Free Moral Agency (VIDEO SERMON)

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COJCOM · 9-7-2024 - Free Moral Agency (Audio Sermon)

Good Morning Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ around the world. Those who are in the U.K.; the Philippines; Kenya; and South Africa watching us on our YouTube channel. Welcome, and thank you for joining us this holy Sabbath – or whenever you are watching this message. I hope and pray that you are having a most wonderful Sabbath. God bless. I’m Leonard V Johnson. The V stands for victory! Let us, dear brethren, like the Apostle Paul continue to fight the good fight, to finish the race that is set before us, let us keep the faith!

Today’s message is going to be on FREE MORAL AGENCY. Because truly, the greatest creation by our LORD God is you! And, the most difficult, the most important, by far, of anything that the LORD God – the LORD God is the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! The most important, by far, that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character.1 Without being a free moral agent, we would never be able to build the holy righteous character of the LORD God!

Because holy righteous character has to be developed – it cannot be just created by fiat. It has to be developed.

So holy righteous character is the ability in an INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE ENTITY – a living being – that has intelligence and the ability to understand, to have knowledge and the ability to think and reason, to come to a conclusion and to make decisions – one who has what is called FREE MORAL AGENCY. Because you and I can think for ourselves, we know right from wrong, true from false. And, even though we have human nature – truly for the overall majority of us – we will choose to do the right.

Not only does it take knowledge, but it also takes self-discipline to do what we find is correct with Almighty God. Not what we might think is correct – but what the LORD God says is correct. Yet, sadly, the overall majority in this present evil age do what is correct in their own eyes. Truly, the real purpose for the creation of humanity – and I’ve covered this a great deal; such as in our messages – “God’s Master Plan – From the Beginning,” along with “You Were Born to Rule!” – the real reason that we are on this beautiful blue jewel that is spinning at approximately 1,040 miles per hour – and again we continue to teach this over and over – is that the LORD God (the family of God; God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) are reproducing Themselves! Remember, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’

We look like God, and God looks like us – except that God is composed of Spirit and we are flesh and blood. Now, we have differences in melanin in our skin – creating different colors – and production by melanocytes. 

As far as the color of our LORD God, we can turn to the likes of the Book of Revelation chapter 1, which states, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” So, if one was to be able to look at our sun – what color is it? According to several scientific sources, the color of our sun is white – because when all the colors of the spectrum come together it appears as white. Of course, white is not considered a color.

I believe the LORD God has no particular color. Yet, God’s face is as bright as our sun shining in its strength – and we were created to be like that someday. And that is part of our wonderful potential.

Now, in a Personal writeup back in 2021, I briefly went over some biblical pre-history from the Old Testament. But, what a great many in these worldly churches don’t consider – or might not even think about – is the fact there is biblical pre-history in the New Testament.

The Book of John chapter 1.

Let’s begin there today for this holy Sabbath.

John 1, verse 1.

Notice the word Word is capitalized. It’s capitalized because it is a name. It means Spokesman or Revelator – One who speaks.

Verse 2.

So, here we have TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!

Now, I’ve had church people want to argue with me when I say that there are TWO BEINGS! They say rather quickly, that there is only ONE GOD! And they will often quote Isaiah 45:5, “’ I am the LORD [Lord here is Yahweh, spelled Y H W H; truly meaning Creator], and there is no other.’” It’s like saying, ‘There is no other Creator besides Me.’” “’ There is no God [God here being Elohim; the family of God] besides Me.’” Again, it’s like saying, ‘There is no other God family.’

But, here we have TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!

Verse 3.

Let’s move on down to verse 14 of the same chapter of the Book of John 1.

And, of course, this occurred possibly millions or billions of years later. God’s living word doesn’t say. But, the Word – this separate being – was made flesh and dwelt among us, and John the Baptist bore witness of Him.

Now, turning to the Book of Ephesians chapter 3.

Notice verse 9.

God the Father created all things THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!

Turning again to John chapter 1, verse 1 – have you ever realized that ‘in the beginning’ truly means that at this time there was no physical universe!? There was just simply space – maybe what we are coming to understand as “dark energy”!?

And, the LORD God; again, the family of God – decided to create. They decided to create spiritual angels first. Turn with me, if you will, to the Book of Job, chapter 38.

This is the LORD God answering the Prophet Job out of a whirlwind, after Job’s friend Elihu. Because Job was becoming a bit self-righteous in his own eyes, justifying himself rather than God. So, the LORD answered the Prophet Job – let’s begin in verse 4.

Verses 5 to 7.

So, the LORD God created spiritual angels first – even before the physical universe.

Let’s now notice when the LORD God created physical matter. Back in the first book of the Old Testament – the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

Verse 1.

Again, this word God is the Hebrew Elohim – meaning more than one. The family of God.

So, there are steps in which the LORD God creates. And throughout these nearly 5 ½ decades of existence I have come to see that science does back this up! 2 The method in which the LORD God creates is in duality. And, the Apostle Paul speaks of this – turn to the Book of 1st Corinthians chapter 15.

Beginning in verse 45.

Verses 46 to 49.

So, there is a spiritual phase that completes the creation.

But, returning to the LORD God first creating the spiritual angels. And, brethren and friends – even the creation of spiritual angels at that time was not complete. In other words, it was not finished. Again, the LORD God creates in duality. Again, the most important, by far, that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character. Because holy righteous character has to be developed – it cannot be just created by fiat. It has to be developed. So, the angels of God were not created finished in their holy righteous character. And until that holy righteous character was finished within them, they were not complete.

Now, the LORD God created every one of them. And the LORD God created within them minds to understand, to have knowledge and the ability to think and reason, to come to conclusions and to make decisions. And, the LORD God also instructed them in the Way of life. In other words – the Law of God.

Now, I’ve spoken of this before, spiritual angels were never meant to rule the earth or the universe. And I’ve spoken of the Book of Hebrews chapter 2, verse 5. From the very beginning, the LORD God has had a MASTER PLAN!

Humans were not an afterthought.

But truly, the reason that the spiritual angels shouted for joy – as we just read about in the Book of Job, chapter 38, was because they were going to have a hand in completing the final touches of the beautification of this planet – preparing it for humans. Now, the earth was good – as God’s living word says, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Earth was a perfectly created planet as far as it went – but it needed to be completed and beautified. And, the LORD God intended some of the angels to do just this.

And, to do this beautification – the LORD God set over the Earth an archangel. This archangel – like all angels – has over them the government of God. The kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is also a Way of life – the Way that keeps them a team, with the same goal. Instead of fighting against one another. And it’s a Way based on love – for God is love.

And, if you have this love of God – in Greek it’s agápē.

If you have this love of God you are just as concerned about the health, the wellbeing, and everything good and proper for your fellow man as you are for yourself.

So then, the angels we find in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 28. Along with in the Book of Isaiah chapter 14. And there was one archangel that the LORD God set over the Earth to complete its beautification to prepare for humankind. In Latin his name is Lucifer.

He was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created until iniquity was found in him.

The LORD God placed this archangel Lucifer on the Earth to superintend angels that were placed under him. And, they could work with the materials on Earth to produce and beautify – complete – the creation. Because understand – angels cannot create something out of nothing! They do not have that ability – only the LORD God does. Creation is solely an act of the LORD God.

Getting back to the duality principle.

The angels were finishing their own spiritual character – either good or evil – certainly while they were in the process of beautifying and completing the Earth for human habitation.

But, what happened!?

Turning to the Book of 2nd Peter chapter 2.

Verse 4.

So, understand, these here are not holy righteous angels. And, we see elsewhere – I believe it’s the Book of Revelation – that this is one-third of all the angels. The other two-thirds are holy righteous angels – that are loyal to the LORD God. These angels here sinned and were thrown down to the earth and delivered into chains of darkness – meaning darkness of character and mind. To be reserved for judgment.

So, Lucifer and the third of his demons – truly knowing right from wrong – rebelled against the LORD God and their decision is irrevocable, they are beyond redemption.

Now, I have mentioned to my dear Sister before that these angels that sinned could repent. But, that is not so - Satan the Devil and these angels WILLINGLY chose to disobey the LORD God, thus, they are blatantly GUILTY! And they will be judged accordingly!

They, like we are, were free moral agents. And they could not be holy until they had the holiness of God within them. And they would have had to accept and take this holiness from the LORD God willingly. But they outright refused!

And immediately after they refused – what happened!? The beautifying and completion of the Earth abruptly stopped!

Turning again to the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

Verse 2.

“The Earth became without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.”

They polluted everything!

Now, some claim that Lucifer and the angels sinning caused decay and death – as in the first death; physical death.

And, as I’ve mentioned before – I want you to understand that mankind was going to die – no matter if they were to choose the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. Had they chosen the Tree of Life, they would still have lived out their days and died; and indeed we find this did happen, “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years; and he died” – Genesis 5:5.

The law of decay is a physical law described in mathematical manners that describes the properties of a nuclear atom in a state of decay. So, truly, this law of decay proves that life originated from a Divine Being with intelligence outside of this physical universe.

Sadly, there has been a misconception – a misunderstanding – that the LORD God made a mistake in creating Lucifer.

There is nothing of the kind. 3 Our sovereign LORD God has been accomplishing Their Master Plan from the very beginning. And nothing that Lucifer or humanity has done, or will ever do, will interfere with Their ultimate fulfillment and purpose.

There are a few passages in God’s living word that we can see this – one of which I spoke of earlier, the Book of Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, I mean verse 31. The Lord saw that everything He created was “very good.” And, I tend to like a comment in the Jamieson, Fausett, and Brown Commentary concerning this “very good” says. Concerning verse 31 it says –

READ THE BOOK.

Of course, death is not considered “very good” under human definition – and indeed it is an enemy. But going back to what we just read – death “was (and is) part of the progress of creation, in its adaptation to the end” – part of the end product of God's Master Plan.

Also, let’s turn in our Bible to the Book of Romans chapter 5.

Verse 12.

The Apostle Paul here is speaking of spiritual death – as in the Book of Revelation chapter 20, verse 15. And Revelation chapter 21, verse 8. What is called “the second death.”

The Apostle Paul’s discussion of death coming through sin, and thus death “spread to all men, because all sinned.”

Brethren, friends, the life that came through our Lord Jesus is spiritual life. So, truly, the death that comes through sin is spiritual death – the “second death.”

Let’s be logical. Even in the Garden of Eden – what if there was no death and every creature lived forever? How long would it take before the world was overrun with animals!? Whether herbivores ate plants or other animals. Logically, predators are necessary to maintain a healthy and stable population of all kinds of animal life. So, death – and I’m speaking of the first death – is an essential component in God’s overall Master Plan! Even originally in a world that was “very good.”

But, getting back.

The LORD God decided to create mankind and to begin reproducing Themselves through millions and millions and even billions and billions of beings – human beings that will someday become divine beings that can have the very holy character of God.

And this, brethren and friends, is the greatest and most important good news that anyone could ever hear!

Let’s move on and notice verse 2 of the Book of Genesis chapter 1 again.

Verse 2.

The Earth – planet Earth – because the Hebrew word for the phrase without form is tohu, meaning confusion and waste. As in a wasteland, a wilderness, even a spiritual emptiness and spiritual confusion. And the Hebrew word for void also means, “made empty.”

It does not mean decay.

So, the face of the Earth became a complete wasteland.

Lucifer – who is now called Satan the Adversary – and his angels (who are now called demons) did not continue the beautification of the Earth for the habitation of humankind. They rebelled and they sinned.

We learn from God’s living word that this planet – planet Earth – is but the beginning. For the LORD God is planting the heavens. And we find this in the Book of Isaiah chapter 51, verse 16.

All of mankind was created to obey the glorious and holy Law of God. And from the beginning, God’s Law was given to Adam and Eve. And Adam – with the help from God’s Holy Spirit – was to overcome Satan the Adversary, to turn from the evil one, to turn from the way of get – to turn from covetousness, jealousy, bitterness, wrath, lust – the way of wrong competition and envy and strife, vanity and greed, and a resentment against proper authority, and all of that.

Truly, the LORD God is CREATOR! They create and build up; They DO NOT tear down and they do not make someone feel unappreciated or unloved. And, true brothers and sisters in Christ must learn how to build up our fellow man, not tear them down. And, we brethren, need to learn how to do that.

So, our Lord God – the very One that was known as the Word – remade the face of the Earth in six Earth days. (however many earth hours a day was at that time).

Turning to the Book of Psalm chapter 104.

I believe it's verse 30.

So the Lord God renewed the face of the earth after the angels that sinned brought the earth into emptiness and darkness. And the LORD God renewed the face of the Earth for mankind. Just as the Book of Genesis chapter 1 verse 3 states, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” And the LORD God divided the light from the darkness. And The LORD God is continuing to divide the light from the darkness – even to this very day.

Mankind was created and placed upon this beautiful jewel of a planet to also build righteous godly character. But, what has occurred?

Adam- our very first parent, followed his wife Eve who sinned against the LORD God. Adam chose the wrong way – Adam chose Satan’s way. And ever since then, mankind has been polluting and destroying everything we get our hands on that the LORD God has created! You might recall that I mentioned this in an article or a previous sermon – that the planet we know as Mars is now littered with 15,694 pounds of human trash from over 50 years of exploration!

So, tell me one thing that mankind has touched, especially planet Earth, that he has not polluted, destroyed, or harmed in some way. Yet, mankind believes that he is progressing. I often say that I truly believe that a horse-drawn carriage was a better form of transportation than what we have today in this 21st century! Just the mining for the materials to make a battery for a battery-operated automobile and the terrible damage and destruction to this earth and its atmosphere is argument enough. Of course, good old communist “Fact Check” continues to try and tell us that there is no damage to the earth whatsoever from the mining of the materials for an electric car battery! Well, what I have to say is exactly what the LORD God says to you!

“’ WOE TO THOSE who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’”

Going back to the Book of Genesis chapter 1, we read again –

Notice verse 26.

Adam and Eve had the very chance to resist the way of Satan the Devil. And to accept and obey the kingdom of God!

Notice the Word – the very One that would later come to be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – explained thoroughly to Adam and Eve the Law of God. But then, on Sunday, the enchanting Whisperer came to Eve.

Adam could have taken control of Satan the Devil’s self-appointed rulership over the Earth – who once was created as a perfect archangel. Perfect in all his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. And he built upon the character he desired to build. The character of PRIDE, fierceness, and cruelty, and power, and deceit.

And we -being of a free moral agent – must build upon holy righteous godly character – with the very help of CHRIST IN US! The glorious Holy Spirit! That is why we were created and placed on this Earth! The purpose of human life is to build that kind of holy and righteous godly character – the very character of the LORD God! For the Law of God is the very foundation and the basis of the government of God.

And sadly, the government of God has not been established yet on this planet. Remember our Lord Jesus Christ has said, “’ My kingdom is not of this earth.’” His kingdom is of a new earth to come!

And we are to pray always, ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.’ And it won’t be until then that we will have true lasting peace on earth.

Thank you for listening today – and Godspeed. We love you here and pray for you always. And we hope and pray that you continue to love and pray for us here. So, until next time, this is Leonard V Johnson for the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries.

Goodbye for now.

Notes:

1. Mr. Johnson said, "... that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character" meaning, the LORD God created the necessity of building holy righteous character.

2. What Mr. Johnson was speaking of is the fact there is a physical first and there is a spiritual second in the duality of our creation - because we as humans are NOT COMPLETE.

3. Truly, the LORD God did not create a Satan, but rather a beautiful and brilliant archangel. The LORD God did not create the character that Lucifer has become.