Heart of God - Part 2

Identity

One thing the Lord laid on my heart in my studies over the years is the topic of identity...to the point of me having to answer the question, "Who am I?"

Let's start with God's original Creation. He set into motion a governing Law of Design. Firstly, He Himself created every plant, every animal, and every human at the beginning. From the 7th Day of creation, He has been resting, no longer creating anything more. Having, from those days instructed each plant, each animal, and each human to "reproduce after its own kind."

So, as human, we are the by-product (offspring) of the first humans: Adam (that is both male and female). And from that beginning, all mankind are offspring of them: the resulting product (child) reproduced after its own kind (their parents). And we can see this result in the appearance of the child representing both the male and the female parent whom created the child. The child bearing the image of their creator (their parents).

Genetics, biology, and science has confirmed this Law of God's Creation. Trees reproduce trees, cats reproduce cats, dogs reproduce dogs, fish reproduce fish, birds reproduce birds, etc. And humans reproduce humans. Quite simple.

Because we are created by our parents, we identify ourselves with them. Even the nature vs nurture upbringing defines that identity, engraining positive/negative nurturing and positive/negative DNA. Instilling habits, iniquities, beliefs, physical characteristics, and more, from parent to child. We, in that sense, become our parents.

But here is where we confuse our identity and are often deceived in it, both as children and as parents. Our identity is not who bore us or who raised us, our identity is and should always be the Lord! For it is the Lord (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) that said at Creation that we humans are, "made in THEIR Image". Something we have lost in those thousands of years since Adam.

Since that time, history has shown that humanity loses or forgets this Identity in the Lord. They are our True parents, representing all the characteristics of humanity in gender and race. Even our existence as Spirit, soul, and body makeup (as triune beings) is represented by the Trinity of Father, Holy Ghost, and Son (Jesus Christ): Father the Spirit, Holy Ghost the Soul, Jesus Christ the Body. They are our source of existence; and from that one source we have all variety of human, but all humans have their identity in the Lord.

It is humanity in their fault and deception that lose this Truth that the Lord is their Parent. So much so, that from Adam walking in the Garden with the Lord to Noah, humanity lost their relationship with the Lord. Adam walked with God (relationship). Noah walked with God (relationship). But by that time of the Flood, Noah was the only one who maintained that Parent/Child Identity towards the Lord.

The Lord had to restore that Identity into humanity, starting over again; grieving Him that His children (humanity) lost their identity and relationship with the Lord. And thus, He brought about the Flood to start again to have that one and only desire of relationship back with His offspring.

Yet, once again, humanity repeated their distancing from the Lord and their Identity in Him, rejecting relationship. So instead of another Flood (which He swore would never happen again), He built on the relationship with those who still Identified with Him: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the like. And to help protect (in separation) a group of people after Him, brought about the great nation of Israel; establishing through Moses a covenant and set of Laws that helped them avoid the deception of sin that mentally and figuratively robs a person’s identity in the Lord.

Yet what was meant to keep sin from deceiving them in their relationship with the Lord, the Law became their deception. Israel (in general) became so obsessed with obeying the Law and Laws of Moses, they let it become their identity over their relationship with the Lord. Misunderstanding the purpose of the Law, many hardened their hearts because they sought out the Lord in the scriptures, not in an openness of heart and relationship with the Lord. But not all hardened their hearts.

Yet, because so many did, the Lord once again made a plan to be able to restore relationship and identity with all humanity—Israel (the Jews) first, then everyone else (the Gentiles). And not through a Flood, or through a Law, but now through a Saviour (Christ Jesus).

Though, time and time again (even now), humanity creates identity division, the Lord unifies. Humanity first creates a divide between gender and race; and from that the divide of status, culture, economics, religion, etc. Yet God demonstrated through Christ a unity in all those things; Christ embodied the original Adam (both male and female) and the original Identity we must see ourselves as; and raise our children as.

Whatever your surname or title is; or whatever your historical, paternal, natural, physical, mental, or genetic "identity" is, it should never usurp your True Identity as a child and direct offspring of God (the Lord). This is the biggest understanding of what it means to be Born-Again: your own personal identity you have known, being rejected in an instance; and taking to heart, mind, and soul your new True Identity as a child of God and twin sibling to Christ Jesus.

Matthew 23:9

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

This is Christ telling us not to make our identity that of our dad (parents)—making our lineage or surname who we are. For we must always see ourselves and raise our children as Children of the Father in Heaven!

And from that new positional Identity, we are instructed to renew our minds! Which is putting aside all we had learned and held onto before as our identity, our personality, our thinking, our believing, our actions, our reaction, and our own defined way-of-life; into His way of Life (Kingdom Ways) of who we really Truly are--accepting what HE says we are instead of what WE think we are. Accepting our new nature as His Child. This is what He has always wanted and the reason He created us! “For as Christ Jesus is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

Gender and Racial Equality

When God created Adam, He was made whole and perfect. When, from that male, God created female, she too was whole and perfect.  Neither having sickness, infirmities, birth defects, or tainted DNA. They existed as one, having come from one. Unified. Before they ate of the wrong tree, they were both called Adam. It was only after the Fall that they had two separate names: Adam and Eve. Unity broken.

When Jesus Christ came, He was created as Adam (the second Adam) and imbued all the characteristics of both male and female. Made perfect and whole. He was the unified genders once again as God created and as God has always seen--God never saw or sees male and female as unequal; He only sees them as HE created them.

And though, in humanities own imagination, inequality was created, Christ came to demonstrate what God holds true. We must never treat as unequal what God has always held as one and the same. Marriage is that demonstration of unity...not two halves making a whole, but two equals unified into one. Just as The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three wholes unified as One (not three "thirds" making one).

But moreso, in our individual lives, we must reject the notion that males and females have separating strengths and weaknesses when it comes to emotions, personality traits, wisdom, gifts, and the like. Since male and female are of the same created clay mould, we all have the same characteristics of life. Jesus demonstrated exactly that...this imbued male and female "persona" (for lack of a better word).

So, whether you are a male or a female, Christ is your representation of who you are. The same emotions. The same personality. The same love languages. All those things we tend to classify in this world. And without striving to acquire all that as ONE in you, He has made you that already.

Let go of the world's definitions and divided restrictions to humanity (whether it be male/female, Jew/Gentile, or slave/free); we are all unified by Christ. Thus, look at Him and all He did, and see yourself. Because as He is, so are we in this world! And each of us have the same Blessings, Holy Spirit, Gifts, and all!

Never see yourself as lesser, incomplete, lacking, or unequal. We are all made equal from the same ONE!

Yet it still amazes me how so-called God-loving or Christian people falsely use God in their rhetoric for their belief that racism and gender discrimination are acceptable. I don't know that god that they proclaim supports them or "their country". The God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Ghost I know, created all humans in their own likeness...as gods (John 10:32-38). Thus, if we firstly all stemmed from the same God the Father through Adam, and secondly, now moreso, from the same God the Father through Christ Jesus, how cannot all be equal (one of the same)? God treats us all the same—same Grace and same Mercy. So, I’m saddened by what a person or a church falsely believe about their god and their own twisted justification for racism or gender discrimination. I will always hold true to my God the Father that truly proclaims:

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Every human being falls under the blanket of Christ and His accomplishment through the Cross. The word 'Greek' in that verse encompasses every single human being in all tribes and nations not of the Jewish nation. So, no matter what nation you come from, what gender you are, and whether you are a free person or tragically made a slave (which is not approved by God!), we are ALL EQUAL TOGETHER. Christ broke down the dividing barrier of the Law between Jew and Gentile!

Ephesians 2:14-18

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace; indeed, completely reconciling both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

It is this treatment of equality that demonstrates the heart of God, allowing any person at any time to come to Him in belief for Salvation. Since we have already been reconciled to the Father by Christ, there is no hindrance and no need for any self-justification to accept Him as a Loving Father (YOUR Loving Father). And as He demonstrates that equality of Love to us, so are we to others. God is Love (Agape Love), and we are to Love Him, Love others, and Love ourselves in and with that same Agape Love He Loves us with. And this is what that kind of Love looks like from Him and what it should look like from us:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love suffers long, and is kind; Love envies not; Love boasts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hops all things, endures all things. Love never fails!

How Jesus Loved Everyone (His Heart as God's Heart) – The Details

Matthew 5:43-46

You have heard that it has been said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.” But I (Jesus Christ) say unto you, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God’s Love pours out like the sun and rain on every human being on this earth. He treats every person with the same Love; for He is “no respecter of persons”: He cannot be to one and not to another—He is the same for everyone.

As I said previously, He does not hold us to higher standard than He holds Himself. Thus, this passage from Matthew can read: “God Love’s His enemies, blesses them that curse Him, does good to them that hate Him, and prays for them which despitefully uses Him, and persecutes Him”. This is His character, Jesus’s character, the Holy Ghost’s character, and our identifying character as His children (“that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven”). This is what Jesus preached, and this is what Jesus did.

The general mindset of humanity did not (and does not) see God as a Father. This is what threw off the religious types, and even (I feel) shocked the Disciples and others. The Pharisees could not fathom how Jesus could associate with “sinners and tax-collectors” because they had an “us and them” mentality to life. Jesus even accused them of holding back the Kingdom of Heaven:

Matthew 23:13

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

They (as some Christians do) judge and live by appearances. Holding against others, people’s fleshly sins, and masquerading themselves as without any faults, as a means to demonstrate themselves as self-holy (not God-Gifted Holy). Even trying to parade sin out to the world as something they don’t do through the dragging out and judging of the “woman caught in adultery”:

John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Yet, when it came to her and other “sinners and tax-collectors” (an identity label given by the Pharisees), Jesus saw and treated them as one’s not with a sin-identity, but as Children of the Father in need of them seeing themselves as Children of the Father. Not admonishing their sins, but bringing them into freedom from sin through Love—healing them, not judging them!

And this is how we must always treat and see others!

Jesus saw through the Pharisees and accosted them throughout Matthew 23 and the Gospels. The Pharisees did not want to let go of their identity in themselves, the Law, and their own self works of false-righteousness; as well as their identity as children of Abraham and Moses, not as a Child of their Father. And in their deception, became children of the devil (John 8:37-59).

Yet, even in this day and age, we have self-righteous churches and “Christians” who play the same role the Pharisees did: accusing others before God of sin. This was the role of the Devil as seen in the story of Job when Satan appeared before God to accuse Job (Job 1:6-12).

Yet Christ utterly stripped Satan of his power; casting this “accuser” him out of heaven!

Revelations 12:7-10

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Since Satan cannot accuse us before God, we are free from judgement. Yet, sadly, some Christians have now become the replacement accuser—pointing out sins of others and labelling people just as the Pharisees did. There is only one Sin that matters, not taken at the Cross, this is the sin of unbelief. All sins of the flesh were dealt with once-and-for-all at the Cross for every human being. There are thus no differential sins (no sins greater than others)—for they all have been eliminated on the Cross!

Hebrews 1:3
[Christ] being the brightness of [God's] glory, and the exact reproduced image of His nature and being, so upholding all things by the word of His power; when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down by the right hand of the Majesty on High.

Our role as believers is not to point out sin, but to point to God as a Father. To show others what Christ has done for them personally as well as all of humanity. To demonstrate relationship with the Father. To imbue LOVE! This is what Christ did, and He is who we are.

Jesus didn’t accuse or judge others in sin, He embraced and Loved. He was upset, not at those “sinners and tax-collectors”; but upset at religion that kept people out of relationship with the Father. Jesus, even going so far as chasing out the money-changers in the Temple twice (John 2:13-17 and Matthew 21:12-13). Everything that Jesus got angry at had to do with anything that stood in the way of people coming into relationship with the Father—a direct identity with Him, not through ritual or the religious leaders.

Additionally, the Samaritans, whom the Jews rejected, Jesus embraced. He treated the “woman at the well” with as much Love and compassion as anyone else; offering her Life.

John 4:7-10

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Even though the woman herself had accepted the identity of a rejected Samaritan—not able to think highly of herself—Jesus accepted her. Religion separates, but as we read earlier, Christ unifies!

Likewise, Jesus cared for the Roman Centurion—of which the Jews at the time were in conflict with and rule under (the Romans). Jesus healed his servant and proclaimed he hadn’t seen such “great faith” in all of Israel. (Luke 7:1-10).

Jesus used this term of “great faith” with a Canaanite / Greek (Syrian of Phoenicia) woman as well, when He healed her daughter with a demon:

Matthew 15:21-28

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus was sent first to the Jews with a desire to “gather them under His wing like a hen” (Luke 13:34). But their rejection allowed Him to bring all humanity (Jew and Gentile) to Him that they would believe. All these that the Jews rejected, Jesus cared for as His own. The Jews did not want to be “identified” with any of them as they felt their religion (and the Law) separated them above anyone else.

Yet we too can fall into the trap of identifying ourselves with religion and not the Father. We often say as Christians, “I am a Baptist / Methodist / Protestant / Catholic / Calvinist / etc.” This is division. And placing that as your identity can usurp one’s identity with the Father—as we can hold true to ourselves a doctrine of man rather than the Truth of the Holy Spirit.

This religious trap is what Jesus scolded the Pharisees of, and what Paul also warned about!

Mark 7:6-9

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

1 Timothy 6:3-5

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Galatians 1:6-9

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

These last verses from Galatians is Paul criticizing others who are falling back into Jewish customs. This includes him speaking to Peter who got caught in it; showing how easy it can be to become a “people-pleaser” instead of holding true to the Lord.

Galatians 2:11-16

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, live after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Poor Peter had a difficult time with the Lord’s Grace. Jesus marked Peter’s identity at the time as Jonah, calling him “Bar-Jonah”. And we can see similarities between Jonah and Peter. Jonah didn’t want the Ninivites to be in God’s Grace; likewise, Peter not realizing that God’s Grace was also poured out to the Gentiles (as Peter was called to spread the Word to the house of Cornelius). Jonah didn’t have the want and confidence to do what the Lord asked him to; Peter didn’t have the confidence either, denying Jesus three times. And Peter was in Joppa where Jonah tried to flee to. But we can see a change in Peter’s identity. We saw this same timid Peter, later filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly preach to thousands of people.

Yet, Peter faulted when confronted by other Jews to conform to some of their religious customs—Peter went into Cornelius’s house, but later separated himself from eating with the Gentiles. All for the sake of pleasing others. This is what we must avoid ourselves.

Anything that is a religion of pleasing others or pleasing God, is not the Gospel and is not Christian. There is nothing we can do to please or displease God; it is through His Grace and Faith of Jesus Christ. And because they did this for all humanity, it is a Gift! He redeemed all to Himself through Christ; Jesus Christ also bearing through His Stripes our sicknesses and diseases.

Our Identity as Healed

Our identity with Him includes health and healing!

Luke 13:10-13, 16

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Sickness, disease, and infirmity has no place with God! The Lord does not, and cannot, bring upon anyone sickness, disease, or infirmity. It is a result of this current world, our choices, and Satan—never of the Lord. And because it is not of God, it should not belong to us. We must reject it upon our life; even if that identity of sickness, disease, or infirmity is placed on us by others!

With the man born blind, everyone knew him as the “blind man from birth”. They could not comprehend that this man, whom was healed by Jesus, was the same person. They rejected his identity with the Father because they could not let go of his identity as blind.

John 9:1-9

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

Even, in this instance with the “man born blind”, the disciples had a Pharisaic attitude by identifying the man with sin. Yet, Jesus confirmed it had nothing to do with sin. Likewise, also that the sickness had nothing to do with God—only the healing of Him. It does not and cannot glorify God—healing glorifies God. We must never let sickness, disease, or infirmity be our identity. And it should not matter if we develop it in life or are born with it; it is not who we are as children of the Father.

So does God work with Satan to bring misfortune on people to “teach them a lesson”? NEVER. To do so would divide His Kingdom as Jesus explained:

Mark 3:20-26

Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” So, He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

One cannot work for the other (Satan for God / God for Satan); to do so would violate everything each kingdom stood for: Satan for destruction, God for Life. In that way, neither can God make sick while Jesus heals. Sickness is never a punishment from God (He only corrects with His Word); for Christ bore all our punishment at the Cross, and bore all our sickness by His Stripes.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:

yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Whom, His own self, bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Christ cleansed us of sin, unrighteousness, and sickness through agreement with God the Father. As such, we can never accuse God, Christ, or the Holy Ghost of bringing sickness into our lives or to others.

And since He bore all our transgressions, neither is God, Christ, or Holy Ghost bringing natural disasters to us. We cannot be judged at anytime in our life—judgement is reserved only for unbelievers upon Christ’s return. They are not sending floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fires, or the like upon this earth or upon anyone (whether a believer or not). We have been redeemed and set free!

How beautiful is it that we never have any means to fear God! To see God as Christ, and the Love they bring is to see all who the Father is! Christ removed any and all barriers in our lives for us to freely come to the Father through believing in Him. We truly have no excuse of sin, shame, or unworthiness. We have been deemed worthy to Him—so much so, that God the Father sent His only Son to die for us! That is how much you and I an all humans are worth to Him!

Conclusion – The Details

What is the heart of God towards humanity then in detail—especially in a world where we see strife, sickness, disease, turmoil, hate, love, kindness, generosity, greed, pain, suffering, and joy? Does He even care about our well-being, or is He just sitting back laughing at our misfortune (mocking us in our pain)? Is He angry with us, pouring wrath on us when we don’t meet His expectations? How can He be a Loving God when there is evil in the world—are Him and the devil a team to bring confusion on us?

Everything from these two posts covered the context of these questions. But the real detailed answer is to see what Christ did. This is the counter-question then to ask: Did Jesus treat anyone different than anyone else (show favoritism or rejection to any person or group of people—whether believers or not)? NO. Jesus demonstrated redemption to all people. He never brought sickness, strife, disease, pain, etc to anyone. He brought healing and Life! And to each and every human He interacted with, He demonstrated reconciliation (even to the stubborn Pharisees whom so oft rejected Him)—John 8 being my favorite example of Jesus interacting with those Pharisees that could not accept Him or the notion of reconciliation.

It is these Pharisees that witnessed Jesus healing (even in the Sabbath), engaging with Romans and Samaritans (non-Jews), and hanging out with “sinners and tax collectors" (going into their homes)—Jesus Himself even accused by the Pharisees of being a drunk and glutton because He ate well and drank wine (Luke 7:34). This frustrated Jesus, who angered at the religious rules and regulations that kept people from the Father. Yet, in that frustration and anger, He demonstrated all-peoples reconciliation and right-standing with God; not based on self-works, self-righteousness, or the Law—all of which the Pharisees were trapped in.

Thus, when we let go, ourselves, of religion (even Christian Religion), we can do as Christ did—treat everyone with Love and sameness. He never focused on sin, He focused on Life, Forgiveness, and Relationship with God as the Father. When we learn to let go and Love, we demonstrate Christ in us—because that is WHO WE REALLY ARE as believers:

1 John 4:17

Because as Christ is, so are we in this world.