Simple Gospel

2 Corinthians11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled (deceived) Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

I am convinced that there would be no need for so much intellectualizing within Christianity if it wasn't for the fact that the simple message of the gospel has been corrupted over time by religion.

This verse is saying that our minds can become corrupted so that we miss the simplicity of being in Christ. Paul compares us with Eve's temptation in Genesis 3 which was all about convincing her that there was something that she lacked. There was something else that she needed to make her complete ' in the day you eat thereof you shall be as gods knowing good and evil' whereas the reality was that she was as complete as she ever could be before she ate of the fruit. God had given Adam and Eve everything they would ever need to live abundant lives for eternity but they were not established in that or else they would not have submitted to the lie that there was something that God had withheld from them.

It's the very same thing for us Christians today, there is a philosphy that has infultrated the church teaching that there are things that God is withholding from us such as forgiveness, blessings, answered prayers, healing, revival, righteousness but if we will do repentance, good works, fasting, all night prayer meetings, witnessing, church activities, bible reading and on and on the list goes, then God will give the things he has withheld!

But the reality is that as with Adam and Eve he has withheld no good thing from us.

Colossians2:9-10
For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM which is the head of all principality and power.

We are not trying to be complete in him, we are complete in him!

Colossians2:13b
..having forgiven you ALL trespasses (sins)

We are not trying to be forgiven, we are forgiven!

2 Corinthians5:21
For he has made him (Jesus) to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans3:21-22
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference.
Romans5:19
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous

We are not trying to be righteous, we are righteous!

Colossians1:22
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable in his sight

We are not trying to be holy, we are holy!

My point is that if we don't know what God has already given us we become susceptable to the devil's deception that we lack something and therefore need to go and get it. This philosphy gives rise to all kinds of false doctrines within the church centered around earning favour with God in order to receive from him the good things which he has withheld. It's subtle but effective, because under this mindset we never get to enjoy the blessings that are already ours and the the goodness of God is hidden to those that really need it.

That's why we need able minister's of the new testament (2Cor3) within the church declaring the things that God has already freely given us through the finished work of Jesus at the cross. So our intellectualizing is for the purpose of revealing the deception and bringing us back to a simple knowledge of the gospel.