In Genesis 18:20-21 we read that not only was the sin of Sodom great, it was grievous and had caused an outcry to reach Heaven: “20 Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

What could be so grievous to the Lord? Anyone who has had any Bible study knows the common answer: homosexuality. Tonight I write to demonstrate clearly that this is utterly false. As you might expect, the Bible declares many sins of Sodom.

Sodom’s Sin: Homosexual Gang Rape

The rumor that Sodom’s sin was homosexuality probably came from the description of the actions of some of the men toward Lot and his angel guests: Genesis 19:4-5 “4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom–both young and old–surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” Clearly this was not just a same-sex encounter; but far beyond that and into the realm of abusive harm. That is detestable.

Sodom’s Sin: Adultery and Lying

Through the prophet Jeremiah we see Israel’s sins compared to Sodom and Gomorrah; the sins of adultery and lying. “And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 23:14 (NIV84)

Sodom’s Sin: Arrogance and Selfishness

The primary sin that seemed to anger God the most was arrogance and selfishness. The Sodomites didn’t care abut the poor and the needy. They only concerned themselves with their own wealth and food: Ezekiel 16:49-50 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”

Sodom’s Sin: Immorality and Perversion

Jude makes a brief statement about Sodom and Gomorrah: Jude 1:7 “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” The gang rape request in Genesis 19 is certainly a perversion, and adultery is sexual immorality. I suspect many of the actions considered sinful by the letter of the law in Leviticus 18 were in Sodom. By the letter of the law, homosexuality was considered a sin and was part of the problem because there was no restraint for homosexuality nor any of the other sins.

Sodom’s Sin: Not as bad as Israel’s Sin

People seem so bitterly disgusted by Sodom. Yet what did God think? Ezekiel 16:48 says: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.” Ezekiel 16:51-52 says: “Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. 52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

A Sobering Thought from Jesus

Luke 10:12 “I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

My answer is Judaism 2.0. I am preparing a full article that will explain this further. To prepare for this, I will post some reflections that continue to speak to this problem.

Our Problem: A Dividing Wall of Hostility

The world into which Jesus came was divided by a wall of hostility. What was it? In Ephesians 2 we find that Jews and the rest of the world (Gentiles) were separated by a wall of hostility.

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)– 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:11-12 (NIV84)

In chapter 2:14-15 we find a statement that says Jesus “has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.”

The wall of hostility that divided Jews and Gentiles was the law (the 613 Scripture-based regulations known as the Mitzvot). God knew the partial expression of His Law could become a barrier (Genesis 16:12; Genesis 25:18). To Israel God gave His commandments, a partial expression of His Law. It was not the commandments that failed however (Psalm 119), but human pride and arrogance. God knew this also, yet still He gave the commandments, as a foreshadow of the things to come.

God’s Solution: The Written Code Nailed to the Cross

What was God’s solution? God sent His Son to die on the cross and nailed the written code to the cross with Him.

“13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Colossians 2:13-17 (NIV84)

For those who will take the time to read and reflect:

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)– 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. Ephesians 2:11-16 (NIV84)

God’s Law: What do we do with it?

The questions I have wrestled with for over 20 years are these: What does Jesus want us to do with God’s Law? Salvation is by grace through faith, but how then should we live as a Christian? Are we then bound to some sort of written code?

I have searched high and low, and even committed myself “hook, line and sinker” to something I thought was the best expression of handling God’s Law. Yet still I did not find clear answers that satisfy logic, Scripture and the Spirit’s teaching. I have found much division, anger and illogical thinking.

Christians: Marked by division in our days

If there is any word that describes Christians in my generation, it is the word “divisive”. Christians are not only divided on what to do with God’s Law, we are divided by nearly every issue under the sun. The body of Christ appears to me to be held together by a frail contract of “agree to disagree” and the fragile glue of “you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone.”

In my workplace, I’ve noticed that business people can work together and accomplish much good without ever praying or opening a Bible once. Why? Because they are united by money. How much greater is the grace of God than money! How much more should Christians be marked by “unity” than business people! Yet Christians are clearly not united. In our generation, I see nearly nothing in Christianity that would even come close to Jesus’ prayer in John 17.

A Challenging Claim

Today I make a claim that is, to me, clearly taught to me by the Holy Spirit. A claim that does not violate my conscience nor the God-given logic in my mind. A claim that reveals a consistent message from Genesis to Revelation. And a claim that challenges much of the Christian thinking the past several centuries.

I am well aware that I am an unordained pastor and a common man. Compared to most I am but a child. Still I am prompted today to write, to put pen to paper (or words to a blog rather). I have resisted writing this blog post for many months now. But still every morning, the message keeps coming back to me. The message keeps being confirmed over and over as I engage in thousands of dialogues about a whole range of topics relating to Christianity.

I see Scripture though the eyes of Jesus and the grace He gives freely. And my mind is exploding with verse after verse in the Bible; each book I read speaking loudly and clearly as I see God’s unchanging nature and marvelous plan. To see the Bible interpret itself is astounding! I pray that God may grant me the words to articulate this message clearly.

Today I claim that the haze that has settled onto Christianity is caused by what I call Judaism 2.0. Why are Christians divided and increasingly despondent? Why are a rather large number of Christians drudging along, barely keeping their faith when Jesus promised “effervescent new wine”!? Why are numerous churches having to close their doors? Why has the historical church nearly lost whole generations of people?

Today I claim that such events are happening because we have over 30,000 versions of Judaism 2.0. I claim that Christianity is not (and never was intended to be) an upgrade to Judaism. Jesus brought new life wants to dwell among us inside the minds and hearts of new creations! You can’t just take your Judaism 1.0 app and download Judaism 2.0. It doesn’t work. You need to uninstall Judaism and do a clean install of Jesus.

In further posts I will articulate my claim in more detail. The question that God has challenged me with lately is this: Do I want to be a better Jew or a disciple of Jesus?

The man knew that he was in serious trouble. He had run up those debts and had no way to pay them back. As he drove his ragged old car, all the way to the meeting he tried to think of ways to get enough money to pay back what he owed. He simply knew that his job as a waiter would never even pay the interest on the money, much less the principle.

When he got to the meeting it was as he had feared. The bookie wanted all of his money and he wanted it right then. The man pleaded and begged, but the bookie said that it was over. “You know that I am a patient man,” said the bookie, “but my patience has run thin. I need that money and I need it now. If you can’t get it I will have my boys take care of you and your family.” Terror spread through the man as he realized that he was not only going to be hurt, but the pain would be spread to his wife and two small girls. At that news he fell down on his knees crying and begging, “Please, just give me a little more time to pay back the three million. I am expecting a big tip at my waiter’s job tonight. Please don’t hurt my family, just give me a little more time.” The bookie felt something that he very rarely felt, compassion. He had seen the two small girls and they were beautiful, so he did something that he had never done before. He said to the man “O.K. I tell you what I am going to do. I am going to forget all about this debt. I shouldn’t do this, and you do not deserve it, but I am going to have pity on you. Don’t you ever forget what I have done for you.”

The man was astounded. He was free. The debt that had plagued him for almost his entire adult life had been taken away. It was almost too incredible to believe. He looked carefully at the bookie, thinking that this might be some kind of cruel joke, but he saw a look of compassion in his eyes and knew that his debt had been forgiven.

He walked outside of the restaurant where the meeting had taken place and he saw a friend, another waiter, who owed him three dollars. “Hey do you have that three dollars that you owe me?” he cried out angrily. “No, please just give me a little time, I am expecting some good tips tonight,” his friend replied in a frightened tone. The waiter was not content to wait for his three dollars, but grabbed his friend by the neck and began choking him. “Give me the three dollars. I know that you can pay,” he said. Finally his friend lost consciousness and he left him there, beaten and bruised, on the side of the street, in front of the restaurant.

What the man did not realize was that there were other waiters standing around. When they saw what the man had done, they were shocked, especially because they had heard that he had been forgiven of millions of dollars. They could not believe that a man who had been forgiven of millions, would choke a friend over three bucks, so they called the bookie.

“Is it true that you forgave a man of several million dollars today?” “Yes, why do you ask?” he said. When they told him of the waiter choking his friend into unconsciousness, the bookie was astounded. He called the man and demanded another meeting.

“What is wrong with you?” the bookie shouted! “I forgive you millions of dollars and you choke a man over a lousy three bucks. Here is your three bucks” the bookie yelled as he threw three one dollar bills at the man. “But forget about the forgiveness of your debt. You owe me the money and you owe it to me now.” With that the bookie’s friend’s, Vito and Johnny, came in and took the man out back and he was never heard from again, though some say that if you walk by the abandoned warehouse down by the docks, you can still hear him screaming at night.

This is what God our Father will do to you if you fail to forgive your brother or sister from your heart.

Source

Related Bible passage

Sin, Repent, Sin, Repent…

After finding the abundant, effervescent joy of the gospel, I then heard the gospel articulated in a slightly different way. It goes like this: “Repent of your sins and be saved.” I was told that if I didn’t feel the gospel in my heart, then I was just making an intellectual confession in my mind that didn’t count for salvation.

My mind, my emotions and my actions became bound to repenting. I found myself in an endless “reboot” loop… sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent. I became so weary and burdened. Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light.. yea right! I thought, “We must work hard! We must be strong!” God’s rest? That is just for the weak people who can’t handle real Christian life!

After about 20 years of such holy-soldier living,  I just stopped. I stopped praying. I stopped preparing messages for our house church (I just re-read other people’s messages). I stopped doing everything except the bare minimum. I considered giving up on faith altogether!

The Passion of Christ Movie

What could I do? That was in 2009. Soon after that, I decided to watch Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of Christ. It was my last straw actually. In 2009, I decided that I would watch this movie and decide whether I would call myself a Christian or not.

What happened? I cried through the whole movie! I remembered the grace of forgiveness of sins I found in 1988! And I realized I had exchanged the grace of God for a lie. I had started with the grace of God, but I had built a disciplined life that strayed from that gospel. I had become trapped in legalism.

For the years after 2009, I was not able to articulate what was going on. This week, after three years of searching, I finally was able to explain the false gospel I had come to believe.

Repent of your sins?

Every Christian I’ve ever met agrees that repentance is a necessary part of the gospel of Jesus. I agree. However, where did the “of your sins” come from? When I search the Bible over and over, I find the phrase once and only once. It appears in Isaiah.

Isaiah 59:20: ”The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. (NIV84).

Some may say, “Aha! See, you must repent of your sins to be saved!”  I say, let’s see what the Bible has to say. What is the highest authority to interpret the Bible? The Bible is the highest authority. Romans chapter 11 is the best commentary on Isaiah 59.

Romans 11:25-29 “25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

The Jewish “Gospel”

After reading and studying commentary on Isaiah 59 and Romans 11, I have concluded that the phrase “repent of your sins” is the Jewish “gospel”, which is not what Jesus proclaimed. The best news Jews under the law can provide is: repent of your sins.  That is your only hope if you live under the law, the first covenant. Those who preach “repent of your sins” will likely become legalists who never find the abundant joy, peace, power, love, holiness or hope that Jesus promised.

The phrase Judaizer referers to someone who promotes the Jewish gospel of “repent of your sins”, binding people to some form of God’s law. That is what I had become. I lost sight of the grace of God and lived as if I was still under law. It is comforting to know however, that according to Romans 11, God still loved me! I did not lose my salvation and find it again (as far as election goes). However, I did live as an enemy of God for many years (as far as the gospel is concerned.)

Let’s see how the Jewish gospel plays out if we put it into Jesus’ words. If “repent” means “repent of your sins”, then we should read Jesus’ words like this:

• “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:32)
• Jewish gospel: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent for their sins.”

• “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)
• Jewish gospel: “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for sins for the forgiveness of sins.”

• “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
• Jewish gospel: ”The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent of your sins and believe the good news!”

The questions we are left with when we preach the Jewish gospel are these: How much sin do we repent of before God will forgive us? What sins specifically do I need repent of in order to qualify for the Redeemer to visit me? Is the good news Jesus taught the same good news the Jews taught?

The Jewish gospel has a place in God’s redemptive plan, as Romans 11:26 and Isaiah 59:20 clearly declare: “And so all Israel will be saved.” But Apostle Paul’s point is that the Jewish gospel is not the gospel Jesus declared. The Jewish gospel does have meaning for Jews, but the Jewish gospel is an enemy of Jesus’ gospel, which is for the entire world, Jews and Gentiles.

Jeremiah summarizes my point very clearly:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.  33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

How to identify Jesus’ gospel

The gospel of Jesus is not about repentance of sins. The gospel of Jesus is about forgiveness of sins. It is clear to all of us (I hope) that our sins and iniquities separate us from God. How can we be restored? How can we be rid of these sins which burden us day in and day out? Jesus’ answer is: I forgive you.

Perhaps the best Scripture to distinguish between the Jewish gospel and Jesus’ gospel the famous “yoke” passage:

Matthew 11:25-30 “25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Jewish gospel (and all forms of it) is burdensome. It is heavy. Jesus’ gospel is easy and light! Never could I understood this when I believed the Jewish gospel.

Do we need to repent?

Yes! We do need to repent! Clearly and repeatedly Scripture says “repent”.  But do we repent of something, repent for something or what? If we do not understand the meaning of “repent”, we are in danger of becoming bound to legalism and an upside-down gospel that leads to burden, despair and despondency. We must understand repentance if we are to understand the gospel of Jesus.

Here is Luke 5:32 in Greek: http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B42C005.htm#V32

The Greek word “metanoia” means “a change of mind“. Many will rightly say, then, that Jesus certainly came to bring about more than just a change of mind! This is correct. Jesus did (and does) want to bring out far more than just a new viewpoint. Jesus clearly wants a transformed life: thoughts, feelings, actions– all of our being in fact. And Jesus clearly wants us to stop sinning and come back to our senses.

We all know (hopefully) that we cannot change ourselves or change others. Every wife discovers that she cannot change her husband. But what can we change? Our mind. Can we free ourselves of sin? No. Can we live a holy life by our own repentance? No.

Jesus’ gospel (which is light and easy) is that you repent (change your mind) and accept His forgiveness for your sins. To repent is to accept the free gift of God. The life-altering, effervescent, transformational, Spirit-induced change then begins from the inside out!  When we repent and accept Jesus’ forgiveness for sins, we are free.

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

In our weakness, we find God’s strength to begin working with God and His Spirit to transform our life. This partnership with God only works if we hold firmly to His grace and His power.

When we change our minds and accept that there is nothing I can do to make God love me or qualify for God’s forgiveness, we find joy! When we repent and accept that God loves me in spite of any sin I did or will do, we find peace! And we then become filled with an exuberant joy and desire to help others see God’s grace and also repent!

In contrast, the Jewish gospel is an outside-in gospel that leads to death and selfish introversion, and completely updside-down from Jesus’ gospel which leads to life.

Let’s look at the verses above again, and correctly this time:

• “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:32)
• Jesus’ gospel: “I have not come to call the those who are free of sins, but sinners to change their minds and accept my forgiveness.”

• “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4)
• Jesus’ gospel: “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of changing people’s minds to accept the forgiveness of sins.”

• “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
• Jesus’ gospel: ”The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Change your mind and believe the good news!”

Good news

The bad news is that there is nothing you can do to repent of your sins enough to find God’s forgiveness. The good news is not that you have to live an endless cycle of sin/repent/sin/repent that stores up guilt and bitterness in your heart. The good news is that you just need to change your mind and accept the free gift of God that cost Jesus everything: the forgiveness of your sins.

1 Corinthians 12:26-27 “26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

On 12.05.2012 00:37, Exodus Ubf wrote:

Dear Brain,
Thank you for your support and encouragement on your blog. I am glad
to be your friend too.

We just heard a news that one house church (Shep Paul Liu & Shep
Rebekah) and their fellowship members have all left HK UBF last week.
Rebekah is the greatest disciple of Msn Angela Kim (other than Shep
Maria and her coworker Shep Hayes Tang) and Her fellowship once was
the biggest family (around 10-20 members) in HKUBF. Actually Shep.
Paul Liu once was the ancestor of faith in Hong Kong UBF and he is one
of the messengers of SWS (Chapter II) in HKUBF. However, Msn Angela Kim
suddenly raised up Shep Hayes Tang as the Abraham of Faith to replace his
position. Here is his testimony:

“Shepherd Hayes Tang reported on Hong Kong Mission,and shared his
life testimony. He became a born again Christian through one to one
Bible study during his school days, and then he became an ancestor of
faith in Hong Kong UBF …”
(source: http://www.ubf.org/content/america-visit-report-moody-park)

Last week, Shep Rebekah leave UBF together with her fellowship
members. We don’t know the details for the cause of their leaving,
exactly numbers of exodus and their future plans. However, one brother
told us that she might be blamed by Msn Angela Kim. Actually, we know
that Shep Rebekah has long been discredited by Msn Angela Kim because
she had her own thinking, did not listen to her words and obey her absolutely.

Indeed, it is because Shep Rebekah loves the sheep so much, and she doesn’t
want to use the UBF method of dictatorship and manipulation to serve God’s
sheep.

We tell her that some pastors who are familiar with the operation of UBF are
very willing to have Bible study or counselling supports to them if
they need. And we will remember them in our prayer.

Thank you for your continous concern about UBF – Hong Kong. May
God bless you and you family.

In Christ,

HK Exodus

 

First of all, understand that “To be a disciple-maker” is a UBFism. It is a phrase that means “live as a UBF loyalist every week and reproduce that obedience in someone else, preferably a college student.” The answer to this question, is no, I do not believe I am called to be a UBF disciple-maker.

However, I don’t believe the person asking this question meant it as a UBFism. No one else on the planet defines “be a disciple-maker” like UBF does. I believe that the person asked sincerely, and honestly based on Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” as in Matthew 28:16-20:

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Here is my answer: No.

I do not believe I am called to be a disciple-maker as my personal task. In fact, I contend that no person ever was given the task of making disciples. What? Someone will say, what about the verse you just quoted? Bear with me and I will explain.

To whom was the command “to go” given? It was given to the Eleven. It was given collectively and publicly; it was given at least once when only the Eleven were gathered; it was given other times when other disciples besides the Eleven would have heard the command. At least one time when Jesus gave this command, it was on the mountain, according to Matthew.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. — Matthew 28:16-17

And “make disciples” is not mentioned by Luke. But even Luke’s words in Luke 24:46-49 were given to “the Eleven and those with them, assembled together.” (Luke 24:33-34).

Therefore, I contend that Jesus’ command to make disciples is primarily a community command, not to be understood as a personal mission, but as a community mission. I believe God will give various gifts to individuals and then wants to use those individual believers for a collective purpose, in addition to their personal purpose from God:

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.  29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret?  31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. — 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

What is our witness to the world as a community of believers? I believe that one person is not called to the task of making disciples. That is something we are directed to do together. The old saying fits well then: “It takes a village to raise a child.” I contend that “It takes the body of Christ to raise a disciple.”

Clearly, God gave the “go and make disciples” command corporately, so that the whole body of Christ would be a witness. God uses the community of believers to make disciples, as we see all throughout the book of Acts.

No amount of human effort or ambition will ever make even one disciple of Jesus. Only by the Holy Spirit will anyone believe (1 Corinthians 12:3). I believe this community witness to the gospel is something sorely lacking in Western Christianity. And it is something wonderful that I believe Korean Christianity can contribute to the body of Christ.

Is there, then, any personal calling related to making disciples? Yes! The best example of the personal direction Jesus gave is found in John 21: “Feed my sheep.” This command was indeed given personally to Peter, and in a private session.  Only some of the Eleven were present when Jesus said “Feed my sheep”. John records that in fact only seven were on that boat fishing that day (John 21:1-3). And it is likely, by observing the sequence of events in John 21, that only Peter heard all of Jesus’ words, though some others must have heard something of what Jesus said.

“Feed my sheep” was in direct relation to Jesus’ words earlier to Peter in regard to denying Jesus three times. This breakfast on the beach after a night of failure was an intensely personal moment between Jesus and Peter.

The command “Feed my sheep” is not equivalent to “go and make disciples”. The commands are different, they were given in different contexts, and they were given to different audiences for different reasons. Personally, Jesus’ direction is to take care of His lambs. Each believer does have a task of showing love to fellow human beings. When I understand “feed my sheep” without the UBFism “feed my sheep”, I see things quite clearly.

The command “go and make disciples” then refers to the work of the Holy Spirit among the body of indwelt believers who are feeding Jesus’ sheep.

The command “feed my sheep” then refers to the personal direction each believer has, that is to obey Jesus’ new command to “love one another”.

We learn to love; God makes disciples among us. There is but one Overseer and Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

I have gotten to know four ordained pastors lately, all of whom show evidence of being indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and all of whom have demonstrated a vibrant faith and love for God’s word and for people. All of them approach “making disciples” as the Lord’s work, something our Lord does. By watching them, I have learned that we are mere facilitators of our Lord’s work. We are important partners with Christ in this evangelistic work, but we are not called to individually “make disciples”.

What happens if we do enforce an individual disciple-making effort? The logical conclusion is that we then make disciples of ourselves, disciples of our program, disciples of our church or disciples of our philosophy. No matter how noble our starting intentions are, an individual view of disciple-making inevitably leads to propagating an ideology that we desperately want others to conform to. And we end up like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time: we necessarily redefine our neighbor as “God’s people” or only as “those nearby”. We end up loving ourselves.

Thoughts, concerns, questions?

As I’ve said several times, I am not seeking change or reform of UBF. I seek redemption. I believe UBF should not continue to exist as it is, or as it plans to be as described in the 50th Anniversary material.

Why do I have such an attitude? I think this way because there have been four attempts to reform or change or improve UBF. Each time, the result is a stronger adherence by UBF members to the UBF spiritual heritage.

NOTE: There are a small number of UBF chapters who are in the process of re-founding their ministries. The best example is Westloop UBF in Chicago. To such men and women of God, I simply say Amen!

2012 Summary of UBF Reform Attempts

1. Overview of Attempts to Reform UBF

1.1. First Attempt: 1976

UBF was founded in 1961 in South Korea. In 1976, after the letter of reform sent by seven Korean UBF staff shepherds, UBF was founded in the USA. In just 15 years, UBF had serious issues that needed reformed.

The first reform attempt was by Koreans from Korea UBF.

1.2. Second Attempt: 1989

In 1989, James Kim (Director) of Toledo UBF helped lead another Korean shepherd reform movement, which resulted in the Kim’s family being driven away from UBF with a secret pact.

The second reform attempt was initiated by Koreans from Toledo UBF.

1.3. Third Attempt: 2001

In 2001, Jimmy Rhee of Chicago UBF and other Korean shepherds, missionaries and directors led another Korean shepherd reform movement, citing the same kinds of reform that were needed in 1976 and 1989. The result was the founding of Campus Ministry International (CMI) and another exodus of UBF leaders from places like Toledo UBF (USA), Chicago UBF (USA), Korea UBF and Germany UBF. Even the first UBF USA sheep from Toledo UBF, left UBF at this time and were labeled as enemies.

The third reform attempt was initiated by Koreans from Chicago UBF.

1.4. Fourth Attempt: 2011

In 2011 and the years prior, reform movements were sparked around the world. The notable and most vocal movements were in: Toledo UBF (USA), Penn State UBF (USA), Westloop/Chicago UBF (USA), India UBF, Kiev UBF, Russia UBF and Hong Kong UBF. The result was a mass exodus of dozens of long-time UBF leaders. One result was a large exodus of longtime UBF native (national) leaders. Another result was a large number of UBF leaders (Korean and native/national) who decided to remain as members of UBF in order to initiate new reforms internally.

The fourth attempt was initiated by native (national) UBF leaders around the world.

Based on this pattern, I predict another reform attempt will be made sometime around 2019 unless there is divine intervention.

2. Reasons for this Summary

In 2011, UBF published a 50th Anniversary Book that contained several messages and lectures given at the 50th Anniversary celebrations. This book is the most clearly defined collection of official UBF teachings and plans to date. Because the book mentions nothing about any reform movement, I am prompted by God’s Holy Spirit to document the reform attempts in the UBF history. This is to prevent UBF from re-writing their history so as to leave out the dark side and the violent nature of UBF’s founding.

In 2003, my family was sent to Detroit from Toledo UBF to pioneer a new UBF chapter. The reality is that I was sent to Detroit as obedience training because I failed to demonstrate absolute loyalty and obedience to the director of Toledo UBF. Detroit UBF is no longer in existence.

I am documenting all these things in order to draw public attention to the hidden events that have occurred in UBF the past 50 years, from 1961 to 2011.

3. Positive Results of Reform Attempts

The four reform attempts have had some level of impact on the UBF organization. Although the fundamental teachings and practices of UBF have remained constant the past 50 years, the reform attempts have brought about some positive change.

3.1. First Reform: 1976

- UBF established an American presence, the land of the free. Although Americans seem to be the last in fighting for freedom in UBF, I believe many USA UBF members will lead the way for freedom in the future. If UBF had remained in Korea, such change would likely not have had a chance to flourish.

- UBF stopped, for the most part, the violent training methods that were equivalent to terrorist torture methods.

3.2. Second Reform: 1989

- UBF focused on raising disciples of Jesus as many members were protected from the power struggles at the top of the UBF power structure. The reformers cared deeply about Jesus and the gospel and the students. Therefore, many of the struggles and problems were hidden from members. Although this may be a questionable way to attempt reform, this demonstrates that the Christian values of patience, kindness, forgiveness and goodness have already been implored in the reform movements.

- UBF had a documented history that included the dark side events. James and Rebekah Kim’s long letters have proved to be an invaluable reference.

3.3. Third Reform: 2001

- UBF joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)

- UBF began reaching out to non-UBF sources (NAE, John Armstrong, Scott Moreau)

3.4. Fourth Reform: 2011

- An Ethics & Accountability Committee has been formed.
- Many leaders in UBF left and found healthy churches around the world.
- Many leaders in UBF stayed in order to fight for real change that pleases God.
- UBF senior leaders acknowledge there are “serious problems” that won’t go away.
- A few UBF chapters re-invented themselves, re-founding their ministry on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Public awareness was raised around the world through blogging and social media.

4. Overview of Allegations that remain in 2012

Every positive change from the reform movements is tainted by the yeast of legalism, elitism and sectarianism. UBF minds continue to be bound to a Christianized Confucianism. Some of the positive changes were made by UBF either out of panic to prevent problems (such as joining the ECFA to avoid an IRS fine in the US) or as an appeasement to satisfy growing concerns among members (such as the invitation of non-UBF speakers at North American Staff conferences).

The initiatives from Korean UBF during the 50th Anniversary celebrations negate any positive change that has occurred.

Thus, in 2012, several allegations of abuse remain, all of which are similar to the 1976, 1989, 2001 and 2011 calls for reform of similar abuse. I encourage UBF leaders to take these allegations seriously, to investigate them thoroughly and to take swift, public action to ensure such abuse ends in 2012.

These allegations presented in this document are based on my 24 years of UBF lifestyle, the process and struggles that led to my resignation as Director of Detroit UBF and my engaging in over 1,000 dialogues through phone, email, blog, Facebook and in-person coffee shop meetings, in 2011 and 2012, with current leaders and members of UBF as well as former members of UBF. My discussions have been with UBF and non-UBF students, leaders, missionaries, non-UBF pastors and elders, family and friends. I have met with the Toledo UBF council in person in 2012, along with other former Toledo UBF members, to discuss various issues.

I have concluded that UBF can no longer be reformed or changed because many of the same abuses that existed in 1976 have not been addressed in any meaningful way, and still exist in 2012. Furthermore, many of those who helped perpetuate the abuses in 1976 and 2001 are still in leadership positions in UBF. Many have even been promoted to higher positions with greater responsibility.

Because of these continued allegations, all of which tie back to the 1976 allegations, I contend that UBF needs to be re-founded or re-started with new, Biblical principles.

5. 2012 Allegation #1 – Offering Abuses

5.1. Lack of financial accountability in satellite and international chapters

I claim that the 1976 allegations of offering abuse exist in 2012. Although the Chicago UBF headquarters has taken steps toward financial accountability by joining the ECFA and avoiding a large IRS fine, the satellite UBF chapters remain unaccountable. Each UBF staff conference has a morning “financial” session, quickly thrown together and often not in the program. Offering accountability is still left to a small number of people, who try to do a good job, but simply cannot enforce any valid accountability in satellite chapters. Chapters outside Chicago UBF in the USA are left to their own accounting methods, although they are asked to submit a form (yes a single form) to the UBF headquarters on a yearly basis. The typical non-profit accountability methods are not employed in UBF in the US. And who knows what the accounting is like in other countries and especially in Korea?

5.2. Obscure expenses and expenditures

In spite of the ECFA membership, obscure expenses still exist. Random and odd expenses have routinely occurred in my experience the past 24 years. Often, the various UBF committees do not even know exactly where some satellite chapters are! It took many years for my contact information to become correct, even though we’ve had the same address since 2006. I repeatedly gave the same contact info every staff conference since then. Examples of obscure expenses: A UBF director calls the chapter bookkeeper at 4:30 am in the morning demanding cash. A UBF director is offered something called “UBF insurance” for things like car accidents. A student gets a parking ticket while on a UBF conference trip, and UBF pays for the ticket. When proper accounting controls are in place, people feel confident that their offering money will be used as stated. In 2012 in UBF, such confidence does not yet exist.

6. 2012 Allegation #2 – Human Rights Abuses

6.1. Narcissistic Behavior

I claim that the violent acts of the past history in UBF training have been replaced, in America, with narcissistic acts. While there are a few UBF leaders who may indeed have full-blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), many UBF shepherds display narcissistic behavior.

6.2. Coerced arranged marriage

“Marriage by faith” is an official, documented teaching of UBF. Although there is no longer one man, Lee, arranging marriages, there are many “marriage arrangers” who often use similar political or strategic plans to coerce UBF young people to marry within UBF. As of 2012, wanting to marry someone outside UBF is still grounds for being driven out of UBF. The claim of “no divorce” in UBF is also false. One rather recent arranged marriage in Toledo UBF ended in divorce only months afterward.

6.3. Ignoring the law of the land

I have seen enough first-hand events and have understood the UBF teachings enough to claim that UBF continues to ignore the “law of the land”, no matter which country they go to as missionaries. When I discussed my illegal breaking-and-entering in 1990 with UBF Korean missionaries, they could not decide whether such activity was lawful or unlawful. Their minds are still bound to doing anything and everything for God’s glory, upholding the name of God by illegal means if necessary. This directly contradicts the behavior admonished by Scripture. In 2012, one UBF chapter in Chicago UBF was asked to vacate the home where they had been holding worship services because they had ignored the village zoning laws for places of worship.

6.4. Destruction of Family

I claim that UBF continues to destroy human families in order to bind people to the “UBF family”. One young woman was asked by her UBF shepherd to choose between her parents who left UBF, or the UBF fellowship members as her family. The list of evidences to support my claim are far too many to list here. Any young person who studies the Bible in UBF will eventually discover this most deeply rooted problem in UBF.

7. 2012 Allegation #3 – Non-Biblical Education

7.1. Pavlovian Response Study Methods

As a former Director in UBF and member for 24 years (1987 to 2011), it is very easy for me to see how the claims against Lee can be levied against numerous current UBF leaders and in fact against the official teachings and practices of UBF as an organization. It is even more apparent to me that a core problem in UBF is doctrinal error. The teaching of UBF, and the methods used to perpetuate that teaching, are indeed non-Biblical. This is extremely ironic, given the inordinate amount of time dedicated to Bible study in UBF. But even that is not so ironic to me. It is very easy to see that “Bible study” in UBF is not critical thinking or explorative learning, but is almost exclusively “Pavlovian response technique” and “Bible memorization”. UBF repeatedly trains people to ask certain questions based on certain Bible passages until they can respond in the UBF-ordained manner.

7.2. Dependence on UBF-created material 

UBF continues in 2012 to rely solely on UBF material for teaching. Some UBF members have begun seminary work, but the official teaching methods are strictly bound to Lee-style question sheets and Lee-influenced messages.

The UBF 50th Anniversary book lectures describe plans to create a K-12 UBF school and a UBF university. There are plans to produce UBF Bible research experts. This demonstrates to me that the recent attempts by some UBF leaders to invite non-UBF speakers and to learn from seminary-type teachers are nothing more than appeasements.

8. 2012 Allegation #4 – Teaching a false gospel

In UBF teaching, the Gospel is misused. The Gospel of Jesus is misused because it was presented with little grace and an emphasis on works. Many messages suggested that our works affect God’s love for us. This really created an atmosphere of fear and guilt and lead to many unhealthy families in my opinion. In fact, not long after having children, I found that there was no family that I wanted to emulate. The answer to every question is to work harder, feed more sheep, develop more capacity and everything will be OK. This is so incorrect. There are only so many hours in the day. At some point, you can do no more. This is not a Biblical message. When I focus on what I can do-I am left with guilt, shame, exhaustion, low self-esteem. When I focus on Jesus and His grace, miraculously, I can still work really hard, but, as Jesus promised, the burden is light. This focus damages and controls people. This message diminishes the power of the blood and grace of Christ.

9. 2012 Allegation #5 – Covering up sin and wrongdoing

UBF has a history of covering up the sin of their leaders and saying that it has been dealt with. But there is no transparency or public repentance. There have been serious sexual sins committed by leaders that have been covered up. UBF money has even been used as hush money-this is money that people sacrificially gave to Jesus! This is a ministry living in the darkness and refusing to come into the light of Christ.

This pattern is also seen whenever anyone has any negative thing to say. UBF leaders urge people who bring up negative realities to simply focus on the positive and the grace they have received through the ministry. Also, a story is created to explain why people leave the ministry. Supposedly, one shepherd left because of “his wife’s problems”. Another family supposedly left because they “could not handle the burdens of life”. Supposedly one shepherdess died in her sleep (the reality is she committed suicide). Putting spin on why people leave or why certain chapters are having difficulties only works for so long. Eventually it causes a serious breach of trust. Shortcomings in the ministry and its leaders need to be acknowledged when they arise. Instead, in UBF, truth is sacrificed for the appearance of an honorable organization.

10. 2012 Allegation #6 – No evidence of real change

There is no reason to think that anything will change at any level. The 50th Anniversary mission statement that was on the UBF website was proof of this (It still exists on the Korean website, but not on the USA website). There was no mention of Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, but instead a focus on the traditions of an ungodly organization.

When UBF leaders came to Toledo, they stated, at one point that people simply needed to focus on 1-1 ministry. They obviously think nothing needs to change-people just need more of the same. UBF leaders also have stated that if many families continue to leave, they will just start all over with new students, training them in the same UBF methods that have been in place since 1976. Holding to the traditions of a man made organization is far more important than loving and caring for families that had supported him and the ministry through many years. In UBF, practices are far more important than people. Obedience is more important than love. Honor is more important than truth.

I further contend that whatever change has occurred, has been steeped in deception. For example, two versions of the final, and most important, lecture from the 50th Anniversary Book were published. One was in printed form only for private distribution, and only to certain leaders. The other was in online form for the public to see. The differences are striking, and highly deceptive.

First of all, “spiritual heritage” is a trigger phrase. UBF people reading this already know what I’m talking about. Let’s identify what these words mean so the rest of the world can understand. UBF material mentions “spiritual heritage” a lot… for example:

“God did not call us to be ordinary people who does ordinary work. Among all peoples of all nations, God called us to be shepherds for students. Our mission does not end in gathering students. God called us to be disciple-makers who raise up spiritual leaders and shepherds. May God help us to keep this spiritual heritage of God’s specific calling to us as disciple-makers among college students to the end.” http://ubf.org/node/155

“They don’t like to be absolute because it requires struggle. Rather, they choose to be relativistic because it does not require any struggle. In place of struggle, compromise became a virtue; rationalization in place of repentance. As a result, they are perishing, not being able to overcome the temptations of sin and physical desires. In this generation, God gave us solider spirit and fighting spirit as our spiritual heritage. ”
http://ubf.org/node/155

“On the first day of the conference, we are going to have a time of reviewing and appreciating the 50 years of UBF ministry and the spiritual heritage well presented during the missionary seminar from May 30-June 2 in Korea. I pray that God may raise young UBF leaders through the European YLC who can change this world.”
http://ubf.org/content/4th-european-cbf-conf-report

“When I came to the States in 1995 after 10 years, I saw him wearing the suit with its button holes worn out. From his deep love and union with Christ came the giving and manger spirit, sacrifice and love for one soul which became the spiritual heritage of UBF. We must remember that we were created in Christ Jesus. We too should be filled with Christ through our love and submission to Christ and grow in His image by following His footsteps.”
http://www.ubf.org/content/memorial-service-late-dr-samuel-lee

“I thank God for greatly blessing the 50th Korea UBF anniversary, the 2011 World Mission Report, and the missionary seminar. Most of all, I thank God for Dr. John Jun’s message that will direct the next 100 years of our UBF ministry.  …  First, we pray to raise the next generation leaders as professional Genesis Bible teachers. Using the late Dr. Samuel Lee’s Genesis lectures, we are going to intensively and thoroughly study all of Genesis in 6 days and 5 nights. Second, we are going to study topics covered at the missionary seminar in Korea again and give young leaders a chance to inherit UBF’s spiritual heritage and philosophy.”
http://ubf.org/content/europe-young-leaders-conference-preparation-report-germany

What is UBF Spiritual Heritage?

As you can see from the quotes above, UBF spiritual heritage is very important to UBF people. But rarely is it clearly defined and documented. Each member seems to define this heritage in their own terms, making it into something they can live with.

In my experience the past 25 years, UBF spiritual heritage is a collection of inspiring slogans proof-texted from the Bible. The heritage is a classic example of eisegesis Bible study. I have heard 5-point heritage, 7-point heritage, 8-point heritage and 12-point heritage mentioned as UBF leaders attempt to codify what they really mean by “spiritual heritage”.

God bless your soul if you start to question what these mean. And may your soul rest in peace if you criticize these points.

The 12-Point Heritage

Here is how UBF spiritual heritage was defined for me, in my part of the UBF world. We have a framed picture of this, which used to hang in our house.

“A kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

1. Back to the Bible
2. World mission
3. Campus evangelism
4. Manger ministry
5. A spirit of giving
6. Spiritual order
7. Lay missionaries
8. House churches
9. One to one Bible study
10. Disciple-making ministry
11. Daily Bread
12. Testimony writing & sharing

The 8-Point Heritage

This is how UBF USA defines the spiritual heritage.

1. Campus evangelism and leadership training
2. Bible-centered ministry
3. One-to-one ministry
4. Manger spirit
5. Giving spirit
6. Soldier spirit and fighting spirit
7. Absolute obedience to the world mission command
8. Earnest Prayer

http://ubf.org/node/155

I also came to realize that Confucian thought had become a barrier that hindered my writing of messages, testimonies, etc. I could never quite grasp the meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where did I pick up Confucian ideas in America? Certainly such thoughts came from a Korean version of Confucianism, perhaps mixed in with Taoism and Buddhism. Today I would like to delve into this a little deeper. This is a big topic, and one to which I expect to give more thought. In the future, I plan to examine the 12-point UBF spiritual heritage in light of these Confucius teachings. At first glance, the heritage lines up well with Confucius ideas.

Example: The Lens of Li and Junzi

The main ideas of Confucianism are (as I understand them from my research)… etiquette (li), parental piety (hsiao), humanity (ren), loyalty (chung) and nobility (junzi).

For many years, these ideas were the lens through which I viewed Scripture. When I wrote a message or testimony, the content was judged as “good” or “bad” based on how clearly these ideas were presented. So my worldview was shaped by these things.

Now all of this was unspoken and implicit. Never was I told explicitly: “Write a Confucian message!” But these unspoken values became woven into the fabric of my faith.

Here is an example from one of my messages I wrote on John chapter 3.

John 3:1-3  1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.  2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”  3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

My concluding paragraph about verses 1 through 3 was this:

Now consider Jesus’ words, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”. This is very controversial.  At the same time here is the greatness of Jesus. In the presence of Christ, all the worldly greatness is gone. People face this reality check, “Who am I?  Do I see the kingdom of God? Do I experience God? What is my future?”  These words of Jesus make me to think about myself.  Have I been born a new?  Do I see the kingdom of God?  Like Nicodemus I have devoted myself to Bible study. I have tried to live an honorable life with the best I can. I have now become a man of modest accomplishment in this world. If Jesus were here today, would I come to him?  What would I do if Jesus says to me, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”.  This is true with you.  What would be your response as you hear from Jesus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”?

Oh how I missed SO many chances to share the good news of Jesus! Instead, I labored to keep proper etiquette, to respect the “spiritual order” of parental piety, and to live a loyal, human and noble life!

How did the Confucian ideas affect what I wrote in the paragraph above? Let me explain.

Etiquette:  The teaching called “li” is about “the proper way”. This is a belief that includes ritual, propriety and etiquette. It includes a set of rules for interaction with others. Knowing and finding your role in a system is important. In UBF, I learned the “rules of engagement” for a messenger (and also for testimony writing). The first rule is to accept the thoughts of your shepherd (leader).  The words above? Those are not mine. They were dictated to me, given to me as the words I should present as my thoughts. Because I looked at my life through the lens of “li”… I accepted this as normal.

Nobility:  The teaching called “junzi” is about righteousness, honesty and trustworthiness. A junzi is a nobleman. It was a term used by Confucius to describe his ideal human. UBF trained me to be a “junzi” man. So I became devoted to Bible study, and to whatever activity was presented to me. I tried to live a noble, honest life. Because I also viewed life through the lens of “junzi”, I made the words above my own, and defended them as being my true feelings and thoughts.

The proper lens: Grace

Although there are theological differences among the Christian greats, I have found a common theme. They all looked at Scripture through the lens of grace.  The grace of God is the last word of the Bible; the lasting impression God would leave with mankind.

And not only was grace the lens that the ancient greats used, it is the lens through which modern Christians use:

“In the New Testament, ‘grace’ is a word of central importance – the keyword, in fact, of Christianity. The thought of grace is the key that unlocks the New Testament; and it is the only key that does so. However well we may know the New Testament, we cannot get inside its meaning till we know something of what grace is.”  – J.I.Packer
http://www.fbccs.org/resources/papers/grace.asp

When I see Scripture from the viewpoint of grace, I see a marvelous fabric of love, hope, faith, joy, peace, goodness, righteousness, holiness and justice! The grace of God melts away all other worldly ideas and restores Jesus as my Lord and King!