<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>John 20;21-23<div><br></div><div><b>21. &nbsp;Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. &nbsp;As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;And when he said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>God has a new life for us which is ours as we dwell by faith in Christ. &nbsp;This life is exactly the same as Jesus’ own life, for Jesus says, <i>“just as” </i>meaning, in the exact same way. &nbsp;This “way” the way of peace, is not ‘like’ the way of Christ, it is in&nbsp;<span>the identical way and peace&nbsp;of Christ. &nbsp;</span><i>“Peace, I leave you, my peace I give you, not as the world gives do I give to thee. &nbsp;Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” &nbsp;</i><span>(John 14;27)</span></div><div><br></div><div>In Christ, even death has no power over us. &nbsp;We have been given eternal life. (see John 11;25&amp;26)</div><div>The Father sent Jesus not into death only, but into the glorious&nbsp;resurrection to everlasting life.</div><div><br></div><div>The &nbsp;gift of the Holy Spirit comes to us from the Father&nbsp;through Christ. &nbsp;(The Easter Orthodox Church misses this.)&nbsp; The Holy Spirit is given to us not only so that we have authority to forgive sin, but so that the very life, peace, and power of Christ over death, the resurrection be ours.</div><div><br></div><div>No other verse can be any clearer about the mystery of Christ in us than verse 23. &nbsp;Only God can forgive sin, (see Mark 2;2-12, especially v.7) yet we the Church, the Bride of Christ, made perfectly one with and <i><u>in</u></i><i>&nbsp;</i>Jesus, <u>are</u>&nbsp;able to do what <i><u>only</u></i><span>&nbsp;<b><u>God&nbsp;</u></b>can do! &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The Church is not deputized to represent Jesus&nbsp;in his absence, the Church <u>is God</u>&nbsp;on earth, she is the very consecrated&nbsp;Body of Christ with the&nbsp;very same Holy Spirit, “<i>just as” </i>Jesus was sent.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father deliver us from the rationality&nbsp;which obscures the truth of your living Word.</span></div><div><span>Grant us enlightenment to know the immeasurable truth of your love for us and the new life we are sent into&nbsp;in Christ Jesus. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,&nbsp;</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</span></div><div><b>&nbsp;</b><br><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>

John 20;21-23
21.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.22.  And when he said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.23.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
God has a new life for us which is ours as we dwell by faith in Christ.  This life is exactly the same as Jesus’ own life, for Jesus says, “just as” meaning, in the exact same way.  This “way” the way of peace, is not ‘like’ the way of Christ, it is in the identical way and peace of Christ.  “Peace, I leave you, my peace I give you, not as the world gives do I give to thee.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  (John 14;27)
In Christ, even death has no power over us.  We have been given eternal life. (see John 11;25&26)The Father sent Jesus not into death only, but into the glorious resurrection to everlasting life.
The  gift of the Holy Spirit comes to us from the Father through Christ.  (The Easter Orthodox Church misses this.)  The Holy Spirit is given to us not only so that we have authority to forgive sin, but so that the very life, peace, and power of Christ over death, the resurrection be ours.
No other verse can be any clearer about the mystery of Christ in us than verse 23.  Only God can forgive sin, (see Mark 2;2-12, especially v.7) yet we the Church, the Bride of Christ, made perfectly one with and in Jesus, are able to do what only God can do!  
The Church is not deputized to represent Jesus in his absence, the Church is God on earth, she is the very consecrated Body of Christ with the very same Holy Spirit, “just as” Jesus was sent.
Prayer:  Merciful Father deliver us from the rationality which obscures the truth of your living Word.Grant us enlightenment to know the immeasurable truth of your love for us and the new life we are sent into in Christ Jesus.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.” 


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