WHO'S TO BLAME?

“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Lu.13:1-5

     All of us contribute to some extent to where we are in life. Our decisions can bring both blessings and burdens upon ourselves. This is where we are called to educate ourselves in the wisdom of GOD'S Word. And then, there are those things imposed on us without our consent. Having to live under a bungling government that is so fundamentally immoral as to allow the most basic sins of covetous behavior, adultery, lying and stealing, to the point where it has become as normal to them as breathing the air. Never humbling themselves to the fact that every hardship imposed on every American is caused by their ill judgment. This condition of things fills every honest hearted soul with sadness and disdain. Throughout history, we see how "stiff necked" religious and secular leaders always "gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood." Ps.94:21.

     But mankind is a corporate body: the children of Adam. We all stand in the same inheritance passed down from our premier father. It was in this knowledge of our corporate equality that of the poor, the destitute, and those condemned to public execution, the great Protestant evangelist/martyr, John Bradford said, “There but for the grace of God goes John Bradford.” This principle applies to everyone who has ever lived. Any of us could have been born anyone throughout Earth’s history. And if we were born in their shoes we would have lived the life they lived. Far too often people take glory to themselves for the character strengths of their lives, which they received by inheritance and their upbringing. Seeing character weaknesses in others that they are not bound by, many view themselves as superior, not realizing the equally odious flaws in their own character. Of this, Jesus said, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” Matt.7:3. The “Lord of heaven and earth” warns of every prideful tendency (Matt.11:20-26).

     And yet, all of us came into life without our consent to be where we are, who we are, and what we are. Our inheritance with its strengths and weaknesses, combined with the environmental influence of our upbringing determines much of our character. And many struggle much more than others to honor the voice of conscience based on the circumstances of their inheritance and environment.

Within this quagmire of "time and chance" there is the supreme tyranny imposed on every man: the one whose buffeting hand brought all of life's afflictions: Satan and his demons who live on the face of the Earth. This is the one true alien invasion of life on Earth! Through him every man is "tempted of Satan" to sin. Satan and his devils are ever striving to increase suffering, injustice, and sorrow. And yet, luciferian men serve him, and continually do his bidding, even to their own destruction. Through him we received the inheritance of both condemnation before GOD and a sinful, self-destructive nature. Passed down, generation by generation, man's sinful nature extends back to the first man, Adam, when he chose of is own freewill to sin against GOD'S command, which was the LORD'S heads-up: a simple practical warning given to spare him this fate. Since then, all of his children were born into a world they didn't ask to receive: a world that none of us gave our consent to be born in sin and with a nature that haunts us with regret.

     It must always be remembered that Satan's rebellion was anticipated by GOD. And the LORD worked, (as He always has and will), through His eternal gift of freewill to get Satan to change his course. But Satan continued on. And with a third of heaven's angels (Rev.12:4), brought the terminal cancer of sin to the Earth, drawing the human family to join him in his mutiny against GOD and the laws of His government.

     In this, our natural disposition of indulging sin with all its bitter consequences had to be addressed by GOD, and met with a plan to restore all that was lost through sin. While Adam was given the power of choice to relinquish his sinless nature into one of a sinful disposition we were not given that choice. None of us asked to be born who we are, where we are, and what we are. This "time and chance" dilemma each of us faces explains every injustice against the dignity of life. Some call it fate. Some call it karma. GOD calls it sin.

     But foreknown by our Creator, He planned “from the foundation of the world” to meet the threat against the lives and safety of His children. With Adam's fall He inaugurated the great plan of salvation. From the very beginning of sin's reign "when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him." Isa.59:19. To accompany "the Spirit of the LORD" a willing Sacrifice was provided to carry the burden of the curse of sin and take its retribution to Himself for every sin of men ever committed, (who were tempted of Satan), and completely remove this inheritance, and replace it with a new inheritance: one that promises to fulfill our childhood dreams for justice, mercy and love.

     “When the fullness of the time was come” the prophecy of the Great Sacrifice would be fulfilled: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” Isa.11:1-5.

     But the church has stumbled over a key doctrine of Christ and His righteousness. While the Bible declares that mankind is no longer “under the law” but “under grace,” today’s religious leaders ill-define the manner in which “the law” was done away. The Apostle Paul taught a different Gospel than the one that is preached today. He taught that to be “under the law” referred to the inheritance of condemnation that we all received from our Premier Father, Adam, when he sinned. Therefore to say the Ten Commandments are no longer binding flies in the face of Christ's declaration to all men: "But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt.19:17. Every prophet and apostle declared the same! Paul verified this when he said: “God sent forth his Son, made of woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law.” Gal.4:4,5. “The Son of God” was born under the same inherited condemnation of death as every son of Adam receives.

     Therefore, through the victory of “God in Christ,” the whole human race has received a new inheritance. The death sentence we all inherited (without our consent) has been removed! Christ’s victory over sin and the grave gives Him the legal right to raise the entire human race from the grave, to stand in either one of two camps: “the righteous” or “the wicked” (I Cor.15:22). The sinless history of Jesus Christ is now the new inheritance of man because the Bible calls Him “the last Adam.” Through Christ all men are now “under grace.” This new inheritance is verified by the words: “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputed not iniquity,” “that righteousness might be imputed unto them,” but “especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Ps.32:2; Rom.4:11; Gal.6:10. This compliments the words of Christ: "Go and sin no more." Jn.8:11.

     Christ’s words perfectly reinforce the foundational doctrine of His Gospel: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Jn.5:24. This deliverance from sin’s condemnation through faith in Jesus and GOD the Father was the original message the Apostles took to the world. “This gospel” is the message that “turned the world upside down!” Matt.24:14; Acts 17:6. To believe our Heavenly Father opened the way for us to receive the very Presence of Jesus through our simple invitation for Him to come and reside in our souls to live out His victory over sin—in us, and thus, receive His everlasting life, is “the mystery of godliness” (I Tim.3:16).

     The “power of God unto salvation” (Rom.1:16) also addresses the second dilemma we face: how we still need deliverance from our sinful nature. While our fallen nature will continue to tempt and annoy us until the LORD comes “who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil.3:21), the Bible invites us to overcome temptation in the same way Jesus always met temptation: “It is written.” That’s where freewill becomes paramount: to apply in our lives what we see in the perfect example of the life of Jesus. He is our Perfect Role Model. In addition, the heavenly wisdom provided by Christ through the Holy Ghost will keep us from being sinning sinners, as we give Him permission every day. This is why Paul said, “I die daily” (I Cor.15:31). Therefore, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil.4:13). Through the Indwelling Christ, we have access to receive His faith to abstain from sin (I Jn.2:1).

     In summation, to accomplish salvation for His children, GOD could only redeem what man is by becoming what man is in order to bring man to Him where He is. This was the purpose of Jesus Christ.

     It also needs to be understood that in the legal framework of GOD’S salvation, only the Father of Adam had the right to redeem the children of Adam. We are His offspring, His children, created in His Image and Likeness. And because He is the “Everlasting Father,” and now, “the last Adam,” our inherited condemnation that none of us gave our consent to receive has been removed and replaced with the new inheritance: the sinless history of Christ! His history is now our history! His resurrection is our resurrection! And His eternal life is now our eternal life! This is the Gospel! And we are called to simply believe this truth, “as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph.4:21). This is what GOD has accomplished for every man, woman and child who has ever lived! It also explains why the Great Judgment must take place where every man will stand before GOD in the end of time to give an account of their deeds done in life, whether of benevolent love for others or of self-indulgence to the sacrifice of others. In the end, it is love that GOD measures in the heart of a man. GOD offers to all this threefold freedom through Jesus Christ: from sin’s condemnation (of death); its power (our self-destructive nature); and its very presence (the continual temptations of devils to commit sin).

     So as we endure greater and greater abuse of both government and religious power prompting society’s increasing hatred of all that is “holy, and just, and good,” let us always remember the words of the sublimely wise, King Solomon: “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.” Eccl.5:8.

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Isa.30:15.