THE TRINITY

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The Father is in the Son





Now we come to Jesus of Nazareth who was born of the flesh and whose physical body was just like ours. He was the promised Messiah which is the transliteration of the Old Testament Hebrew word meaning "Anointed One" which when translated into the New Testament Greek is Christos or Christ. He is identified by the word Emmanuel which means “God with us” and He is not to be confused with pagan gods or earthly kings.

We read of Christ's coming in the Old Testament, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

And again in the New Testament, "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. (Matt 1:23)

First came John the Baptist who said, “I baptise with water, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (Greater than me.)

Jesus was born of the Spirit of God, his nature was divine and He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11)

Then after Christ’s resurrection the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (His divinity) Matthew 29.

Christ's humanity came from His mother Mary and His divinity came from His heavenly Father at His conception. The creator God gave life to the world and he gave life to His son who the Virgin Mary carried and gave birth to.

Jesus is both human and divine. He takes after His heavenly Father just as we take after our father. He had within Him Mary’s DNA giving him his human characteristics and he had His Fathers life giving power making Him God on earth.



Moving on and still thinking about the divinity of Jesus we remember that he is known as the “Son of God” and the “Son of Man” indicating His duality. In Mark 14 when Jesus is questioned by the High Priest who asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus replied, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

There are two very important prophetic books, Daniel and Revelation that talk about the end days and they both mention the “Son of Man” i.e. Jesus giving us further proof of His divinity

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Dan 7:13

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! Rev 1:12

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Rev 14:14


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HELL

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On The Brink of Hell







Jesus in the "Sermon on the Mount" used the words "Hell of Fire" or depending on the translation "Fire of Hell" as being the final destination of the ungodly, so what is the Hell of which he spoke? Here is the quote: -

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire." (Matthew 5:21)

Hell is the final destiny of those who have not accepted the Christ as their saviour after they have passed through the great white throne of judgement, where they will be punished for their sin after the general resurrection and last judgement.

Hell is called "Sheol" in the Old Testament and "Hades" in the New Testament and simply translated means death and the grave. When Jesus spoke of "Hell Fire" in the beatitudes he illustrated it by pointing out the well known fires in the Valley of Hinnom close to Jerusalem that had been used for human sacrifice to pagan gods. This valley of death makes the point very forcibly that after the judgement those found wanting will hear the words

"Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)

On the other hand those who found favour in the sight of God as a result of the atoning work of Christ, by grace through faith, will be spared eternal death as judgement for their sins and will hear the welcome words

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:32)


G86
ᾅδης
hadēs
hah'-dace
“Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls: - grave, hell.

H7585
שׁאל שׁאול
she'ôl she'ôl
sheh-ole', sheh-ole'
grave, hell, pit.

G1067
γέεννα
geenna
gheh'-en-nah
Of Hebrew origin ([H1516] and [H2011]); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: - hell.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna

http://www.biblestudy.org/biblepic/hinnvall.html


I don't think there is a Hell like people think, there are a couple of reasons for that, one is that the word hell means death and the grave, as simple as that, nothing more, nothing less, and also near Jerusalem is a valley called Hell where people dump all their rubbish and there are fires burning continually and people take it literally, but basically things that are thrown into Hell have come to the end of the line and that is it, the end, and I don't think there is conciousness and as I say and I can find it out for you if you want but honestly the literal meaning of hell is "grave."

Just to add Jobee that the Bible uses metaphor a lot. For instance, Jesus referred to Himself as "the bread of life" and "the good shepherd." In the same way, God the Father is referred to as "a refuge" and "a consuming fire." But these examples do not mean that Jesus is literally a loaf of bread or a sheep farmer, or that the Father is a pile of rocks or a blasting furnace. And neither is Hell Jobee. At least I don't think so.

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EQUALITY

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The human condition is the same for everyone and the Bible does not discriminate, it does however acknowledge the differences between the genders and for us to say that we are not different is really stupid. Please do not confuse the difference in personality and the male/female roll in society as being discriminatory for all are equal in the sight of God.

The Old English for a human being was mann. All human beings were menn, the term being used for both sexes, in the same way that women are today supposed to be included in the meaning of such words as "mankind" One eleventh-century document talks of the descendants of Adam and Eve as "descended from two men" meaning two people of equal status. One charter of 969 AD, discussed land near Worcester that had been held by a man called Elfweard:

"Elfweard was the first man..." ran the document. "Now it is in the hands of his daughter, and she is the second man."

Thirty wills survive today from the late Anglo-Saxon period and ten of those are the wills of women, each of whom was a significant property owner, with the same rights of ownership and bequeathal as any man* In the year 1000 the role that women played in English society was more complex than surface impressions might suggest.

The reign of King Ethelred took its character from two powerful women. It could even be argued that the women were more powerful than Ethelred himself, who came to the throne as a boy aged only ten or twelve, thanks to the mysterious murder of his half brother Edward at Corfe in Dorset in 978 AD. No one was ever punished for the violence, but it has generally been presumed that his death had something to do with Ethelreds mother, the dowager queen Aelfthryth, who thus secured the throne for her own blood line, along with power for herself as regent. The church at the time drew a veil over the ugly incident, since the dead Edwards reign had been marked by notable hostility towards the recently re founded monasteries, in notable contrast to Aelfthryth, who made herself the leading patron of church reform. So in the year 1000, both the king of England and the reforming church hierarchy owed their power to the ambition of the same dynamic woman.

In 1002 Ethelred, now in his early thirties, tried to bolster his wavering authority by marrying Emma, the sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy. It must have been an intimidating moment for the young woman when she crossedthe Channel from France that spring to meet Ethelred, who had already fathered six sons, and at least four daughters, by previous liaisons. Only just a teenager, and perhaps as young as twelve, Emma spoke no English, and was required by her new husband to take the Englisc name of Aelfgifu. This alliance of convenience was a classic example of the Anglo-Saxon concept of the female "peace-weaver" --the woman whose feminine qualities were supposed to weave new bonds of family loyalty.

But Emma was to prove a personality in her own right. Before she was twenty her strength of character had made her one of the most powerful figures in Ethelreds circle, and after Ethelreds death his Danish successor Canute sidelined his first wife to marry her. Emma's stature provided the authority that the foreign king knew that he needed. After Canute died he was briefly succeeded by Harold Harefoot, his son by his first marriage, but after Harefoots death, it was Emma's blood that took over, first in the shape of Harthacanute, her son by Canute, and then by the son she had borne Ethelred, the half-English, half-Norman Edward the Confessor, whose links with his blood relation William of Normandy paved the way for the Anglo-Norman polity. Emma had been married to two kings of Engla-lond (old spelling), and she was the mother of two more.

Anglo-Saxon kings did not succeed on the basis of primogeniture. All the kings offspring were known as aethelings - throneworthy - and from this gene pool the royal family would select the aetheling who seemed best qualified for the job. It was the practical way to maintain the wealth and preeminence of the ruling clan. King Alfred was a youngest brother who became king of Wessex in preference to sons of his elder siblings, while in Ireland an extended version of the same principle circulated sovereignty around different clans on a rota basis. It was comparable to the selection by family consensus that is operated by Bedouin Arab monarchies today. In England the system produced a variegated succession of monarchs who were generally more capable than those thrown up by a rigid line of inheritance - and it also offered power to those royal mothers who succeeded in raising competent and forceful sons. Operating through the male line, the women had the chance to make themselves the key.

Nepotism was nothing to be ashamed of in the years around 1000. It was the purpose of family existence. The mother who advanced her clans power earned the respect of the entire community, and it is significant that this era saw the beginning in England of the cult of the Virgin Mary, the mother who raised the most powerful son of all. A tenth-century collection of blessings written for Bishop Ethelwold contains one of the first representations of Mary being crowned that survives in the West. The Virgin is shown not as a carpenters wife, which would have made her very easily identifiable with most of the people who prayed to her, but as a worldly queen, wearing a crown* It was another aspect of the developing alliance between crown and church, and the image was the more significant for being propagated by a church which had found natural allies in tough royal matrons like Aelfthryth and Emma* At the end of her life, Emma refused to follow tradition and retire to a nunnery, but stayed active in dynastic politics. She commissioned her own biography to make sure that her life was remembered as she wished to be - and she is remembered as Emma, not Aelfgifu.

To judge from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the most dynamic royal matron of the tenth century was Alfreds daughter Aethelflaed, who took up the English campaign against the Danes after her fathers death, in alliance with her brother Edward, earning herself the title "Lady of the Mercians." Aethelflaed was married to the monarch of the Midland kingdom of Mercia, but she ran the country herself for seven years after his death, pursuing her fathers policy of building fortified burhs against the Danes - and leading her soldiers in a personal capacity, according to the Chronicle entry from 913:

"In this year, by the grace of God, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, went with all the Mercians to Tamworth, and built the fortress there in early summer and before the beginning of August, the one at Stafford."

In 916 Aethelflaed sent a punitive expedition against some Welsh invaders, then turned her attention to the Vikings, from whom she won back the burhs of Derby and Leicester. "She protected her own men and terrified aliens." wrote William of Malmesbury, a post-Conquest historian who seemed more surprised than were the Anglo-Saxon chroniclers that a woman should achieve so much. Starting her programme of fortress building in 910 AD, Aethelflaed got ten burhs completed in less than five years, and led her Mercians to victories that made her one of the most powerful figures in early tenth-century England. We can imagine this latter-day Boadicea standing behind the shieldwall, inspiring the loyalty of her own troops and winning theawed respect of her enemies. By 918 the Vikings in York had volunteered their allegiance to Aethelflaed without a fight. Alongside her father, Alfred, the Lady of the Mercians was one of England's folk heroes in the year 1000, remembered and respected as a tough woman in tough times, and her reputation was to grow with the retelling.

Another female category of mann who had no option but to be tough were the women who ran the monasteries of early Anglo-Saxon England. Some fifty of the religious communities founded in the seventh century were double houses, where men and women lived and worshipped side by side, and the records indicate that all of these double houses were under the direction of the female. Everyone answered to the abbess, not the abbot. It was evidently not a problem for a community of educated men to submit to the authority of a woman thirteen hundred years ago, though the documents do show that the abbesses in charge of double houses were all aethelings --members of royal families. Among these pioneering female missionaries the most famous was the abbess Hilda, who founded (or possibly re founded) the abbey of Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, where in 664 she hosted the famous Synod of Whitby, at which Celtic and Rome-supporting Christians met to argue over the date of Easter.

"All who knew her" wrote the Venerable Bede, "called her mother." It was under Hilda's encouragement that the Whitby cowherd Caedmon produced the first Christian poems and songs in English, and Hilda got her monks to learn and propagate the poet's evangelising songs. According to Bede, she also "compelled those under her direction to devote time to the study of the holy scriptures" with such success that no less than five of her monkish pupils went on to become bishops. Within a few years of her death in 680 A.D Hilda was being hailed as a saint, and to this day pious tradition has it that the migrating geese who fly down from the Arctic to rest on the headland near the site of Whitby's old abbey are pilgrims paying homage to her memory. By the year 1000 there were at least fifteen English churches dedicated to St. Hilda, where her feast was celebrated every year on November 17th.

From "The Year 1000" by Robert Lacy and Danny Danziger.

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OLD TESTAMENT VIOLENCE

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The Bible is verifiable through archaeology and history and the inclusion of the bad as well as the good indicates we have to hand a full and frank historical account.

We also know the Jewish nation were a proud people, they were warlike, they went away from God, they worshipped idols and devised their own forms of worship. Because of their distortions of Old Testament Law Jesus called them a generation of vipers.

Here are some of the things Jesus said about them:-
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his (John the Baptist) baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

These are the people we read about in the Old Testament who justified their actions by saying they had been commanded to do it by God. They were the spiritual leaders and were in a position where they were able to say these things and get away with it but later Jesus told them to their face they were evil. The atrocities we read about in the Bible were not of God but were perpetrated by the people themselves. Unfortunately todays leaders sometimes do the same and invoke the name of God to get their own way and because of their scheeming and conniving ways humanity suffers.

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THE BEATITUDES

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Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered around him and he began to teach them:

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

"Happy are those who mourn for God will comfort them!"

Happy are those who are humble for they will receive what God has promised!"

Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires for God will satisfy them fully!"

Happy are those who are merciful to others for God will be merciful to them!"

Happy are the pure in heart for they will see God!"

Happy are those who work for peace for God will call them his children!"

Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!"

Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers.

Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. (The prophets who lived before you were persecuted just the same.)"

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS TOWARD THE LAW"
Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

THE LAW ON MURDER
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement.' But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement; and whosoever shall say to his brother, ' You good-for-nothing!' shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool', shall be in danger of hell-fire."

RECONCILIATION WITH FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
"Be reconciled to thy brother, agree with thine adversary quickly."LAW ON ADULTERY"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a women to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

THE LAW ON DIVORCE
"I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saying for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced cometh of evil."

LAW ON OATHS
"I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by the head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, 'Yea, yea'; Nay, nay'; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

LAW ON REVENGE
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' "But I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

LOVE FOR ONE'S ENEMIES
"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and them which despitefully use you, persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

PIOUS WORKS AND THEIR PRACTICE
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to he seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven."

ALMSGIVING
"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

PRAYER
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly for your Father knowest what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

THE LORD'S PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

FASTING
"Moreover when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and was thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

TREASURES IN HEAVEN
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

STAY TRUE
The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

TRUE LOYALTY
No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

PUT YOUR CARES ON HIM
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? "Therefore take no thought, saying, 'what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, what withal shall we be clothed?' For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

JUDGEMENT OF OTHERS
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye,' and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

THE RIGHT WAY OF PRESENTING THE GOSPEL
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

THE ANSWER OF A TRUE PRAYER
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him."

THE GOLDEN RULE
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."

THE NARROW WAY
"Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; "because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

THE TEST OF GOODNESS
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

JUDGEMENT AND ITS CRITERION
"Not every one that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

HEARERS AND DOERS OF THE SAYINGS
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house, upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

ASTONISHMENT OF JESUS'S HEARERS
"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine, "for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
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Matthew
The Beatitudes

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen; will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[racca]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

An Eye for an Eye
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Giving to the Needy
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting
"When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Judging Others
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow and Wide Gates
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The Wise and Foolish Builders
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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JUSTIFICATION

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Our sins are cast into the sea of His forgetfulness






In Christian theology, justification is God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. Justification, from the Greek (dikaio?), "to declare/make righteous", is a Scriptural term, occurring in the books of Romans, Galatians, Titus, and James; the root noun and the concept of justification occurs throughout both Old and New Testaments.

Justification is a singular act in which God declares an unrighteous individual to be righteous because of the work of Jesus. Justification is granted to all who have faith and is a gift from God. (compare Ephesians 2:8)

The Old Testament stressed the need for righteousness and opened up the possibility of cleansing from sin. The early church saw the Mosaic Law as creating an impossibly high standard of righteousness which left the individual in need of cleansing. The prophets spoke of the need for cleansing from sin. The sacrifices required in Leviticus also spoke to the need for cleansing from sin. However, the prophets were clear that the sacrifices of themselves did not accomplish cleansing. Hence, the early church understood the sacrifices to be figurative of the sacrifice of Jesus.

THE GOSPELS
The Gospels do not give any extended discourse of Jesus on justification. Jesus did use the concept of justification, but never related it to his death. For instance, ‘you are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.’ ‘I tell you that this man (the tax collector) rather than the other (the Pharisee) went home justified before God.’ ‘for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. Jesus used the idea of ransom, or redemption when referring to his work – specifically pointing to his death. Concerning the need for righteousness, Jesus says "I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Concerning his own death and speaking at the Last Supper, he says, ". . .this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." He also speaks often of forgiveness of sins.

PAUL
It was Paul who developed the term justification in the theology of the church. Justification is a major theme of the epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians in the New Testament, and is also given treatment in many other epistles. In Romans, Paul develops justification by first speaking of God's just wrath at sin (Romans 1:18 - 3:20). Justification is then presented as the solution for God's wrath. One is said to be 'justified by faith apart from works of the Law.' Further, Paul writes of sin and justification in terms of two men, Adam and Christ. Through Adam, sin came into the world; through Jesus, righteousness came into the world, bringing justification. In this connection, Paul speaks of Adam's sin being 'imputed' or 'accounted' and speaks of justification as acting in analogy to sin. He further states that those who are justified cannot be separated from the love of Christ. In Galatians, Paul emphatically rejects justification by works of the Law, a rejection sparked apparently by a controversy concerning the necessity of circumcision for salvation.

OTHER NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS
The epistle to the Hebrews also takes up the theme of justification, declaring that Jesus' death is superior to the Old Testament sacrifices in that it takes away sin once for all (Heb. 10). In Hebrews, faith in Jesus' sacrifice includes steadfast perseverance. James discusses justification briefly but significantly, declaring that a faith that is apart from works cannot be a justifying faith, because faith is made perfect or completed by works. Indeed, works are required for justification because "man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."

THE EARLY CHURCH AND JUSTIFICATION
Augustine taught that we are justified by God, as a work of His grace. Hence, in the early church, justification was a work of God leading to righteousness that saves us from God's wrath and requires the work of God in us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_%28theology%29