What God has cleansed we do not
call unclean, Acts 10:15.
Jesus came to take away the sin of
the world, but still many believe that the world is full of sin, 1 John 2:2.
This experience of sin, alienation,
and separation has
burdened humankind for centuries. Nevertheless,
though our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart,
and knows all things, 1 John 3:20.
To assure the hearts of his
disciples, Jesus shared this knowledge of all things
bringing freedom from alienation and condemnation that so troubled the
people and the culture of his day.
"The disciples came to
Jesus and asked, “What is the world’s sin? Jesus replied,
'There is no sin in reality! It is you who
create sin,
when you do deeds such as adultery that are called sinful.
That’s why good enters into your heart to return you back to
your source,' ”
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene 4:26.
Good enters into your heart to return you back to your source. Christ in us is this hope of glory.
As Jesus
said “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me:
… and ye in me, and I in you,”
John 14:11, 20.
All things are from Him, through Him, and
return back to Him, Romans 11:36.
Those who who are
still under the law often believe that sin can prevent this return.
This old human
understanding of sin and alienation can be an illusion
through the ignorance of a darkened mind.
“This I say therefore, and testify
in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk,
in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding
darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in
them,
because of the blindness of their heart,” Ephesians 4:17-18.
Some still believe that sin can
separate from God, and still need this perspective.
For them this is a valid perception,
even though for us it is partial and old. For us, if He is everywhere,
and now with us always,
then nothing can separate us from the love of God, Matthew 28:20,
Romans 8:35.
For those who can see it sin, and its creation, may not exist except in
the vanity of the mind,
Ephesians 4:18, Mary Magdalene 4:26,
Romans 4:15.
The old man is dead and the body of
sin is destroyed; personally and universally.
The old man and the old creation have died.
“He that is dead is
freed from sin,” Romans 6:7.
He that is born of God cannot sin, 1 John 3:9-10.
There is a new man and a new creation wherin dwelleth righteousness. We
are dead to sin and it to us.
Therefore, ‘reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord,’ Romans 6:11.
To us, in the new man, in the
Christ, the one new universal body, sin no longer exists, 1 John 3:9.
We are hid with Christ in God. We are translated into the kingdom of
his dear son where all is made new.
We that are dead to sin walk in
newness of life.
Those who have died, who are free
from sin through knowledge of the truth, become slaves to
love.
The Gospel of Philip provides this following perspective.
“He who has knowledge of
the truth is a free man.
And the free man does not sin, for ‘He who sins is the slave
of sin’ (John 8:34)….
Those who think that
sinning does not apply to them are called "free" by the world.
Knowledge of the truth merely makes such people arrogant... But
‘Love builds up,’ (1 Corinthians 8:1)…
In fact, he who is really free, through knowledge, is a slave,
because of love for those who have not yet been able to attain to the
freedom of knowledge.
Knowledge makes them capable of becoming free…
He who is a slave against his will,
will be able to become free …
The Word said, ‘If you know the truth, the truth will make
you free’ (John 8:32),” The Gospel of Philip.
Know that
"the Wisdom that is from above is... pure," James
3:17.
When we discover who we are it changes everything.
If we lack understanding, God is greater than our hearts and knows all
things, 1
John 3:20.
And so through knowledge of the
truth we are made free,
and by living in love we assure our hearts before him, 1 John 3:19.
Joined to the Lord as One Spirit we
are free.
For where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 1 Corinthians 6:17.
You are white as snow, Isaiah 1:18.
URfriend,
Dean Johnson
P.S. Mary
says, 'There is no sin in reality! It is you who create sin,
when you do deeds such as adultery that are called sinful.
That’s why good enters into your heart to return you back to
your source,'”
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene 4:26.....
“When Mary had said this, she fell
silent…
But
Andrew answered and said to the brethren, Say what you wish to say
about what she has said.
I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly
these teachings are strange ideas.
Peter
answered and spoke concerning these same things.
He
questioned them about the Savior: Did He really speak privately with a
woman and not openly to us?
Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her to us?
Then Mary
wept and said to Peter, My brother Peter, what do you think?
Do you think that I have thought this up myself in my heart,
or that I am lying about the Savior? The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
9:1-5.
For the early church, the
place of the law in the life of the believer became
a divisive issue.
“For when there is no law there is
no sin”, Romans 5:13,
2 Corinthians 3:13.
The gentiles readily accepted such freedom.
For the Jewish nation raised with great reverence for law this was a
word that seemed very inappropriate.
The result was a split between the
Jews and the Gentiles.
The implications of the inclusion of the gentile believers, who had
less regard for Jewish law,
was indeed traumatic for the infant church, Acts 15:1-30.
The message Paul and some other
apostles adapted for the sake of the gentiles
often caused disruptions in the Jewish communities.
James, John, and Peter often wrote warning the Jewish believers about
the dangers
of adopting such a libertine gentile message. 1 John 1:9.
“The Gospel to the Uncircumcision”
with its freedom from laws and regulations seemed to differ
significantly from the original message given to the circumcision, Galatians 2:7.
For this reason Peter and Paul did
not always get along, Galatians 2:11 .
Being diplomatic Peter would say
that “Paul according to the wisdom given unto him hath written
…
in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are
some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures,
unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16.
In an apparent direct opposition to
Paul’s teaching of “justification by faith” alone James was
less
diplomatic than Peter, Romans 3:28,
5:1, Galatians 2:16,
3:11,
3:24.
James asserted that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead,
being alone.” and “that by works a man is
justified,
and not by faith only,” James 2:17
2:24.
This was no
polite disagreement.
The Jewish apostles warned their
congregations against gentile teachings.
In contrast, Paul warned of the Judaizers, who tried to impose the
Jewish laws on the Gentiles:
“Let him be accursed”, Galatians 1:9.
The peace was temporarily kept by
agreeing to go their separate ways. “When James, (Peter), and John, who
seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto
(Paul). They gave to (Paul) and Barnabas the right hands of
fellowship; that (they) should go unto the heathen,” Galatians 2:9.
Paul’s larger solution was to bring
a revelation of the one body that brought the Jewish and Pagan
factions together, but still his message was often misunderstood, even
by other pillars in the church.
These revelations seemed useful,
encouraging mutual respect,
for with respect even Peter would later say that
“Paul according to the wisdom given unto him hath written … of these
things,” 2 Peter 3:15-16.
Paul was able to adapt the message
for differing audiences.
The Jews seek a sign and the Greeks look for wisdom.
To the Jews Paul became a Jew and to the gentiles he became a gentile.
God grant us such wisdom.
The Gnostic Gospels with their
emphasis on Wisdom (or Sophia)
and a Hellenized message appear to be specifically adapted to reach the
gentiles.
When the law is abolished the logic
of Mary follows naturally. “There is no such thing as sin”…
But one can imagine the firestorm such a quote would have caused if
brought to the wrong community.
This message from Mary would have been very troubling to the Jewish
segment of the early church.
Care was needed not to misapply the message.
Writing to those who had received the law, Paul explains that
the schoolmaster was given
to make them aware of their need, and to bring them
back to Christ,
for they too were alienated in the ignorance of their minds, for their
minds were blinded, 1 Corinthians 3:14.
They were given what they needed, Galatians 3:24-25.
John wrote of those who refuse and deny this working deceiving
themselves, 1 John 1:9.
He wrote, "If we say that we have
not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:10.
At first glance, one might think that John is directly opposing these
ideas expressed by Mary's words
which were later adopted by the gentiles.
However, a more careful reading reveals that in one sense Mary agrees
with John.
She does not say "we have not sinned," rather she explains, "It is (us)
who create sin."
That which we have created we have also done. However, she does not
stop with such a simple thought.
She frames it with the overarching truth from God, "There is no sin in
reality",
"for God cannot be tempted with evil," Mary 4:26, James 1:13
The larger issue, for Mary and the
gentiles,
is that if we can create sin and deceive ourselves and alienate
ourselves from God.
We can create and experience another false reality of
sin and enmity in our own mind.
This is the greater danger. There is a proper
balance. We can separate ourselves.
God does not separate from us.
Nevertheless, even if our foolish
hearts are ignorant,
God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things.
And so revelation is given, line
upon line.
Nailed to the cross is the writing of ordinances against us.
Through death Jesus destroys the old man and the body of
sin.
The body of death is abolished, Romans 6:6,
7:24.
And now, there is a new man born of
God, whom we are, that cannot sin,
and a new creation wherein
dwelleth righteousness, 2 Peter 3:13.
What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin,
live any longer therein? ….
baptized into Jesus Christ … baptized into his death? … buried with him
…raised up from the dead…
walk in newness of life, Romans 6:1-4.
To reiterate, in God's reality,
there is no sin.
There is only one body, and in him
dwelleth righteousness.
Awake to righteousness and walk in newness of life! 1 Corinthians 15:34.
"If ye were blind, ye should have no sin
," John 9:41.
"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves," 1 John 1:8.
"Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle," - Hugh Macleod.
Nevertheless, Jesus said, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith," Mark 11:23.