A New Covenant Part 5

A new Covenant - Contract – Agreement - Testament Part 5 “Vertically Trapped”

Gen. 12: – 1 Cor. 11: – Matt. 5: - 1 John 4: – Gal. 5: – Acts 15: - Rom. 5: – 1 Tim. 3: – 1 Cor. 13:

1. Religion is powerful and can be dangerous because it is anchored in our conscience.
1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 20 If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

2. Vertically Trapped is wondering how close to sin I can get and still be ok with God. Or
my attempt to focus on God to the point that I miss the very things God’s focused on.

3. As a result of Emperor Constantine, the Church went from a persecuted minority to an
empowered majority.

 To accommodate emperors bad behavior, what you believed took replaced how you
behaved.

4. In 1517 A young priest, Martin Luther protested, attempting to reform the church,
declaring sola fida and sola scriptura.

You Might Be Vertically Trapped If:

1. You ever felt guiltier for missing church than how you mistreated someone?
2. You failed morally and were more concerned for what God might do to you,
instead of what you did to them?
3. You have a prayer that makes you right with God and excludes you from
restitution with others?
4. Other people’s sins elicit a feeling in you of superiority or jealousy?
5. Your belief system ever gets in the way of you loving people?

5. What would it look like in my life; if God's love for me and my love for others shaped
my conscience and directed my behavior?

 God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does – Martin Luther