Okay, last night's show titled, Hanging in the Balance, is one of the most important shows we have ever done for people of faith. If you are a Christian, saved by grace through faith, spirit-filled – I petition you to take 30 minutes of your life and watch this show. I can’t do any more to try and get you to do it but to suggest that it is really really important, it's supported by scripture and it's… what hangs in the balance. Seth has graciously graphiced the show with a picture of a row of enticing iced donuts hanging from string. 30 minutes of your Christian life. Give it a try.

I have said repeatedly (in the past) that our aim is to reach and teach Sons and Daughters of God the truth and to assist them in their respective walk with the Lord. We do not care what your particular religious experience or preference is, nor what your present participation in them is either. We don’t care about your race, your lifestyle, your gender, your political party or anything else of your choice. Our messages are especially catered to what the Word says specifically to Sons and about living life on earth. And… This means saying and teaching, at times, things that are hard to be understood, things that are contrary to what the churches maintain, and/or things that are popular or trendy. I personally will NOT ever sell a contextual understanding of the truth short for anyone or any reason on earth.

Teaching Sound Doctrine

This being said I would like to share three principles with you tonight before we get to your emails and comments on past shows including last night's. The first principle has to do with teaching sound doctrine. In his letter to the Thessalonians, which we are covering in our verse by verse studies here at CAMPUS, Paul says:

3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

I want to talk about that specific turn of phrase that his preaching to them was “not of uncleanness.” I would suggest to you that what Paul means by this is that his teaching did not lead the believers at Thessalonica to unclean or impure living. In fact, at verse 12 of chapter 2, he will say that his hope was that his teaching would help them “walk worthy of God, who hath called them unto his kingdom and unto glory.”

I also strive and hope with all my being that what we say and do will truly help you as Sons and Daughters, living by the Spirit, to- “walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and unto glory.”

As a student of scripture who has been given a spiritual gift to summarize and synthesize large amounts of data into consumable understandable bites (praise God, not man), I have come to see another principle in scripture that relates to what Paul says here about “not teaching them anything that would lead them to uncleanliness.”

Discerning the Truth of a Doctrine

And that principle is how to discern the truth of a doctrine that you are presented in your life – by me or anyone else. See, if a doctrine leads to “uncleanness” of any kind (including faithlessness or failure to love) then we know that the doctrine is faulty, right? As an example, if someone teaches you to forgive once but not more than that, that doctrine, if embraced, will lead to what the Bible would describe as Christian uncleanliness, which would be non-love. Therefore, the result of that doctrine would tell us that the doctrine is faulty.

Take any set of teachings and test them through this principle and really look to see, when or once they are embraced, whether they ultimately lend to faith on or in Jesus Christ and to love for God and others OR if it contributes (or takes away) from such. If the latter, rethink the doctrine or the doctrinal interpretation. Really THINK about this. And incorporate it into the way you assess doctrinal submissions in your life.

Doctrine and the Role of Faith and Love

Your flesh distances you from FAITH in Christ and your love for God AND Man, I have come to believe that THAT doctrinal position is errant or it has been errantly interpreted. I could have used this principle when I was LDS and the church taught that black people could not hold their priesthood. Did that increase my love or decrease it? I could have used it when I was taught I had to go to a Mormon temple and receive rites there to live with God again. Did that increase my faith in Jesus or increase my faith in my own works? I could have used this when Evangelicals taught me that God sends people to a literal hell forever and ever – and was fine doing it.

A doctrine that promotes works righteousness – run. A doctrine that tells you to hate any segment of society – run – it lessens agape love. A doctrine that teaches that God should not or cannot be trusted, that faith in Christ is not all that important, that love is something other than being kind, patient, longsuffering, self-effacing, humble – discard it.

In Paul’s day, most of the teaching of the heathen philosophers led to a life of licentiousness and corruption (uncleanliness). The tendency of the gospel was just the reverse.

Faith and Love Amidst Doctrinal Disagreements

Finally, relative to this principle, and this is something that I think takes believers and moves them into the Role of True Sons and Daughters, is that if a doctrine, that is sound, and leads to greater faith in Christ and love for God and Man comes under attack or is considered wrong by another person, the response to such must be . . . (that’s right) faith and love.

So, let’s say that you are, like I am, convinced that Jesus has returned. And someone steps into the kitchen and mocks you for the view and calls you a heretic. The response to such mockery has to be one that lends to FAITH AND LOVE – and so my only choice would be to love them, not fight with them, and let God deal with them and myself over the doctrinal disagreement. Doesn’t matter the topic, folks! Faith and LOVE must triumph!

So when someone pushes the Trinity on me, or eternal punishment, or that Satan is stealing souls today and God is losing, or even if someone says, “Jesus is not Lord,” the correct response is NOT war and anger against flesh and blood but it is????? That’s right, faith in Him and love for the one disputing it. God doesn’t need our anger or fighting or mockery of others. God wants us, his children, to walk by faith and love.

Assessing Doctrinal Positions

So to summarize this first principle:

If a doctrine, doctrinal position or interpretation or application of a doctrine fails to promote faith in Christ AND agape love for God and others, I suggest that the doctrine, or the interpretation of the doctrine, is faulty.

The next thing I want to speak with you about is Jesus. I did a recent teaching that I think is important on the make-up of God and Jesus and I want to share that with you tonight.

In the introduction of the Epistle to the church at Thessalonica, Paul says

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Based on this first passage Paul has clearly established that GOD is our Father and Jesus Christ is our Lord.

Understanding Paul’s View of God and Jesus

I want to use this clarity in the next four verses that Paul writes to help us understand how Paul sees things relative to God and the Savior. And so he adds:

2 We give thanks to God (who he has established as our Father) always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God (our Father).

I want to affirm to you Sons and Daughters that

GOD is our Father, that
Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and that
The Holy Spirit is our power and might.

Did you know that you, Sons and Daughters, are in both God our Father and IN the Lord Jesus Christ? Listen to what Paul says again in the first verse

1 Paul, and Silvanus,

God in Flesh and the Role of Jesus

and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

How is this so? How are we, as Sons and Daughters IN both the Father and the Son?

I suggest that the answer to this lies in the fact, the simple biblical fact, that God was IN Son, Jesus Christ, and that God in Him ultimately took Jesus flesh and made God of Him (meaning his flesh). I want to read you some passages to you. They are surprising passages in what they say and even though I have read them before they surprise me relative to this position.

Jesus as God with Us

As you read them, try and see if you can hear how clearly they tell us that Jesus was God – with us – that God our Father was fully in Jesus (the Man from Nazareth). Ready:

1st John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Even in His Son, Jesus Christ – this is the True God. Hmmmmmm.

Consider the content of Isaiah 9:6 – allow the Spirit to tell you what this passage means which is prophetically speaking of Jesus – ready?

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”

A child is born . . . called the Mighty God the everlasting Father . . . Hmmm.

How about –

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

And perhaps

John 17:3 where Jesus said, speaking first of his Father

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee “the only true God,” and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

(Noting that nothing is said about knowing the third co-equal co-eternal Holy Spirit, the third person of the man-made holy trinity But there is certainly a KNOWING both God our Father, the Only True God and His Son who He has sent, isn’t there?)

With God Himself, the Only True God in the flesh of Jesus, bringing Him to deification, we now understand Thomas’s post Resurrection statement to Jesus when he referred to Jesus as

My Lord and my God in John 20:28.

Or listen to Acts 20:28 where Paul writes

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

(repeat this with emphasis) And of course, there is

1st Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Savior Jesus Christ;

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

The Nature of God and Jesus

Relative to God, I am convinced that there is one God who is our Father. He has been God forever and will be God forever.

I am convinced that in His love for his God our Father gave us His only begotten, our only human Son, Jesus of Nazareth.

Preincarnate He was God the Father’s Words, knowledge, hope, goodness, foresight, love – called the Logos of God – by John and then the Logos of God our Father took on a body of flesh (like all of us) and with God in Him, overcame that flesh to become the “God-Man,” our mediator, our Lord, our Savior and our King.

God our Father wants all of his creations to look to “Jesus the God-Man” in faith and to follow him and His commandments and is pleased with us when we do for he is the only means to Him.

God’s holy Spirit is calling and drawing all to receive His only Human Son – God with us – God . . . with

God with Us in Jesus: Understanding Truth

Not the co-equal, co-eternal Son of God with us. God with us in the Man Jesus of Nazareth, who since His resurrection, is the God Man, the only Begotten of God himself.

Jesus and His Kingdom

Finally, the last Principle I want to present to Son’s and Daughters is relative to Jesus and his talk with Pilate before being put to death. Pilate has asked if Jesus was a King and after explaining that He was but that His kingdom was not of this world, Pilate repeats the question and asks:

“So are you a King,” and Jesus says in John 18:

To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. That everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.

What makes someone of the truth who then has the capacity to hear His voice? All I can say, from my experience with thousands of people relative to the topic of God and Jesus and the Gospel, is that those who are of the truth are those who want it, seek it, desire it over everything else in their lives.

Being of the Truth

You know who you are – and He knows who you are. You are people where nothing comes between you and the truth – not comfort, not family, spouse or children, not this world, not luxuries money, wealth or jobs, not friends, not fame, NOTHING takes precedence because YOU ARE OF THE TRUTH.

I’ve met great people, kind good people who are fantastic parents and citizens, artists and leaders who have no ears for the truth. They are not, therefore, “of the truth,” though they may be fine individuals and citizens of this world. But Jesus tells Pilate right here that the reason he was born was to be a King, of another Kingdom that is not of this world, and to bear witness of the truth on this earth because everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.”

In response to this, Pilate asked Jesus, probably sarcastically: What is truth? Jesus told us plainly the answer (to Pilate’s question) when he said earlier, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no person comes to the Father but by me. And from this we know that when Jesus speaks of those who are “of the truth” he is speaking of those who are “of Him,” about Him, for Him, who seek Him, follow Him, obey His command to love, and to live as He lived. They are of the Truth, and they hear his voice, and they are IN Him and In the Father.

Community Feedback

So let’s turn to your comments from the last week:

People of the Free Gift Simply read the New Testament. The church wasn’t pure from the beginning. In many ways they were worse than us.

Jack Dawson Really looking forward to the Children’s book! I hope you consider doing an audio version of it to follow along with on audible or something (get paid son! Jk I know that’s not what you’re about) but seriously with your soothing voice that’d be awesome for children to listen to just before bedtime. If warm milk had a voice, it’d be yours. And yes that is a compliment. Keep the hippie Gospel books coming!

THEN FROM LAST NIGHT'S SHOW: What Hangs in the Balance

Matthew Larsen 6 hours ago Haven't listen to you for awhile. Everything you said tonite I NEEDED to hear thank you God Bless… Does it matter if your buried or burn when you Die? I would like to no. Thank you again Shawn.

C Whitener 7 hours ago Hello, I take great comfort and motivation in these verses [2 Corinthians 12: 1-5, New Living Translation]: "…I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses." This may have been a result of Paul's stoning refereed to in Acts 14:19: "They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead." What Paul experienced was nothing less than

The Human Experience and Spiritual Connection

awesome! Our human minds cannot conceive what awaits us! -Amen. Show less
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design core8 hours ago nice midterms, according to the bet we made, it was a sure bet, the evidence is the inner man that they cannot destroy.
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The Concept of Near-Death Experiences

M H14 hours ago I had a "nde", and a lot of this makes sense imo. I dont know about the "bodies", maybe you're right, but the idea of an outer area thats dark makes sense to me. Id also add emphasis to the idea that its about knowing God, and loving Him in such a way that you wouldn't compromise. Sort of like Jesus turning down the offers in the 40 days in the wilderness. Id also add that I believe God is constantly there, wanting anyone to look to Him, to guide them into purposes and plans He has set out for them to do down here, and that using the gift of life and time we've been given on those purposes and plans will be valuable when we depart here. But it takes looking to God and surrendering temporal purposes and plans that we can come up with, and not wasting the time caught up in distractions that are down here.

Relationship Between Individuals and God

Thats also another reason why I like how you say "nobody between the individual and God (besides Jesus as our mediator)". I recognize the value of institutions as sort of a doorway for people to get knowledge of God or come into contact with the gospel – but I also truly believe God is love, and so good, and is constantly "open armed" wanting anybody to look to Him for personal guidance. Ive heard you say you dont give much weight to "nde's" and thats totally understandable. It really comes down to scripture regardless, so if anything I'm writing here doesn't line up with scripture – then side with scripture. And let me know what doesnt line up as well!

Hanging in the Balance Q&A

Walking as Christians in the Age of Fulfillment

Show 28B Follow-Up to Hanging in the Balance