The Creator of the world loves everyone. This is the core and center piece, of the entire Gospel. The message is God the Creator loves all of His creation, yet this message defies human logic and religious teaching. Paul, the apostle to the Gentile world, along with the early church fathers realized this. The Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus are all love and light. Jesus came, died, and was raised from the dead to give us a clear vision of the Father and a permanent life changing relationship with the Holy Spirit. Over the period of hundreds of years the old idea “where God the Father was angry with us has crept into our present mindset.” This belief does not line up with the character of God the Father who is the Creator of the entire world.

During my life I have seen many people doubt their personal salvation or the salvation of many others. This never has set well in my heart. The predestination theology which claims divine foreordaining (predetermined) of all that will happen in regard to the salvation of some and not others basically says God will create some for the purpose of His eternal torture and create others for His glory. This teaching came from St. Augustine of Hippo around 350 AD and is taught to some degree in all Calvinist Churches. This is exactly what Paul warned the early church in Colossae to be leary of. “Make sure that you become no one’s victim through empty philosophical intellectualism and meaningless speculations, molded in traditions and repetitions according to mankind’s cosmic codes and superstitions and not consistent with Christ. It is in Christ that God finds an accurate and complete expression of himself, in a human body!” -Colossians 2:8-9 MBT

St. Augustine of Hippo was heavily influenced by Greek philosophers during his time. The philosophers viewed God as an angry grey haired man who sat on His throne and could only stomach to look at anyone because of Jesus. They also saw God as someone who enjoyed torturing people who didn’t behave to his standards.

John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor, lawyer, and reformer during the Protestant Reformation around 1517 AD. He was influenced by and expanded on the previous theology of Augustine. He taught predestination and eternal damnation. Outside of his belief that some are born destined for a torture chamber. John also believed the Holy Spirit was not actively involved with people who had access to the BIBLE. John wrote “For anyone to arrive at God the Creator he needs scripture as his Guide and Teacher.” John Calvin’s theology, called Calvinism, is the where many denominations world wide come from. A few of the larger Calvinist denominations include; Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian but his influence of the predestination and eternal damnation teaching has reached many people inside and outside of the church.

“The reason some prefer the clear cut rules of religion to the confusing freedom of relationship is because they do not know they are God’s dearly loved children.” Paul Ellis author of The Gospel in 10 Words. 

Religion cannot give you what religion does not have. You cannot get Love from religion, God’s Love manifests itself through relationship with Him. When we go to our hearts where he speaks to us, we experience His majestic Love. No book, no sermon and no teacher can manifest that for us. It’s personal, it’s intimate and it is Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit, which is the kingdom of God!

When Paul was speaking to the church of Corinth saying don’t you know you were purchased at a price? He was not pouring condemnation on them demanding them to change, He was speaking from His heart which manifested God’s love through an intimate relationship with him. What did religion do to Saul? In his day his religious acts produced murder, self righteousness ect… it was only through a relational encounter with Christ that the scales came off of his eyes, giving him transformation to see himself as the new creation he was and experience his life renamed in sonship as Paul. He was on a road walking out his checklist to be pleasing to God, and God met him in the midst of murder, persecution and justified acts in his mind.

Have you had the heart encounter where you cry out ABBA and experience life? Or is your relationship with God based on checklists, lectures, bible studies and obedience to the system that has gotten you this far? The water of Life is sweet, experiencing him in and through all things unveils the broken stitched together shacks we hold onto in our hearts and discloses a 5 star life experience. Intimacy makes a way for us to experience the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit face to face in perfect union. Associating ourselves in the oneness we have been born from brakes the chains and erases the lies and accusations that have bound our hearts. We begin to walk as though we have something more valuable than being identified as a “saved Christian”, we begin to see all of humanity as His beautiful masterpiece. I heard C. Baxter Kruger this week pose the question, “How long did it take you to ask your parents into your heart, into your life?” It wowed me at how simple the Gospel really is. He is in and through all things sustaining life. Our conscience is cleansed once we identify ourselves as we are and have always been.

He isn’t t sitting, waiting, saying “oh yeah 25 people asked me into there life today, but 75 non believers died so I get to torment them for eternity.” Think on this for a moment. If God created all of us in His likeliness and image which is good, then what kind of self image problem does God have if he chooses to burn and torment parts of himself for eternity? That doesn’t sound like a loving God.

“God is LOVE!” -1 John 4:8 MBT. “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” -1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT. Are a few of many New Covenant verses that bring light into the truth about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. But also the author of Hebrews, most likely Paul, wrote this to the Jewish church who had been under the Old Covenant of Moses, ” By that one perfect sacrifice he has perfectly sanctified sinful mankind forever. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit now endorses in us having already foretold it in scripture. (Prophesied in Jeremiah 31: 33, 34) This is my covenant that I will make with you during those days, says the Lord; I will greatly advantage you by giving my laws in your hearts and engrave them in your inmost thoughts sanctified sinful mankind forever. This is final: I have deleted the record of your sins and misdeeds. It is not possible to recall them. Sins were dealt with in such a thorough manner that the idea of having to add any further offerings in future would never again be considered. Nothing that we can personally sacrifice could add further virtue to our innocence. Brethren, this means that through what the blood of Jesus communicates and represents, we are now welcome to access this ultimate place of sacred encounter with unashamed confidence. A brand new way of life has been introduced. Because of his flesh torn on the cross.” -Hebrews 10:14-20 MBT

Paul also outlined the New Covenant to the Romans with the same good news. The reason he worded it differently is because the Romans had not been under the Old Covenant of Moses. Just like most of the world today they were not of Jewish origin, so Paul didn’t talk about no need for new sacrifices because they were not under the sacrificial system of the Law of Moses. What he did say is “Meanwhile we know that the LOVE of God causes everything to mutually contribute to our advantage. His Master Plan is announced in our original identity. He pre-designed and engineered us from the start to be jointly fashioned in the same mold and image of his son according to the exact blueprint of his thought. We see the original and intended pattern of our lives preserved in his Son. He is the firstborn from the same womb that reveals our genesis. He confirms that we are the invention of God. Jesus reveals that we pre-existed in God; he defines us. He justified us and also glorified us. He redeemed our innocence and restored the glory we lost in Adam. All these things point to one conclusion, God is for us! Who can prevail against us? “The gift of his son is the irrefutable evidence of God’s heart towards us. He held nothing in reserve; but freely and undeservedly gave everything we could ever wish to have; this is what our joint sonship is all about.” -Romans 8:28-32 MBT.

God loved the Israelites so much he ended the the Mosaic Covenant with the ultimate and final sacrifice, Jesus Christ. At the same time He cut a new covenant with his Son that cannot be broken by anyone. The New Covenant is between Jesus and our Creator who is the Father of the entire cosmos. This secures peace and love for all of mankind for eternity because this Covenant is without flaw, perfectly sealed on our behalf. Christ’s resurrection from hades brought all the the previous people who had died and where in spiritual darkness back into the Light of the Trinity’s love and assures everyone will be in His light for eternity.

“God has identified you, who can disqualify you? His word is our origin. No-one can point a finger; he declared you innocent.” -Romans 8:33 MBT. God the Father has loved you from the foundation of the world. He loved you before Jesus died at the hand of man on the Cross. He loves you with great reverence. He calls you his masterpiece! This isn’t founded on your belief in Jesus, it is founded on His belief in you. “Nothing distinguishes the Jew from the Greek when it comes to the generosity of God. He responds with equal benevolence to everyone who sees themselves identified in him (they realize that God defines them and not their cultural identity.) Salvation is to understand that every person’s true identity is revealed in Christ.” -Romans 10:12-13 MBT.

“Any teaching that leaves you with a sense of lack and imperfection rather than completeness is a distraction from the truth.” Francois du Toit.

No one is predestined to be tortured, no one can do anything that would result in eternal torture. “The entire cosmos is the object of God’s affection! And he is not about to abandon his creation -the gift of his son is for humanity to realize their origin in him who mirrors their authentic birth -begotten not of flesh but of the Father! In this persuasion the life of the ages echoes within the individual and announces that the days of regret and sense of lost-ness are over!” -John 3:16 MBT.

You have always been found in Him. Remember you are the apple of God’s eye. You have always been God’s children. You are free to live and enjoy life.

Thank you Father that today everyone reading this has an Abba moment where they see they have always been perfect in you. Thank you that all judgement fell on Christ and he came into this world not to judge it but to save it and restore it back to its original identity. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in and through all things. Even in the places where you may still have doubt. You are His beloved child in whom He is well pleased. Enjoy the blessings as they continue to erupt in your lives!

With Love,

Kurt and Katy

• MBT: Mirror Bible Translation
• NLT: New Living Translation