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[0:00] Christianity Clarified, Volume 75, Track 1, The Yes Part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Christianity Clarified references the Kingdom of Heaven frequently because it is critical and because it is very often misunderstood.

[0:17] Its most common misunderstanding is the tendency to confuse the Kingdom of Heaven with the idea of one who has gone to Heaven when they died here on Earth. While it certainly is true that when a believer dies physically, he does become absent from his body and present with the Lord.

[0:35] So, where is the Lord? Well, He is in Heaven, sitting at the right hand of His Father as recorded in Colossians 3. But that is not the meaning most frequently meant when the Kingdom of Heaven is referred in the Bible, particularly by the Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and the Twelve Apostles that Jesus commissioned to preach the message demanding repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

[1:01] At hand means very close, very near. But how can it be very near here on Earth and still be in Heaven at the present? Consider Matthew chapters 5 through 7 in the famous Sermon on the Mount.

[1:15] Jesus refers multiple times to the Father as being in Heaven in chapter 5, chapter 6, two places, chapter 7, two places, six times, there you have it, in the Sermon on the Mount alone.

[1:29] Everyone is familiar with its usage in 6.9 of Matthew, Our Father which art in Heaven. These all reference the place where God the Father is spoken of as residing.

[1:42] There, God reigns, He rules in Heaven. But, say you, wait, God rules on Earth too, doesn't He? Well, yes and no.

[1:55] Well, what does that mean? Either He does or He doesn't, and everyone knows because God is supreme, He rules everywhere, right? Well, yes and no.

[2:08] Now let me explain. And before I do, you need to know, this very issue we are now covering represents one of the greatest themes in all the Bible as the source of misunderstanding.

[2:23] So, if you get this, and all it is, is a distinction, it is one of several issues in the Bible about which the Apostle Paul told Timothy that needs to be rightly divided.

[2:41] If it is not rightly divided, then it is wrongly mixed. And the results of it being wrongly mixed are disastrous when trying to understand the Bible and the plan and program of God.

[2:55] So, when we answer both yes and no, the yes part is that God most definitely is the supreme ruler over all, and there is nothing and no one that is not under His sovereign lordship.

[3:08] And yes, He does rule and reign from heaven, frequently referred to as His abode. It's where all believers go to join Him when passing from this life to heaven where God is and where Jesus went to join Him when He ascended back to heaven in Acts chapter 2.

[3:25] That is the yes part of our yes and no answer. And the no part is up next.

[3:35] And rightly dividing is the key you will see. Christianity Clarified, Volume 75, Track 2, The No Part of the Kingdom of Heaven The previous segment revealed the kingdom of heaven as being where God reigns supreme, where Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father, and where believers who die physically here on earth become absent from their body and present with the Lord.

[4:05] That, in our previous segment, was the yes part of the answer we set forth by saying, yes and no, as regards the kingdom of heaven. Sounds like double talk, but it is most definitely not.

[4:19] So, here comes the no part. The first two chapters of Genesis record that God created the heavens and the earth. Then He created Adam and Eve, the first humans, and delegated to them the responsibility of exercising dominion or dominance over the entire planet.

[4:39] Their capabilities were such that all of creation, animal and vegetable, was under their dominion with only one prohibition. There was one item in the middle of that created garden that contained the potential for altering everything God had made that He had earlier labeled very good.

[5:01] Satan, the adversary, whose name means the opposer, had already been in conflict with God by way of exercising the volition God gave him that would allow him to obey God or defy God.

[5:16] He chose the latter. And then successfully recruited other angels to join him in his rebellion. One-third of all the other angels joined him against God.

[5:29] Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 as well as Revelation 12 all reference that event. Through his deception, Satan not only enlisted other angels to join him, but deceived Adam and Eve into doing so as well.

[5:46] Their punishment was immediate. First, the connection they had with God was severed in two ways. Spiritually, they experienced a separation from God that was immaterial death.

[6:00] And second, they experienced an aging process to the point their body would no longer sustain them, and they died a material death many years later.

[6:13] The dominion they had been responsible to exercise over all of creation was also subjected to the death process. As the federal head of all creation, when they fell, everything over which they had been given jurisdiction fell also.

[6:29] So, the whole world came crashing down around them, as referred to in the fall. Now, who will pick up the pieces of this damaged creation as the new head of it all?

[6:45] It will be the one who by deception wrested it from the original tenets, none other than Satan himself. In John's Gospel chapters 12, 14, and 16, Jesus refers to Satan as the prince of this world, and in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul calls Satan the god of this age.

[7:07] You do know why this world is in such a mess, don't you? Well, if you don't, you should now. Yes, of course, even in this, God is still in charge.

[7:18] Repeatedly, we have described Satan to be like a mad dog on a chain, but he can go no further than what God will allow, and God can yank on his chain any time he wishes. That's where the world has been and where it is now.

[7:31] But the kingdom of heaven is coming, because the king is coming. So we keep looking up and listening for that trumpet. Christianity Clarified, Volume 75, Track 3, Clarifying Kingdom and Church, Part 1.

[7:49] Attempting to be true to its name, Christianity Clarified tries to clarify the meaning and implications of the kingdom of heaven, at times called the kingdom of God.

[8:00] The concept dominates the Bible throughout, but especially so in the four gospels, and this, no doubt, is due to the earthly presence of the king.

[8:12] Several features surrounding the kingdom must absolutely be understood if one is to make any sense of the plan and program of God. Here is an incomplete listing of the main features of the kingdom.

[8:26] Number one, It is the literal, physical reign of God to be established by Jesus the Messiah when he returns to earth. Two, As such, it has never yet existed on earth.

[8:41] Three, its future establishment is guaranteed and is a principal reason for Christ's return. Four, Its literality is necessitated by its literal fall, that its establishment will correct when Christ returns.

[9:01] Five, This present age has nothing to do with the kingdom of heaven, but is instead called the church age, or the administration of grace, as opposed to the administration of the kingdom.

[9:15] Rather than having been established, as Catholic and most Protestants assume, even though not literally, but in a spiritual way, it has not been established in any way, but postponed indefinitely.

[9:33] Six, From all appearances, the postponement appeared to be due to Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah, and it will remain postponed until a future generation of Israelites will say as Jesus prophesied in Matthew chapter 23, Quote, For I say to you, From now on you shall not see me until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

[10:04] Seven, While the kingdom and the king remain absent, the prophet Hosea in chapter 3 predicts, For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without a king or prince or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols.

[10:26] Afterward, the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they will come trembling to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.

[10:42] Eight, Instead of Israel and the Jew getting their prophesied kingdom, the world of Jews and Gentiles got the unexpected, unprophesied church that makes no distinction between Jews and Gentiles.

[11:03] This is where the world is now and has been since Jesus went into exile back to heaven. The earth continues with the presence of the church and the postponement of the kingdom.

[11:20] Now, if that sounds like plan B, the explanation of why it is no such thing is just ahead, and it is all plan A, not plan B.

[11:35] Christianity Clarified, Volume 75, Track 4, Clarifying Kingdom and Church, Part 2. When the casual reader ponders over Israel having rejected their king, it looks very much as if God is saying, Well, since the Jews rejected my son Jesus as their Messiah, my plan A did not work out.

[11:59] So I will have to implement plan B. Don't you believe that for a moment? God has no plan B, although to us humans it may look like He does.

[12:12] But one need only recall a principle of hermeneutics taught long ago. It revealed the necessity of consulting the whole of Scripture before reaching a conclusion on a part of Scripture.

[12:27] A Christianity Clarified axiom is, Everything in the Scripture is connected to everything in Scripture. An example is seen in the rebuke Jesus gave His disciples while en route to Emmaus in Luke 24.

[12:43] He called them foolish and slow of heart for not believing all that the Scriptures had written, saying to them, Ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things and enter into His glory?

[12:57] Thus, Scripture itself is the only reliable interpreter of Scripture. The Bible consisted only of the Old Testament while Jesus was on earth.

[13:08] It spoke of the Messiah's suffering as in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, Daniel 9 and Zechariah 13, but it also spoke even more of His entering into glory, as in Isaiah chapters 9, 11, 40, Jeremiah 23, Daniel 7 and Malachi 3.

[13:29] And if you do not consider both comings of the Messiah, first as His suffering and second as the exalted, then you get an incomplete picture. Serious Bible students understand the Bible very often does not speak its full mind on a single passage of Scripture.

[13:50] This necessitates comparing Scripture with Scripture. That was previously what the disciples on the Emmaus Road failed to do, and Jesus called them on it.

[14:02] Then He Himself did what they neglected to do in verse 27, stating, And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

[14:19] Now, be reminded that all the Scriptures in Luke 24 then consisted only of the Old Testament. Today, if we do not consider the whole of Scripture testimony before reaching a conclusion on a single part, we will be guilty of the same omission as the disciples in Luke 24.

[14:42] Transfer this to Jesus needing to implement a so-called Plan B, because in Israel's rejection of Jesus, Plan A then went right out the window.

[14:54] But don't you believe that for a moment. Please listen up as to why Plan A did not go right out the window, but remains right on track.

[15:04] Upcoming, we will call to the witness stand a Hebrew of the Hebrews from the tribe of Benjamin, named Paul the Apostle. And what he testified to is utterly stunning.

[15:18] Could you grab a New Testament and get it open to Ephesians chapter 3? I can't wait. Christianity Clarified, volume 75, track 5.

[15:29] Clarifying Kingdom and Church, part 3. The Ephesians third chapter enlightens the entire situation regarding Israel's rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.

[15:43] As noted earlier, many erroneously believe the Jewish acceptance of Jesus was God's original Plan A, but since Israel instead rejected Jesus, that threw a monkey wrench into God's original Plan A, and so He had to come up with Plan B, His second choice.

[16:06] Nonsense. Don't you think for a moment that God ever got blindsided about anything? He never had to scrap His original plan because Satan or man ruined it so He was forced to fashion an option.

[16:21] Please, do not assign human weakness or inability to the God of the universe. He who orders all things after the counsel of His own will is fully capable of ordering this universe on the precise path of His own sovereign purpose.

[16:40] Let's hear the testimony of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians chapter 3, verses 2 through 12, reading from the New International Version.

[16:51] Surely, said Paul, you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation as I have already written briefly.

[17:06] In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

[17:25] This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

[17:41] I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God who created all things.

[18:14] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[18:34] In Him, and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are for your glory.

[18:50] More enlightenment regarding this kingdom of heaven and its postponement is addressed in Romans 9, 10, and 11, and they further elaborate on how the rejection of Christ by Israel then made salvation available to the entire world, Jews and Gentiles.

[19:12] Absolutely amazing. And it isn't called amazing grace for nothing. Christianity Clarified, Volume 75, Track 6, Clarifying Kingdom and Church, Part 4.

[19:28] One of the more grievous, faulty assumptions, continues to be a major point of doctrine not only among Roman Catholics but Protestants as well.

[19:39] It is the assumption that the kingdom of heaven Jesus promised to establish on earth is identical or interchangeable with the church that Jesus said He would build in Matthew 16, a passage that we covered earlier.

[19:56] Both Catholics and Protestants believe church and kingdom exist today in fulfillment of that Matthew 16 prophecy, only in a non-literal or spiritual manner rather than literally.

[20:12] But it is obvious that everything about the fall of humanity was literal, requiring everything about the promised kingdom be literal also as the only way the fall could be corrected.

[20:29] That is precisely what the promised kingdom is all about. The restitution, the restoration, the refreshment, of which the Apostle Peter spoke in Acts chapter 3.

[20:43] The promised kingdom will right all the world's wrongs, turn death into life, corruption into justice, famine into plenty, poverty into prosperity, and so much more.

[21:00] Pentecost, in his volume Things to Come, lists 25 earthly changes and conditions that will be realized when the kingdom does come, and they are certainly worthy of note, commencing on page 487.

[21:16] It is the attempt by the majority of Christendom, Catholic and Protestant, to call our present world the kingdom of heaven on earth, only spiritually so, rather than literally, and it is terribly unsatisfying.

[21:34] Such requires the spiritualization of Scripture that is downright fanciful. Folks, we are not now, nor have we ever been, living in the kingdom of which Jesus spoke and promised, not spiritually, and certainly, not literally.

[21:53] In fact, this world is a mess, a grade-A mess, or haven't you noticed? To even suggest that Jesus is now reigning in this present world, but only spiritually, through the office of the current Pope of Rome, simply exceeds all credulity.

[22:17] That there are those who honestly believe that is a premier example of operating under one of the grandest faulty assumptions that we have often illustrated.

[22:32] This is not the kingdom, not spiritually and not physically. It is the kingdom postponed, the kingdom delayed, the kingdom deferred. It is the kingdom put on hold in abeyance.

[22:45] Why? Because the king is in exile. There will be no kingdom without the king to bring it and establish it. But he is coming, and this time there will be a kingdom.

[23:01] It will be glorious beyond compare because the king is glorious beyond compare. So how could his kingdom be less?

[23:11] But as we have stated repeatedly, this is not it. And thank God it isn't. Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 7 If Not the Kingdom What?

[23:26] Recent segments of Christianity Clarified have concluded the long-awaited kingdom of heaven come to earth has still not come. And that, by divine design, while on the surface it appears that God was forced to cancel his plan A for Israel and the world due to their rejection of the king who would establish that kingdom.

[23:50] Yet, such an idea is far removed from the truth. And no better place verifies that concept than through the Jewish apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter 11 stating, quote, I say then, God has not rejected his people, has he?

[24:09] May it never be. For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

[24:21] End quote. Yet, it is acknowledged that it certainly does appear that way. It appears that because Israel rejected the very one God sent to be their Savior nationally and personally, God then, in turn, rejected Israel from being his chosen people.

[24:40] So, in his rejection of Israel because of their rejection of Jesus, God then turned to the Gentiles who were accepting of Jesus as Savior and they became the new chosen people.

[24:56] therefore, Israel, the nation of Jews, is out permanently and Gentiles, all those from other nations, are in.

[25:08] Such is the brief but classic explanation of the demise of Israel and the origin of the Christian church. The common name given to this great imaginary transaction is called replacement theology, sometimes called supersessionism.

[25:28] Christians have replaced the Jews as God's chosen people and we call it imaginary because it is simply not true, although perceived to be true by Roman Catholics and most Christians to this very day.

[25:46] But as has often been insisted, things are not always as they seem and replacement theology and its claims is an outstanding example of that faulty assumption.

[25:59] Just ahead, the most conclusive biblical evidence available will be addressed as found in Romans chapter 11 and it is provided by no less than one who was himself a Jew, namely Paul the Apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus.

[26:17] Nowhere on planet Earth could one be found who would be less likely to explain this concept with his full God-given endorsement than Saul who hailed from the city of Tarsus.

[26:34] And Christianity Clarified does not apologize for the repetition of this explanation due to its extraordinary importance. so very much is riding on the understanding of this truth and so very much has been the negative consequences and confusion caused by the ignorance of it.

[26:58] That too will become obvious as we proceed. Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 8 If Not the Kingdom What?

[27:12] Part 2 Christianity Clarified is laboring over the issue of the Kingdom and the Church for two compelling reasons. Number one, the great importance of it and number two, humanity's general ignorance of it.

[27:28] The coming of the Kingdom of God to Earth is as big a deal as God can make it and that's indescribably big. But we say that without fear of contradiction.

[27:40] In essence, it is the entire world restored to the purity and beauty with which God created it as He pronounced it very good in Genesis chapter 1.

[27:54] Shortly afterwards, Satan and the two humans Adam and Eve that God created corrupted the earth and as a result, that which was originally very good lost its very good status.

[28:08] We continue to live in the consequences of that corruption which was set in motion in Genesis 3. The most brutal of those consequences is that of death itself, doled out at the rate of one death per person.

[28:30] It was just as God said it would be and we today continue to live under those negative consequences. Yet, as Genesis 3 then records, God immediately made a promise to correct those negative consequences through putting death to death by way of a full and final payment being made to satisfy the claims of human sin.

[28:58] Jesus Christ and He alone made that payment in the official status as Savior. He came to earth to be the Redeemer thereof through a human strategic relationship combining deity with humanity in the person of Jesus.

[29:18] He was as the sinless Son of God uncontaminated with the sin that doomed all the rest of us. His role as Son of God and King of the Jews from the long line of His direct ancestor King David of a thousand years earlier was rejected by the very key nation to which He came.

[29:41] And as they would not have the King they and the world would not be provided with the Kingdom. The fix for the world its redemption renewal and restoration so prophesied and anticipated by the Biblical prophets did not come to pass.

[30:02] There would be no kingdom if there was no king to establish and order it. Israel crucified their king and all that had been promised came to a screeching halt yet to be resumed later.

[30:18] Later when? How? Later when Jesus the Messiah comes again and then He will collect at His second coming what He paid for at His first coming.

[30:30] So if not the kingdom now what? Now the kingdom is postponed while the king is in exile but the king is coming again and in the meanwhile the most unheard of unexpected thing ever is to be inserted right between the first coming and the second coming of Christ and it is right where we are today.

[30:56] We will get into it so it will get into us. Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 9 The Best Kept Secret Becomes Front Page News Part 1 On a previous fifth segment of Christianity Clarified the inspired testimony of the Apostle Paul taken from Ephesians chapter 3 was read.

[31:23] We now repeat verses 2 through 11 due to their critical importance. If there is any single passage so generally overlooked by the Christian community at large this is surely a contender to be among the most significant.

[31:39] I shall re-read verses 2 through 13 from Ephesians 3 of the New International Version quoting Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you that is the mystery made known to me by revelation as I have already written briefly.

[32:03] In reading this then you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

[32:19] This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel members together of one body and sharers together of the promise in Christ Jesus.

[32:37] I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people this grace was given me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery which for ages past was kept hidden in God who created all things.

[33:06] His intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[33:26] In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you therefore not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you which are for your glory.

[33:42] End quote. To answer the question posed earlier if not the kingdom what here is the answer an answer never before imagined by anyone.

[33:56] God will reveal to humanity something that had been on his mind and heart from eternity past but kept secret to himself. Now the time had come for the secret to be out.

[34:12] This secret also called the mystery will first be revealed to the least worthy person to receive it. One more thing that makes it simply outstanding.

[34:25] Of all persons on earth Saul of Tarsus would become the trophy person for the grace of God. It provides cause for great rejoicing yet for far too many it remains a secret still.

[34:41] The task of all who know it is to set about revealing it to all who do not. And it would begin with Saul of Tarsus now Paul the Apostle.

[34:55] Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 10 The Best Kept Secret Becomes Front Page News Part 2 The word mystery does not mean something that cannot be known.

[35:08] If it cannot be known then it does not even exist so as not to be known. How can you know a thing that does not exist? Rather a mystery is something that exists the understanding of which can be gained once it is revealed.

[35:27] When once you are let in on it the mystery element is gone. Now you get it. Whereas before not only did you not get it you didn't even know it existed so as to get.

[35:42] It's somewhat like a code. A secret message that cannot be grasped until the code is broken. If you have the key to decipher the code the whole content opens up to you and you are able to understand the message.

[35:59] This is precisely what the Apostle Paul is talking about here in Ephesians chapter 3 and calling the administration of God's grace a mystery. It could not be known or even known to exist until it was revealed by the Spirit of God as related in verse 5.

[36:18] That secret was disclosed by the Spirit to the apostles and prophets so that it then became available to all. Their job was to make that previously declared secret as well known and published abroad as possible.

[36:37] The essence of that previously kept secret consisted of the most vital information ever revealed but is now available to all mankind.

[36:49] The Greeks called it the eongelion translated into English it means the good message the glad tidings or the good news also known as the gospel.

[37:04] So precisely what does this good news consist of and what makes it so special? Throughout the Apostle Paul's writings he explains this good news and its vital connection to the Corinthians in chapter 1 and verse 18 he calls it the power of God.

[37:25] How so? Why so? Because the gospel which means good news is information data facts news what do we do with data facts and news?

[37:40] We process it we evaluate it we decide whether there is something to believe about it or do about it all decisions and courses of actions begin with information information received processed assessed and then believed on and logged as true or dismissed and logged as untrue but information is necessary in either case and the gospel is called good news information what makes it good news?

[38:13] The bad news yes the bad news being bad is what makes the good news good and if there were no bad news we wouldn't need the good news but because the bad news is really bad we desperately need the good news that's where the gospel comes in it is the antidote to the bad news the panacea for human ills the rescuer the deliverer or as the bible puts it the savior yet the news is incorporated in a human being called jesus whose very name means savior and where are you with all of this christianity clarified volume 75 track 11 the best kept secret becomes front page news part 3 something may be kept a secret so long as only one person knows it when once told to another party the secret is out the apostle paul reveals a secret that for thousands of years had been known only to god he kept it to himself and no one not angels nor humans had any idea it even existed it was securely held in the confines of god's own person and when the time came for that secret to be revealed paul tells us in ephesians 3 that god first revealed it to him so that he paul might make it known to all the world it was the classic case of the best kept secret of the universe becoming front page news intended to be proclaimed everywhere uniquely it was paul who described himself to be the least likely and most unworthy to receive it and reveal it to others and why paul it appears that god wanted to demonstrate this wonderful secret or mystery by bestowing it upon the least likely candidate in all of the known world none other than the persecutor in chief of all who profess to believe in the person of jesus christ just how big was all this it was bigger than any of us mere mortals can imagine it was so big it would directly impact the eternal destiny of every human being for good or ill for better or worse negatively or positively it was so big it will finalize the ultimate destiny of all angelic beings fallen or unfallen it was so big it will result in the endless eternal state being commenced and all those coming realities are only the elements we know of according to the word of god and speaking of the word of god surely you do not believe the bible reveals all there is to be known about god do you you do realize the god of the bible is only minimally revealed as to his person in the scriptures do you not we are given but a mere hint of the character and nature of this ineffable being we call god the text of romans chapter 11 that brings to a conclusion regarding god the creator and his relationship to all of humanity in general and the seed of abraham isaac and jacob in particular is stated in the following fashion oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of god how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who has known the mind of the lord or who has been his counselor or who has first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again for of him and through him are all things to whom be glory forever amen christianity clarified volume 75 track 12 the best kept secret becomes front page news part four the best kept secret that became front page news has been around for nearly 2,000 years the one who was first charged with explaining it never did get over it not even right up to his execution for having believed it and proclaimed it

[43:07] Saul of Tarsus had personally been confronted with what could only be described as the very centerpiece of the universe for all of humanity for all time from eternity past to eternity future what what event could deserve a description like that it was that event of which he spoke to the Corinthians in chapter 2 of his first letter when he wrote them quote I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified that was the heartbeat of Paul's message all else was trivial by comparison with that stellar truth he addressed the Corinthian assembly early on in chapter 2 and with it he concluded his letter to them in chapter 15 stating for I delivered unto you first of all that which

[44:08] I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures did you get that if not it just rolled off you like water off a duck's back and may have left you muttering well that's just so much religious stuff so what no big deal not even sure I believe that but if you did get it then it got you and you will never be the same not in this life nor in the life to come that same apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians in his second letter chapter five saying if any man be in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have become new what has been revealed in successive segments is the explanation of

[45:09] God's plan for dealing with humanity before humans were ever created up to the time of Jesus Christ and continuing on into eternity simply put it records the plan and program of God from before there was anything to the final disposition of everything its breadth and depth includes everything and excludes nothing with God's eternal son Jesus the Messiah at the very heart of it all with him to enjoy his presence and provision for all eternity are all those whom he has redeemed all who have my simple faith and trust in Christ can join with millions of others to joyfully sing oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be let let let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee prone to wander lord

[46:12] I feel it prone to leave the God I love here's my heart oh take and seal it seal it for thy courts above christianity clarified volume 75 track 13 the gospel is an anomaly the dictionary definition of an anomaly is something that departs from the regular arrangement general rule or usual method an anomaly is an apparent abnormality it is that which deviates from the regular arrangement or general rule of being and seeming to be inconsistent or contradictory expanding on that definition but hopefully simplifying it would be to simply say an anomaly is a concept that is out of step with ordinary usual human logic and reasoning that is the gospel of

[47:19] Jesus Christ this is also why or at least one reason why we also refer to the gospel as a hard sell meaning it is difficult for people to buy if referring to the gospel as something to sell may sound like we are commercializing the gospel or peddling it for a fee that's beside the point entirely we use the term hard sell because there really is the necessity of people becoming convinced of the truth of the gospel to the extent they are willing to buy it believe it embrace it as their own they are sold on it and it has nothing to do with money or payment of any kind simply put to be sold on the gospel merely means to believe it to embrace it so why is it hard for so many people to do that some right now may be thinking well that isn't hard at all even a child can do that well that's true but for every child that does how many are there that do not how many adults that do not as a far greater number what are the reasons for they're not buying it well one reason has already been given the gospel is an anomaly which means per the dictionary it deviates from the regular general rule or usual method do you realize do you realize that the gospel is considered out of step with the way the world works this is one of several reasons why it's called a hard sell the world just doesn't work that way there is no free lunch you get what you earn what you deserve and to expect anything solely on a gratis basis is just not logical but eternal thanks to

[49:17] God the gospel makes perfect sense to him such requires our buying into God's logic rather than man's God so loved humanity he and his son were willing to be the provider and the provision for it to enable fallen and sinful humans to transfer their personal debt of sin to the only one who had no sin namely Jesus as Savior the transfer is executed and conducted by nothing more than the acknowledgement of one's sin and the placing of one's trust and reliance upon Jesus Christ who was willing to accept it and pay the price that was due because of it Jesus he who knew no sin was made to become as sinful humans by absorbing the sin debt of all humanity in himself and dying for it little wonder the transaction of the universe is what it's called because it was and where do you stand with this

[50:27] Christianity Clarified volume 75 track 14 the gospel is a paradox the gospel is being described as a hard sell and by that what is meant is people find the gospel something that they are reluctant or unwilling to buy into by way of acceptance why is that is not the gospel of the free grace of God available to all yes does not the accepting of Christ and that gospel promise eternal salvation full free forgiveness forever yes then pray tell me why don't people stand in line to hear it why aren't the churches that preach it packed full with extra services through the week it's because the gospel is not only an anomaly it is a paradox remember our previous segment gave you the dictionary definition of an anomaly and a paradox they are defined as an anomaly is that which deviates from the regular arrangement or general rule of being in that it seems to be inconsistent or contradictory to the way things are and the gospel is also paradoxical something generally perceived to be untrue but which in actuality really is true in reality we can also describe an airplane as a paradox the law of gravity is well known to us all and a machine that weighs more than air cannot simply fly because it is heavier than air so it is confined to the ground where it belongs but then along comes a couple of men who built a gadget called an engine that conveys such a terrific power that when coupled with the principles of aerodynamics copied from the wings of a bird and there she goes lifting off into the wild blue yonder and yet when you look at that thing sitting on the ground and you mean to tell me it's going to lift off and fly into the sky that's crazy for sure that's an analogy an anomaly something thought to be untrue but actually is true anyway especially if sufficiently altered altered yes altered you put an engine on that contraption give it aerodynamic structure and orville and wilbur wright flew off into the future of flight that we now take for granted how well simple the power and thrust of the engine and the bird like dynamic construction of that contraption that we call an airplane and voila well what do you know the thing really does get off the ground it's flying what else can explain the gospel being the very most critical and good news ever heard by mankind and yet projected by the majority as either unknown or unworthy of acceptance it is also what makes the gospel a paradox

[53:37] Webster says a paradox something generally perceived to be untrue but which actually is true after all that's a paradox and there are several obstacles that may explain why the gospel is called a hard sell or difficult for people to buy and it may interest you to see if you personally belong to any of those categories and if you do you may comfort yourself in that you belong to the majority however you are you are also reminded there are untold examples of the majority and that position turned out to be wrong dead wrong we rest our case with the biblical example of Noah and the flood of so many years ago so no one is right because they are in the majority and no one is right because they're in the minority you're right when your view corresponds with reality Christianity Clarified Volume 75

[54:38] Track 15 Humanity's Original Problem Persists The total consequences of the moral fall of our first parents was precisely that total through them and the new fallen nature that they took on in their original act of disobedience the change was immediate and thorough we do not understand precisely how that interchange in their being took place still the consequences made it obvious that it did they in one fell swoop managed to deface or contaminate the very character of innocence with which God created them no longer were they moral innocence now they have taken on the immediate new nature of sin or willful disobedience toward their creator now they for the first time experience guilt and the shame that accompanied it it's almost as if their

[55:41] DNA was somehow altered in a way we cannot understand even though we are all recipients of that DNA change their original God centeredness morphed into self centeredness and their guilt produced fear that caused them to hide themselves from their creator whose presence they earlier enjoyed they were now something more and something less than how God created them so much so this new component the Bible calls sin became an integral part of their new nature and the transmission of it to their first offspring named Cain was inevitable the new species of self centered humans along with other changes and impairments we do not understand came roaring out of the new composition of Adam and Eve the first was their spiritual death that resulted immediately creating their separation fear and avoidance of the creator by attempting to hide from him the second would be the physical death the seeds of which were now growing within them besides their spiritual death of separation from God they began the process of physical death that would eventually overtake their now vulnerable bodies both deaths the separation of their spirit from God and the separation of their spirit from their body will result in the eventual total separation of body and spirit this new negative capacity for self centeredness death became the new norm they would pass on to all of their progeny including you and me that new self centered negativity would soon show itself and play out in the first human produced from the newly now fallen parents of Adam and Eve it would label the first born

[57:50] Cain as the murderer of his own brother the human race was off to a new and negative reproduction of a new brand of human being that impacts us all to the present day you did realize didn't you that something appears drastically wrong with us humans that always calls for our death it's called the fallenness of humanity it was and is pervasive it is also the reason a redeemer from it all was promised early on his name is Jesus is he your personal redeemer or is he just a figure of history Christianity clarified volume 75 track 16 results of the original fall for Adam and Eve there was no area of their being that was not negatively impacted our first parents in the totality of their being was contrary opposite to that of the innocence with which they were created by

[58:59] God morally intellectually psychologically and emotionally Adam and Eve became less than what their creator originally made them we call that the fall and as is always the case with the fall it's always downward contrary to the evolutionary hypothesis that humanity is on an upward and improving climb the reality is just the opposite the mantra for the late 1800s early 1900s was in every way in every day mankind is becoming better and better well two world wars and the subsequent negative trends downward has changed that tune so much you don't even hear it today and with good reason the moral consequences of the original fall became more obvious and widespread the proliferation of crime drug addiction political corruption on every level has become more prevalent day by day spiritually

[60:08] America's churches are torn divided over unresolved moral issues that defy resolution large long-standing denominational entities are in disarray with member losses in attendance and revenue and most smaller churches are suffering as well in one way or another the crime rate and the defunded lessened forces in police uniforms to oppose crime has never been at a more serious ratio the apostle Paul reminds us in his second letter to Timothy chapter 3 that evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse deceiving and being deceived all of these societal negatives produce a predictable destabilization of the former cultural and moral order we always took for granted but no more the intellectual aspect of the original fall is revealed almost daily in the bizarre theories and notions developed in of all places our leading educational institutions these are the historic leaders of thought innovation learning but now the same are leading our young people into the very ideas and philosophies they earlier would have rejected as complete nonsense none of the above negatives are being effectively addressed by anyone that could provide a reversal although so many long and pray for it especially among

[61:53] Christians who better understand what's happening and who long for that heaven sent revival all of the above in reality is nothing more than the original consequences that have come from man replacing God as his focus and making man as his focus all in all it is a part of the fall and it is not humanly remedial but thanks be to God it is divinely remedial especially on the personal level has the remedy been applied to you his name is Jesus do you know of another worthy of wearing that title christianity clarified volume 75 track 17 predictable fallout from the fall in three brief opening chapters of the creation account in genesis planet earth and its original inhabitants went from what was described as very good to something far less that we continue to live and die with today both angels and humans have conclusively established that they cannot be trusted with a free and independent will it will seek its own rather than

[63:18] God's will those not knowing this or refusing to accept it may still if they wish continue with their rosy outlook of humanity but they really need to know what they are up against and strike one is our own moral fall that has imposed the death sentence upon us all from Adam forward strike two is the satanic blindness of which the apostle Paul spoke in second Corinthians chapter four when he wrote even even if our gospel that is our good news is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of God who is the image of God did you get that are you adding up these negatives strike one is our own moral fall that puts us all under the sentence of death that will end our earthly life and strike two the spiritual blindness engendered by

[64:29] Satan who is identified by Jesus as the God of this world and that's God with a small g it is he who veils or obscures the fallen human mind so that we cannot mentally see understand comprehend the real picture and the reality that is the moral spiritual undoing of us all so in effect we humans have joined in the fall of Satan by adding to Satan's fall with a fall of our own and you total it all up and we have two strikes against us negative input from our own fall and negative input from Satan who blinds us as to the reality of our true condition so you do see why the world is as it is don't you you haven't missed that have you no no of course this does not mean we are as bad as we can be although we're headed that way but it does mean we are as bad off as we can be here we are with two very real death dealing strikes against us and egged on by the devil himself telling us now don't you believe that you are just fine but he has never told the truth and

[65:51] Jesus reminds us the devil has no truth in him in John's gospel chapter 8 so with two strikes against us we humans in reality have one foot in the grave and the other is the infusion of light and life from a source independent of both us and the devil I think you know of whom we speak and he stands at the ready to do what he came to earth to do the question is do you stand at the ready for him to do it Christianity clarified volume 75 track 18 an obstacle to be removed earlier we spoke of the gospel as being a kind of hard sell we meant it can be difficult for people to even see their need for the gospel and the forgiveness and salvation it brings because in their eyes they are just fine as they are oh not perfect mind you but okay nonetheless yes these folks do make the gospel a hard sell no matter what product you are promoting no one is going to buy it unless they know they have a need for it otherwise they can do just fine without it thank you but these poor deluded folks are those whom we described as they don't have a clue that they don't have a clue that is how defective our fallen intellects and reasonings are and when you couple our own personal spiritual blindness with the blindness the adversary is causing this is why people don't have a clue that they don't have a clue the text of 2

[67:44] Corinthians 4 told us their minds that is their thinking and reasoning capacity is veiled it has a shroud hanging over it that prevents their seeing clearly so as to be able to do something about it my cataract surgery from years ago reminds me of this I wasn't blind I was far from it in fact I saw just fine I thought until my optometrist told me I should contact an ophthalmologist because I had cataracts that needed to be removed but I can see just fine I told him well sure you think you can but the exam reveals your vision to be impaired and you will really see much better when those cataracts are removed well the specialist was right and the vision that was thought to be adequate was greatly improved actually in the spiritual realm all those outside of

[68:52] Christ and his saving power are suffering from an impaired spiritual cataract vision that prevents them from seeing themselves as they truly are one is reminded of the divine diagnosis that was given to the church of Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 their mistaken view of themselves led them to claim wow what a contrast the difference between how we see and assess ourselves is radically different from the way God sees us and assesses us the divine eye salve recommended to the Laodiceans will enable them to see themselves as they really are as God sees them the

[69:53] Laodiceans were among those like people today they didn't have a clue that they didn't have a clue the human need must always be acknowledged before the divine provision is made and when it is through the grace of God and the new life in Christ that is begun everything including oneself looks differently new radically new is that true of you Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 19 Countering the Anomaly The gospel has been described as a hard sell and so it is it is difficult for many of those unsaved to really get it so as to know they have a need they cannot possibly meet but there is one who can meet it and that's what Jesus does and he is the only one worthy of wearing that title

[70:56] Savior the hard sell has been described as an anomaly in that it deviates from the regular rule of what is normal what is normal for being accepted of God is not based on human merit or deservedness at all but solely on the reality that Christ died for your sins and the only way you can be accepted by God is to put your need for forgiveness and cleansing in the person of Jesus Christ humanly speaking that is an anomaly it just doesn't work that way we tell ourselves that is too easy there is no free lunch you have to change your life you have to break your bad habits you have to really get your act together before you can be accepted by God you've got to get yourself cleaned up and that's only logical that's true it is only logical to us humans well say you what other kind of logic is there

[72:02] I'm so glad you ask there is human logic and there is divine logic don't ask God to embrace human logic God has a logic all his own and it is his that he operates with not the logic of us fallen humans God's logic says there there is a great gulf fixed between ourselves and him and it is so great we can never bridge it that's where Jesus comes in he bridged it he is that bridge over troubled water he made the way of access open to humans who could never bridge that great gap but just listen to this utterly amazing thing that God did through his son in order to make you completely acceptable to him with his forgiveness and his cleansing it is astounding and remains the centerpiece of the universe it's found in the apostle

[73:06] Paul second letter to the Corinthians chapter five and it is mind blowing here it is so brace yourself God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in and through Christ did you get that did that get you if you got it then it got you but if not you are then an example of thinking only as we humans think and that is to see acceptance with God not based on mere faith in Christ dying for your sins but you see it as that's not the way it works for us humans and that's true because we are locked into the merit system of gaining and deserving but God operates on the grace system whereby Jesus made the incomparable payment so you could come to

[74:08] God not on your flimsy merit or undeservedness but on that of Jesus Christ merit and payment as your substitute and it's called amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me once was lost but now am found but blind but now I see God can and will do for you what he has done for countless others Christianity Clarified Volume 75 Track 20 Countering the Paradox The gospel has also been described as a paradox that is something generally believed to be untrue but which in actuality really is true Matthew's gospel chapter 10 records Jesus using a paradox in saying quote he who finds his life shall lose it and he who loses his life shall find it while both seem contradictory both are actually true when examined carefully likewise with Shakespeare who wrote about it being cruel to be kind again sounding contradictory but true in reality as is youth is wasted on the young or spending money in order to make money but all are true when examined thoroughly

[75:34] Mark 7 also records Jesus as saying a man can gain the whole world and lose his soul another paradox in applying the paradox of the gospel we may describe it as a minimal investment that reaps an eternal benefit so with the gospel what is the minimal investment it's your life your life you say well how is that minimal it's minimal when you factor eternity into the picture it's a temporal investment for a permanent benefit when one is confronted with the gospel some have been known to refuse Christ and his salvation because they fail to see it some minimal investment they are making that will provide maximum benefit namely eternal life with Christ and loved ones a paradox for sure we give to God what we have that is our life and God gives to us what he has his eternal life

[76:44] Revelation chapter 20 describes the coming great white throne of judgment God gave his servant the apostle John a vision of that coming day there is no doubt it was recorded there so that all living on this side of that fateful judgment day may escape it and my earnest desire right now is that no one hearing my voice will have the sad sad memory of having done so as they stand before the one of whom this throne is speaking with the description from Revelation chapter 20 just ahead if you think you can handle it here it is and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before

[77:46]  God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works and the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire fire fire and fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire