Fatherandsoncontroversy

asq.africa.ufl.edu

EXPOSING THE DECEPTION OF RELIGION (1)
© Abiodun Adeleke
Author, Absolute Truth vs Relative Truth

Here (Earth) or There (Heaven)?
While the kingdom expects us to maximise our potentials here on earth and still be heavenly conscious, thus be relevant HERE (Earth) and THERE (Heaven), religion, on the other hand, says you can’t have both. Religion says it is either you live for the material world and forget about heaven or live for heaven and cut yourself off from any earthly ambition or endeavour. Back in the 70s to the 90s, some religious organisations chose to lease lands and properties instead of outright purchases of landed properties for places of worship as they expected the imminent return of Jesus Christ in the rapture. They distanced themselves from technology and modern civilization as they chose to live only for heaven (THERE) even while still on earth (HERE). Some even created their own ‘heaven’ on earth by building secluded cities where their members could live in a ‘holy’ environment far away from the ‘contamination’ of the world. Fast forward to the year 2023, Jesus is yet to come in the rapture and some of these organisations are now acquiring landed properties in choice locations. They now embrace technology and the modern civilization they once condemned. Their taste for land and property acquisition is ever-increasing. Many probing questions are in mind. Is Jesus not coming back again in the rapture? Will all these landed properties be transported to heaven when the rapture eventually takes place? What made the acquisition of landed properties wrong then but right now?

The situation we have at hand now is the one where very few seem to be bothered about heaven (THERE) anymore as almost everyone wants wealth and prosperity at all cost. Religious empire builders profiting at the expense of the kingdom message are already building their own kingdoms here on earth and their messages no longer prompt people of heaven anymore. On the contrary, the message of the kingdom equips people to maximize their potential on earth and also prepares them for heaven.

Young people are leaving the church because their minds are too sophisticated for religion, they yearn for something that only the kingdom can offer but unfortunately, many are turning to the wrong place. At a time, the main focus of the Church was the second coming of Christ, but with the hope of the rapture gradually ‘fading’ and the wait seeming to become endless, the idea of creating heaven on earth is gradually becoming a stronghold. Who knows maybe there is no heaven? Who knows maybe the second coming has already happened or is not even going to happen again? What if the teaching of the rapture is a fraud?

2 Peter 3:2-13, (Living Bible), “ First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: “So Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? He’ll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.”

They deliberately forget this fact: that God did destroy the world with a mighty flood long after he had made the heavens by the word of his command and had used the waters to form the earth and surround it. And God has commanded that the earth and the heavens be stored away for a great bonfire at the judgment day, when all ungodly men will perish.

But don’t forget this, dear friends, that a day or a thousand years from now is like tomorrow to the Lord. He isn’t really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. The day of the Lord is surely coming, as unexpectedly as a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up.

And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living! You should look forward to that day and hurry it along—the day when God will set the heavens on fire, and the heavenly bodies will melt and disappear in flames. But we are looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards, where there will be only goodness”

The inconsistency of religion and its grip on the Church is obvious in the way the Church which in the past has been preoccupied and obsessed with the second coming of Christ has now shifted its focus and goal from heaven and the rapture to heaven on earth with the insatiable quest for earthly material possessions. If there is no heaven to go to, we can at least create that heaven here on earth.

Heb. 10:37, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
Reading the Scripture at face value without putting it into context is one of the problems of Biblical interpretation. This Scriptural passage emphasises more on the certainty of the return of Jesus Christ than giving a timeline. “For yet a little while” to some means “few years” and after waiting a few years in their own calculation without seeing Jesus return, they concluded that He is not coming again. If a day or a thousand years is like tomorrow to God, then religious leaders should stop calculating and predicting the time of the second coming of Christ as God is not bound by time. The certainty of the second coming is what we should focus on and not the timeline. Has God shown anyone the calendar He uses in heaven?

The Church has moved from one extreme to another extreme simply because religion cannot offer both heaven and earth together. If the apostles had only pursued the goal of heaven and had been earthly irrelevant, their impact in the kingdom as witnessed today wouldn’t have been there. In their pursuit of excellence and fulfilment of purpose, they did not build names or empires for themselves, they were simply committed to the kingdom and the King. Most religious empire builders today will soon have their names forgotten in spite of the monuments they have to immortalize their names. They are only relevant because they are still on earth.

The grip of religion on the Church must be broken for the Church to fulfil its mission and purpose on earth. For the citizens of the kingdom, our goal is heaven and our domain is the earth. While we look forward to the manifestation of the King of glory, we will occupy, advance the Kingdom and exercise kingdom dominion on earth.

Those who often choose between heaven and earth are disconnected from the truth of Scripture. When the Scripture references God’s authority and influence, both heaven and earth are in view.

Isa. 66:1, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool….”
Mathew 6:10, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Psalm. 89:11 (NIV), “The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.”

I Chronicles 29:11, “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”
Apostle Paul gave us the mindset that every kingdom citizen should have and live by.

Phil 1:21, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
For a better understanding, let us see that passage and more in the Amplified Bible.

Phil. 1:21-26, (Amplified Bible), “For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice]. But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your rejoicing for me may overflow in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”

Kingdom citizens always have reasons for living. They understand the place of God’s purpose for eternity, God’s purpose for their generation and God’s purpose for their lives and the relationship between the three. They understand that God’s purpose for their generation will find its fulfilment in God’s purpose for eternity and that God’s purpose for their lives will find its fulfilment in God’s purpose for their generation. They don’t live life on time and chance, they live life on purpose. It does not matter whether it is a life of luxury and affluence or a life of moderation, the reason to keep living is PURPOSE. The reason why some people want to go to heaven is to simply escape the struggles and the poverty in this world while those who enjoy wealth and affluence on earth don’t want to leave the earth but rather desire that heaven should come to earth (heaven on earth). A desire that never put God’s plan and purpose in the picture but only their selfish desire.
Kingdom citizens don’t waste away waiting for heaven or the rapture to happen, they spend every day on earth making impacts for the kingdom without losing sight of the glorious reward in heaven. As long as the King of Glory permits us to be on earth, it is because there is still an assignment to carry out, when He is satisfied we are done, then heaven will come. Earth is the mission field, our assignment is on earth and not in heaven.
If you think more of heaven than you think of your assignment here on earth, or you live more for the pleasures and the gains on earth than you look forward to the city whose builder and maker is God, you might just have been captured by religion.

I live my life as if Christ will return today but I plan my life as if He will not return in my lifetime. Author unknown.

Introduction
A sincere and careful consideration of the Scriptures will reveal that what Jesus brought is not a religion but a kingdom. The kingdom message that Jesus brought was rejected by the religious leaders of His days because the kingdom would set the people free from the deception of religion and put the religious merchants masquerading as spiritual leaders out of business. It is rather unfortunate that religious merchants and empire builders have hijacked the kingdom’s message and replaced it with religion in the church today. The Kingdom was so important to Jesus that during the 40 days after His crucifixion, he spent time expounding the kingdom to the apostles perhaps they missed the crux of His message and teachings for over 3 years.
Acts 1:3, (Living Bible), ‘During the forty days after his crucifixion he appeared to the apostles from time to time, actually alive, and proved to them in many ways that it was really he himself they were seeing. And on these occasion, he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.”
This work is not to approve or disapprove of any religion but to establish from the Scriptures that what Jesus brought was not a religion and that He did not intend that what He brought was to become another religion. While this does not take away the freedom of people to belong to any religion of their choice, those who profess to be Christians and acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour however need to understand the clear distinction between the Kingdom and religion in order not to take the Kingdom for religion and miss the mark.
What is religion? Religion is man’s efforts and practices to get access to God, win His approval and please Him through a set of institutionalised ritualistic beliefs and practices as ordained by human influence. It establishes a culture of self-righteousness and put the interest and the desire of its adherent at the centre. Religion is a counterfeit of Kingdom life and culture. A distraction and deliberate attempt to lure people away from the kingdom.

What is Kingdom? A kingdom is not a democracy, it is not a republic and it is not a religion. A kingdom is a governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his purpose and his intent, producing a citizenry of people who express his culture and his nature.
Our subject matter however is not about a kingdom but about the kingdom and in this case we are referencing the kingdom of God. So, to properly put things in perspective, we need to see the king here as God. If we see the king here as God, then where is the territory to govern with His influence, and impact with His will, purpose and intent?

According to the Scripture, (Isa. 66:1, Psl. 24:1, Matt. 6:9-10) the territory where God wants to govern with His influence and impact with His will, purpose and intent is not only heaven but the earth also. If Jesus said that we should pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it means that God’s desire is to extend His will that is already done in heaven to earth.

God want to have a citizenry of people who will express his culture and his nature as already expressed in heaven to also be expressed on earth.

The Kingdom concept was born in the heart of man, placed there by his Creator as the purpose for which he was created. Despite the fact that there were many types of kingdoms throughout human history, there are certain characteristics common to all kingdoms. The kingdom of God also possesses these components.

All kingdoms have:
• A king and lord--a sovereign ruler
• A territory--a domain
• A constitution--a royal covenant
• A citizenry--a community of subjects
• The law--acceptable principles
• Privileges--rights and benefits
• A code of ethics--acceptable lifestyles and conducts
• An army--security
• A commonwealth--economic security
• A social culture--traditions, protocol and procedures

The King is the embodiment of the kingdom, representing its glory and nature. The kingdom is a reflection of the king. If the king is evil and corrupt, his kingdom will be evil and corrupt. If the king is honorable, truthful and kind, his kingdom will be also. Authority flows from the
King and the word of the king is supreme.

The Territory is the domain over which the king exercises total authority. The territory and its resources and people are all personal property of the king. The king by right owns all and, therefore, is considered lord over all. Keep in mind, the word lord denotes ownership by right. Lord is only given to one who is sovereign owner. This is why the Scripture declares in Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.

The Constitution is the covenant of a king with his citizens and expresses the mind and will of the king for his citizens and the kingdom. It is the king's written governing laws, rights, and privileges for his people. The Bible contains the constitution of the Kingdom of God, which details His will and mind for His citizens. The Bible is God's Constitution--His Testaments—to His citizens in the Kingdom.

The Citizenry is, collectively, the people that live under the rule of the king. Citizenship in a kingdom is not a right, but a privilege, and is a result of the king's choice. The benefits and privileges of a kingdom are only accessible to citizens and therefore the favour of the king is always a privilege. Once one becomes a citizen of the kingdom, all the rights of citizenship are at the citizen's pleasure. The king is obligated to care for and protect all of his citizens; and their welfare is a reflection on the king himself. The number one goal of a citizen in a kingdom is to be subject to the king, seeking only to remain in right-standing with him. This is called righteousness. This is why Jesus said the priority of all men is to seek first His Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33)

The Law constitutes the standards and principles established by the king himself, by which his kingdom will function and be administered. The laws of a kingdom are to be obeyed by all, including foreigners residing in it. The laws of the kingdom are the way by which one is guaranteed access to the benefits of the king and the kingdom. Violations of kingdom law place a citizen at odds with the king and thus interrupt the favorable position one enjoys with the king. The laws in a kingdom cannot be changed by the citizens, nor are they subject to a culture change, citizen referendum or debate. Simply put, the word of the King is law in his kingdom. Rebellion against the law is rebellion against the king.

The Privileges are the benefits the king lavishes on his faithful citizens. This aspect of kingdom is very different from other forms of government. In a kingdom, citizenship is always desired by the people because, once you are in the kingdom, the king is personally responsible for you and your needs. In addition, because the king owns everything within his kingdom, he can give to any citizen any or all of his wealth as he desires.

A Code of Ethics is the acceptable conduct of the citizens in the kingdom and their representation of the kingdom. This code includes moral standards, social relationships, personal conduct, attitude and manner of life.

The Army is the kingdom's system of securing its territory and protecting its citizens. It is important to understand that in a kingdom the citizens do not fight, but enjoy the protection of the army. This is why, in the Kingdom of God, the angels are called the host of heaven. The word host means army and identifies the angels as the so-called military component of the Kingdom of Heaven. This kingdom concept presents a challenge to our religious thinking of the church as an army. A careful study of the biblical constitution of the Word will show that the church, as Jesus established it, is not identified as an army but rather a citizenship, a family of sons and daughters, and a nation.

Matthew 26:52-53, “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly?

Psalm 78:49, “He loosed on them His fierce anger—all His fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels.”

Psalm 103:20-21, “Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out His plans, listening for each of His commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve Him and do His will!”

Matthew 13:40-42, “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

A Commonwealth is the economic system of wealth which guarantees each citizen equal access to financial security. In a kingdom, the term commonwealth is used because the king's desire is that all his citizens share and benefit from the wealth of the kingdom. The kingdom's glory is in the prosperity and health of its citizens.

Please note: Consider carefully the Word of the King of the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ:

Luke 12-22-23, (NKJV), “Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.” ”

Luke 12-31-32, (NKJV), “But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”

The Social Culture is the environment created by the life and manners of the king and his citizens. This is the cultural aspect that separates and distinguishes the kingdom from all others around it. It is the culture that expresses the nature of the king, through the lifestyle of his citizens. This distinction in kingdom culture is evident in the words of the Lord Jesus, when He said in the book of Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell." and again in Matthew 20:25-28, “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The Kingdom social culture should be evident in our daily activities and encounters. If we are part of His Kingdom, we will reflect the culture of our King!

Believers who practice religion and believers who live the kingdom will definitely produce different lifestyles. There is a deep conviction that what the people of Antioch saw in the life of the early believers to have called them Christians (Christ like – people like Christ) was not religion but the kingdom lifestyle. They saw a different culture, lifestyle, allegiance and absolute loyalty to the King of the kingdom, Jesus Christ.

Watch this space in the month of February 2023 for the teaching series of Abiodun Okeowo Adeleke on Exposing The Deception of Religion. If with the proliferation of worship houses across the world and yet the Church is not making any impact, something must be wrong somewhere. Jesus did not bring religion, He brought the Kingdom. How did we get here? Young people are leaving the church because their minds are too sophisticated for religion. The enemy of the Kingdom is not the unbelieving world but religion. So, for the Church to fulfil the Kingdom mandate, we must abandon religion and embrace the Kingdom.

A closer look and a deeper reflection on why some people see reference to God as a sign of weakness or out of touch with modern reality is the false sense of “self-sufficiency”. The desire of humanity is not only to conquer the immediate environment but wherever there is life. As it is obvious with our space exploration, this desire to conquer has gone beyond only where there is life to conquer everything and everywhere. With the great advancement in science and technology grows the false sense of “self-sufficiency” but if we are humble and reasonable enough, our breakthroughs as a result of research and the continuation of this research for possible breakthroughs in the future in the field of science and technology is a clear indication the humanity does not possess omniscience. Those of us who believe in God and reverence Him appreciate the great work science has done to make our world a better place, but the fact that humanity is still as vulnerable as ever and we have not been able to tame nature and create a world free of death and sicknesses, we are not “self-sufficient”. Even sometimes, our technology fails us as it is obvious that we don’t have all the answers to the problem of humanity. As long as the earth remains, research will continue into the future and new breakthroughs will be made but the sense of “self-sufficiency” will continue to be false as humans were not created to live without God.
Jer. 32:27a (KJV), “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh”

Q: In a world of religious pluralism where adherents of different absolutes claim the supremacy of their respective deity, if there was to be a standard list against which the absolutes were to be compared, how would it look like and how would they respond?

A: Honestly I see this as a better approach towards the debate on the supremacy of the absolutes. Comparing an absolute against another absolute might be offensive in some quarters, but comparing an absolute against the standard list will offer the adherents of the absolutes the opportunity to present their case in the defense of their absolute. In my thought and observation, 3 critical things should make the standard list, however on how the absolutes would respond, I think that is beyond me as the only moral obligation I have is to compare my absolute against the standard list. In the case of an objection against the standard list from adherents of other absolutes, I feel the logical thing for them to do is to add to the list and demand response rather than disprove it. The truth is, this list is already a challenge that needs a response.

1. Submit yourself for investigation.

If this whole process is about searching out the truth, then it will be involving probing, so that what is not clear can be made clear and what is hidden can be revealed. For any absolute to be the valid absolute, then the absolute must be investigated. He must be subjected to investigation and willingly permit us to investigate Him and ask Him questions as an absolute who forbids investigation is afraid of something. How can we establish a claim if the claim will not be verified?

Any investigation aims to discover what had hitherto been hidden or not known and also to verify claims made. Thus, for an absolute to be the absolute, the claims must be investigated and discoveries made, hidden things revealed and truth established. Embarking on the investigation of an absolute is not a big deal as the absolute throwing the challenge of investigation at us.

The God of the Bible has no phobia for investigation rather, He throws the challenge at us to summon Him and He will respond. He will not only respond to summon, but He will tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3.

As far as the God of the Bible is concerned, investigating Him is not an issue, He challenged us to ask Him questions, and He will respond. This puts our mind at rest that He is more than willing to cooperate with us as we get set to question Him and the threat of sentencing us for the crime of treason for daring to investigate Him will not rise.

An absolute who refuses to be investigated has failed the first test on the standard list. Though we need to be careful so as not to mix things up here. Questioning him as it appears on the standard list is not the same as questioning His authority. His authority cannot be questioned as He is not accountable to anyone because He is morality and justice personified, however, His magnanimity to allow us to ask Him questions to clarify doubts and shed more light on our understanding of Him should be seen as one of His distinguishing qualities.

2. Basis of authority.

In a case where authority is derived, the one in authority cannot be said to be the final authority as there is another higher level of authority. Thus final authority is never subjected to any other authority as it is the final authority in itself and it is never derived.

If man was created and his authority derivative, it will only be logical to conclude that man has a Creator Who created him and from Whom he derived his authority. It will also be logical to conclude that the One Who created man and gave him his authority has the power to create. Thus for an absolute to be the absolute, He must possess the power to create and not only possess the power to create but must create or must have created.

“Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.”
Jeremiah 10:11,12.

The God of the Bible did not make a long list of His basis of authority; the only real basis of the authority of any absolute is creation, and that is exactly what the God of the Bible laid claim to in establishing His absoluteness and His absolute authority over all creatures, whether man or so-called gods. If there is no creation, then nothing will exist and since life and matters exist they must have been created by the Creator God Who in this case is revealed as the God of the Bible. Genesis 1:1. Isaiah 40:22. Isaiah. 51:13.

3. Comprehensive package of redemption.

This is going to be the last on the standard list as frivolities will only cause distraction. It is not impossible for other absolutes to respond to all these three on the standard list but obviously, the way and manner they respond will help us understand them better and know where and how to place them.

The comprehensive package of redemption may just be the deciding factor as the eternal state of humanity depends on how the issue of redemption is addressed. An absolute that has no comprehensive package of redemption cannot claim to be the absolute as the real absolute must address the depravity of man, as that is one thing man cannot counter on his effort. Let the absolutes present us with their comprehensive package of redemption while an absolute without one has finally lost his chance to arguably establish his authenticity and authority.

The problem of sin is a universal one and all religions deal with it in one way or another. Sacrifices, purifications or atonements in the different religions are different ways of handling the problem of sin. However, a comprehensive package of redemption will enable us to know how an absolute regards this problem, its implications and the way out.

People will not seek a cure until they know they are ill. The God of the Bible appreciates this fact, so He had to first point out to man his depraved state and the consequence of his sin; death (separation from God).

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a.

His solution for sin can only make sense after man has acknowledged he faces an eternal condemnation as a result of his sin.

The God of the Bible did not just condemn sinners to eternal damnation; He provide a way of escape. He did not ask man to seek out on his own the way of redemption, He showed the Way to man.

Sin is a spiritual matter and its consequence will have an eternal effect, thus believing that some physical religious acts of self-righteousness will be enough to atone for sin can only be an exercise in futility. In some religions, the adherents believe that they will attain salvation by their religious acts as their absolutes seem not to initiate a plan of salvation. In such religions, their condemnation or salvation on the day of judgement will be based on the number of good works weighed against their sins committed while alive. However, the God of the Bible takes exception to this kind of redemption plan. Isaiah 64:6.

The way and manner sin is considered and dealt with can go a long way in helping us discover the true absolute. Sin is a major problem in the world today and man has been finding it difficult to effectively deal with it on his own

Man (please note this does not indicate the male gender but humanity in general) has fully proven his inability to counter his sin and elevate himself to the level where he becomes acceptable to the God of creation, as the price of redemption from sin is what man can never pay as a sinner. Some engaged themselves in acts of piety by seclusion and denying themselves food and the basic things of life including pleasure for days just to appease for their sins, but yet they are never free from the guilt of sin.

This inability of man to pay his debt of sin is the reason why those who believe they can atone for their sins by some acts of righteousness only get more engaged in sinful acts once those religious activities are over.

The solution to sin can never come from man but God. To be accepted by the God of creation, the standard will be determined by Him and not by man. The philosophy of right standing with God as taught by man is based solely on work while on the other hand, the philosophy of right standing with God as established by God Himself is based solely on grace.

COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE OF REDEMPTION

The comprehensive package of redemption according to the God of the Bible consists mainly of 3 key things; atonement, reconciliation and redemption.

ATONEMENT
The procedure of reconciling sinners to God.

When the God of the Bible first addressed the issue of sin on a national scale, He made it clear that for there to be atonement for sin, blood must be shed. Leviticus 16:14,18. Hebrews. 9:19-22.

God did not ask His people to shed the blood of animals because He was bloodthirsty; blood must be shed so that substitutionary sacrifice can be offered because the life of the animal is in the blood.

The God of the Bible tied forgiveness of sin to the shedding of blood, an act that shows how God regards sin. Salvation is not cheap as life must be sacrificed because the consequence of sin in the first instance is death. If blood must be shed and life sacrificed to give salvation to man, it is simply because the price of salvation is life sacrifice. Leviticus 4:13-20. Leviticus 5:5-10.

Those who could not afford to sacrifice goat or lamb were allowed to sacrifice turtle doves or pigeons just to ensure that blood is shed and life was sacrificed. It seems that to the God of the Bible, redemption from sin is not possible without the shedding of blood and sacrifice of life. So, to Him salvation from sin is beyond good works and performing religious rites, it is a matter of blood sacrifice.

A twist was, however, added to this substitutionary sacrifice when a prophecy was given that a time would come when the substitutionary sacrifice would no more be an animal but a man. It means that the sins of the people would no more be atoned for by the blood of animals but by a man whom God would offer as a sacrifice who would have to shed his blood, die and atone for the sins of men. Isaiah 53:4-8.

This prophecy became very important, as the people are required to come to terms with the fact, that the sacrifice of animals was just a pointer to the ultimate sacrifice for sin. If the understanding of this prophecy could be very clear to them, they would eagerly look forward to the time when this perfect sacrifice for sin would be made. The fact that this man of substitutionary sacrifice would have to be killed and die once, which would settle the problem of sin once and for all unlike the killing of animals that was repeated over and over again could not be overemphasized.

The God of the Bible is not oblivious of the guilt of sin, so He asked the people to transfer their guilt of sin to the substitute. A rehearsal of a final future event. Leviticus 1:3-4. Leviticus 16:21-22.

“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.” II Corinthians 5:21.

The God of the Bible provided a substitute for us who became sin by becoming the bearer of our sin so that we could be declared not guilty as his righteousness become transferred to us. This might not make sense in some quarters as the sinner is believed and expected to bear the consequence of his or her sin. Unfortunately, man does not have what it takes to atone for his sin, as the sacrifice for atonement by divine order must be without blemish, a standard that automatically disqualifies man.

This alone is an indictment on those who believe acts of religious service can atone for their sin and not the sin-bearer God gave to mankind.

According to the God of the Bible, the atonement will grant forgiveness. Leviticus 4:26,31,35.

If we take a closer look at the model of sacrifices as the LORD outlined it in the book of Leviticus, we will see clearly how this model was pointing to the mission of Jesus Christ on earth. The offerings fell into three broad types. The trespass and sin offerings were usually offered first: they cleansed people from sin. Then came the bunt offerings in which whole animals were burnt to ashes: these sacrifices evidently expressed complete dedication to God. The final sacrifice was the peace offering, essentially a family meal shared in the presence of God. A clear understanding of the sequence of the offerings – forgiveness of sins, then total dedication, then fellowship – will reveal that their goal was fellowship with God. To reach that goal of fellowship with God, forgiveness of sin and complete dedication to God was necessary. Thus, according to the God of the Bible, it is only through the atonement that sin can be forgiven.

Any plan of forgiveness from sin that is not based on atonement is not a plan of the God of the Bible, it is nothing but self-help. Such a plan is man’s idea of what redemption from sin should be and not His idea of what redemption from sin is.

Having established from the Scripture that according to Jehovah, the solution to sin is atonement and not religious activities, let us find out how He resolved it. When God began to give the revelation of how the real and actual atonement which will permanently settle the problem of sin would be accomplished, He likened the permanent sacrifice for atonement to a lamb. Isaiah 53:7-8.

At the time this prophecy was given, no one could confidently say this is how this prophecy was going to be fulfilled. After it was fulfilled, we could confidently point to how it was fulfilled in retrospect. Matthew 27:11-14. John 1:29. Revelation 5:6. Hebrews 9:7-28.

Scriptural evidence clearly shows the methodological approach the God of the Bible took in accomplishing the atonement. He started with symbols to prepare the mind of the people pointing them to the real substance; Jesus Christ.

Those who are arguing that Jesus was not crucified don’t know the God of the Bible and His ways. They don’t understand His plan of salvation and no matter the basis of their argument, it runs contrary to the overwhelming evidence in the Bible that Jesus as the atonement for sin, must die and offer his blood as a sacrifice for sin once and for all which he did. Hebrews 9:12,14. Romans 3:24-25. I Corinthians 5:7. I John 2:2.

“In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:10. (NET)

The atoning blood of Jesus accomplishes all. Our sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus; “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7.

We are purified from sin through the blood of Jesus. I John 1:7. We are freed from sin through the blood of Jesus; Revelation 1:5. We are redeemed through the blood of Jesus. I Peter 1:18-19. We stand justified before God through the blood of Jesus. Romans 5:9. We are reconciled with God through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross at Calvary when he was killed. Romans 5:10. Colossians 1:20.

If God only recognizes those who approach Him through the blood of Jesus as the only ones reconciled with Him, then what happens to those who refuse to acknowledge the death and resurrection of Jesus and approach God through the blood of Jesus? If they are not reconciled with God, then they remain in their sin declaring themselves as enemies of God. We are made holy through the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 13:12. The power of the devil is destroyed through the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 2:14. Colossians 2:15.

RECONCILIATION
Establishing harmony between conflicting parties.

The beginning of enmity between God and man could be traced to when the first parents sinned against God in the Garden of Eden and instead of fellowshipping with Him, they went into hiding when they heard His voice after they had fallen into sin. Genesis 3:8.

From that time onward, our desires and lifestyles became hostile to God as sinners and all man could think of was sin. Colossians 1:21.

If man became the enemy of God through sin, then reconciliation between God and man became a must or man would remain the enemy of God forever. However, it was not only man that became the enemy of God due to sin, nature was also cursed due to the sin of man. Genesis. 3:14-18.

It is only the divine who can reconcile us to Himself, and the God of the Bible actually took the initiative; “God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.” II Corinthians 5:18. (CEV). II Corinthians 5:19.

REDEMPTION
Freedom obtained through a price paid.

A slave and a free-born obviously will not place the same premium on freedom. While the word will make all the sense in the world to the slave, the word will make no difference to the free-born who has been living free all the days of his or her life. In the context under review, our slavery was not unto man but rather, unto sin. John 8: 31-34. Romans 6:17.

The cost of this freedom is beyond any man. “Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price (the ransom price for a human life is too high……” Psalms 49: 7, 8. (NET Bible)

Looking at the cost of this freedom, it is only God that can fulfil the requirement and pay the price and the Bible says He did just that. Romans 3:24.

In securing our redemption from sin, God achieved that through His Son Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:13,14. The cost of buying freedom for us from sin is the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 1:7.


“You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” I Peter 1:18,19. (NET Bible). Revelation 5:9.

The God of the Bible is always willing to reveal Himself to those who seek Him and takes delight in granting unrestricted access to the salvation package. If you truly desire peace from your inner struggles and freedom from the weight of your moral depravity, then swallow your pride, bury your shame and seek help. You don’t know how willing He is to rescue you. He is waiting to embrace you and welcome you into the kingdom of light. All you need to do is, come.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

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Abiodun Adeleke
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Absolute Truth vs Relative Truth
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