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Ascending Into Heaven...


 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)" or " Who will descend into the deep?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)  (Romans 10:5-7)

          This morning is one of those mornings when I really wish I had the Bible program I used to. Unfortunately, it’s not possible now and the online sources just don’t help unless you pay them. Paul is contrasting two philosophies. The first is the Law. Moses makes a completely logical statement. If the Law is your means to salvation, you must abide by the letter of every law, one hundred percent, all the time. The person who does this is righteous and has the right to ascend to heaven and take His place, or to descend into hell to tell Christ His death wasn’t necessary.
     Consider what Liberal scholars are doing. Given the extra-biblical references to Jesus, they can’t claim that He never existed, but they claim the miracles didn’t happen, that He was just a normal and minor political revolutionary who got killed and His followers built up this big story to gain power for themselves. Ignore the fact that they didn’t get power, they were martyred. Jesus didn’t come from heaven. He didn’t die and rise again. In other words, these scholars have tried to ascend to heaven and bring Christ down to our level, and they have tried to descend to hell to bring Him up. Unfortunately, that doesn’t gain heaven for the rest of us, but it does leave us in a hell of confusion and without hope. 

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