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Thus it has been with God's Church since the early years - when the original design instituted by God was twisted by Greek and Roman influences. FIRST - The concept of "SIN" - as revealed in the Scriptures as "Missing the designated Mark" - which, in Man's creation, he was to be God's image, and vessel intended to manifest and reflect HIS Glory through their Being and through their Lives - has been TOTALLY obliterated. MAN(kind) became guilty of "SIN" (became "Sinners') at the time that they lost God's indwelling Holy Spirit as their Life Principle. Lacking this - by and in their OWN natural power - they could do nothing other than "Sin", for they were no longer able to fulfill that for which they had been created !! In its place, Religion replaced "SIN" with "Sins", as being discrete actions and/or thoughts (as defined by the particular "religious Institution" that we might be referring to). Therefore (said they), if you avoid said actions or thoughts, you are no longer a "sinner" nor guilty of "sin" !! Therefore, under this "New" (distorted) definition, God continually cleansed and forgave us of our individual and recurring "Sins" (if we confessed them to Him) - rather than having dealt with the "SIN Problem" once and for all when He again gave to us His indwelling Holy Spirit at the point of our conversion !! SECOND - That which was designed originally to be ORGANIC in function and in nature (a living family) was changed into a Governmental, Judicial, and Legal AGENCY !! One of the MAJOR roadblocks to a TRUE "spiritual" understanding of the Bible and its message is that it is written from the perspective of the "Eastern (Oriental) mind", using Eastern imagery, metaphor, symbolism and thought. OUR minds, on the other hand, are steeped and fossilized in Western culture - characterized by Roman ideas and ways of thinking, philosophy and Medieval Scholasticism. The "church", after its corruption in 300 AD at the hands of the Romans, began to adopt ITS imagery and concepts into its theology. God, instead of being "Father", became Caesar, Dictator, Judge, Ruler and Sovereign, !! His "Kingdom", rather than being made up as a FAMILY, became fashioned after the Courts of the Roman Empire and its Judicial System. Adam's SIN - now rather than being an error, a "missing of the designated mark", a deviation from the intended plan - became a CRIME requiring judicial investigation and punishment. According to the "new" theology, God no longer looked upon His World and His Creation with eyes of Fatherly Compassion, Love and Understanding. Now -- His "injured Honor and Judicial Dignity" needed to be placated, His "Justice" needed to be satisfied, His "Vengeance and Wrath" needed to be appeased - and MOST important - an appropriate victim was needed to pay for the Cosmic Crime that had been committed against this "Caesar God" !! All of these twisted distortions of the TRUE God shaped the theology of the "church" to come!! Instead of a "New Birth" or renewal of the Life which was originally lost in Adam being THAT which was required to remedy our "Fall", Jesus is presented as the "Judicial Scapegoat" upon whom God (unjustly) placed the penalty for Adam's "crime" and from whom He extracted the required "payment". In other words, God poured out His (supposed) "Divine Anger and Wrath" upon Jesus and thereby spared us !! Now, rather than an ACTUAL "New Birth" being the outcome of the work that Christ did for us - that we might, by the power of God's indwelling Spirit, ACTUALLY lead Righteous Lives (living according to God's will for us) - He rather "suffered in OUR stead". Jesus "paid the fine or penalty instead of us for the crime that was committed". The Father (the Judicial Magistrate) punished Christ instead of us. He placed the "needed funds" into our "empty account". He "covered over our filthy rags of sin with His bright new, white coat of HIS righteousness". They claimed that now, when the Father looks at us, He no longer sees our filthy SIN stained garments (lives), but rather "His Son's White Coat of Righteousness" !! In almost ALL of today's "Western Churches and Theology", the work that Christ did is "Reckoned on our behalf" - He "took our place and suffered and died INSTEAD of us". As a consequence, "His righteousness is IMPUTED to us". We are still "Sinners prone to continual Sin", instead of - through our NEW life and indwelling of God's Spirit and Power - MADE to be Righteous in God's sight. By this, we are enabled to "do His Will", and are ACTUALLY and continually being "transformed into the Image of Christ" !! The BULK of the "christian church" no longer preaches and teaches "transformed lives unto the Image of Christ" as being the touchstone of salvation or the "new birth". NO, it is rather church membership and attendance, adherence to a particular creed, acceptance (at least by word) to chosen doctrines and teachings, adherence to particular church ordinances and rules, and avoiding certain thoughts and/or actions which the particular "church" under consideration define as being "sins" !! The "church is like a "secret society"- in which you have to get the wording of the "secret password" (doctrinal confession) exactly right, undergo the initiation rites, and live and abide by ALL of the rules - if you expect to become and remain a member. Those who fail to measure up are "cast out into the realms of eternal darkness" !! With these ignorant, fallacious and superstitious interpretations of God's dealing with Mankind, is it ANY wonder that SO many of today's Christians - and so much of the Church - are immersed in the SAME Confusion, lack of REAL Faith, Ignorance, Impotence, and Superstition. Also, is it any wonder that the World disregards and mocks a message and so-called "salvation" based upon such an unbelievable and unjust system of "faith" and theology. Exactly WHAT KIND of a "god" is portrayed to them ?? As opposed to the "Western Church" (including the Roman Catholic) - which primarily derived its theology from Augustine - the theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church developed its theology more along the lines of Iranious. It claims a somewhat similar understanding to what I have written in regard to the "Sin of Adam", the nature of "SIN", the passing down of the effects of HIS transgression to the rest of humanity, as well as the restoration and transformation process unto "semi-divine beings".
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