Bonus! the Simple Gospel of the Way

 Am I writing a Gnostic text? I definitely titled this blog post like one. Maybe we should turn it over to the scholars and ask how close I got. Or maybe I'll be able to ask the gnostics one day.

I'd like to share something I am calling the Simple Gospel of the Way. I'm sure many of you have been taught the gospels, the plan of salvation, or something similar to map your vector relation with God. Here is an approach that I hope helps.

1. We are separated from God. (Hopefully no surprises here.) Everything we do is to get back to Him. We are trying to close the separation. We are trying to become One with Him. This is the most important singular concept I can think of. When we understand this, everything else falls into place. 

1.1 This is not simply a separation of physical distance. This is a separation of spiritual distance. We are not like our Father, but every part of our being aches to be One with our Father and our Mother, our heavenly parents. 

1.2 because the separation is not purely a physical matter, we needed to be put into a place where we could learn to overcome the spiritual separation. Welcome to Earth, the great testing ground of Godliness.

1.3 Unfortunately, it is for all intents and purposes, impossible to become One with God in our current state. We could never achieve this. 

1.4 Luckily, with God, even the impossible is possible. Everything we understand about religion can be understood by seeing this as an impossible, never in a billion billion years quest that Christ impossibly conquered and overcame on the cross. He opened the Way for us to come back to the Father.

2. the Way was conceived by God. It makes the impossible possible for us. It makes is possible to become like God. It requires the sacrifice of everything, even as Christ sacrificed His entire Self for all creation.

2.1 Because we are put in this impossible situation, and only have the possibility of Christ out of it, we must do things exactly Christ's way. We have no promise except the explicit promise He makes to us.

2.2. Likewise, if we hold anything back, if we, in essence do not commit ourselves wholly to the Way, we cannot become whole. We need to do it in Christ's Way, and we need to do it all the Way.

2.3 this is what a covenant is. It is coming to Christ and learning His Way. Then you commit to do that all the Way. You don't partially commit. You give everything.

3. Once we understand point 2, Christ can extend the Covenants and promises of the Way to us. These are here to successively guide us into becoming like Him. We bring a broken spirit and a contrite heart to the Covenant, Christ teaches us, then He gives us the power to do what He has commanded us to do.

3.1 The first Covenant and Promise of the way is Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

3.1.1 Christ teaches us that first we must have faith leading to repentance.

3.1.1.1 When God speaks, we have faith by seizing on the Word with all our heart and might, and hold onto it.

3.1.1.2 When we look into the mirror and we realize that we are nothing AND that God is everything, that there is only one weakness and that is not leaning on God for everything, you understand the essence of repentance and are a candidate for baptism

3.1.2 Baptism is a symbol that you understand all of the above. Every part of the Baptismal ordinance signifies this.

3.1.2.1 you understand your separation from the Father

3.1.2.2 you understand the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ enough to see that is necessary to resolve the separation.

3.1.2.3 you understand that the Way requires us to give everything to Christ

3.1.2.4 you have experienced faith that leads to repentance

3.1.3 When you show this in word, action, and covenant, Christ will give you the Gift of the Holy Spirit, who has the power to purify our hearts and make us One with Christ, giving us the ability to to do all other things according to His Plan.

3.2 The second covenant is the initiating ordinances into the higher Way.

3.2.1 Christ teaches us what it means to be His and the greater meaning of the Atonement

3.2.2 we in turn take greater meaning of the Atonement upon us. This is explained in further detail in holy places

3.3 Having taken greater meaning of the Atonement upon us, we are ready to learn the higher Way.

3.3.1 In the higher Way, we learn the four keys to making on earth as it is in heaven.

3.4 Having committed to living in the higher Way, we can now take our rightful place in the New and Everlasting Covenant.

3.4.1 In the New and Everlasting Covenant, we give all of it. 

3.4.2 We then are candidates to receive all that the Father has.

3.5 At this point you have covenanted everything God has asked you to do and you become brighter and brighter day by day in the further light and knowledge you receive until Christ gives further commandments and covenants to you, as you work in His Way to the perfect day of Oneness in Christ.

This is the Simple Gospel of the Way.

cue Oogway ascends music. Oogway is not exactly the simple gospel of the way, but the vibe is about right.