Faith without religion.
The Spark of God Within Us: Navigating the Path to Authenticity
Sanhedrin, Spirit, Authenticity
In a recent discussion on the Book of Acts, the conversation delved into the profound wisdom of a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who played a pivotal role in the early days of Christianity. When the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, sought to punish Peter, John, and other apostles for their bold proclamations about Jesus, Gamaliel advised caution. He argued that if the apostles’ movement was of human origin, it would fail on its own, but if it was from God, opposing it would mean fighting against God. This perspective, attributed to Gamaliel, who was also the tutor of Paul, highlights a deep understanding of divine will and human action.
The discussion further explored the nature of sin, redemption, and the role of Jesus in reconciling humanity with God. It was suggested that Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary to pay for the sins of all, allowing those who genuinely loved God, like Gamaliel, to be reconciled with Him, even if they did not initially recognize Jesus as the Messiah. This inclusive view extends to people of all faiths, emphasizing a heart aligned with God over strict doctrinal adherence.
The conversation also touched on the nature of the human spirit and its relationship with God. It was proposed that every person has a divine spark within them, which can grow as they align their mind, will, and emotions with God’s will. This growth leads to a more godly existence, transcending the limitations of the flesh.
In contemplating the afterlife, the idea emerged that our spirits might become part of a greater divine presence, shedding individualism for a collective unity with God. This perspective challenges traditional views of heaven, suggesting a more integrated and selfless existence beyond this life.
Ultimately, the discussion emphasized the importance of pursuing a life oriented toward the divine, trusting in God’s justice and love, and recognizing the futility of relying solely on human efforts to achieve spiritual fulfillment.
Podcast Transcript:
continuing chapter five jamman square of
Acts I knew I could get her to laugh
that’s all I had to
say System of a
Down um okay
so we’re on verse 33 of chapter 5 more
specifically of Acts um
so
when the Sanhedrin heard
of what Peter John and the others were
saying
that most specifically calling the San
out you killed him blah blah blah saying
all these really ballsy things
um they wanted to put them to death and
a Pharisee named Gil a teacher of the
law um sent them outside and just spoke
with the S hedin and and made this
argument that every time there’s some
leader like Jesus who
dies they the movement dies with it and
that
um that will either that will happen or
they’re fighting against God because
God’s behind this and it will continue
on and then the sin he do fighting it’s
God so I thought that was a really
really awesome argument and just to let
you know uh gel or Gia or whatever his
name was he was Paul’s tutor it’s
believed he taught him in the law as a
Pharisee oh my God Paul’s tutor yeah
Paul he was very a renowned thinker and
you can see his wisdom in what he says
there yeah it’s like
crazy that makes so much sense cuz what
I’ve heard of Paul it just kind of it’s
the same sort of thinking yeah oh yeah
Paul is genius yeah I can’t wait to get
into it with you because you’re going to
be
stunned I’m so
excited
um I didn’t have any questions I just
really it’s an amazing little admission
by somebody so powerful and not afraid
to say something so bold hey leave them
alone I love that I love that wisdom I
wish we all had it together yeah and
it’s kind of like
evident that he I feel like he’s a a
believer in the right way because he
like doesn’t want to be fighting against
God yeah and it’s not because of his
reputation or something he’s just like
if this is real like Let Let It Be then
he’s giving it the chance I feel like
yeah
um yeah sometime ago but anyway sorry
I’m reading while I go so
um his speech persuaded them they called
the apostles in and had them flogged
then they ordered them again not to
speak of Jesus’s name and let them go um
this is the end though the apostles left
the sanhan rejoicing because they be
counted worthy of
suffering worthy of suffering disgrace
for the name yeah day after day and the
temple courts and from the house to
house they never stopped teaching and
proclaiming the news of Jesus is the
Messiah yeah those guys are gnarly man
and they their lives were in danger
every time they did it yeah the thing I
would want to add about uh Gia or gel
what is his name it doesn’t matter G gel
gel yeah yeah um I believe he was taken
in the
Rapture yeah what the heck and he has no
interest at all in Jesus here but he
loved God the purpose of Jesus is to
bring the people to God MH and so for
them to witness their Messiah at least
he’s given them the benefit of the doubt
and he’s saying I don’t want to offend
god with that heart yahava who got who
Jesus was is going to get it and then
gelle will see oh okay so I don’t that’s
why I’m considered so liberal is because
I’m not going to limit it to just
there’s reasons why he wouldn’t accept
Jesus yet and but he had a heart for God
that’s what we’re looking for yeah that
is really
interesting it’s like if so if the Jews
cuz we’ve talked about this like Jesus
if the Jews got it right that whole time
Jesus wouldn’t have had to have come no
so there might have been Jews that had
it right in their heart yeah that Jesus
even after Jesus came they had it right
yeah and we saved or whatever the only
qualification to that comment though I
want you to understand is the wages
earnings for sin is death so Jesus had
to come to pay for their sin under the
law so that they wouldn’t abide in death
so Jesus had to come in order for G for
Galia to go to God because he paid for
his errors along the way but he didn’t
need to have that Faith because he was
pursuing of God in all the ways God had
prescribed and that would be acceptable
for someone who died Jesus paid for the
sin so now he’s going to enter in
because of that and it’s it’s a much
more liberal way to see it but I do
believe that’s to be true and I think it
holds true for Muslims and and Hindus
and Buddhists and everybody today so
Jesus like the Jews were condemned
whether they were of the right heart or
not oh yeah yeah because they all men
sin and so you have to have a
propitiation for that sin or else it
won’t be uh effective God is so just
that when he took the lives of the
firstborn in
Egypt he then made the nation of Israel
consecrate their firstborn to
him to balance that out he says it in in
Exodus he’s that just so don’t get me uh
thinking God is going to be his little
uh he’s going to be just people who
loved him he knows who loved him yeah if
they didn’t hear Jesus or they had a
reason not to believe on him but they
loved God he that would be revealed to
them and they’d see Jesus as God and
they would bow and that’s what the
scripture says every knee will bow they
will come to it and I trust in that I’ve
never so well I trust in that too sorry
I don’t mean to jump jump over what
you
um
the my assumption is that heaven is or
whatever it’s called is uh can’t have
sin in
it be I don’t really know why that it’s
just the assumption is that God can’t
have sin in his presence or something
but is that correct yeah it’s it’s the
idea that he is so holy
that it would be like giving Kryptonite
to Superman I mean it’s not like he
doesn’t love people who are in filth but
his presence is not going to abide in a
place where there’s Darkness Shadow
duplicitous lies conniving no does the
Bible talk about that it does but it’s
indirect it’s indirect that no thing
would dwell in his I mean it’s very
collectively if you take it all it is
very I cannot be part of it okay and
maybe consider it even more like an
allergy a peanut all allergy that will
kill somebody and that’s all it is it’s
just an allergy and if you hold to that
it makes sense through everything else
that comes through it well is it that he
can’t be in the presence of sin or that
sin just doesn’t exist in his presence
don’t know good good philosophical
question you know because Jesus who is
supposed to be God he sat with Sinners
right and he talked with prostitutes and
so where how do you balance all that I
don’t know yeah yeah yeah don’t know and
God interacts
with sinners now with people because of
what his son did yes because his son’s
shed blood paid the price for sin which
is uh the wages of sin is death blood is
deaf so he shed his own perfect blood
for the ubiquitous sins of the world so
the sin is wiped out God has been
reconciled and he can engage that was
him who did it but it was through his
son but we think this is so juvenile why
would there have to be this because he
is just and and I trust in that justice
so when people say I just live by Karma
I’m like good luck yeah good freaking
luck because if you want to get what you
deserve ve yeah no way yeah
yeah it makes me wonder if like our
Spirits just don’t have sin at all now
like our Spirits because we’re all saved
from meaning we don’t have sin we don’t
have hell our Spirits go to the same
place but just different areas of that
place mhm and so and God can’t have sin
in his presence and you don’t know which
if it’s that he can’t or that he doesn’t
so then the spirit itself just doesn’t
have sin it’s our flesh that has the sin
that’s what gr thinks really yeah he
thinks the whole world has been fully
spiritually reconciled to God and that
the problem is we don’t want to be
accountable or responsible in that
relationship we want to have our fun in
our bodies but and I think Grady is
probably right that if he did pay for
all sin and the world’s been reconciled
as Paul says then there is no more you
better repent of your sin yeah right but
you can say what’s your heart toward
your Creator and if it’s still hard and
and you’re independent and self-willed
that’s a problem I don’t think it’s sin
he’s been reconciled but I do think it’s
you saying I don’t want to be in that
Kingdom I want to be outside of it I I
don’t like the light I like the dark
it’s a much better approach with the
great news to approach people that way
than to say you’re a sinner you better
repent or God’s not going to forgive you
that’s old it’s stupid it doesn’t make
any sense relative to atonement none
does
it no but it just makes me think that
like our
spirit
is well this isn’t probably taking it
too far but our spirit is like God is
God in us in a way and the degree to
which that
grows in you know like you’re saying our
heart our fleshly heart doesn’t want
that and so we suppress it and don’t let
it grow yeah but it could grow in if you
let it therefore you are reaping the
rewards that you wanted and that way he
is just yeah it’s almost like a volume
thing it’s how how big your spirit is by
that that time is like where it fits in
the afterlife or something right and so
we can get rid of all these constructs
we use for just like building and
outside it’s much different but we have
to use something that yeah so I don’t
mean any of that literally I just mean
but you makes such a good point
because to me it’s all directional a the
first point is what direction are you
headed if you’re headed toward the light
that’s one thing if you’re headed toward
the dark it’s another and all of us are
headed in those directions depending on
what we’re doing but at the same time it
seems like it’s not the fullness of God
is in you although there are people who
would say that I think there’s a spark
and it’s enough to make you accountable
for the choices you made in your life
whether you pursued him or not and I do
believe there is a growth of the spirit
that overcomes your what you’re calling
it The Human spirit I call it the soul I
say it’s the mind will and emotion
that you have a separate mind will and
emotion the spark that you have because
of Christ’s work is calling you to
submit your mind will and emotion to a
higher power and you your flesh is
saying I’m God I don’t want to do that
that’s the battle our world is facing
and that’s how we would explain it and
well am I doing wrong no it’s all taken
care of you’re just in a place of choice
so what kind of and and I believe
because the scripture does support the
idea that you do have a choice there is
a conscience in you and you’re making
cognitive decisions because you’re made
in God’s image on what to do um of
course Calvinists reject that and a lot
of other religionists reject most of
that okay so so you’re saying
that you’re saying that I’m saying a
human is half and half whatever flesh
and spirit I’m kind of wondering if that
spirit is God in us and it’s how much we
and you’re saying you’re replacing God
in us as spirit with soul right no I’m
saying that there is God in us as Spirit
but it’s very small until you develop
the spark okay and then we have our
flesh and our soul and the spark yes and
the soul is what is relinquished to the
spark yes to become Spirit yes and to
discard the ways of the flesh
and the human mind will and emotion
we’re supposed to renew our minds by the
washing of the word that’s what you’re
doing and you’re renewing that by the
spark that’s in you that light is
Renewing Your Mind onto what is truth
and what is not and as that happens more
and more and you allow it to happen your
spark grows and you become more Godly
than you are fleshly wouldn’t you say
the soul what you’re describing as a
soul mind will and emotion is
flesh that’s flesh to me I go by the
Scripture it says God created the body
SARS the
flesh uh of Adam he breathed into him
the breath of life that’s a spark and he
became a uh uh mind will and emotion oh
yeah it’s God’s breath soul is okay so
it is kind of what I’m saying where
there’s it’s just flesh and God’s spirit
but combined that’s a mind will and
emotion of you personally
has her own mind will and emotion and
where that mind will and emotion if it
we going with what I’m trying to
describe it’s that mind well and emotion
is geared is you want to orient it
toward the spirit rather than the Flesh
and the way you do that is by
surrendering to the will of the spirit
and not operating by the will of the
flesh or the mind will and emotion
that’s the that’s the job does my mind
think I want to punch the guy next door
CU he did that yeah yeah uh mine will do
I do I have the drive to do it I do then
I will go and do it but that’s flesh
that is the flesh it is the Fallen State
and and so I believe that one you have
the everyone has the spark and two
everyone has the capacity to die to that
and live by that spark or not but it is
it is the condition in this world we are
born with that condition of having a
mind will and emotion that needs to be
changed yeah or needs to grow at least
is there any chance to you that in
heaven our
Spirits or whatever of us that goes up
there is God yeah it’s like all it
becomes God it is God yeah it’s like not
individuals I think about that for the
simple
reason I’m I’m not sure sure of course
I’ve thought of it but I don’t know how
that would work because I can’t fathom
it but it’s almost orgiastic the way it
could be with spirits that it’s not
sexual but we are all integrated with
each other as the family of God and I
think that’s entirely possible because
you have become selfless yeah the strip
away the body and what’s left of that is
now really selfless you then enter that
Kingdom and become part of that family I
don’t think we have any idea what that
means yeah it just feels like there is a
definition of what we’re all trying to
get to that’s the same I would think so
well I don’t know if kind scary to say
that all all is a big word but I think
most of us are trying to figure out who
care about God how to get to this place
well I’m it’s just it’s kind of what we
were talking about this morning like
true authenticity yeah
is when you get is God like following
God and love that’s what your
authenticity is and so and it’s
selfless and so if we’re following the
path of God and our spirit is growing
that and that spirit is what goes to
heaven that is all the same that’s God
yeah like it has the same definition
yeah and and it’s interesting because
we’re talking about our mind our will
and our emotion and when you talk about
what people claim is I’m just being me
authenticity that it might be true but
it’s not good you know you stand up in a
theater and dance while we’re trying to
R the movie and we say sit down and they
say I’m being me well that’s the age we
live in today God says you don’t want to
be me you want to be me you know do what
I’m telling you to do why because it is
how to live it’s the right way and
that’s the that’s the philosophy behind
it yeah the only thing the only time it
this doesn’t make sense where we’re all
getting to the same place is that love
is different in every situation and
we’re
circumstantial yeah and we are
individuals and he works with us
differently so I get where gear is
saying where it can’t like you can’t
make that make sense fully it’s hard to
make it make sense without the
background of what Christ is has done
and uh because when we try to make sense
of it through any other background
without the spark that’s called humanism
and I’ve never seen it work never seen
any any form of humanism expressed
really work have you have you can can
you think of anything where it’s worked
no it just feels
like Society keeps thinking we’re
getting closer to it they do somehow all
of our music is talking about it our
films talk about about it AI thinks it
it’s all telling us but it’s the same
exact story that Satan whatever he was
the serpent in the garden was telling
Eve you can be his God yeah it’s the
same story yeah it’s like how you just
it’s really just how you perceive what’s
going on and if I think they
fundamentally think that things are
different now than they were before and
that progress can be made yeah and
change can be made yeah so with that
which is true to some degree to some
degree
in material ways but it’s not like but
we will be spiritually deficient yes and
let me help bring it in a biblical sense
is if we’re standing here you and I and
we’re in the Garden of Eden and we’re
looking at the two trees the right tree
is the tree of life there’s only one way
to have true life and it is by doing it
the way he would tell you to over here
we have a tree of knowledge of Good and
Evil good and evil so some people can
choose in this life to do only good yeah
you know it’s of good and evil and so
they can feed the poor they can do
science they can come up with drugs to
help us is it good it is but it is not
the Tree of Life yeah yeah and that’s if
you can remember that model you can
understand why all those good things the
more Church does would cause Jesus to
say I never knew you get away from me
who work iniquity yeah get it that’s the
model we’re looking at yeah that makes
sense okay it goes to show too why like
nothing’s that scary like everything
that can H stuff like AI it’s new and
it’s scary in a worldly way but it’s and
it’s also promising in a worldly way but
like there’s never not going to be
people that resist it or do something
different or what like it’s never going
to be that there’s one thing that
happens in the world that I don’t care
what it so what you’re doing what you’re
admitting here as we we’re talking is
that you’re losing some of your
fears yeah there’s not much fear and so
you’re free yeah so I say phop to to co
and I say to everything I’ll do my part
yeah but if it takes us it does so what
yeah I mean not there’s there’s lengths
there are times in the world where
things are better yes and like it’s
scary the thing that’s scary is just
when it’s at it’s when it’s worse then
it’s better like it’s just a hard time
yeah but it’s not going to
be that end of civilization in terms of
like cuz there’s just going to be
resistance in some way yeah um that’s
that spirit of God fighting for survival
for people he loves yeah there will be a
Victorious resistance and so we don’t
have to worry about fabricating it
ourselves he’ll do it that’s called
walking in faith yeah that is really
cool yeah that’s good stuff good EP good
epie we done yes that is the end of
chapter five on to chapter six all right
thanks
everybody goodbye
