Faith.

Why do people try to take advantage of God's forgiveness but not change their behavior?

They do this out of fear.

"God forgives us."

"Good."

"But I can't change my behavior because if I do I will not be able to survive in this world."

They want to prosper.

This, in reality, is a lack of faith.

Jesus says of them: "You of little faith."  Matthew 16:10 (NRSV)

They are still looking to the world for their security not putting their faith in God.

For with God there is always enough.

[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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Radical.

"Sell everything you own."

"Love your enemies."

"Your sins are forgiven."

"Forgive them, Father."

These statements bear witness to the radical teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus was not some lukewarm moderate.

Neither was he a hard-line conservative.

Jesus was truly radical.

His teachings were new.

They had never been heard before.

But no matter how radical Jesus was God is more radical.

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Love.

The world's problems are caused by fear.

But every time you give your love you reduce the amount of fear in the world.

For love casts out fear.

And love is the universal panacea.

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Black Narcissus.

Black is darkness, sin, hate, and evil.

Narcissists wear black to hide the truth about themselves.

They will even hide the truth from themselves.

Their egos foster self-aggrandizement.

They are never wrong.

They judge others.

But they never admit to their own faults.

They never admit that they have faults.

When challenged they retaliate.

They intimidate and threaten.

When wrong they change the rules.

So that they always win.

This feeds their egos.

And reinforces their false opinion of themselves.

In fact their behavior is evil.

They have no spiritual worth.

But they think they are morally superior.

They are bullies and hypocrites.

And their time is up.

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Fear or Love.

As with everything there are two ways to respond:

Fear or Love.

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Unfamiliar Teachings.

God does not punish us.

God does not judge us.

There is no devil.

There is no hell.

God loves us.

God forgives us.

God is reliable.

God is merciful.

God is trustworthy.

God is truthful.

Even if Jesus knew these things - and there is evidence in the Gospels that he did - these remain unfamiliar teachings.

Why is this?

These are unfamiliar teachings because the religion of Jesus of Nazareth was hijacked by conservative leaders who compromised Jesus' teachings with the imperatives of the Roman State.

They reinstated the carrot and stick religion of rewards and punishments which ruling elites have preached since the time of the Pharaohs.

The purpose of this theology is to keep the masses under control.

It does not represent Jesus.

And it does not represent God.

So the nature of the real God remains a secret.

And this secret is revealed to precious few.

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No Hell.

God punishes no one

So there can be no hell.

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