. He asked again, “does God give you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” Then Paul explains Abraham's situation long before the cross. Paul says, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”

This word righteousness is synonymous with the word spirit or made spiritual or made righteous. The subject has not changed in this letter from Paul. He is still speaking of the same thing. These words are interchangeable. Paul is making the same comparison now as he was in the beginning of this letter. A comparison is being made. Are you made righteous by the law or made righteous by faith in Jesus? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. The same goes for us. This is the comparison. Is it by faith or by works? Well the obvious answer is by faith. The scriptures say “know ye therefore that they, which are of faith, the same, are the children of Abraham.” We are the children of Abraham and we are of faith. If we are not of faith then we have been bewitched into believing that the obeying of the law or doing good deeds, gain us righteousness. Then we have been bewitched. Open your eyes and see it is by the blood of Christ that we have been made righteous and faith in that and that alone.

The scriptures say in this letter from Paul “the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in the shall all nations be blessed.” “So then they which are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” So God has brought redemption to us through faith just as he did Abraham. We have been blessed with this blessing of righteousness only one way and that is through faith. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s look at the law and hear what it says. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, cursed is everyone that continue not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. The scriptures point it out very clearly. Cursed is everyone that puts himself under the law to keep them. The scriptures go on to say that the law in the sight of God justifies no man. It is evident for the just shall live by faith.

What faith is Paul referring to here? Well what faith has been the subject thus far? The answer is faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. No one will ever be justified by keeping the law. No not one, ever. Doing good to be justified is to be bewitched. But we have been made good and righteous in God’s sight by the blood of Christ. Paul says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Jesus has taken the curse for us. Jesus hung on the cross to be a curse for us. Thanks be to God.

Let me explain again. Cursed is everyone who at any time breaks one single law. If you’re going to keep the law you must keep them all. If you break one you are guilty of breaking them all nullifying the one you kept. And if you kept them all you still would not be righteous but under a curse for it is clear that no one has ever or could ever win God’s favor by keeping the law or doing anything good to gain his acceptance. God has said the only way you can be righteous in his sight is by faith, faith in Jesus Christ. As the prophet Habakkuk says it “the man who finds life will find it through trusting God.” How different this way of faith is from the way of the law, which says that a man is made, righteous by obeying every law of God at all times without one slip. But Christ has brought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. Jesus hung on the cross to take the curse for us. Now God can accept us and approve us in his sight just the same as he did Abraham; all of us can know we have God’s favor through faith just as Abraham. The blessing that Abraham received by faith that he was counted as righteous has come to us through Jesus.

Paul explains farther. He says, “Dear brothers, even in everyday life if a promise is made from one man to another, if it is written down in a contract or covenant and signed, it cannot be changed.” He cannot decide afterwards to do something different instead. Now God gave Abraham some promises and to his seed also. He did not say seeds, as to many, but to his seed. That of course means to Jesus. Jesus is the seed. He is referring to him here. Here is what he is trying to say. God’s promise to redeem the world was a new covenant to come through Jesus and it could not be cancelled or changed. Four hundred and thirty years later God gave the law. Because there was no law at the time the promise was given to Abraham. So even though the law came, it did not annul the promise to Abraham. It did not make the promise of none effect, because if by the giving of the law then to obey it could bring righteousness, then righteousness would no more be by this promise but it would be by obeying the law.

But this law coming into effect did not affect this promise to Abraham. But God gave the promise of righteousness to Abraham before the law came and Abraham simply accepted it. Well then why was the law given? They were added after the promise. So they obviously were not sent to make us righteous because then it would not have come by a promise but by the law. The law was added after the promise 430 years after to show man he was guilty. It was to show man he was a sinner. It was to show man he needed a savior. It was not sent to obey to obtain righteousness. This system of the law would end at Christ death on the cross. This promise was made to Jesus to bring righteousness to the world. Jesus is the seed of Abraham. Well are Gods’ laws and God’s promises against each other? Of course not. If there had been a law given that could have brought life or redemption, then righteousness should have come by the law. There would have been no need for a savior. We could have just obeyed the law for our righteousness. But as we can see Abraham was made righteous before the law was even given.

But the law concluded all under sin. This was the law’s conclusion. All have sinned. All were sinners whether they had committed a sin or not. The law said you’re all guilty. But the promise by faith of Jesus Christ has concluded us all righteous. That’s the new covenant’s conclusion. The new covenant says your all righteous. We have all been made righteous by the promise. If the law could have redeemed us then God would not have sent his dear son to die on the cross. To say keeping these laws or obeying them or to lay claim on any good deed to gain righteousness is to say there was no need for Jesus. It is to say he died in vane. Then God would owe Jesus an apology. There would have been no reason for him to die if obeying the law of dos and don'ts would gain us righteousness. But the scriptures insist we were all doomed for hell and sinners under this law with no escape. We were prisoners to its grip. That’s the law’s conclusion. You’re doomed, doomed, doomed. The law says you deserve death. The only way out was through Jesus. That is where we stand now under this new covenant. We stand in righteousness in Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER 7

THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO GALATIANS 4 & 5

Ga 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; Ga 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Ga 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Ga 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Ga 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Ga 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Ga 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. Ga 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ga 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. Ga 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Ga 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ga 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.Ga 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Ga 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. Ga 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Ga 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. Ga 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. Ga 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Ga 4:20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Ga 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? Ga 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. Ga 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Ga 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. Ga 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. Ga 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. Ga 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Ga 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Ga 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Ga 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. Ga 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Let me explain this a little more indepth for ya.

If a father dies and leaves great wealth for his young son, that son is not much better off than a salve until he grows up, even though he actually owns everything his father had. He has to do what his guardians and managers tell him until he reaches whatever age his father set. That is the way it was for us before Jesus came. We were under the law in bondage to it as slaves just the same as this illustration of the father and son. We thought the law could bring righteousness, but it only bound us to sin. But Jesus came to redeem us who were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Jesus made us free from slavery to the law and brought freedom. He freed us from the bondage of the law. He freed us from the system of doing good to get God’s favor and acceptance. Now because of Jesus we have been adopted as sons. And because we are now sons, God has sent faith and the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying Abba father.

We once were slaves to the law but Jesus came and bought our freedom so that we could be adopted as his very own sons. So because we are his sons God has sent the spirit to live in our hearts and now we can rightly say God is our father. Is it because of what we have done? No. It is because of what Jesus has done. Because of his death at the cross he has bought our freedom. Freedom from what? Freedom from the law that says we must do good to get good from God. But we as sons because of Jesus get everything from God freely. Now that we are no longer slaves to the law of dos and don’ts but are God’s sons. Because of Jesus everything he has belongs to us, because this was God’s great plan by his great grace for everyone. Before we knew God we were slaves to so-called gods that did not even exist, but now after we have known God or as the scriptures say “have been known of God.” Isn’t that great that we have now and forever will be known of God?

We can now boldly say we are known of God. What a great statement. But now that we are known of God how can it be that we would want to go back again to the law and become slave to this system of religion that says what you must do to get God’s favor and acceptance. How can we go back to this legalism of bondage and slavery that says if you do good God will bless you if you do bad God will not bless you. Paul calls this law, legalism, and religion that leaves out Jesus, he calls it weak and beggarly. He calls it bondage. We should not turn back to this system of trying to find favor with God by what we do or do not do. This is because our favor with God came by his grace through Jesus and Jesus alone. The good news of Christ, this gospel of grace has come freely to all. We have been freed as Paul says from these chains of bondage and brought into his glorious grace by the death and blood at the cross of Jesus Christ.

Paul said, “Dear brothers, please feel as I do about these things, for I am as free from these chains as you used to be.” Paul says here, “used to be.” The Galatians had heard this good news of Christ but had gone right back to the old system to find God’s favor and Paul is pleading with them to please return to the first faith he had preached. He said,” you did not despise me when I first preached.” But now something had happened. They had forgotten the good news of Jesus. Or as is says in the beginning of this letter to the Galatians they had been fooled, or bewitched. He wrote them begging them to return to the faith in Jesus instead of serving the law. I beg you people of today turn back to the grace of Jesus. Turn back to the good news of the gospel. Return to the faith that says you are righteous by the blood of Christ and that alone is your redemption and your righteousness. Get out of the religion and legalism that say you must obey the law to be right with God.

Get out of the legalism that says if you do wrong you no longer belong to God. You have been purchased by the blood of the lamb. Jesus’ death at the cross was all you needed and is still all you need. Paul says he told the Galatians this truth again and reminded them of the gospel and this made them angry and they became his enemy. This message of grace even still today makes the religious angry, but I am not ashamed of this gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation. I will proclaim I am righteous by the blood of Christ and the blood of Christ along is the only reason I have been made right with God. Paul said, “I have become your enemy because I tell you the truth.” This message will either free you or make you angry. I pray it free everyone who hears.

Beware for there are some religious ministers in high positions that are anxious to effect you and keep you under the law preaching and teaching you must do good to gain the favor of God. Paul said, “Listen to me friends who think you have to obey the law to be made righteous.” Why don’t you find out what those laws really mean? Why would you desire to be under the law? Do you not know what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from a slave woman and one from a free woman. The slave woman's baby representing the law and the free woman's baby represents the promise of righteousness. They represent the two covenants. God had the first covenant on Mount Sinai, when he gave Moses the law. Mount Sinai, by the way, is called “Mount Hagar” by the Arabs, and in this representation Abraham's slave wife Hagar that brought bondage to God’s children. And we who try to obey the law, this system of trying to please God by trying to obey it, and us who try to follow that system are her slave children. We are in bondage and chains under that system. We will never, and can never win God’s favor or please him by obeying the law.

But we have been brought out from under that system which gains nothing from God and we are the children of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is from God and is free. We are children of the free wife, which came by a promise. Our mother is the heavenly city, the heavenly Jerusalem, and she is not a slave to the law. This is what Isaiah meant when he prophesied, “Now you can rejoice, Oh childless woman, you can shout with joy though you never before had a child, for I am going to give you many children, more children than your salve wife has.” You and I dear friends are the children that God promised, just as Isaac was. We have been made free. We have been set free from the law. We are sons and daughters of the promise because of Jesus. We have been born of the spirit. We are still even to this day, as the son from the bondwoman persecuted the son from the free woman, we are persecuted the same by those who believe you must follow the law of dos and don'ts to be right with God.

They say you must keep the law. The religious hate that we know and we proclaim we have been made free by the blood of Christ and that alone is where we stand in freedom. This legalism will hold you in bondage if you let it. The religious will preach it strong and loud to try to get you back under it. But we have been made righteous by the blood of Christ only. The scriptures say that God told Abraham to send away the slave woman and her son, for the slave wife's son could not inherit Abraham's promises. He would not be an heir with the son of the free woman. Dear brothers and sisters, we are not slave children, obligated to the law, but children of the free woman, accepted by God because of faith. We are redeemed, righteous, holy, blameless, perfect, kings, priests and saints everyone by faith in Jesus and faith in Jesus alone have we been perfected in God’s eyes.

(KJV) Ga 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Ga 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Ga 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Ga 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Ga 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Ga 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. So let me explain further.

Now since Christ has made us free, make sure that you stay free and don’t get all tied up again in the chains of slavery to the law. Paul said please listen closely, for this is very serious: If you are counting on the obedience to the law to make you right with God, then Christ has no effect in your life and can profit you nothing. This is serious business. I’ll say it again. Anyone trying to gain God’s favor by obeying even one law must always at all times, obey all the law over 600 laws without one slip at any time for if you disobey one law you are guilty of disobeying all. Christ is useless to you if you are counting on clearing your debt to God by keeping those laws. If you trust in the law for righteousness you have fallen from grace. Yes that is correct. If you believe your doing good gains God’s favor instead of faith in Jesus, Paul says you have fallen from grace. So a fall from grace is to believe that your good deeds gains God’s acceptance.

But if you would only trust in Jesus and him alone then you have stepped right into the grace of God. You have stepped into his undeserving, unmerited favor. The spirit lets us know and gives us hope that we have been made righteous by faith. Christ's death has cleared our sins away and made us right with God. We are God’s sons to whom Jesus has given eternal life and we don’t need to worry about whether we are obeying the law or not, for all we need is faith working through love.

CHAPTER 8

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO EPESIANS

Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Eph 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. So let me explain what these scriptures are saying.

God has given us every blessing from heaven because we are in Christ and he is in us. We are totally blessed at all times because of Jesus and he alone is the reason we are blessed. Blessings come no other way but through him. Not by what we do, not by any means that we have done to gain them.

Long ago before the world was even created, God chose us to be his very own. Before the earth was even formed you were already God’s. You belonged to him, even before the foundation of the world we were chosen. God made us holy in his eyes without spot or blemish. We were without a single fault. God had predestinated us to be adopted by Jesus unto himself. We were already his sons and daughters. This was his will. This was his good pleasure. This was pleasing to God.

God, before time existed, made us accepted by his favor. By his grace we already belonged to him. We were already in the kingdom of his dear son, accepted into the beloved. Jesus gave us redemption through his blood. We have our sins already forgiven by his grace by his undeserving, unmerited favor. God predestined this.

This was God’s will that he has revealed to us. He has made it known to us. This secret has been revealed. This is that he sent Jesus. A plan he decided on in mercy long ago. This was his purpose. His Purpose was to redeem the whole world. We are gifts to God. He delights in us. We were chosen from the beginning to be his. All this has happened as he decided long ago. We have obtained an inheritance. We were predestinated. This was his will. We are God’s purchased possession, purchased by the blood of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us, has marked us as belonging to Christ. God guarantees we are his forever. God’s seal is upon us that means God has already purchased us and he guarantees to bring us to himself, which was predestined long ago, and Christ has done by his blood. We are God’s sons and daughters. We belong to him. That will never change. This was done before the foundations of the world.

We were made alive unto righteousness. Redeemed while we were dead in our trespasses. God poured his great mercy and love out upon us. Even when we were dead in our sins, he quickened us together with Christ. That is to say we were brought back from the dead with Christ. We rose with him when he rose from the dead. This was all by grace (his undeserved, unmerited favor.) He lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Jesus.

We now belong to the kingdom of God. He raised us up together to sit with him in heaven. This was all done in Christ Jesus. This has been done by his grace to show God’s glory for all the ages to come. It is by grace that we have been redeemed, sanctified and made righteous in God’s sight. It is not of ourselves by what we’ve done or not done to gain it. It is through faith and not of ourselves. It is a gift of God. Therefore we have nothing to boast about that we have done to gain the great favor and acceptance of God. Therefore Jesus gets all the glory. We are his workmanship, created in Christ. We were once without any hope far away from God. But now we have been made nigh unto God by the blood of Christ never to be far away from God again. We have been drawn close to God by Jesus’ blood. Jesus has become our peace (not a tranquil state of mind but meaning no war between God and us.) No more anger. God is no longer angry with us, as he was under the law.

Under the law we were God’s enemies. But now we are his friends. Jesus has made peace between mankind and God. He has brought us together with God and himself and made us one. We are one with him by Jesus blood. He broke down the wall that stood between God and us. That wall is the law that said you are a sinner. That law has been abolished. That law has been destroyed that said you cannot be God’s friend. That law has been nailed to the cross that said you cannot be close to God. That law has been destroyed and done away with forever that said God is your enemy. By Jesus death he ended it. It is finished. Jesus died to annul the whole system, the whole law that separated us from God. He took Jesus and us and made us one. At last because of the blood there is peace. We have been reconciled unto God, not by what we do but by the blood of the lamb.

The anger that God had against man ended at the cross. The good news of peace, this gospel of peace I reach to all that are far and near. I say to all we now may come to God boldly to his throne for we have access by the blood of Christ to go to the father with no shame or guilt. We can stand before him with no condemnation. We may go to the father knowing at all times he is not angry and never well be because of the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ. We are God’s friends. We are no longer strangers to God. We are part of his kingdom. We are saints, everyone. We have been brought into the household of God by the blood of Christ and by his blood alone. Not by works, not by deeds. Not by following the law, rules or any regulation. We are sons and daughters of God. We are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ never more to sink in the sands of religion. We have been set on the solid rock, Jesus Christ himself.

Stop trying to stand on the foundation of legalism and religion for they are built on sinking sand and are falling by the wayside daily even as we speak. But stand firmly on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, which will stand forever. The sinking sands of religion say you must do good to be right with God and if you do wrong you are going to hell. I say to you, you have been made righteous by the blood of the lamb. We need to stand firmly on this fact. His blood and his blood alone have redeemed us. Now we can come fearlessly right into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome through Jesus Christ.

Here is a poem written by Randy Cook.

I woke up this morning and all I could think of was grace,
of how You went to a cross and took into Yourself the whole human race.

To realize this really blows my mind,
but I see now You being the seed could only produce Your own kind.

All of my days I only wished it were true,
that we could all just be one and be happy in You.

Now that I know this was the plan from the start,
I can hardly contain the joy in my heart.

Oh what a day when we all gather there, I wonder who will be the first that would even dare to talk,
or we'll just stand and stare as we behold the cleft of the Rock.

It is in there that we were hid forever secure,
I now see this is the cross that You came to endure.

You didn't wait until we cried out in pain,
You sealed the deal and took all our shame.

I always thought it was up to us to choose our fate,
but You and Your Father a whole new race did create.

I now see there was only one way,
it all took place on a hill far away.

It all happened as it were in a flood,
redemption that sought us in the power of Your blood.

It is true that many still go their own way,
never realizing that it's all ok.

Not willing to give up the fight,
and just see that we've all been made right,

Oh what a Plan You came to unfold,
a sure word of prophecy from the men of old.

What good news I now can proclaim,
You took away our sin and hid all our shame.

My Redeemer and Friend what can I say?
You came to this earth and really seized the day.

Jesus, Jesus I give You my praise,
forever I'll be grateful all the rest of my days.

Amen.

Randy Cook - September 18, 2006