Paschal Mystery: Wisdom And Power Of God

Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, 'Paul Preaches Christ Crucified'

The bible teaches that the Paschal Mystery is the center of the work the Father sent the historical Jesus to do on earth. It is the historical Jesus' passing over from life on earth, through his passion, death, resurrection and ascension, into a new and glorified life with the Father, through the incarnate Christ of Faith [Colossians 2:9]. The Paschal Mystery is also the truth that is unfolding, about mankind's regeneration and reconciliation with God and one another, through the indwelling and incarnate Christ of Faith. The Paschal Mystery is especially about believers in all the world religions and secular groups, actually passing over from the slavery of sin, into the freedom of God's love, through the incarnation of the indwelling Christ of Faith, by following the historical Jesus, in living the Paschal Mystery [Matthew 16:21-26, Colossians 1:26-27]. 

The Paschal Mystery is the historical Jesus as Messiah, the Son of Man, preaching, teaching and healing as the incarnate presence of Abba Father, the eternal, invisible Christ of Faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, 2000 years ago [John 5:30, 10:30; Luke 4:16-19]. As Emmanuel, the historical Jesus fully revealed the Christ of Faith, as God's presence, wisdom and righteousness, within himself and within all people. As Savior, the historical Jesus revealed the indwelling Christ of Faith as God's sanctification and redemption for all mankind.

Both the historical Jesus and the apostle Paul proclaimed the indwelling Christ of Faith as mankind's universal center of origin, meaning, morality and destiny. They taught that the Christ of Faith is the universal image and likeness of God, in the spiritual body of the historical Jesus and all persons [Genesis 1:26-27, John 17:20-26, Ephesians 3:8-13]. Like the historical Jesus, the apostle Paul proclaimed the indwelling Christ of Faith as mankind's universal salvation and hope of glory. Unfortunately, mankind's spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness, spiritual sleep and spiritual death, continue to hide the Christ of Faith, from mankind's discernment and appropriation, down through the  ages and generations [Colossians 1:24-29].

The esoteric message of the Paschal Mystery declares that the Christ of Faith is God's universal, Word [Logos]. It declares that the Christ of Faith and the Word [Holy Scripture], cleanse the human consciousness of sin and dead works. By faith, the Christ of Faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, also enables all mankind to serve the living God, in spirit and in truth [John 4:23-24]. The essential message of the Gospel of Christ is the Paschal Mystery.

Is it possible that the invisible Christ of Faith as [Logos], who forever dwells in our spiritual bodies, remains hidden and crucified again, by our present, prevailing  worldly, mortal and carnal mindsets and consciousness [Hebrews 6:4-8]?  Can you describe how 'Christ crucified' is helping you and the members of your witnessing faith community, to live the Three-Self Movement (Self-rule, self-support, self-propagation)? Is it not true that in order for mankind to experience the transforming presence, wisdom and power of God in our thoughts, feelings, emotions, relationships and actions, we must all take up our cross daily, metaphysically and mystically, and follow the historical Jesus, in living the Paschal Mystery and kingdom living, here on earth [Matthew 16:24, Romans 8:1-11, Luke 17:20-21]? Like the apostle Paul, is it not true that spiritually awake believers, in all the world religions, can now and actually do by faith, encounter the historical Jesus, as the universal, indwelling Christ of Faith, the Image and likeness of God, in and through their own spiritual bodies [Genesis 1:26-27, Colossians 1:26-27]?
  

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Unity And Universality Of The Christ Of Faith

Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 1:10-16, 'Christ, the universal Lamb of God' 

Living the Paschal Mystery is often strongly rejected as foolishness by many exoteric religious and secular minded people. It is however more warmly embraced and applied, as the universal power of God unto salvation, by most esoteric, spiritually awake, religious people, in all the world religions. Like the historical Jesus, the apostle Paul also taught that only the cross does save humankind from vain and erroneous human philosophies, and brings all mankind to the true, exoteric and esoteric knowledge of God’s grace, truth, wisdom and love, through the universal, indwelling Christ of Faith, the image of God, in the spiritual body of all persons [Genesis 1:26-31, Matthew 16:24-28, Colossians 1:26-27].

Mortal minded people believe that human beings are now experiencing separation from God and one another. The carnal minded are intellectually motivated to deny that all human beings have eternal spiritual bodies. They are thus preoccupied with the things of men, rather than the things of God. Mortal, carnal and worldly mindedness are among the diverse manifestations of the mind of the flesh. Spiritually minded people realize, that all humans, like the historical Jesus, are eternal spiritual beings, going through temporary, incarnate, human experiences [John 1:1-5, Romans 8:1-11].

In Romans 8:5-8, the apostle Paul declares that the mind of the flesh, always burdens people with the sins of erroneous thinking, spiritual blindness and spiritual death. Paul makes it clear that the mind of the flesh creates divisions, schisms, conflict and separation. Paul realized that the historical Jesus' exoteric and esoteric message of the cross, is foolishness to those who are perishing in the erroneous thinking, spiritual blindness and spiritual death of the mind of the flesh [1 Corinthians 1:17-18]. 

The Bible declares that the Book of Revelations completes the unveiling of the limited exoteric and the universal esoteric messages of the historical Jesus. It describes the second coming of the universal Christ of Faith on earth, as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:10]. It outlines many aspects of the coming triumph and reign of the universal Christ of Faith, in human hearts, minds, emotions, lives and affairs, here on earth. These apocalyptic writing describes many of the literal, metaphorical, metaphysical and mystical end time experiences, of people following and those choosing not to follow the historical Jesus, in living the Paschal Mystery. 

Are you numbered among those Christ-centered, spiritually awake believers, in your unique religion, who with God's help, have chosen to steadfastly follow the historical Jesus, in living the Paschal Mystery? Are you daily, in the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit, crossing out the inappropriate dominion of the mind of the flesh? Have you chosen, with God's help, to put on the unity and universality of the mind of the indwelling and incarnate Christ of Faitht? 

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Called To Live The Paschal Mystery

Scripture text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, 'Salvation through faith and faithfulness to God's plan'

The gospel is the good news of mankind's liberation from slavery to sin and reconciliation with God and each other in and through the Christ of Faith [Son of God]. God sent the historical Jesus [Son of Man] into the world, to proclaim repentance, show all people how to follow God ways, and model righteousness and kingdom living here on earth [John 3:14-17]. The central focus of Jesus’ work is called the Paschal Mystery.  Embracing and steadfastly imitating Jesus' mission, vision and actions facilitate repentance, brings salvation and re-establish kingdom living here on earth, as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:10, Mark 1:14-15, John 14:6].

The bible assures us that God’s universal plan of redemption has been fully revealed in the life and ministry of the historical Jesus. Both the historical Jesus and the apostle Paul in today's epistle affirm that salvation came through faith and faithfulness to God's universal plan of redemption [John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9]. They both declared that kingdom living is re-established and maintained here on earth, by following the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery [Mark 8:31-34, Colossians 1:26-29].

The Bible also declares that the Christ of Faith, the Word as Logos, is the universal presence and the image and likeness of God, in all mankind [Genesis 1:26-27, John 1:1-5]. Holy Scripture reveals that the Christ of Faith [Son of God] forever exists as Spirit, long before the Christ of Faith, through proper alignment and incarnation, in the power of the Holy Spirit, came down from heaven and became fully incarnate and fully manifested in the historical Jesus [Son of Man]  [John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 17:20-21].

Are you committed to correctly responding to God's universal call to follow the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery? Have you chosen to embrace and follow the Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based faith and faithfulness of the historical Jesus and the apostle Paul? Is your faith and faithfulness centered in the second coming and reign of the universal Christ of Faith, in your life and in the lives of all persons?

God's ultimate and changeless plan of repentance, salvation and reconciliation must be universal. It must be applicable to all people, in and through all the worlds diverse religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups. God's universal liberation, salvation and reconciliation with God as Trinity, and with one another as sons of men, must come to all through faith in and faithfulness to the incarnation of the universal Christ of Faith, through the spiritual body of all person [Genesis 1:26-31].

Aren’t members of the emerging, universal body of Christ literal, metaphorical, metaphysical and mystical believers in the incarnation of the indwelling Christ of Faith, certainly found in all the world religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups? Don’t these inclusive witnessing communities base their vitality in Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based relationships, transformation, righteousness and spirituality? Shouldn’t all members of the universal body of Christ seek the practical manifestation of the kingdom of God here on earth as social justice, feeding the poor, visiting the sick and prisoners, stopping contemporary slavery, respect for all persons, and working for environmental causes? 

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Water Baptism And Righteousness

Scripture reference:
Matthew 3:13-17, 'Baptism of the historical Jesus'

In today’s Gospel reading Matthew 3:13-17, when the historical Jesus came to John the Baptist requesting personal water baptism, John the Baptist discouraged him. Jesus however insisted that John perform his personal water baptism, so he Jesus could fulfill righteousness. To the historical Jesus then, his personal water baptism confirms his solidarity with God and all humankind in salvation, fulfilling all righteousness and kingdom living here on earth [Matthew 3:15, 6:33]. 

Water baptism and righteousness involve what the historical Jesus declared to Nicodemus, as being born from above, of water and the Spirit [John 3:1-7]. John the Baptist also added Jesus' baptism of fire [Matthew 3:11]. In solidarity with all humankind, the historical Jesus fully embraced, took hold of and lived in the newly revealed, Holy Spirit-based, Christ-consciousness. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the historical Jesus, after his water baptism herald’s mankind's similar empowerment by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. 

Like the historical Jesus, our great high priest, God designs us all, to demonstrate solidarity with the light, life, love, and law of the indwelling and incarnate Christ of Faith. The bible describes the historical Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life [John 14:6]. Let us by faith, seek solidarity with the historical Jesus, by steadfastly following him as Way-shower in living the Paschal Mystery [Matthew 16:21-26]. 

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