"... no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)

He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:2-3)

Who is Jesus speaking with?

Here Jesus is sitting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the institutional temple ruling council. Nicodemus accepted that Jesus was God's messenger.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and accepted Jesus as God's representative. Jesus did not correct him or deny this. By not denying the Pharisee, it is logical to assume that Jesus indeed saw himself as ‘a teacher coming from God.’

What does 'born again' mean?

Jesus is describing to the Pharisee that in order to see God’s kingdom we must be “born again.” But the primary definition of the Greek word translated to "again" is ἄνωθεν (anōthen). And this also means "from above" according to the lexicon. This means the term can also be translated to “born from above.” This actually provides a deeper meaning to Jesus’ statement.

This is confirmed by his next statement about being born again.

Why? Because Jesus was not talking about the human body being born again. The kind of rebirth Jesus is speaking of is to have a spiritual change of heart.

What is a change of heart?

In Jesus' context, a spiritual change of heart means to begin giving up our self-centeredness in lieu of beginning our path towards loving and serving the Supreme Being. This was Jesus' central message.

While we can make such a decision at any time, this spiritual rebirth does not usually happen instantly. Rather, it starts with a commitment to change. Once we make a commitment to change, we have begun to travel the path towards renewing our loving relationship with God.

Proclaiming to others that we "accept Jesus as our savior" as is the custom in many of today's sectarian institutions, is not the spiritual rebirth Jesus is describing. This "I accept Jesus" or "I'm born again" proclamation only brings attention to ourselves. It is an attempt to gain the acceptance of others.

Did Jesus teach this?

Jesus spoke specifically to this, "I accept Jesus as my savior" doctrine:

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Crying out in front of others, or a crowd of parishioners that we are "born again" and that "Jesus is my savior" should be considered equivalent to the saying of "Lord, Lord" in Jesus' statement in Matt. 7:21.

Jesus' teachings were meant to bring attention to God. He was trying to teach us to love God and love others. He didn't allow himself to be crucified so that we could proudly brag about how religious we are. He didn't go through all that pain in order for us to use him to dust off our sins so we could go back and do some more.

Jesus' life was about encouraging us to give of ourselves. To become servants of God and others. He wanted us to change our hearts from self-serving to God-serving: From loving ourselves to loving others.

We can tell by Jesus' statements is he wants us to serve and please God. "He who does the will of my Father" means acting in a way that is pleasing to God. A person who is focused on serving and pleasing God is not so interested in making proclamations about themselves.

Being saved, in fact, is of little concern to one who loves and works to please God. A loving servant of God has little care about being "saved." Their central desire is to please God now and in the future.

Developing this attitude takes work. It takes commitment and discipline. It also takes putting oneself at the feet of the Supreme Being:

We need God's help in order to change and grow spiritually. We do not have the strength to change alone. We must rely upon God's help. At the point where we lay at God's feet, God will help to change us from within.

"... no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:5)

"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:4-5)

What is Jesus describing?

Nicodemus is responding to Jesus' statement that one must be born again. Nicodemus doesn't understand the term. He is wondering if Jesus is describing the physical body being born after it was born as an infant.

This is not an uncommon response to this term. Today, many sectarian teachers teach about the need to be born again. And many parishioners talk about having been born again.

But do we really understand what being born again is? Certainly, it is a little difficult to understand given that we typically only see the human body only being born once as an infant.

Jesus responds by discussing the meaning of spiritual rebirth.

What does 'born of the water and the Spirit' mean?

The 'water and the Spirit' refers specifically to a spiritual rebirth. Jesus and his teacher John the Baptist utilized baptism to symbolize having a chance of heart while being given a blessing from the Supreme Being.

This combination of immersion and blessing from God through His servant was illustrated by the baptism of Jesus by John:

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One." (John 1:32-34)

John is humbly describing his own form of baptism. If John was not baptizing with the spirit then why would Jesus undergo baptism with John? Why would Jesus have undertaken baptism with John if John was not baptizing with the spirit?

Certainly, John also baptized with the Holy Spirit. That is why John described how the Spirit came down as a dove. Because John's baptism had power. It had authority.

John also describes, "but the One who sent me to baptize ..." Who is the "One who sent me"?

John is referring to the Supreme Being. God sent John to teach thousands of people and gave many of them baptism in the River Jordan.

To say that his baptism was only water is to take John's statement out of context. He wasn't saying his baptism had no meaning and purpose. Rather, he was humbly describing his own power while promoting Jesus' power and authority.

Certainly, John wanted Jesus to succeed. He also saw Jesus as better than himself. But this is typically what a humble person does. Someone with spiritual humility will downplay their own authority and glorify someone else. This is also what Jesus taught:

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matthew 20:26)

"The greatest among you will be your servant." (Matthew 23:11)

John the Baptist was Jesus' teacher. He illustrated personally what being "great among you" meant.

What does 'enter the kingdom of God' mean?

To 'enter the kingdom of God' doesn't have anything to do with going to heaven. This is because everywhere is part of God's kingdom. What is being discussed is returning to our loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This can occur whether or not we are here in this physical world.

The Supreme Being set up a world that helps us learn about ourselves. But this world also gives each of us the freedom to love Him or not.

Ultimately God created us for the purpose of exchanging a relationship with Him. Still, if we aren't interested in exchanging a relationship with Him we don't have to. He will not force His love upon us. We can reject Him at any time. We can avoid Him, and live within this physical world feeling that we are the center of the universe for thousands and thousands of lifetimes.

This is because love requires freedom. God gave us the freedom to love Him or not.

So "being born again" is having a change of heart that says, I choose to return to God. God will not let us come home unless we want to be with Him. We have to want to return to our original relationship of loving service to Him.

If we still want to be God or enjoy like God there is no place for us in the spiritual dimension. This is because the spiritual dimension is a place where everyone loves one another, and everything is focused upon God's enjoyment. Everyone is enjoying God's enjoyment. If we try to enter the spiritual dimension with our self-centered attitude, it simply will not work. We will not be able to function.

The spiritual kingdom is a beautiful place where everyone cares more about their Best Friend the Supreme Being and each other more than they care about themselves. This is what love is.

Imagine a dinner table where the family was all making sure that everyone else had enough to eat. What would happen? Everyone would get enough to eat, right? Now imagine another table where everyone's major concern was whether they would get enough to eat. What would happen here? They would fight over the food, and the strongest people would get the food and the weakest people would starve. Isn’t this what is happening throughout the physical world?

"Will you give me a drink?" ... (John 4:7-14)

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:7-14)

Why is Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman?

Here Jesus was sitting by a well and has asked a woman for a drink from the well. They then had a discussion. The woman is questioning why she, a Samaritan woman, would give a Jewish man water. Jesus responds that if she knew who Jesus was, she would not question this.

It is notable that during those times, Judean men did not speak to Samaritans. Nor did they speak to women unless necessary. So speaking to a Samaritan woman casually was simply unheard of. Especially for a Jewish preacher.

But they didn't realize who Jesus was. He is God's representative. And God cares about everyone. It doesn't matter what body we might be wearing or what status in life we might be temporarily occupying.

Jesus did not care, because he loved her. Just as God loved her. This love supersedes the restrictions of our physical eyes and our physical minds. It is hard for us to even imagine the kind of love that the Supreme Being and His representative have for us.

Such love is unconditional. Regardless of our past. Regardless of whether we have been good or bad. Regardless of the body we wear or the positions we occupy. The Supreme Being and His representative care for each of us.

This love became obvious as the Samaritan woman began to realize that Jesus cared for her despite her past and despite her position in life.

It is no surprise to hear from some Biblical scholars that the woman became one of the first Christian preachers following her encounter with Jesus.

What is 'living water'?

More specifically, what is the “living water” Jesus is referring to? Is it some magical type of water?

No, water is being spoken of figuratively, or symbolically. The water Jesus is speaking of, which would bestow life upon the woman, is the word of God: Jesus’ teachings about who we are (spiritual beings) and what our goal in life should be:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37)

Jesus’ teachings quench the fire of thirst for satisfaction we perpetually seek. We are always seeking fulfillment, and fulfillment is achieved by loving God. Jesus’ teachings will satisfy us, because we are currently seeking happiness where there is none: In self-centered attempts to gain fulfillment from the physical world.

The teachings of Jesus produce the “welling up to eternal life” because they bestow upon us the knowledge of God and our ability to resume our original loving relationship with God.

Is this about being born again?

Being "saved" and being "born again" are not the public pledging of allegiance to Jesus, as many among the organized sectarian institutions would have us believe. Consider this statement by Jesus:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matt. 7:21-23)

The operator in this statement is, "only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." This is requisite for being "saved" according to Jesus' teachings.

Being "saved" and "born again" is the resumption of our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being. It is doing God's will instead of our own will. It is the changing of our hearts from being self-centered to being God-centered.

The decision to change can be made immediately. But a change of heart is typically a gradual process that requires work. And service. This is why Jesus said, "...will become in him..."

Our relationship with God is eternal. It is not like the temporary relationships of this world. The bodies of everyone around us - including family members - all die at some point. Those relationships are all thus temporary.

Our relationship with God, however, extends beyond the death of this temporary physical body. It does not stop when the body dies. This is because not only are we eternal. Our relationship with the Supreme Being is also eternal.

"... God’s son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it." (John 5:21)

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so God’s son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it." (John 5:21)

What does 'raises the dead' mean?

Jesus is not talking about raising a dead physical body into a living physical body. This is a misnomer created by those who identify with their temporary physical bodies. 

We are not these temporary physical bodies. The physical body is operable for a few decades, and then it dies, and the living spirit (the spirit-person) leaves the body.

This is why Jesus also said:

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:6)

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." (John 6:63)

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)

In the last statement, Jesus is talking about what happens to the person once the body is killed. If the body is killed, and the person can still go to hell, who can go to hell? And who can go to heaven after the body is killed?

Many sectarian teachers have taught over the centuries that the dead body somehow rises up from the grave at the second coming. This is simply fantasy. It has no reality. Have they ever seen a body that was buried even a year or two previous, not to speak of decades or hundreds of years? The body completely decomposes. The bones might decompose a bit slower, but they still decompose. Those ancient bones we find sometimes in archeological digs have been extraordinarily preserved: Most bones completely decompose within a few decades.

So are these sectarian teachers saying that we are these rotting, decomposing flesh and bones, and the decomposed matter (most of it digested within worms) will somehow rise up and dance on their graves? This is unscientific and unrealistic.

The reality is that Jesus clearly taught that we are not the physical body. Even Jesus' more remote followers (such as Paul, who was not a direct disciple of Jesus) understood that we are not these physical bodies:

"And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-" (2 Corinthians 12:3)

So as Jesus speaks of how God raises the dead, he is speaking of raising the spirit (the person) from a self-centered life of emptiness to a life of loving service to God. It is God Who ultimately allows each of us (spiritual individuals) to return to Him and have life. This is also, by the way, the true meaning of being "born again" (a term literally translated as "born from above" according to the Greek).

Here Jesus is speaking of God's ability to purify us and bring us home to Him. The term "raises the dead and gives them life" refers to God giving Jesus the ability to "gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.".

How does Jesus 'give life'?

Jesus is stating that because he is God's loving servant and representative, he can bring people back to God. This is because God has empowered Jesus to do so. 

Even still, it is only by God's will that this happens.

The Greek word used here is θέλω (thelō), which means to wish or desire. Is Jesus referring to his own desire or wishes to raise the dead - bringing us home to God? No. He is talking about God's wishes. He is talking about God's will. How do we know this? Consider a couple of other very important statements that Jesus made:

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:22)

Both of these statements illustrate that doing God's will - or pleasing God - is Jesus' life, and the goal of life. Why would Jesus, God's representative, suddenly want to do his own will? We know also that Jesus considered that he had a oneness with God. This oneness is a oneness of will. Jesus' will was serving God: doing God's will. That creates a oneness between them.

Why? Because Jesus loves God. They have a loving relationship. Jesus is not God. He is God's intimate loving servant, and it is by seeing and being able to enter that relationship that we, too, can be "raised from the dead."

"If God were your Father, you would love me ..." (John 8:42-43)

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say." (John 8:42-43)

Are the translators confusing 'Father' with 'Lord'?

As discussed with Jesus' previous statement about Abraham and the statement of the Pharisees, this exchange is about fatherhood. They were speaking of Abraham, who walked the earth at least a thousand years before. So they could not possibly be Abraham's children, and therefore Abraham could not be their father.

They were speaking of being followers of Abraham, and thus the reference would be to "Lord" rather than "Father."* 

As this exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees continues, it moves to accepting the Supreme Being being as Lord (again, not father). Just as indicated by the reference to Abraham could not be a father/children relationship, the reference to God here also is not a father/children relationship - as in a family of the physical body.

Yes, the Greek word πατήρ (patēr) can refer to one's direct physical father. But also to an ancestor, a guide, a spiritual leader, or the Supreme Being, depending upon its context. Here Jesus is referring to God as their LORD, not their physical father.

This is confirmed by the previous statement, where the pharisees say:

"The only Father we have is God Himself." (John 8:41)

Which, translated* correctly, would be:

"The only Lord we have is God Himself." (John 8:41)

Only this translation* makes sense, because they are debating about who is their lord - not who is their father.

Didn't Jesus already clarify this?

Jesus' response indicates the misunderstanding these Pharisees have about Jesus. Jesus states clearly that they are not hearing him, as he has already clarified the matter:

"Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say."

And what is it that the Pharisees are not hearing him say? This becomes clear from the previous sentence:

"I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but He sent me."

Why would they love Jesus if God were their lord?

Jesus is stating that he is God's representative and loving servant. If these Pharisees had a loving relationship with God they would also love Jesus.

That's because Jesus is serving God and loving God. If they had a loving relationship with the Supreme Being too, then they would also love Jesus. It is like a family. You can't love God and hate God's representative at the same time.

Did the Pharisees think Jesus was claiming to be God?

This misunderstanding is caused by the mistranslation of using the word "father" instead of "lord" in this translation.* 

The Pharisees saw that Jesus' followers were considering him their spiritual teacher, and were thus using "lord" as they referred to Jesus. The Pharisees considered that Abraham was their spiritual teacher, and they would only consider him as their "lord" (not father). They would not consider Jesus to be their lord. They were upset that others did.

The Pharisees were concerned about Jesus undermining their authority. They were concerned that someone other than them was being respected as God's representative.

What made it worse was that Jesus was also criticizing what they are doing. This further undermined their attempted authority. Therefore, they are not hearing Jesus because they want to hold on to their positions of authority.

The Pharisees were politically-appointed teachers (elected by councils) who sought to maintain the authority of their institution. And they were paid to hold their positions. 

By virtue of their appointment, they were given respect and authority by the Israelites at the time. By rite, they were to be held in esteem and respected. Anyone not respecting a Pharisee would become an outcast, and denied their position in Jewish society.

Jesus saw through this false authority. He understood their positions claimed they represented God. But Jesus knew they had not been empowered by the Supreme Being. And because of this, they wanted Jesus out of the way.

Does this false authority also exist today?

Yes. Today we find many institutions claiming to represent Jesus. Why do they operate more like the Pharisees?

It is ironic that this authority by the Pharisees is so similar to that created among the sects claiming to represent Jesus over the past 16 centuries. Many priests, cardinals, bishops, popes, ministers, reverends and preachers were elected to their positions just as the Pharisees were. Many are also compensated (some handsomely) for their positions as did the Pharisees.

Did Jesus operate like this? No. Jesus never collected money from those he was teaching. And when Jesus sent his followers out to preach, he told them not to even bring a purse or even sandals:

"Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road." (Luke 10:4)

If they didn't have a purse or a bag, they could not collect money. They could not accumulate money or other possessions as a result of their teaching.

Are they teaching what Jesus taught?

Unfortunately, though they claim to represent Jesus, we find many differences between their teachings and what Jesus taught. 

They maintain their professional titles and their positions of authority by teaching the Pauline philosophy that Jesus was God and all we have to do is accept that he died on the cross for our sins and we are "saved" - or "born again" as they profess.

Is this what Jesus taught? No. Paul did teach this, but Paul was not a disciple of Jesus. In fact, Paul argued against the teachings of Jesus' own disciples, James and Peter.

Paul made up his own philosophy in order to attract many followers who were not believers in God. (Yes, the word translated to "Gentiles" actually means "pagans" or "atheists.")

If Jesus did die for our sins and all we have to do is accept that and we are saved, then why would Jesus have spent so many years teaching? If his dying on the cross would automatically save humanity, he would not need to teach anything.

Like the Pharisees Jesus speaks to here, these teachers say they have the authority, but they do not teach what Jesus really taught (or in the case of the Pharisees, what Abraham taught). 

They made up their own teaching in order to maintain their authority.

Jesus did not teach that all we have to do is accept that he is God and died on the cross for our sins and we are saved. Rather, Jesus stated that the Supreme Being sent him:

"I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but He sent me."

Could Jesus be any clearer than this? And what did God send Jesus to teach?

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)

And why should someone who accepts God - and that God sent Jesus - love Jesus?

"If God were your Father you would love me"

Because Jesus came to this hellish place, and suffered greatly, just to teach us to love God in hopes that we will have a change of heart and return to our relationship with the Supreme Being. In other words, Jesus came to take us home with him.

How could we not love someone who cares so greatly for us?

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

They said to him, “We do not subject to idols; we have one lord, God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your lord, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is it you do not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear my teachings.” (John 8:41-43)

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ..." (John 15:12-14)

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:12-14)

Why is Jesus saying this?

Jesus is simply asking his followers to carry on the love that he has shown for them. This is the greatest gift: The gift of love. Love is the essence of Jesus' activities. Love is the essence of Jesus' message. And love is the key to understanding Jesus and Jesus' relationship with God.

Even with this clarity, this statement has been misinterpreted by many teachers who claim to represent Jesus yet do not understand his message.

Instead of focusing on the love that Jesus had for his followers, their focus has been upon his statement, "that he lay down his life for his friends."

They have sought to take advantage of Jesus' life and service for their own fame and fortune. This is not what "friends" do. Jesus was referring to his followers, who were serving him. These are the "friends" Jesus is referring to. And he knew he would be persecuted for the teachings that he was giving his followers - the teachings that would essentially save them spiritually.

Rather than understand the loving relationships that exist between Jesus and the Supreme Being, and Jesus and his followers, some have tried to expand this statement out of context into a universal claim that Jesus died for our sins.

Their claim is that the Supreme Being became a man and allowed himself to be crucified in order to cleanse the sins of humanity.

Is there logic in this doctrine?

This is doctrine is not based on scripture or the teachings of Jesus, but based upon the desires of the Roman emperors and their church surrogates to dominate the peoples of Western Europe and the Middle East by creating a church-state where they could control religious thought.

They sought (and succeeded) to develop a single religion that controlled the people.

This doctrine of God becoming Jesus and dying for our sins - communicated through the Nicene Creed - was brutally enforced throughout the Roman empire and beyond. Any manuscript that mentioned another doctrine was burnt. Entire libraries were burnt in the decades and centuries following the 325 AD Nicene synod. And over the next ten centuries, anyone caught teaching any other doctrine was imprisoned or burnt at the stake.

Does this have anything to do with the love that Jesus is speaking of here? Does ruthlessly torturing and killing people just because they understood Jesus' teachings differently have anything to do with Jesus' "greater love"?

No. Remember that we can see a tree by its fruit. We can understand this teaching has no merit just by seeing that it was the basic tenet that drove a fanatical power-hungry institution, a surrogate of an authoritarian Roman empire, to murder innocent people - all for the sake of upholding a theory that God became a man in order to die for our sins.

Why would the Supreme Being - the Controller of all that exists - have to submit Himself to a sacrifice in order to cleanse our sins? By the Supreme Being needing to submit to such a gruesome sacrifice, they are saying that God is subject to atonement and reparation. This means that God is not God. That God is not the Supreme Being. This says that God is subject to the rules of atonement - which means that God is not in control.

In other words, by accepting such a notion that the Supreme Being had to atone for our sins by dying on the cross is to reject God as the Supreme Being. It means that the rules of atonement stand above God. This is, in fact, atheism. By saying that God must atone, they are rejecting God as God. This means they do not believe in a God who is truly God - and truly in control.

Secondly, God never has to atone to cleanse sins. The Supreme Being is all-purifying. He can cleanse an entire universe's sins simply with a single thought. He is pure, and purifying in Himself. He does not need to do something to purify someone else.

Thirdly, God never becomes a man, and God never dies (e.g., "died for our sins"). God is eternally God. He never dies. God can certainly take on any form He pleases, but He never reduces Himself to the temporary. God is eternal, and the physical body of a man is a temporary structure. It has a lifetime of several decades and then, when the spirit leaves, the physical body begins to decompose. God never becomes a physical body. God always retains His eternal form and never is He obligated to become subjected to the pains of a physical body, or the death of a physical body.

The fact is, this entire false doctrine of God becoming man and dying on the cross to cleanse our sins has not only been perpetuated through institutions that have followed traditions based upon brutal violence and oppression, but they are maintained today for the purposes of gaining followers and lining coffers that pay rich salaries and provide lavish quarters for their politically-elected church leaders.

Is this sentimentalism?

Today, the doctrine of Jesus being God and dying for our sins is now embellished by teachers who tug at our emotions with a fervor that lacks sanity. This is sentimentalism, and it does serve to attract followers.

These follower-hungry teachers utilize emotion to pull in their followers as they continue this misinterpretation of Jesus' life. They use it to create the notion of having a personal relationship with Jesus. "Walk with him," they say, asking us to imagine being saved personally by Jesus' torture and murder two thousand years ago. How do we "walk with him" if we see him hanging, nailed to a cross for our benefit?

How do we have this personal relationship with Jesus when we glory in him being crucified for us? What kind of "personal relationship" is this? A sadomasochistic relationship?

It is a relationship of usury. Just imagine if we worked at a bank and we wanted to steal money from the bank but not get caught - and not get put in jail to pay for our stealing. So we make friends with a co-worker in the bank and blame our stealing on this co-worker. The innocent co-worker now has to go to jail for our stealing from the bank. As our "friend" the innocent co-worker gets carted off to jail, we are feeling so emotional - so thankful - for our friend having sacrificed his life so that we would not be held responsible for stealing from the bank. Now that he is in jail, we can continue working at the bank, meanwhile, we have tucked away millions of dollars we stole, without responsibility. Could this be called a relationship of love? Is the jailed co-worker "walking with us?" No. We would call this usury.

This is precisely how some deal with Jesus. Many have imagined that Jesus' torture and murder paid for their selfish activities. Many are imagining that Jesus will pay the price for their transgressions. They won't have to be responsible, because Jesus suffered two thousand years ago, and as long as we "accept Jesus into our heart," Jesus' suffering pays the price for our transgressions.

Does Jesus take responsibility for our sins?

There is no proof or observation of this. We can see this practically. When a person - even someone claiming to be "born again" - gets caught stealing something or hurting someone, they will have to take responsibility for that sinful activity. They will still be arrested and go to jail. It is not as if they can show up in court and say "I am not responsible for this crime because Jesus died for my sins" and then be let go by the court. The judge or jury will still throw them into jail to pay for their sinful (self-centered) crime.

And this goes for any other self-centered (sinful) activity. If even someone claiming to be "born again" is caught cheating on an exam they will still be thrown out of school. They will still have to be responsible for their activities. This has also been the case for some "born again" evangelists who have been caught doing things and have had to pay the price. Why didn't Jesus pay the price for those things?

Because this isn't what Jesus was doing here.

Who is responsible for our sins?

We are responsible for our own sins, and our self-centered activities in general - big and small, good or bad. This is the way the physical world is set up. This physical world is a place of learning. It is a place of consequence. The Supreme Being set this world up as a place of consequence to teach us: To allow us to learn from our behavior, in order to become better people.

Just imagine a place with no consequences: We could do whatever we want, without consequences. No one would learn to do the right thing. The result would be brutal chaos.

Modern psychologists, in fact, have determined that consequence learning is the best way to raise a child. Rather than use discipline, they have determined that teaching a child by delivering logical consequences to actions teaches without the emotional damage caused by spanking and other forms of violence. For example, when a child throws food at the dinner table, the child has to clean up that food. This teaches the child the consequences of throwing food.

The Supreme Being set up this physical world in the same way because He wants to teach us. And the reason our bodies suffer in different ways is that we made someone else's body suffer in that very same way in the past. (We must know, however, that our bodies are not us - they are temporary vehicles for learning.)

What does He want to teach us? He wants to teach us how to love again. We are each spiritual people - not physical bodies. We each come from the spiritual realm, a place of love for God and love for everyone. The spiritual realm is our home, and we are each one of God's loving caregivers by nature.

But we have run away from home. Instead of loving and caring for God and His other children, we decided we wanted to play God. We decided we wanted to be worshiped instead of worshiping Him. This is the "original sin," but instead of only Adam having the "original sin," each of us had this "original sin" where we ate the "fruit" of enviousness (this is the symbolism of Genesis). We wanted to be God and enjoy like God. This is why the serpent said about the "forbidden fruit":

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:5)

This symbolic verse indicates that the "forbidden fruit" is envy of the Supreme Being. Wanting to "be like God" means being envious of God.

And once we became envious of God, we were tossed out of the spiritual realm - that place of love. This is symbolized in Genesis with God's statement to Adam after he ate the "forbidden fruit":

"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." (Gen. 3:22)

Each of us is Adam. Adam symbolizes each one of us, and our envy of God is expressed by our each wanting to enjoy the world in a self-centered way. We each want to be the boss, the hero, the star, the president, the CEO, the mogul. These are all God's position, but because we are envious of Him, we want to be in these roles.

So the Supreme Being gave us each temporary physical bodies and a place to "play God" for a while:

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)

These "garments of skin" are our temporary physical bodies. They cover us like garments and allow us to live in this temporary virtual world and play these roles, all the while not having to face God. We get to pretend that God does not exist for a while. And we become self-centered. This is the meaning of "sin" - activities based on self-centeredness.

We might compare this physical world to a computer video game - a person sits at the computer, takes on a virtual avatar, and pretends to be someone he isn't for a while while he plays the video game.

But this virtual physical world is also a place of consequences. Like any well-designed video game, the physical world is a place where we learn many lessons. Each of our actions comes with a consequence - good and bad. Good actions come with positive consequences, and bad actions come with negative consequences. This is set up for us to choose "good" activities.

But what are "good" activities? They happen to be activities that help others. They happen to be activities that care for others. Why do these activities have positive consequences? Because God wants us to come home. He wants us to remember who we are - loving caregivers by nature. As we begin to remember who we are, He opens the door for us to return to Him, by sending to this world His loving representatives such as Jesus Christ, to guide us back to Him.

Why did God send Jesus then?

Why did the Supreme Being send Jesus then? To die for our sins and remove our consequences?

No. God sent Jesus to teach us about Himself. He sent Jesus to teach to his students - who then would teach to their students and so on - that we can each resume our natural loving relationship with the Supreme Being. How do we know God sent Jesus to pass on His teachings? Because Jesus stated it clearly:

"He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:24)

And this is precisely why Jesus says in the statement above:

"You are my friends if you do what I command."

He is connecting their relationship to his teachings. The word "command" comes from the Greek word ἐντέλλω (entellō) which is not just a command or order, but also an instruction.

And what was Jesus' first and most important commandment?

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

But Jesus also adds another commandment, which he says is "like it":

"And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matt. 22:39)

This second commandment is practically identical with Jesus' statement here:

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Except that Jesus is speaking personally with his disciples here. The love that he has shown them has been specific: It is related to him teaching his students about the Supreme Being. Jesus is saving his students with his teachings. And Jesus wants his students to pass on that love. He wants his students to care for each other, and care for others as he has cared for them. He wants them to save others by passing on his teachings.

This means that he wants them to help each other in their devotion, and teach to others after Jesus leaves the physical world.

And as for Jesus' next statement:

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus is not talking about dying for our sins - as insinuated with this translation by professional ecclesiastical teachers. If Jesus was talking about dying here, then he would be telling his disciples that they need to die for each other. This would be a preposterous statement - likened to mass suicide. Jesus is not asking his disciples to die for each other.

Rather, Jesus is talking about rendering service. He is talking about giving one's life in a practical way. The Greek word τίθημι (tithēmi) means, according to the lexicon, "to set, put, place," "to place or lay" but also "to set on (serve) something to eat or drink," "to set forth, something to be explained by discourse," and "to make (or set) for one's self or for one's use."

This word has nothing to do with dying. It is talking about giving oneself - in service - to others. Jesus confirms this message also when he said:

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43)

Jesus spoke of service to one another because this is what Jesus was doing. Jesus was serving them and serving God by teaching them love for God. Jesus was in fact, saving them with his teachings.

This is the "being saved" that has been missed by these follower-hungry Christian institutions over the centuries. While the words were right in front of them - while Jesus' teachings are in black and white - they chose to glaze over those teachings while seeking to maintain a theory to attract followers - being relieved of the responsibility for their actions. In doing this, they missed the essence of what Jesus really said - to teach us to love and serve the Supreme Being, and love and serve each other.

This is what will save us. If a person loves the Supreme Being and loves others, that person is no longer living for themselves. That person is living for the one they love. When we act on behalf of the Supreme Being's pleasure there is no consequence - outside of developing our relationship with the Supreme Being. These activities - and this consciousness - cleanse us.

It is not as if we will not still have to take responsibility for activities performed with self-centered intent. These activities will still have consequences. But activities performed with the intent of pleasing the Supreme Being - those activities that by nature help others with their spiritual lives - cleanse our consciousness.

In this way, Jesus' life and the death of his temporary body all serve to help purify us by cleansing our consciousness. This may not be immediate, however. It is a gradual process where we slowly change our hearts.

As we do, our consciousness becomes more and more cleansed, and our self-centeredness gradually abates. Then we begin to embrace our true nature - our loving, caregiving relationship with the Supreme Being and His children. Only then can we truly be "born again."