CT15-BA14 | 2 Outcomes. 4 Categories. Many Lifestyles.
August 3, 2020
Minute of Transparency: What do you miss?
Intro: Last week we talked about the controversy ending.
Today, we talk about what will happen at that time - that there will be 2 outcomes, 4 categories of people, living many different lifestyles.
Today’s Basic Assumption: 2 Outcomes. 4 Categories. Many Lifestyles.
The 2 Outcomes
The 4 Categories
The Many Lifestyles
// 1. THE TWO OUTCOMES
2 Outcomes:
The End of Life, and the End of Time are both concepts every religion has to wrestle with.
Why? Because death is inevitable - right now it is hovering right around 100%
Hindus: Believe in reincarnation - that you come back in a different form. Possibly another human, possibly an animal. But you come back based on your behavior in the previous life. If you were good, you might get to live the live of a famous, or wealthy person the next time. If you were not a good person, you might come back as an insect for example… This cycle continues until you have learned from your mistakes and reached the point where you can be released from the cycle. This is called “Moksha.” And eventually you reach a heaven-like state called "Ioka."
Buddhists: Similar to Hinduism - believe in a rebirth cycle through reincarnation into one of 6 realms. To a Buddhist - there is no death - just a constant rebirth searching for a place of enlightenment - a mental state called Nirvana - which that breaks free from the rebirth cycle once and for all.
Mormons: Believe in a more traditional heaven and hell. However, there is an interim state before going to heaven - a process of approval and acceptance before reaching the afterlife. And hell is thought to be a place of punishment - but that there is the possibility of repentance in order to escape the eternal nature of hell.
Scientologists: Believe that every person has an indestructible soul that just keeps on living in one form or another. This soul (or “Thetan”) is reincarnated over and over and is passed from person to person - potentially for billions of years. A person’s deeds do not follow them in the afterlife so there is no real concept of heaven or hell, reward or punishment.
Jews: Believe more in what life should like in the here and now - placing emphasis on what it means to live, and respect life. There is no real belief in hell. And heaven is a gray concept that involves the return of a Messiah to take all who have been good home to live with him.
Muslims: Believe in the whole heaven and hell concept - only take it to a much deeper level based on a person’s behavior on Earth. At the end there is said to be a time of judgment where Allah, the one true god, will resurrect every person who ever lived and died on Earth. Judgment will happen and people will either go to heaven or hell. Once at these final resting places - there are said to be seven levels in each. Your reward, or punishment is at one of these levels based on how good, or bad you were on Earth.
Christians: Believe in heaven and hell. But, similar to the varied beliefs above, there is also a variety of different belief systems within it. There are those who hold to very traditional views of death and the afterlife, and those who have moved away from them and choose to believe something a little different. There are obvious differences between Catholic and Protestant beliefs. And there are differing beliefs within the many protestant religions. However, the concept of heaven and hell is there. Where things get a little sticky is when you get to the whole grace vs. works debate. As this plays right into judgment and what happens to you when you die, or at the end of time.
Those who believe more in “grace” will suggest it is a choice you make - a belief in God that takes you to heaven vs. hell
Those who believe more in “works” will suggest it is your choices, habits and character that determine if you go to heaven vs. hell
There is the Catholic anomaly of “Purgatory” - where a person goes to a “lobby” of sorts after death - and be “helped” into heaven if enough family members pray for them or give money to the church
Now obviously, we’ve already explained that Controversy Theory is based on Christianity. So it should come as no surprise that CT believes in heaven and hell.
These are the 2 Outcomes - and they are the only two outcomes. They are final, and they are forever. Which means it is very important to choose which of the two you want to be part of at the end of your life, or at the end of time.
The “Father of Lies”
There is a persona Christians place on Satan - they call him the "Father of Lies”
And this is something that CT takes very seriously. In fact this is a foundation element in Conscience Driven Therapy. If we are able to decode the lies Satan has propagated on Earth - we should be able to do the opposite and be ok
Now obviously that’s a gross over-simplification - but you understand the concept
CT finds it interesting that one of the first lies Satan ever told was related to death
Genesis 3 explains that Satan disguised himself as a serpent, and was cunning or crafty than any other living thing
When the woman in the Garden of Eden explained to the serpent that they would die if they ate the fruit on the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Satan replied:
“You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
SO interesting to read that verse in light of what we just talked about… How many of the religions above believe that death is really not a thing? That you basically live on forever - either in a cycle of reincarnation, or a state of eternal punishment?
Even in situations where people believe they live forever in eternal punishment - or hell - this still feeds into the lie Satan told about death.
CT suggests this is why people are so confused about death, and the afterlife - because Satan wants it that way. If he can keep us guessing, maybe we’ll get tired of trying to understand it and just not think about it any more.
So let’s walk through the 2 Outcomes CT suggests exist:
Heaven:
The most important piece to understand about heaven is how we get there
CT believes the only way we get to heaven is to accept the antidote to the Sin Virus. To cast our vote for God in the Eternal Election
It is a one-time thing - accepting a gift God is offering as part of the Rescue Mission to save as many of His kids as possible
So what is heaven like:
Well, the Bible talks very little about heaven - probably because there are so few human words that can describe something as amazing as the perfection of heaven
So in order to explain heaven, the Bible tells us what it is not - what won’t be there
Things like pain, suffering, anger, hatred, racism, disease, death, violence, loneliness, fear, anxiety, depression, etc.
And in telling this story - we immediately understand - this is a place we want to experience someday!
This is the original environment - the perfect home that we left in the beginning
The home God wanted us to have - but we lost when we voted for Satan at the original voting booth
Heaven will be amazing. Heaven will be forever.
Hell:
This is where Satan wants to lie, confuse and sidetrack us
So this is why there is so much confusion over what it means, and how it works
And two of the areas he wants us to misunderstand are:
What happens when you die?
What exactly is hell going to be like?
Now we could debate these two questions for days, so I’ll just cut to the chase and explain CTs beliefs on both:
What happens when you die?
CT believes that death is a sleep
When someone dies - they cease to exist - every piece of the person
Wooden box illustration:
Wood + Nails + Assembly process = Box
Physical Body + Soul + God breathing life into you = A living being
The box ceases to exist if the wood and the nails are separated - if it is disassembled
Similarly, when we die, the breath of life goes out of us - the breath that God gave us - and we cease to be a living being
Now I know this is a controversial belief
The popular belief is that you don’t actually die - right?
You soul continues to live on - just in a different state
Many Christians believe this - most funerals you attend use phrases like:
“John is now in heaven - bless his soul"
“Well, they are in a better place"
“They are now at peace looking down on us"
“Someday we will make it up there to join them"
All statements based on a belief that we don’t technically die - we just go somewhere else in a different form
But remember Satan’s lie? "You will not surely die!”
Are we still falling for the same lie he used with Eve back in the beginning?
CT suggests death is a sleep. No different that going to bed at night and waking up in the morning. When life on Earth is over, we sleep in the grave until the day God returns, and wakes us up to be with Him forever
What exactly is hell going to be like?
Simply put, hell is an event, not an eternal state of punishment
Again, not the most popular belief about hell
Many Christians believe in the hell described by Greek mythology:
A place referred to at times as “Hades”
But more specifically, the underworld, or Erebus, a dark and gloomy place ruled by Hades - the god of the dead
It is said that this is where cursed mortals went when they died. They existed forever and were tormented - and were not allowed to leave
Sound familiar? This is actually what many Christian believe about hell
CT on the other hand believes that hell is an event:
When God returns to Earth the final time - the Earth will be cleansed with fire
This “event” will extinguish all remnants of the Sin Virus once and for all
Call it “hell,” the “lake of fire,” the “final judgment”
Call it whatever - but it is the final act - the conclusion - the end of it all
Those who chose against God will be given what they asked for - to be separated from God forever
It is the most merciful thing God can do for people who choose against Him
Especially given the fact that the Sin Virus has to be destroyed - once and for all
When God recreates the Earth the way it was in the beginning - there can be no trace of the Sin Virus - it has to be gone
If Hell was a place - sin would never fully be gone
Again, remember Satan’s lie in the beginning? "You will not surely die!”
If Hell was an actual place - Satan’s lie wouldn’t be a lie. He would actually be telling the truth all those years ago. You don’t ever actually die - you just live on in heaven, in hell, in a new body, as a soul moving through time, etc.
// 2. THE 4 CATEGORIES:
Again, it’s important to understand that the 2 Outcomes are the most important thing. This is all we really need to understand and make a decision on.
The rest of this episode is going to get into the weeds a bit - discussing the way we live our lives before we cast our vote and after we cast our vote in the Eternal Election.
It will be similar to the Justification then Sanctification conversation we had. Or the Grace and then Works conversation…
The 4 Categories really just help explain how people are choosing to live while struggling with the 2 Outcomes decision:
Practicing Believers:
These are those who cast their vote for God
They’re already in - they believe and are wanting to “practice” their faith by learning what it means to Transcend Human
Their decision to follow God literally changed their lives forever
They are working to make good choices, form good habits and develop a character that will leave a legacy for others
Non-practicing Believers:
These are those who voted for God as well - which is why they are called “believers”
They are glad to be “safe” and promised eternal life, but they are at a standstill in life
They don’t have the energy to work on their choices, habits or character
Or maybe they made their decision on death’s door and don’t even have the time to make changes in their life
They are simply saved, and that’s the extent of it
Practicing Non-believers:
These are those who haven’t got around to casting their vote yet
And by default - if no vote is cast - you’ve actually agreed to remain on the side of the incumbent - which at this time is Satan
However, these people do not view it this way
These are “good” people, doing good things
Making good decisions, forming good habits and seem to have pretty well developed characters
Unfortunately, this is the saddest scenario in the 4 Categories
These people do not really see a need for God, or the antidote to the Sin Virus
They believe they are capable of doing it all for themselves - that their good deeds will wind up tipping the scales in their favor in the end
And at the end of the day, wouldn’t God allow a “good” person into heaven?
Well, the problem is that “good” is not good enough:
God is sinless, spotless, perfect and pure Being
And He created us in His image - perfect
In the beginning, this is why we were able to walk and talk with the Creator - because we were perfect
And so it is today, in order to be in His presence, we can’t just be “good,” we need to be perfect - something that is unattainable for us
Unless! Unless we accept God’s gift - the antidote to the Sin Virus
This allows our “good” to be viewed as “perfect” - because of what Jesus did for us
Non-practicing Non-believers:
Version 1: These are people who haven’t cast their vote out of ignorance:
These people simply don’t know what they don’t know
They may be oblivious to the controversy
Maybe they haven’t even heard about God yet
Maybe they don’t understand what their conscience is trying to do - they have these impressions, or feelings from time to time but they just don’t understand what they mean
So they are just living, infected with the Sin Virus and passing it to everyone they come in contact with
No quarantining, no social distancing - just full on spreading the virus to those around them
Version 2: These are people who have not cast their vote out of laziness, fear or selfishness:
There are people who know the truth
They understand the controversy concept
They actually have everything they need to cast their vote
And most of the time, they even understand that voting for God is the right thing to do
But they don’t do it - and for a variety of reasons:
Maybe they’re holding on too tight
They don’t want their life to change
They are worried that they may have to give certain things up in their lives
They are afraid they’ll miss out on something
They don’t trust that voting for God will be as good as He says it will be
Or maybe it’s just a laziness thing - feeling like there will always be tomorrow - I’ll do it when I’m older...
Version 3: These are the people who actually cast their vote for Satan instead of God:
This last group is as far from God as you can possibly be
The complete opposite of the first category
But at least they cast their vote and are willing to own it
In Revelation it says that God gets frustrated with people who are “luke warm” in their convictions
In essence He would rather you be hot or cold - fully with Him, or fully against Him
So in a strange way, God actually respects this person because they made a decision - even though it was a poor decision
These people fully give in to the Sin Virus and work with Satan to bring chaos to the world - knowingly or unknowingly - the result is the same
// 3. MANY LIFESTYLES
Then, within the 4 Categories, we have many lifestyles, or what we’ll refer to as the Spirituality Continuum:
The 2 Outcomes and the 4 Categories we talked about live on this continuum
So let’s just walk through some of the truths about the many lifestyles in the world today:
It’s important to understand that everyone is unique
Each has voted, or not voted
Each falls into one of the 4 Categories
And each one of us has a unique set of circumstances
Which all adds up to this truth:
Each of us is in a slightly different place on the Spirituality Continuum
Each of us learned about the controversy at different times in our lives (and some are still in the dark)
Everyone voted at a different time in their life (and some still haven’t voted)
Everyone has a slightly different story - with different experiences that make up their spiritual journey
Everyone chooses to live differently once they vote
And everyone has a slightly different impact on the world (think about you vs. Mother Theresa…)
So what should we do with this information?
Simply put - nothing!
At least NOT in terms of the way we look at people, interact with them and the way we treat them
These AREN’T buckets we place people in so we can classify them or choose how to interact with them
And they should NOT be affinity groups we choose to identify with - thereby shutting the others out
This is simply helpful information - allowing us to better understand ourselves, and the broken world we live in
Helping us see that everyone is at a different place in their life
And knowing is half the battle - or so they say...
When we come to this understanding:
It can help us personally: By making it clear to us that we need to pick an outcome, and that we have options as to what category we want to be in, and what kind of lifestyle we want to live
It can help us interact with others: By helping is develop empathy. Helping us see that we’re all in this together no matter where we’re at on the continuum. We are able to appreciate people right where they’re at, and be there for them as they make eternal choices and habits in their own lives
So let’s land the plane:
This week: Ask yourself the following:
As always, have you picked your outcome?
Have you cast your vote in the Eternal Election?
Have you accepted the antidote to the Sin Virus?
Next - which of the 4 Categories do you fall into?
If you know you’re in a category that you don’t want to be in - what would it take to move into a different category?
And finally, when you look at all the lifestyles out there:
First - how is your lifestyle? And does anything need to change there?
Second - are you loving those around you no matter where they’re at on the Spirituality Continuum?
So there it is!
Thank you so much for joining us here on the podcast today. It’s been so much fun hanging with you each and every week.
Next week we net it out by looking at the cold, hard truth that: The controversy = the human condition = the struggles we face in life.
Our topic next week: The Fifteenth Basic Assumption: The Human Condition Is Controversy Related
As always, it’s never too late to recommend Transcend Human to a friend or family member by promoting us on social media or by adding a rating or review on your podcast platform of choice.
Thanks again, have a great week, and as always, keep Transcending Human!