by Robert Mann

The work that Jesus did on the cross is finished… it is an eternal statement of fact… proof positive that unconditional love exists… and is stronger… than any sin… especially stronger than “the sin” within that gives birth to every “sin” that appears in the material world… That “Sin” is to declare our independence from God and thus we are gods… We walk in this declared independence of God because we believe “the Lie” that God is “a conditional love god” In this belief…we are separated from God and our actions in the material world confirm that fact. “Sinners” aren’t separated from God because they “sin”. They “sin” because they are separated from God. They continue in this separation because they think they must “stop sinning” to come into union with God. They try to “stop sinning” with their behavior in order to be “accepted by God” and they cannot. “Goodness” is not in them because there is “none good but God”. “Sinners” must come into union with God to receive the ability to “stop sinning”. The finished work of Jesus on the cross is the declaration in the material world of who and what God really is…. He is good… He is Unconditional love.

When a creature is awakened to the fact that God is Unconditional Love… salvation comes. We confess: “Jesus Christ is Lord…. He is Lord to the glory of… He is the Lord of the light that shines in the darkness… this light illuminates the Father… this Light brings God into focus and declares Him to be whom and what He is… “Abba”, “Dad”, “Father” who is Unconditional Love… full of mercy and Grace… When we see this we realize that “the god of our mind” is very different than the True God who is our Creator… what we imagined about Him was in error. We are instructed to “cast down” these “imaginations” and take each thought “captive” and bring it into the obedience of the Revelation that Jesus brings concerning who and what God is…. Unconditional Love. . Jesus Is this:

Heb 1:3 He [Jesus] brightly reflects God's glory and is the exact representation of His [God’s] being, and upholds the universe by His all-powerful word. [Jesus]


The creator is so masculine; the balance of all creation is feminine by comparison. The “masculine” initiates… the feminine responds… period. Humans can only “respond” to God. We initiate nothing… Jesus is the Ultimate Groom… and we are the Bride. We respond… period. When one is awakened to the truth about God… a choice must be made. We either accept or reject this information… both are responses. Both responses are made “within” and both “bear fruit” in the material world. The one who accepts that God is Unconditional love, runs to his Father and returns His embrace… this one’s heart comes into union with God and he is forever changed within…. This one receives the “mind of Christ” and the “laws” of God are written on his heart… He is then and only then compelled to make adjustments in the material world… he notices that what he has been “doing” is opposed to the Nature and Heart of God. But, he delights in the Lord who imparts HIS very own desires in the heart of His creation… the creature… led from within responds. The creature begins to make reconciliation with those around him… he pays restitution to those he has cheated… The will of God is being done “on earth as it is in Heaven…” all of this a “response” to The Creator who is Unconditional Love.

It is error to think that we can initiate a covenant with the Creator. We cannot choose to one day “stop cheating”, “cease lying”, and “abandon sexual promiscuity” give up drinking and initiate a relationship with God! We don’t “stop sinning” and wrap those efforts in a gift box to run off and present them to God! We can't say: “See… I have repented so now please accept me…” That is the error of Cain. To those that do such things: Does God then respond to you and send Jesus off to jump on the cross and pay for the gift that you hold in your hands? Does He respond to your initiation? No. Unconditional Love has already paid the price. We repent of “believing that God is anything other that who and what He truly is…” Holy, Awesome, Mighty, Life-giving, Life-changing UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

The woman caught in adultery? Jesus saved her life! He displayed Unconditional Love and she responded! Then He said: “go and don’t make the same error again”. Now she knows who and what God is! She no longer needs to give her self sexually to another to be loved! Now she can stop hurting herself! Salvation has come…

The Tax Collector? This cheat had “already” heard about Jesus. He suspected that this was the One send by God… He climbs a tree to take a look… in response. Of course he knew that he was a wretch and that God would have nothing to do with him. He just wanted a “peak”. What? Jesus is talking to me? Jesus wants to eat… with me? Wow! He’s coming to my home? Oh my…. Jesus initiated fellowship! The Tax collector “repents” of his declared independence from God! He no longer needs to cheat and steal! God is his Abba and will provide all that he needs! Why he not only stops stealing… he begins to make restitution. (He exceeds the law that says: “Thou shalt not steal” with gladness and joy!) He “bears the fruit of repentance”. Fruit is borne by a tree that already exists… His restitution was NOT repentance…. He repented of his erroneous view of who and what God is…. His restitution was the “evidence” that “salvation HAD come”… it did not PRODUCE the salvation. We do not have that power. We can only respond…

This is why the scripture says:
Lu 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

These Pharisees are those who initiate by their own acts of righteousness to achieve a relationship with God. They say: “I thank you God… I am not like him!” They point the finger with disgust! But what about those who say: “God have mercy on me…” (I appeal to who and what you are…)?

Lu 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

It is humbling to realize that we have nothing to bring… we can only receive.

Some are confusing “church discipline” with how we are to relate to “sinners”. Jesus related to “sinners” this way:

Mt 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mt 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

The wisdom that Jesus displayed “had children”:
Mt 21:31 Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

“Church Discipline” is for the Church. The display of Unconditional love is the wisdom of Jesus… imparted to His Church for the world. The use of this wisdom is the proper communication of The Gospel… a message in which lies the Power of God unto salvation. This message is: “God IS Unconditional Love.” This message does not “embolden the sinner to continue in sin”. This message “has children”. This message cannot be communicated by “word” only. It must be communicated in “word” and “deed”. This is the way of Jesus and His Church. To communicate with “words” a command to “sinners” to change their “behavior” in order to “repent” is in error. This produces no fruit…. It has no children. It is only religion.
 

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