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About 33 years ago I was in fellowship with a number of preachers and churches who were drawing from sources in what is now commonly known as the New Age movement. Let me explain. Popular Christian teachers had been emphasizing the power of words, and some were finding that Christian Science, Unity, and other groups under the banner of “metaphysical” had been teaching this long ago. We were already excited about the Scriptures teaching “Christ in you,” the Spirit of God living in us, and that we are the children of God by virtue of the New Birth. These New Age groups found different and modern ways of expressing these ideas and concepts, so it seemed we had something else in common with them. Some Christian televangelists had been explaining that Christians need to abandon sin consciousness in favor of righteous consciousness. “For he (God) has made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) These metaphysical groups had long used philosophical phrases like “higher consciousness” to describe the state of being they were seeking. Could there be similarities? Likewise, the belief in modern day miracles among Christians found a counterpart in a popular book entitled, “A Course in Miracles.” Because of the influence of some or our respected teachers, I decided to investigate this movement and several of their writings. About the same time a very popular day-time talk show host was promoting several New Age teachers who gained a huge following with a non-threatening, affirming message. I would sum it up by saying it goes very far beyond the idea of “I’m Okay, You’re okay!” In fact, many of them espouse that “You are Divine,” “You are God,” “You are the essence of the universe,” “You ARE the universe,” and so on. At this point one must choose between what Jesus and His apostles taught according to the Scriptures, and what these modern spiritual leaders believe and teach. Do the Scriptures teach that we are partakers of God’s divine nature? Yes. Do they teach that we can supernaturally rise above situations in this world? Yes. Do they teach that we are to take on some of the attributes of God? Yes. Do they teach that we are equal with God? According to some Christians today, they do, but I can very easily prove that while Christ Who is within us is equal with God, we ourselves are not. He is the Creator, and we are His New Creation in Christ! The point at which I had to finally break with the Christians who were being influenced by these teachings was when the deception became clearly obvious. In only confessing the Scriptures where we are positionally righteous before God through Christ and His Cross, they chose to either ignore or explain away those passages that revealed our current place on the path of our spiritual growth. To some of them sin and death were no longer real! This is directly from “A Course in Miracles” and other metaphysical teachings. Here is a statement in “A Course in Miracles” that is supposed to sum up the theme of the book: “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” From that foundation it goes on to say that sin and death could not be real. So what do you think about this statement? Is human life threatened? Of course it is! Therefore, according to “A Course in Miracles” it must not be real. This concept that the physical universe is not truly real traces back to the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. So now, according to the New Age, Jesus came to show us that all the sin, sorrow, pain and death in the world is not real. By accepting that, they say, we find true inner peace. This redefinition of Christian faith is nothing new. Many in the early centuries tried to blend some of the wisdom of Greek philosophers with the teachings of Christ. At several points they seem to agree, but at one crucial point they are definitely not compatible. If Jesus thought He could just teach an enlightened message to the world by which we could all evolve into a higher level of divine consciousness, there would have been no need for Him to sacrifice His life on the Cross for our sins. His resurrection, which all true Christians believe in is among other things a vindication of the importance of the physical body, which God in the beginning created, and declared to be very good. Have I misunderstood this new hybrid of Christian and New Age doctrine? It may seem so by the way I have oversimplified the situation. I don’t think this is the case. Here and now I can honestly say that I tried my best to understand what was being said. I wanted to agree with my friends and the other leaders who I respected. For a time I too was deceived until I saw through the most blatant error – denying the very existence of sin. Another thing that would not let me continue was my concern for the complacency I saw in those who proposed this mixture of Gospel and New Age concepts. Mind Over Matter Quite frankly I am puzzled at how many from that time can possibly continue to rationalize their beliefs, seeing they are unable to reconcile them with their own experiences. The core of truth which lends any credibility to all of this is the fact that what we think, believe and speak does impact our lives and the lives of others. Examples of this are found throughout the Bible. Even humans in history whose faith was in nothing more than in themselves have accomplished amazing things! But there are limits. Some of the people who believed their faith would not let them die physically have died. Many grand declarations have gone out into the air and have fallen to the ground. We have faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. Love does not set up those we love for failure. Instead of “naming and claiming” instant sinlessness, we should be confessing our faults and failures and pressing on to the mark of the high calling of God in Christ — as did our beloved apostle and teacher Paul. (Philippians 3:14). This is not “sin consciousness,” but Word of God consciousness. It is one of the keys to victorious living in Jesus Christ. The way up is down. By humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of the only true God, we enable Him to lift us up in a way we could have never accomplished ourselves. My life began in one of the poorest parts of town, Columbus’ south side. My mother moved in with her parents after my father left. All this was before the three of us children entered grade school. Mom brought us up in church and we all trusted Christ and were baptized in our teens. I drifted from the Lord and tried to go my own way for several years, but He always kept His Hand on me. After years of struggling, never getting ahead, I found myself a single parent and overwhelmed with debt. The Lord persistently dealt with me until I finally gave in. What sweet surrender! What overflowing peace! What amazing patience and grace! The material problems in my life did not immediately cease, but the change within made all the difference. Better job opportunities soon came and to make a long story short, today I have a new wife of 47 years, two homes paid off, three adult children, eight grand children, and six great-grandchildren! All of this I attribute to humbling myself under the might hand of a great, powerful, gracious and loving Father God! (1 Peter 5:6). God has brought prosperity and protection to me and my family. Not because of a guru or preacher, but because we strive to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness!” Forgetting Those Things that are Behind…. What is the point of this message? Why am I bringing all this up now? Wasn’t that all in the past? Yes, but something else has come up since then. Present day Christian “Word of Faith” preachers on television have reformulated and repackaged this man-centered perspective of God and His Gospel. They have skillfully avoided connections with the New Age doctrines and have twisted Scriptures to mean basically the same thing. It is all about what I want. I want peace of mind, even though I sin, so I teach that the Cross of Christ has erased all sins even before I commit them. I do not confess my sins, because that would be “denying the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross.” There is true peace with God through Christ and His death on the Cross, that much is true. It is a finished work. But when we sin, that inner peace is broken and we know it. There is a simple way to restore that inner peace, but the new Christian psychology of some has deprived millions of it! That is to confess our sins, for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness! (1 John 1:9). We can have a righteousness consciousness because we then have a clear conscience before Him! Humble yourself before Him and stay humble! In our day, the slogan seems to be: “At all costs, we must FEEL GOOD about ourselves, even if we have to lie to ourselves!” This requires a dogged determination to rationalize our behavior and the behavior of others, to close our eyes to anything that unsettles us, including those things that we are called by God to change! Everyone of us has the choice as to what system of belief we follow. Not all people who claim to be Christians truly believe the Bible to be the Word of God. That is their choice. But at least admit it. Do not use the Bible to communicate only what you are teaching and lead people to think that you believe all of it. If you believe in these New Age teachings then quote your philosophers instead of Paul, who would shut you down in a heartbeat! But — If you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then receive it, even when it goes against your pride and vanity, even when it convicts you of wrong doing, even when it challenges you to take a stand against the evils of this world! Some of my friends enjoy the teachings of one main purveyor of this distorted version of the Gospel of Grace. Some are even openly following the New Age gurus. I have already attempted to share my concerns with them, and the result is out of my hands. But having known the call of God on my life for 40 years, and the concern He has placed on my heart for all of His people, I am compelled to exhort and warn the greater community in any way I can. This so-called “Hyper-Grace” message has the potential of creating an overly comfortable self-centered attitude in many, with very little concern for the purposes of God in this earth. At the very least it is setting a bad example of how the Bible is to be studied and understood. At the worst, some might be tempted to use it as a license to sin. I pray that none of these conditions come upon any of you. Most of all, I pray that you too will find Bible teachers who come from a God-Centered position, and who are not afraid to declare unto you the whole, full counsel of God. (Acts 20:27).

Today’s Bible readers have many advantages that were not available to previous generations. Dictionaries, concordances, encyclopedias of Biblical information abound, not to mention the many modern translations which we have available to us. For this reason many of you are already familiar with the definition of the word we will be discussing in this article. It is the New Testament word for “sin,” a Greek word that literally means “to miss the mark.” Often when considering the context in which this word is normally used, we tend to think of “the mark” in this instance as moral and spiritual perfection. In his letter to the Romans, Paul seems to affirm this thought in the statement: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23). The issue of sin continues to plague many today. We might either live under the fear that we will sin, the guilt that we have, or in denial that we even partake of it at all. But today I hope we can deal with this subject in a very positive light, which is of course, the Light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! The mark of which we speak, the moral and spiritual perfection which we desire, is actually Jesus Christ Himself! In other words, to sin is mainly to “miss Christ.” Listen to the hearts cry of the great apostle, Paul: Philippians 3:7-8: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” Paul speaks here of winning Christ, as though He was some sort of prize! But how could this be? Let us continue reading: Philippians 3:9-11: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Taking this a bit further, he now deals with knowing Christ. His desire is to experientially know every aspect of Him, His righteousness, His faithfulness, His power in resurrection and even His suffering in death! He also very candidly reveals his own condition, and the process which he was then going through: Philippians 3:12-14: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The question that we need to ask ourselves today is: “Are we working very hard at not sinning, or at winning Christ?” And even if we are not seen by many to commit obvious sins, could we still on a regular basis be actually missing Christ? Paul believed that the possibility existed for born-again believers to fully experience the resurrected Christ while still in these bodies! He saw how every day is filled with opportunities to share in both Christ’s sufferings and triumphs, and to know His righteousness, His peace, His joy and love! He confidently proclaimed that there is no law against the following: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith and self-control! Why? Because these are all attributes of His nature and character! When we “win Christ” we win all of these! Or shall we say, as we walk in the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit, we are truly “winning Christ!” Are you pressing towards the mark? Are you pursuing Christ in your daily life? You may say, “I have too few opportunities. You don’t realize how many responsibilities I am laden with. I am not able to devote the time to prayer and Bible reading that others are.” But wait. I submit that your responsibilities themselves afford opportunities to win Christ! They also present the possibility of missing Him as well! If as unto the Lord, you work hard for your employer, producing the highest quality work of which you are capable, you are actually winning Christ! But on the other hand, if you slow down when no one is looking, or allow substandard results, you could very well be missing Christ, who is the personification of moral excellence! Should you feel guilty or shamed by these words? I would rather you feel as though you have cheated yourself and the Lord. The nature, power, glory and presence of Christ is your reward, your prize. But you yourself must pursue Him! As long as we are pursuing Christ, our attention will not be on ourselves, our weakness or our strengths. We now understand how even in our trials and sufferings we can experience Him! When we are lied to, misused, misunderstood, or rejected, we have a choice. We can react to these injustices, or we can pursue Christ. When we give the normal human response, we usually miss the mark of expressing His life at this time. But by repentance, committing ourselves unto Him, trusting in His power and love, we can obtain the confidence that the next time will be different! We are in practice! We are not practicing to miss the mark but to reach it! Our relentless pursuit is for Him! In this race we may trip, stumble and fall, but with our eyes upon Him we will get back up! If we have to even crawl for a season our advancement will continue. We are all pressing towards the mark! That mark is Him, His light, His grace, His power, His righteousness, His love! The next time will be different! We will begin to feel as He feels, think as He thinks, act as He acts. We have received great and precious promises by which we are made partakers of the divine nature! It is becoming natural for you to express the nature of the Son of God to this world! You have been begotten of that incorruptible seed, the Word of God which lives and abides forever! That Seed remains in you and you cannot practice sinning any longer! Your heart, your hunger is for more of Christ. You live by every Word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God! Heavenly Father, You have set the goal before us — the very life of Jesus your son. Help us to fix our gaze upon Him. Cause us to continue to behold His glory, His grace, His kindness, His holiness and perfection, and so become transformed. Continue to save us from our sin, our missing the mark of His excellence until that Day when we are found in Him, not possessing any good thing that is our own. For He alone can satisfy our hearts desire! In Him alone we are fulfilled and able to give You true pleasure. May we follow our front runner with patience, seeing that same joy which was set before Him. And in the end may all the glory and honor and praises go unto Your wonderful Name. For Jesus sake, Amen

(Original radio broadcast from May 22, 1998) As history continues to unfold before our very eyes, it is becoming increasingly necessary for those who name the name of Christ to truly know their King. These are days to sit at His feet, and hear His Word! This is a time to look into His glorious Face and behold His glory! These are the days to begin to discern the Lord’s Body, and experience His Lordship TOGETHER! The Spirit of the Lord is calling out, not just individuals, but a PEOPLE for His Name! These are those who will one day stand up in this earth to fully and openly represent His power and authority to all. In fact, they already represent His authority now — to the degree that they presently know Him as their Lord! Hear this warning! If we are not acknowledging His Lordship now, we have no reason to expect to reign with Him tomorrow! And if we are not already coming into an intimate union with Him and His Love, we have absolutely NO HOPE of truly knowing the beauty, the majesty, the wonder, the glory, the awesomeness of our Lord Jesus Christ as He already is NOW! Beloved, my heart is grieved at the years that I have and so many others have wasted, in the preaching of religious doctrines that divide the Body of Christ, when in fact we should have been preaching Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Instead of proclaiming His Lordship, many of us have labored to bring others under our own influence instead! We thought that somehow WE could discourage sin and disobedience, worldliness and selfishness by our own efforts! Instead the pressure of human authority has eventually distanced many poor souls from the marvelous and liberating authority of the only true Christ! Even though warnings, exhortations, corrections and instructions have their place in the family of God, we must never forget the proper context in which they are exercised! The context is always under the umbrella of our King and His Word! Ephesians 6:4: “And, you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” In all things and at all times, we who dwell in the kingdom of God are under the rule, the care, the security and protection of our King! Therefore, we must come to the place that we are ever conscious of Him Are you weary of being subject to the power of circumstances and your own human weaknesses? Is there a hunger in you towards the dominion and rule in life that was originally given to Adam? Are you frustrated by the constant evidence that Satan appears to be gaining more ground in your life than Christ Himself? Listen to me. This is not your inheritance! You are destined to rule and reign with Christ! The privilege of reigning in Life is available to you NOW! (Romans 5:17) The people that KNOW THEIR GOD shall be strong, and do exploits (Daniel 11:32), but the real key here is in KNOWING OUR GOD! Yes, we seem to keep coming back to this place again and again, and this we will do as the Lord directs. The great need of the hour is for the people of God to return to Him! It is time to forsake our plans, programs and schemes, and return to our first love! It is time for us all to fall in love with Him over and over and over and over again! Preachers must preach Jesus Christ — His glory, His Wisdom, His Love, His Lordship, His ultimate triumph over sin and the devil, and His endless reign over this vast universe! He is the key, the alpha and omega, the beginning and ending, the first and the last, He Who was, and is, and is to come — THE ALMIGHTY! He is the Head of His Body — the Church! In all things He is absolutely preeminent! All things were made by Him and without Him NOTHING was made! He is before all things, and by Him all things consist! Such a simple truth, but oh how complicated things have become for us! This complicated state of affairs is the work of the serpent, who continually strives to allure us from the simplicity that is found in our intimately knowing Christ. He apparently knows how badly this event alone will impact his kingdom! But what of the fallen nature of man? What of the disobedience of God’s people? Do not these also prevent the knowledge of the glory of God from sweeping across the land? Oh how little we regard the power of ONE who simply and truly becomes wholly devoted to Jesus Christ and His Lordship! And how this ONE can impact the lives of so many that remain in darkness! Do you want to reign with Christ? Do you believe in His ability to work through anyone who surrenders completely to His Love? Can you trust in His willingness to stimulate the growth of that mustard seed of belief that you do possess, and help you to overcome all doubts? Did He not create you? Can He not heal, restore and use you for His glory? Is He not able to transform you into His image from glory to glory — by the power of His Spirit? Is not His Word alive and at work in you at this very moment — changing and molding and working in you His perfect will? Praise Him! Declare His goodness! Worship His Name! Behold His glory! Stand and behold the wonderful salvation of your God! And most importantly, respond unto Him in obedient devotion. Herein is the power to reign with Him revealed. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:15-2:22) Yes, there is hypocrisy. Yes there is corruption all around, even among those who call themselves Christians. But these are not your concern. You and I are pressing towards the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Our eyes are fixed upon Him. We desire to be vessels of honor, useful to the Master for every good work. We are fleeing youthful lusts, and following after righteousness, faith, love and peace. Our hearts are joined with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart! Together we have hope for the reign of Christ in this earth. And together we expect to see Him in His fullness! Ephesians 3:14-19: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Heavenly Father, Today we have considered the immensity of your power towards us who believe. We have seen how you have raised us up together, to be seated in heavenly places in Christ. We are overwhelmed at your amazing grace and your infinite Love, by which we have become a new creation. May everyone of us commit ourselves into your trust, in order that we will walk worthy of this holy vocation, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, giving pleasure to your great and loving Heart. In this marvelous union with you, may our lives become living examples of your righteous reign in the earth, to become more than conquerors through your Love! In Jesus Name, Amen