The Bible teaches us that without faith it is not possible to please God, and this statement of fact is not altered by good intentions, good works, or even charitable deeds. Neither does a good credit score, or a good standing in the community, or several doctorates affect in anyway the active faith that is necessary for a meaningful relationship with God. While all these things may be good in their legitimate sphere, it takes faith to have a living connection with God, and nothing else will do.
The reason for this is because our faith in God, and all of the experiences that are associated with our relationship with Him, all have the single common denominator of invisibility, and if a person is not
willing to exercise trust in the unseen God, and the invisible operations of His omnipotence, then the Bible says that such a person cannot please God. According to the scriptures, faith is described as the evidence of that which is invisible, which puts our understanding of the natural and spiritual worlds on a completely different level than those who only believe in what is seen, and that which can only be scientifically proven. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts” …
11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Every verse that we have just examined, without exception has that one common denominator, the element of invisibility, and none of the things there mentioned were ever seen before, nor can they be proven scientifically in a laboratory. And the same common thread continues in the experiences of those who are born again, for our sins are washed away by faith, and we pray to God whom we have never seen or touched, and we expectantly wait to enter the city of God, which has never been proven scientifically to exist anywhere in the universe.
We have indeed witnessed many conversions and baptisms, and we have seen hundreds, if not thousands of converts take the plunge, but we have never actually seen the actual sins being washed down the drain into the sea, where according to the Bible, they are carried. The promise of The Holy Spirit is indeed given to those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior, and we ourselves have been made partakers of The Holy Ghost, but if we were to ask anyone listening presently if they have ever literally seen The Holy Spirit, all would unanimously say no, even though the undeniable evidences of His work are constantly before our faces.
Hence the reason why Christ also continues with the common denominator of faith in the invisible God, and the commands and instructions He has given, as a fundamental necessity for all would-be citizens of His kingdom. The following statement of fact crosses all boundaries and applies equally to all people, regardless of ethnicity, creed, nationality or political affiliation. This statement made by Jesus pertains to Democrats, Republicans and so-called “Independents”, even though in fact we are all “Dependent” on the invisible God for everything that pertains to our temporal and eternal life. Let’s read:
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
This same element of invisibility applies to the priesthood of Christ now taking place above in the heavenly sanctuary, which replaces that which was formerly instituted by God in the garden of Eden, and which was more fully amplified at Mount Sinai after God called unto Himself the Hebrew people. After the system of sacrifices was instituted in the nation of Israel of old, the people brought a literal lamb to a literal sanctuary, to be examined by a literal priest, before whom real-time confessions were made, and after the sacrificial offering was examined and slain, a literal pardon for sins was uttered by the priest, and the supplicant then went on his way literally rejoicing. Let’s read:
Leviticus 5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and [is] a witness, whether he hath seen or known [of it]; if he do not utter [it], then he shall bear his iniquity.
5:4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with [his] lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever [it be] that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth [of it], then he shall be guilty in one of these.
5:5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these [things], that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that [thing]:
5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned” …
5:10 … “And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.
Then after all of the sins that were committed by the Hebrews had accumulated over the entire year, the high priest, Aaron would make a once a year sacrifice on the day of Atonement, in which he would literally and audibly confess the sins of the children of Israel over the head of a literal and visible scapegoat, which would then be taken by a literal man into the literal wilderness, where it would be literally let loose. After this, the man who had carried the scapegoat into the wilderness had to literally bathe himself in real water, before he could be re-admitted into the camp. Let’s read:
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
16:26 And he that let go the goat for the
scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh
in water, and afterward come into the camp.
Now even though there were some who were able to penetrate with the eye of faith to discern the real meaning behind the extensive array of ceremonies and sacrifices, the overwhelming majority of the people could not see beyond the veil, to behold Christ, The Lamb of God who would come to take away the sins of the world. Most of the Hebrews therefore got stuck on the literal aspects of the sacrificial services, and the deeply symbolic meaning that God intended was lost upon them.
This then led them to regard the sacred service as a mere ritual that would grant them absolution every time they sinned, and this mentality produced the practice of stocking up on sacrificial lambs, with the intention of sinning, knowing that when confession was made to a literal priest, their sins would be pronounced forgiven.
Then this cycle of deliberate sinning and procuring apparent pardon effectively removed the need for faith in their minds, for they were not able to discern The Invisible God who read their thoughts, motives and actions, and who would bring all of these issues into the final equation of forgiveness. The Lord expressed both His concern and His disgust with the practice, by reproofs given through the prophet Isaiah. Let’s read:
Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].
1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
And then a serious warning is issued to us in our day who might be following in the footsteps of those who have passed, because the same pattern has resurfaced in the contemporary priestly ministry, subscribed to by millions of Christians. Let’s read:
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].
There is now a diabolically opposed priestly ministry in operation on earth, and there is also another genuine and authentic High priestly ministry running concurrently in heaven, where Christ is now in the process of wrapping up His mediatorial work in behalf of those who by faith, enter within the veil of the heavenly sanctuary. In this work of final atonement, the people of God confess their sins to The Invisible God, Who then forgives our iniquities, and guarantees us a place in His kingdom if we endure to the end, all without ever seeing Him. Let’s read:
Romans 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth.
8:34 Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
7:26 For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
This Invisible God is prayed to, and real answers are given to us, and numerous deliverances, and many blessings are bestowed upon our heads from day to day, yet we have never actually seen Him, although the undeniable evidence of His working and power is amongst all Christians who by faith lay hold on the Invisible. This is how Moses and all of the other heroes of faith were enabled to receive a good report, for as the scripture says, faith is the evidence of things not seen. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
11:28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
But there is a diabolically opposed priestly ministry that has usurped the place of Christ’s heavenly ministry, and because of this the minds of millions of people are now diverted from the genuine to the counterfeit. In this substitute priestly ministry, confession is made to a literal priest, and penances are given, with the literal, verbal assurance of sins forgiven, after which the people are sent on their way rejoicing, not knowing that the entire ritual is in opposition to Christ’s heavenly ministry, and that the sins that are thus confessed to a mortal, erring man have never been washed away.
In this system of absolution, faith in the invisible God is not required, for a mortal man declares us clean, after a number of good works and charitable deeds are performed, and because of this, the same error that proliferated among the children of Israel has once again reared its head, and indeed has now become mainstream, and the order of the day for
many Christians.
In this system, deliberate, presumptuous sins are committed over and over again, with the assurance that all will be forgiven once the stated penance is performed, and because of this, millions are now planning to do what is wrong, with the vain hope of finding peace and pardon with God after sins have knowingly been committed.
In the lovely tropical island of Trinidad, carnival time or bacchanal time, as many people know it, is a period in which the country is generally given over to drunken revelry, accompanied by gross sexual immorality, and moral abandon in many individuals. The very meaning of the word “Bacchanal” refers to a feast dedicated to the pagan god Bacchus, in which the participants indulge in various kinds of
debauchery, including sensual pleasures, orgies
and dissipation of all sorts. Let’s read:
Bacchanal:
noun 1. A follower of Bacchus. 2. a drunken reveler. 3. an occasion of drunken revelry; orgy; bacchanalia. adjective 4. pertaining to Bacchus; bacchanalian.
But strangely enough, the two days dedicated to Carnival celebrations in Trinidad, better known as carnival Monday and Tuesday, are strategically located just before “Ash Wednesday”, the first day of Lent, on which many people receive a mark of ashes on their foreheads as a token of penitence, or sorrow for sin. So what takes place in effect is that many of the celebrants plan for “Bacchanal time”, and look forward with eager anticipation to all that pertains to it, with the expectation, that come Ash Wednesday morning, absolution from all the sins committed over the carnival season will be freely granted.
And so it is from year to year, and from one celebration to another, the masses are led to indulge in premeditated sins and moral abandon with the assurance of forgiveness of all sins afterward, very similar to the ancient practice of stock-piling sacrificial lambs to take care of sins the Israelites planned to commit in the future.
One of the worst things that we can do is to confess our sins to a fallen, mortal man like ourselves, for by doing so we expose our inner vulnerabilities to someone who is not designated by God, as was the case in ancient times. Furthermore, as more recent revelations have confirmed, the very men to whom confessions are being made, are sometimes found to be pedophiles and molesters of the young and innocent, drawing outrage and anger at the blatant betrayal of sacred trust, something which is in the sight of God an extremely grave offence, as is depicted by the words of Eli to his sons who defiled the priestly ministry with sexual sins. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
2:23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
2:24 Nay, my sons; for [it is] no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.
2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
And after many years, and after many entreaties from the Lord for them to reform their pernicious ways went unheeded, God intervened with a startling message of coming judgments, which stand as a beacon of warning to all priests and clergy men who continue not only to usurp the place and ministry of Christ, but who also betray the sacred trust of the masses who place implicit confidence in their office. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 3:11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all [things] which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
3:15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
3:16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here [am] I.
3:17 And he said, What [is] the thing that [the LORD] hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide [it] not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide [any] thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
3:18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It [is] the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
The High-Priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary is drawing to a final close, and for many years The Lord has permitted a flood of light to shine on the atrocities committed under the disguise of the diabolically opposed priestly ministry, so that all thinking men and women everywhere can see for themselves the real agencies behind the counterfeit. God is now calling His people out of that system that has lulled the masses into carnal security by offering the forgiveness of sins on man’s terms instead of on God’s terms.
It is His will and desire that all of us who have inadvertently placed our feet in a path He has not ordained, escape for our lives, lest we become identified with the system and the sins associated with it. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to reason from cause to effect, and it is the will of God that all who were ignorantly deceived by the substitute system of priestly ministry, respond appropriately by shaking off the chains of darkness and putting on the armor of light. Let’s read:
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands” …..
9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!