I took most of this from Paul’s first letter to the Colossians in The Mirror Bible paraphrase translation. Oh man, I love this paraphrase!

“Darkness is not a force, it is the absence of light.

“A darkened understanding (fallen mind-set) veiled the truth of our redeemed design from Adam and all of the rest of us. What empowered the darkness were the lies that we believed about ourselves! (Some of which we got from religion, some from our parents, some from our behavior and even our circumstances.)

The word sin (hamartia in the Greek), means without form; pointing to a disoriented, distorted, bankrupt identity. Sin is living out of context with the blueprint of one’s design; or behaving out of tune with God‘s original harmony. Sin distorts the life of our design. But Jesus revealed and then redeemed our true identity!” – Mirror Bible

Paul used these two words, sin and redemption in the first chapter…
Let’s go back to Jesus. – Lloyd

“In Jesus the image and likeness of God is made visible in a human form in order that everyone may recognize their true origin in him. He is the first born of every creature. What darkness veiled from us Jesus unveiled. In Jesus we clearly see the mirror reflection of our original life. The son of his love gives accurate evidence of his image in human form. God can never again be invisible!” – Mirror Bible

Are you still with me? – Lloyd

“The full measure of everything God has in mind for mankind indwells Christ. And through the blood of the cross God restored the original harmony. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe, people and things, animals and atoms, get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death.” – Mirror Bible

Haha, this is just too crazy but follow me a little farther… – Lloyd

“Our indifferent ‘mindset’ alienated us from God into a lifestyle of annoyances, hardships, and labors. Yet he has now fully revealed, reconciled and restored you and me and every human on the planet to our original design. (God), accomplish this in dying our death in a human body; Jesus fully represented mankind, (us included) in order to fully present us again in blameless innocence, face to face with God; with no sense of guilt, suspicion, regret, or accusation; all charges against us are officially canceled. Every creature under heaven gets this same message.”

“This mystery of the cross is now fully realized in our redeemed innocence. Within us, God is delighted to exhibit the priceless treasure of this glorious unveiling of Christ’s indwelling in order that every person on the planet, whoever they are, may now come to the greatest discovery of all time and recognize Christ in them as in a mirror! This completes one’s every expectation! He is not hiding in history, or in outer space nor in the future, neither in the pages of Scripture, he is merely mirrored there to be unveiled within you.” – Mirror Bible

Right now! This is huge! – Lloyd

“This is the essence and the focus of Paul’s gospel; to awaken everyone’s mind, instructing every individual by bringing them into full understanding, (flawless clarity), in order that he may present everyone perfect in Christ. Your and my completeness in Christ, is not a remote goal, but our immediate reference!” – Mirror Bible

OK, everything below is my response. – Lloyd

I now see myself and everyone in Christ! Regardless of their seeing it or grasping the significance of the cross! The whole world is redeemed! By the blood of the Lamb! Ha! 

I know, complete foolishness from an earthly mindset, but glorious to anyone wanting good news about their true identity!

A few years ago I left the ministry, I left the church, and I left the Bible because the God I served was pretty messed up.

Well not all of the Bible, but 95% of it. The lens that I saw God through distanced me from Him… if there was such a God!

But thankfully I landed on four chapters in John. Chapters 14 through 17, where Jesus promised, prayed for, and then accomplished, Union and Oneness! During that season my prayer every day was “God, this was your promise and this is my life which looks nothing like what you promised.” 

A few years later, now…

Through a number of things, people and places, I was set on a new journey of discovery. Religion told me that God was at a distance, that we are not enough, that we are separated from him because of our sin. But if we jumped through enough hoops, read our Bibles more, prayed more, believed more, gave more, loved more, witnessed more, served more etc. etc. that we would somehow be more.

It’s the lie of separation that the business of religion preaches that ensures the paying customers keep returning. And I was done with it, but I’d almost thrown the baby out with the bathwater. But as Bruce Wauchope says, “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, but please throw out the bathwater!” And that’s what I did!

Religion wants more of your talents, treasure, and time with the line that they can help you become more; more like Jesus and less like you! Ha!

As if you are not already made in His image and likeness, like that’s not enough, like you’re not enough?

Can you just laugh with me at that?

Nothing is further from the truth. And His love for us – as we are, not as we should be – is what has led me on this journey of discovery out of religion and into the wonder of grace.

Praying you know grace today.

Love you, Lloyd.

Lloyd Clark is an entrepreneur, a former pastor, and a writer. He is passionate about being loved by our Heavenly Father and revealing that same love to everyone he meets. He and his wife Mary have 5 children and 7 grandchildren and live in North Carolina.

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