The muslim men who flew the planes into the towers were nothing more than a group of sex addicts in deep denial of their condition due to their toxic faith. Think about it. They sacrificed everything, their very lives, so that they could have 70 virgins in heaven. They were looking forward to nothing more than a wild orgie in heaven. Sorry to be blunt, but lets bring it all down to the bare facts. It is quite easy to recognize this as toxic faith, but there is toxic faith within Christianity that is subtle, but it also brings death, a slower death, but it brings death in many ways. First, when we make man the intiater and God the responder, we become toxic. God is the initiator from start to finish. He initiated creation; he initiated when Adam and Eve hid; he initiated with David when David was hiding. He initiates a realtionship with each one of us and forgave us freely and fully at the cross. We think forgiveness is something we get when we ask for it, but it is something that we receive when we receive Jesus Christ. We were born forgiven but dead; when we receive Christ, we receive forgiveness and are raised from the dead spiritually. Spiritually we are born and spiritually we are a New Creation. What did we have to do with it? NOTHING! God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. It was not our idea to have Jesus go to the cross; there was no one praying for God to send his Son to die for our sins. The prayer was "Send the Messiah to kick the Romans out of the Promised Land!" But, God obtained eternal redemption without our help, prayers or initiating. Likewise, we become toxic when we try to grow spiritually on our own using the law not realizing that we depend on Christ for our very breath. Paul contrasts the two ideas in the Colossians. He tells us,
"6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." We received Jesus by grace through faith, and we grow spiritually by grace through faith. We rest, and God works and it is in this paradox that we grow. We desparately need a revelation of this paradox; it can't be taught intellectually. God can make it real to us. The alternative to resting in Christ is the toxic approach Paul outlines later in the chapter. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Toxic faith not only thrives under this approach, but it becomes ever increasingly toxic when the "faithful" believe it is up to them to enforce this approach--"the rules that are destined to perish." Notice that the rules appear to be wise, aka, they make sense, but they lack any value in restraining sensuual indulgence. Sensual indulgence is doing whatever it takes to feel good; they can not help the addict; in fact, applying these rules, applying the law actually stirs up the sensual indulgence* and religous boys usually use sex to take the edge off because it is secret and not as obvious as being drunk or high. Thus, the sex addicts of 911, but sadly and secretly, countless Christian men struggling in secret with their sexual addiction. It is in secret that it grows and becomes stronger, so the first step is honesty with God and with other men. It will be hard to be honest without realizing the good news that it has not nor never will separate you from God. It is almost impossible to be honest without knowing that is is not you, but sin living in you that does it. (Romans 7:17 and 20). It is difficult to be honest without knowing that the New Creation is separated from the deeds of the flesh. Honesty will come when we learn who we really and truly are in Christ and stop our relgious nonsense. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Courage men, and let the healing begin.
* study Romans 7 in order to understand how laws and rules add to the sin problem rather than solve it.
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