Dear Children: a Letter from God, to the Church, Through the Scriptures: Volume One

By Ernest G. Clemans

What is the best church? And which contemporary church leader is the most correct? If Gods Word does not change, does this mean that our faith should also remain unchanged from generation to generation? How should Christians feel about non-believers andmore importantlyhow should we respond to the worlds direction when it appears to be against Scripture? Does God even talk to the church anymore? This book is a letter from God. It is addressed to His peopleGods Churchand it is not founded on traditional Christianity. It is founded upon Gods Word, the Scriptures. We know that judgment begins at the house of God, and this letter is written for the purpose of allowing Gods people to begin preparing for the judgment that is coming, and for the new age, an age that has already begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449792633

Ernest G. Clemans

Mr. Clemans is a Christian who has struggled with the seeming disconnect between Scripture and the behavior and rhetoric of Christians and the Church for many years. While at work on what was intended to be his first book—about the reasonability of a simple belief in God—Ernie was given a vision of a letter from God, written to His people, while in prayer in December of 2003. Although he is neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, Ernie has worked since then to put the vision, as faithfully as possible, into words. Volumes one and two of this book are the results of that work. Mr. Clemans is a machinist by trade and lives in Sedro Woolley, Washington.

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Copyright © 2013 Ernest G. Clemans.

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Bible translation, Copyright © 2002 by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture also taken from the New World Translation of Holy Scripture and The Living Bible Paraphrased.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-9262-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9263-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907494

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/01/2013

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Greetings, Introduction, and Purpose

Dear Children,

Encouragement and warning

The need to adjust the message of the Church

Golf: An analogy (Inspired by, On Being Certain by Robert A. Burton M.D.)

Understanding and eliminating error

The role, importance, and paradox of truth

The Church: Not a single mass of believers but a host of unique and singular individuals

Removing the barriers between believers and the world

Peace requires freedom; freedom requires truth

The authority of Scripture; the words of God through the prophets

The truth shall make you free: The Coin that purchased our freedom

The equality of women in the Kingdom of God

Final note

Chapter 2: Knowledge

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge

The three roles of God

The creation and establishment of who we are

Even animals are loved by God

Man’s position and role on the earth

Man as a living being

The Flesh

The Soul

The Spirit

Salvation

The Law

God’s law, like He Himself, is all-encompassing

Mankind: An inherently ‘religious’ creation

Faith

Faith: Substance and evidence, presence and dimension

Faith should not be ‘blind’; it must have clarity, focus, and direction

Neither fear knowledge nor give it more importance than it merits

Grace

More on the Fear of the Lord

Overcoming sin through knowledge and obedience

Truth is the foundation of knowledge and understanding

Government during the Millennium

Introduction to hell and the lake of fire

Knowledge is the foundation of understanding and wisdom

Scripture is the foundation of Christianity

Words from the Lord

The infallible word of God; the paradox of Scripture

Scriptural aids, tools, and truths

God’s testing of His people

Testing the heart

Testing one’s faith in a God that does not ‘irrefutably prove" Himself

The purpose and methods of testing

Spiritual infancy, childhood, and maturity

The Millennium: A new beginning of time and peace

Learning Scripture: Rote Vs Investigation

The side effects of rote learning

Teaching practice and discipline rather than control and suppression

Testing the Heart: The importance of reading Scripture for ourselves

Measure what you think you know against the words of Scripture

God works with men through the integrity of His word

More anomaly, paradox, and apparent contradiction in Scripture

The freedom of God’s people

God uses wise yet worldly perspective to grow wisdom in His people

The sanctity of marriage

Denominational teaching

Developing an Exchange Student program in the Churches

The blind men and the elephant: Perception, knowledge, wisdom, and science

Prayer and the need to listen for God’s voice

Train yourself to love others, even those who might be committing ‘crimes’ against God

How Sowing and Reaping relates to forgiveness, intercession, and hypocrisy

Knowledge about gifts

Knowledge about forgiveness

Sin: Its causes and effects

What would Jesus do?

Do as Jesus did, but do not think, speak, or behave as if you were Jesus!

Do not fight against others but guide your own lives according to Scripture

Praying to beings who are not God

Obtaining knowledge from the World

A father’s role and responsibility in the family

Knowledge, power, foolishness, and the myth of superiority

The truth concerning the superiority or inferiority of created things

Gaining God’s favor and gaining favor for God

In closing

Chapter 3: Wisdom

The voice of Wisdom

The voice of Foolishness

The perfect man: Test your wisdom by considering current social issues

The perfect man: Extreme beliefs and extreme behavior

The importance of loving God and studying Scripture

Build wisdom by gathering and holding onto all that is true

The first step to wisdom

God the Father according to earthly perceptions

The extreme perceptions of hell and the lake of fire

Why we move to extremes and how to find balance

Extreme positions require the support of extreme beliefs and perspectives

A God of perfect justice

The perfect man: Denominations of the Church

Knowledge and wisdom are the foundation of perfect judgment

Denominations and individuals: All are subject to God

Wisdom and judgment require the use of standard weights and measures

Perfect wisdom is attainable but it has only one perfect source; the word of God

Only one God, but many ‘gods’: And each man has the right to choose his own

You will always have the poor among you;

Impoverished thinking: Judging character according to appearance

Delighting in mankind

Promises of Scripture: The truth and the fallacy of reward and punishment

Even God will reap the rewards of remaining faithful to His word

God does not lie and His Word is faithful and true

Find wisdom by delighting in mankind: God’s wondrous creation

Paradox and wisdom: An exercise in perspective

An absence of proof does not constitute proof

Another experiment in perspective from the natural world

Build wisdom by recognizing and accepting paradox, contradiction, and mystery

Do not pursue the Great Commission on your own but only as an ambassador of Christ

Build a foundation of wisdom and success by loving your every neighbor

Testing wisdom through Scripture

If you are facing Involuntary Martyrdom it means you have taken a wrong turn

Take the things of God seriously!

Converting perfect wisdom to perfect judgment

If sin does not exist then what is wrong with the world today?

Using wisdom to live in peace

The purpose of judgment; the holiness of God

More truth concerning hell and the lake of fire

The depth and nuance of God’s laws concerning Sowing and Reaping

Beware of being deceived by the truth

Introduction to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

The purpose of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

The testing of wisdom through perspective: The danger of complacency

Do not allow culture to woo you into complacency

How to watch over wisdom to keep it from departing

Wisdom seeks health; pride seeks advantage

How Satan fell, and may all men learn from his mistake

The truth about Job from God’s point of view

Do not allow your wisdom to be corrupted by pride

Chapter 4: Judgment

Knowledge and wisdom recapped

Introduction to judgment

Judgment in the midst of conflicting truths

Like it or not, we need to learn to judge correctly

Types of judgment

The effect of judgment on history

Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first (Mt 19:30)

Remember the game of golf; an analogy of habit and behavior

Why do things happen the way they do?

Life is neither inherently fair nor unfair: It simply is

Time and chance, choices and consequences, and learning to forgive God

The mistakes of the past

How can God love us equally when we are so different from one another?

A person’s judgment in a given matter reflects their level of knowledge and understanding. The manner in which a person deals with poor judgment reveals their character.

The frustration and rewards of learning godly judgment in an ungodly world

The importance of learning judgment in understanding Scripture

Using knowledge and wisdom to develop and test judgment

Using judgment to recognize the freedom that each of us has in Christ

Only two kinds of people: The importance of building a personal relationship with God

The importance of applying ourselves to learn correct and proper judgment

We need to move forward in the time we have left

Seek, explore, and discover; learn to grasp one truth without letting go of another

Judgment will begin at the house of God

The need for discipline and obedience

The need of the Church to become organized in matters of earthly judgment

The Lord’s perfect judgment of all mankind

All men are God’s children

Follow Christ through obedience to God!

The purpose of correct and proper judgment

The titles of Christ

The need for equal weights and measures in judgment

Leave Tradition behind, and watch where your eyes go

Do not lie. Do not deceive (Lev 19:11)

Judgment through the testing of ‘Fruits’

The paradox of judgment

Judging only the ‘fruits’ of a man

We must not judge others according to our conscience

Scripture, conscience, & tradition

Critically testing and evaluating traditional beliefs

Resolving the paradox of judgment

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CHAPTER 1

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Greetings, Introduction, and Purpose

G reetings to the Church; to you who preach, bear witness, and present your bodies as a living sacrifice to God in order to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to all who may accept it (Ro 12:1) . Greetings to all who are alive in Christ today and greetings also to those who are still to find and accept this everlasting life; to those who are destined through faith, obedience, mercy, and love to become children and heirs of the living God (Jn 1:12-13 & Ro 8:14-17) .

For those who will choose to enter into this life, who make the decision to answer God’s call, when you make this decision you will find that God is not only alive but is all powerful and is filled with an immeasurable love for all of humanity (Jn 3:16). The Lord speaks only the truth and He is mighty to save (Isa 63:1). May our hearts constantly sing with the joy of His love, and may the praises for our God be forever upon our lips, Amen!

Dear Children,

The Lord has appeared in the past saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). Our God has urged us to communicate with Him directly saying, come now, let us reason together (Isa 1:18), and He has assured our future by saying, behold I am coming soon (Rev ²²:⁷).

Now understand that we are living in the last hour (1Jn 2:18) and that our Lord’s return is close at hand. But look to yourselves and to the many denominations in existence and consider; is each of us truly ready? Is the Church of today truly as prepared as it should be? Is each of us working as faithfully as we ought? And for those of us who are working diligently in faith, do we have the correct knowledge, coupled with wisdom from God, and made perfect in love for even enemies of the Church to make our work truly effective? Are we sure that the fruits of our labor are good for everyone? For make no mistake: God is love (1Jn 4:8), He is patient, and He is not willing that any should perish; even our enemies (2 Pe 3:9 & Ac 9:1-19).

Encouragement and warning

There is much to be done in the time we have left, and this letter is intended to encourage those who love God and who constitute His Church; who practice and live their commitment to love Him and to follow His word. This letter is intended to encourage every missionary of God who strives to live lives that offer spiritual health, peace, and purpose in a confusing world. It is time to relax our stride and to run with patient endurance (Heb 10:35-36) rather than running for speed. For just as in the present day it is important for men to run through the tape at the finish of each race, so also it is important to continue in the service of God even ‘through’ the moment when the Messiah arrives to bring peace to the world (Isa 9:67 & Mt 10:34-36).

This letter is written to encourage those who are awaiting answers to prayer and even those who—through weariness or disillusionment—have stopped walking altogether (Pr 24:16 & Jer 12:1-6). This letter is also written—perhaps even as a last written warning—to the Church to stop leaning on its own understanding (Pr 3:5-6); a warning to those who are persuaded to seek God’s favor by simply attending church regularly; who rush to support their peers in matters of conflicting beliefs (Pr 19:2 & Isa 30:15); who focus on the ignorance, sins, or shortcomings of others (Mt ⁷:¹-² & Ro ²:¹), or who seek righteousness through other similarly learned lifestyle behaviors. This letter may also be the last written warning to those who would seek to help God by relying on forgiveness in order to do what is unacceptable, wrong, and abominable in His sight. And if you do feel discomfort or even warning from this letter please understand that it is written in love in the hope that you will listen and trust the Lord; to walk in His ways through the fullness of Scripture rather than in your own ways or in the ‘natural’ ways of men.

These words are not necessarily given for the church buildings or the denominations they contain, for the Lord’s Church is not of buildings or of denominations but of people, of individuals, who have made—and of those who will one day make—a choice and a commitment to God Himself. Yet there are issues concerning the various denominations that require attention and these issues will be addressed. Those who love the ways of men may protest the words of this letter but those who love the ways of God will recognize His words and grow from them.

The need to adjust the message of the Church

Here is a word of caution to those of you who love the lord even now: Do not be quick to misunderstand or to find fault with the writing and the message in this letter, for just as there is much to be done in the time we still have, so also there is much to be brought into the light of Scripture in order to recognize what we have misunderstood before and what we are now called to understand. There may be words or statements that seem at first to be mistaken, incomplete, or even contradictory for there are those things taught by men of the Church over many years that have become accepted ‘traditions’ of Scripture that are in error and must now be corrected.

The gap between the Church and the world is not only due to the sinfulness of the world but is also caused by ‘groupthink’ tendencies that so many Christians are drawn into whether by complacency (Zep 1:12) or through a lack of scriptural knowledge (Hos 4:6). These tendencies are revealed in the pitting of persons and ideas against one another so that peace becomes a spiritual and philosophical impossibility between those who perceive themselves as ‘faithful’ against those whom they perceive as being ‘unfaithful’ or even as ‘less faithful’. There is a polarizing effect going on in the Church that causes even Christians to take up positions against one another, though we are all called to be ‘one’ in Christ! What is perceived as a gap between the Church and the world is often simply a gap between the ‘beliefs and traditions’ of the Church and the actual truth and instruction of Scripture (Mt 22:36-40 & 1Ti 3:16-17). This ‘groupthink’ tendency and its polarizing effect is harmful and even dangerous for members of the Church and the world alike, for this positioning of denomination against denomination, of one perspective against another and of the Church against the world and vice versa is largely based on man-made positions rather than on scriptural ones. And though ‘belief and tradition’ elicit strong emotions in those who ‘invest’ in them, it is not good to allow emotion to choose our course in life. Pride; the unswerving belief in the ‘rightness’ of one’s position; is a powerful emotion, yet even angels have destroyed themselves over such things (Gen 6:1-2, Eze 28:17-19, & Jude 1:5-6).

So do not lean on your own understanding or on the tradition and teachings of men, but instead study your Scriptures and let the Lord guide you (Pr 3:5-6, Php 3:15-16, & Heb 12:1-2). Remember that God is not willing that any should perish; He does not wish for men in the Church to perish nor does He wish for men of the world to be destroyed. He does not want His Church to watch the world so closely that they begin to unconsciously to emulate its behavior, nor does He want the world to focus on the faults of the Church so closely that they fail to see Him in all of His love, mercy, and His power to save. There are Christians today who, if they were called to salvation only by the speech and behavior of fellow Christians, would reject that call: In other words, if not for Christ Himself, much of the Church’s message would be rejected for the pride, ignorance, or lack of charity demonstrated through Christian behavior, speech, and rhetoric!

Unlearning mistaken beliefs is not easily done by anyone, whether of the Church or of the world. So the content of this letter may cause discomfort for some believers: Yet those who have not accepted mistaken beliefs in the first place may feel relief, for the full word of God will always transcend the understanding of mortal man. There will always be great comfort and great relief for every believer who searches Scripture in hopes of finding salvation for themselves and for their loved ones, for all such hope is fully represented in the words of Scripture. Where men—even men of the Church—can find no solution to a problem or see no remedy for an unacceptable situation; when rhetoric between the Church and the world break down into conflict and strife, God’s word will always remain sufficient to bring understanding and peace for those who walk in obedience to God’s law of loving Him and loving one another.

Golf: An analogy (Inspired by, On Being Certain by Robert A. Burton M.D.)

Now do not be dismayed if you face discomfort through the unlearning of mistaken beliefs, but rather consider an earthly parallel! In the world today there is a game called golf, a game in which various clubs are used to hit a small ball into a series of holes, usually 9 or 18, situated at various distances over a golf course, the object being to get the ball into each hole in as few strokes as possible (Webster’s Universal College Dictionary). Now the first swing of the club for each hole is called the drive, and a perfect drive will cause the ball to fly in the direction desired. An imperfect drive is one where the ball in flight curves toward the left or the right away from its intended path which is called Hooking or Slicing the ball. Now a perfect swing of the club is necessary for a perfect drive, but many golfers have not perfected ‘the perfect swing’, for the body to be trained to deliver a consistent ‘perfect’ swing often requires a great deal of time, training, and diligence. A golfer who has golfed for many years with an imperfect swing will experience a great deal of physical and mental discomfort when at last he chooses to takes lessons to perfect his swing. And the stress and discomfort will come as he practices moving his body in ways that his mind and body, because of years of habit, ‘insists’ are ‘wrong’! So the old saying that ‘practice makes perfect’ is untrue, for practice that repeats error merely trains the mind and body to accept error as the ‘correct’ behavior! And practicing error over time trains the mind and body to resist change to what has been practiced for so long! This is true of all men who practice thinking and behavioral habits that engage both the mind and body in the form of learned action or response.

Those who have been taught error by the Church, calling it ‘faith’, often find it difficult to overcome this teaching as well! The correcting of spiritual belief and behavior will cause as much stress to the mind and body of the Christian as correcting an imperfect golf swing will cause to the golfer. We are all of us; we are each of us, human! The only issue is our willingness to change and to increase our understanding. And this is never a ‘small’ decision, for not only is this stressful and difficult, but our ‘reputation’ in the eyes of others is often at stake!

Now do not misunderstand what is being said here: Any education or training that contains error, whether from the Church or from a secular source, will cause discomfort to those who are called to correct those errors. Again, we are all human and it is never flattering to find that we have been misinformed. But the education and training we receive in life cannot set us free from the trials of life or of the uncertainties of our beliefs concerning life after death. Not even our Church culture or our traditions of belief can set us free. It is truth and truth alone that sets us free (Jn 8:32)! So it becomes a daily event in the lives of every Christian whether to remain content with the things they have learned, so that they need never fear the work or discomfort of learning things correctly or anew, or to daily pledge themselves to serve the Lord in the way that He might lead them (Jos 24:15). Yet never forget that the eyes of the Lord are upon the diligent and the complacent alike! Those who refuse to consider what is true for the sake of what they had previously so carefully memorized and learned attract God’s notice for it is terrible in God’s eyes for any believer to hold fast to error when truth becomes available: And all the more so when the truth becomes overwhelming. All men will certainly receive the ‘harvest’ of decisions of whether to grow with the truth or whether to remain stagnant and in error (Gal 6:7). God hopes that truth will bring freedom to those He loves so much; the people of the world and the people of the Church (Jn 3:16 & 1Co 13:13)! Yet God will allow those who reject a thing to reject it even to their own harm, for He does not force even correct faith and belief upon those who refuse it (Rev 3:20).

Understanding and eliminating error

Now it is not only ignorant and/or dishonest people who preach and teach error, for error can be learned, taught, and passed on even by educated and honest people. All that is required is for error to appear to be in line with Scripture and taught in ways that do not offend the conscience. Scripture itself never leads to error; it is zeal and hast in the ignorance of the fullness of Scripture that does so (Pr 19:2). And the root of the word ignorance is the word ignore. Peter withdrew from Gentile believers after being persuaded that the Jewish laws were still in effect in spite of the words of Jesus and in spite of the vision that he had received (Mt 15:11-18 & Ac 10:9-16) and this position required correction by Paul (Gal 2:6-21). Apollos was a man who had thorough knowledge of Scripture and spoke accurately about Jesus yet his message was lacking for he knew only about the baptism of John when he began preaching. When his preaching was heard by Priscilla and Aquila he allowed himself to be brought up-to-date as to the final events of Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the direction in which Christ was leading His Church (Ac 18:24-28). Knowing these things, we who are in Christ should always strive to stay ‘up to date’ in our understanding and faith!

Both Peter and Apollos were forgiven for their error by means of their accepting the truth and correcting their positions and their messages (2Pe 3:14-16). But had either man rejected this correction and updated information—which came from God—the Lord’s anger would have been kindled against them for it is written, From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Lk 12:48).

God does not hold men accountable forever for preaching error when they preach in misunderstanding or ignorance, but God will hold accountable those who, having been made aware of their error, continue to preach as though their error or misunderstanding was of no account or importance to God! Neither the Scriptures nor the Church belong to mankind; they belong to God (Isa 55:10-11 & 1Co 10:32)! Those who preach and teach according to Scripture should remember that doing so holds tremendous responsibility. It is written, The Lord will judge His people and It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:30-31)! Anyone preaching and teaching with a belief that they have learned enough that they need learn nothing new would do well for themselves to turn the preaching and teaching over to others and step down! God is a God of life and of growth. He is never willing for men to remain as they are for He calls all men to be holy as He is holy (1Pe 1:15-16)! No man can become holy by remaining as he is for holiness is only learned by walking in obedience with God! Again; God is a God of life and of growth. But let us remember that He is also a jealous God (Ex 24:4, Dt 4:24 & Isa 48:6-11)! Therefore let all who preach and teach according to God’s Scriptures—according to God’s own Word—think, preach, teach, and continue to grow in learning, wisdom, and truth accordingly.

Carefully consider the words of this letter for they are written for those who love the Lord and who wish to bring His message of faith, hope, and love to the world. Those who choose to test their beliefs in the light of Scripture will find reward in doing so for it is truth that sets us free. And do not fear correction or the effort it requires for such discomfort is common to man, whether in personal habits and thought patterns, in golf, or in matters of theological learning.

The role, importance, and paradox of truth

There appears to be a great deal of misunderstanding in the Church today concerning truth and its importance. Some Christians even appear to believe that faith is greater than truth in matters of salvation but this is absolutely untrue. Without truth there is no purpose for anything; even salvation! Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life and, No one comes to the Father but through me (Jn 14:6). This means that no one receives salvation apart from what is true! Faith that is not based on truth is not faith at all (Heb 11:1), and grace that is unsupported or undeserved has no more effect than a curse that is unsupported or undeserved (Pr 26:2). Truth is far more important than either faith or grace, for without truth neither faith nor grace have any foundation, power, or effect. It is truth that sets us free (Jn 8:32), but only if that truth is accepted and acted upon! Truth that is rejected is powerless to save.

Because truth is so critical to our world view, our walk with God, and therefore our very salvation, there are things concerning truth that believers need to be aware of. As indicated before, faith does not support truth: Instead, truth supports faith. So when Christians in the past spoke saying, I know [whatever it was that they knew] in my heart they were speaking in error and not according to Scripture! We can know this because it is clearly written, Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1Pe 3:15): Now notice that we are to give answers for the reason for the hope we have! To respond to the request for reason by speaking of one’s feelings is not an answer at all! For a truer insight into proper answers for the reason for our hope remember it is written, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Ro 10:17). In addition, remember that neither the heart nor even the conscience is capable of ultimately discerning truth from error (1Co 4:3-4); indeed, both our hearts and our minds are continually undergoing God’s testing (Jer 17:9-10). We are also called to train ourselves to discern good from evil and this training should never cease in this life (Heb 5:14). And it is not wise to put full confidence in things that requires such ongoing training by us and testing by God through the words of Scripture.

So truth is not to be looked for in the hearts or in the minds of the people of God: Truth is rather to be found in the fullness of the word of God for the word of God is given by God for our learning, correction, and training in righteousness (Ro 15:4 & 2Ti 3:16-17).

Now it is possible for two or more truths to be in work at the same time, and although this can cause initial confusion to believers and to the secular world as well, this dynamic can begin the process by which wisdom and understanding are attained. For example: Most people understand the nature of gravity and because of this understanding it was believed by many throughout the millennia that man would never fly. But by accepting the law of gravity and learning to explore other truths as well, such as air density, drag, and lift, mankind learned to overcome gravity—not abolish or suspend it, mind you—but to temporarily overcome it with lighter than air flight, gliding flight, and finally by powered flight! So man is now capable of flight, yet gravity has remained unchanged! So we who are in Christ must learn to recognize and hold onto truth even when other truths are discovered for this is how we learn wisdom (Ecc 7:18).

Another example: We who are the children of God, presented to God through the body of Christ, are holy, blameless, and beyond reproach (if we continue in our faith) (Col ¹:²¹-²³). At the same time we who are alive remain sinners while we are in this life and our minds and our hearts continue to be tested by God (Jer 17:9-10). Anyone who claims differently has either overlooked or misunderstood certain Scriptures (1Jn 1:8). No one except Christ has ever lived a perfect and holy life (Lk 9:28-31), and the Church, though faithful and active for two thousand years, has not brought salvation to the world (Isa 26:18). Though in conflict these truths remain in place even today!

Another: At this singular moment in time we who are or who will become the children of God are in the physical place where we are right now. Yet in this very same moment we are also seated in heavenly places (Eph ²:⁴-⁶). Yet we are not only seated in heavenly places but we are also at this very moment multi-present or even omnipresent and in all ways active in the ongoing work of our heavenly Father. Yet we do not have multiple ‘selves’ occupying separate existences, we are simply individuals, created by God, saved by grace, who are now become heirs of God (Jn 1:9-13 & Ro 8:16-17); and are living in the midst of infinite existence (Jn 8:58 & Jn 14:3).

And another: Many Christians accept Scripture as the absolute and infallible word of God. Yet at the same time the Scriptures do contain discrepancies and even contradictions that are easily identified and demonstrated. So throughout the millennia since the Lord caused His words to be recorded there has been an ongoing argument between believers and non-believers over the merits of Scripture. Both sides, both the Church and the secular world, are correct in their observations and so each side may feel justified at the end of the day. This dynamic is in place because God does not give mankind any permanent or demonstrable proof of His existence (Isa 45:15). Mankind, rather than being given proof of God’s existence, is rather tasked with finding God for themselves for salvation depends upon faith and not on ‘proof’. Remember that Satan and the demons have ‘proof’ of God for they know Him through their heavenly origins yet though they recognize and know God, they are not saved (Mt 8:28-29 & Jas 2:19). Adam also had ‘proof’ of God’s existence yet