RID YOURSELF OF ALL CONTRADICTIONS

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Power Within
2. The Source of Contradictions
3. The Importance of Right Filters
4. Translations and the Problem of Mixture
5. Renewal of the Soul and the Miraculous
6. Example of Contradiction: Colossians vs. Ephesians
7. Knowing What God Knows About You
8. The Power of Love and Faith Working by Love
9. Walking in Truth and Living in the Miraculous
10. Communion and the Covenant of Wholeness
11. Closing Blessing and Declaration

Introduction: The Power Within

Pastor Leonard Rola opens the message with praise and worship, magnifying the name of Jesus and exalting Him as Deliverer, Rescuer, Healer, Provider, and Savior. He reminds the congregation that Jesus is not just their everything collectively — He is personally their everything. There is an atmosphere of expectancy, one that comes from within, because the power of God resides in every believer. That power is not external; it is internal.

When a person becomes born again and places their trust in Jesus Christ, God deposits His power — the very life and anointing of Christ — within them. Pastor Leonard explains that the power of God resides within us, and that is why Ephesians 3:20 declares in full:

“Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” He emphasizes that the power at work in believers is not something they have to chase or beg for — it already dwells within them. It is Christ, the Anointed One, and His anointing.

Pastor Leonard then uses a vivid example to illustrate this truth. He says, “I’m not calling myself Superman, but there’s a Superman who lives inside of me.” The Superman within him is Jesus Christ, whose power and anointing cause him to live supernaturally — to live as Christ lives. This “Superman” is not exclusive to him; that same anointed power lives inside every believer. The Christ within is the power of God in action, enabling the believer to live above the natural. He lightens the moment by mentioning his “Turning Point” hat, symbolizing support for Charlie Kirk, but declares that now he wants to honor Jesus — the true Superman within. He encourages everyone that the same power resides in each of them. The anointing and life of Christ are not limited to heaven or to special ministers but are deposited in every born-again believer.

The pastor shares a brief, tender moment, acknowledging that his wife, Pastor Lori, is not physically present. Though he misses her deeply, he expresses joy and hope that she will be returning soon. He even recalls a line from the movie Moonstruck, where Cher slaps Nicolas Cage and says, “Snap out of it.” He humorously uses that moment to shift from emotion back into spiritual focus, reminding himself and the congregation to rejoice in the Lord’s strength and message.

He then transitions into the heart of the teaching — explaining how the Holy Spirit gave him this message during a visit with someone at home. Their conversation turned to the soul and how many contradictions exist within it. These contradictions, he says, are what keep believers from living in the miraculous.

According to Pastor Leonard, contradictions are the internal conflicts within the soul that block the supernatural flow of God’s power. Even though the Spirit of God dwells in us, contradictions in our minds — rooted in wrong teaching, mixed covenants, and misbelief — prevent us from experiencing the fullness of what we already have in Christ.

 The introduction closes with a declaration that sets the tone for the entire sermon:
– The miraculous is not withheld by God.
– The supernatural is not something to be earned.
– The barrier lies in the contradictions within the soul — and God’s Word has provided the truth to remove them.

The Source of Contradictions

Pastor Leonard Rola begins this section by describing the moment when the Holy Spirit revealed to him that contradictions are often hidden deep within the soul — the seat of the mind, will, and emotions. These contradictions are not always visible or easily recognized, yet they are powerful enough to hinder believers from living in the miraculous and supernatural life God intended.

He shares a brief personal story about his father-in-law, who had recently passed away. Pastor Leonard explains that he wears a ring that belonged to his father-in-law as a way to remember him. The ring is not valuable in a material sense — it’s costume jewelry — but its sentimental worth is priceless. Likewise, he keeps items like hats and coats that belonged to him, not because of their physical value but because they carry the memory of a man who was dear to him for over 50 years. This story connects emotionally and leads to the deeper point: just as tangible reminders can hold meaning, spiritual contradictions can also leave imprints on the soul. These contradictions, he explains, are beliefs or traditions that seem small or harmless but can strongly influence how we think about God, ourselves, and the gospel. They hold us back from walking fully in the freedom Christ has already given us.

Pastor Leonard then asks the question many believers face: “How am I supposed to pray? What am I supposed to pray for? How am I supposed to stand? What am I supposed to stand for?”* The confusion surrounding these questions often arises because people hear a variety of mixed messages — sermons that blend old and new covenant principles.

He stresses that while the Word of God is true, it is crucial to understand the context of truth. What was true for those under the Old Covenant is not always true for those now under the New Covenant. Truth changes by covenant — not because God changes, but because our position and relationship with Him have changed through Jesus Christ. He warns that co-mingling the covenants — taking teachings meant for those under the law and applying them to those under grace — creates spiritual confusion. This confusion becomes one of the greatest sources of contradiction in a believer’s life. It causes them to question what they already have, what God has already finished, and who they already are in Christ.

Pastor Leonard continues: “We keep hearing various messages, mixed messages, coming from both covenants. And though the Word of God is true, what was true for them under the old covenant is not true for me under the new covenant.” He points out that people often unknowingly mix what God said to Israel under the law with what God says to the Church under grace. This mixture forms spiritual contradictions — mental conflicts between faith and fear, grace and performance, identity and insecurity. He goes further to explain that the problem is not the Word of God itself. The Word is infallible and authoritative. The issue lies in how it is understood and how it is taught.

Here, Pastor Leonard makes a bold but truthful statement:

“Not every translation we have today is necessarily the infallible and authoritative Word of God in its perfect form.” He clarifies that human translators worked from ancient manuscripts and fragments — some found hundreds of years apart — and they did their best to compile them into coherent translations. But man, being subjective, often filters translation through belief systems and denominational bias.

He uses a relatable example from construction:

If one person builds based on their own plans and another builder reviews it, they might say, “You did well, but not exactly right.” Each builder worked according to their own beliefs about how something should be done. Likewise, when translators worked on Scripture, their doctrinal positions shaped the wording of what they translated. This means that the original divine intent is sometimes filtered through human understanding. Therefore, believers must approach Scripture with the right filters — filters that align with grace, not law; identity, not striving; completeness, not lack. Pastor Leonard explains that the Bible’s truth must always be read through the covenant lens we live under: the New Covenant of Grace. This is the covenant where Jesus’ finished work defines reality — not our efforts, rituals, or traditions.

He concludes this section by introducing the three filters every believer should use when reading the Word of God:

1. I Am — Who God says I am.
2. I Can — What God says I can do.
3. I Have — What God says I already possess.

He emphasizes that these truths are not future promises but present realities. The contradictions that must be eliminated are the thoughts and teachings that deny these truths. When we read or hear a message that says, “You don’t yet have,” or “You can’t yet do,” or “You’re not yet righteous,” our spiritual filters should alert us — because the New Covenant declares the opposite.

The Importance of Right Filters

Pastor Leonard explains that it is essential for every believer to develop the right spiritual filters when reading and interpreting Scripture. He says that while translations contain the Word of God, they must be read through the correct covenant lens — the New Covenant of grace. Without proper filters, believers can unknowingly absorb contradictions that create spiritual instability.

He refers again to his three foundational filters — I Am, I Can, and I Have. These simple truths summarize the believer’s identity, capability, and inheritance in Christ. He emphasizes, “I am everything He says I am. I can do everything He says I can do. And I have everything He says I have.”

According to Pastor Leonard, the New Covenant truth declares that we have already been given all things in Christ. Therefore, if any translation or teaching suggests that we do not yet have, cannot yet do, or are not yet complete, our spiritual discernment should recognize that contradiction immediately. He recounts receiving a negative comment online where someone asked, “Why do you feel the need to explain the Bible? Why can’t people just read it for themselves?” He explains that while the Bible is meant to be read by all, understanding it correctly requires the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the right covenantal lens. Without that, readers can misinterpret God’s heart, mixing law and grace and reintroducing fear where faith should reign.

Pastor Leonard then shares his personal history with the Bible. He shows his worn and marked copy of the New American Standard Bible — a Bible he received on his 22nd birthday when he served as a youth pastor. After following a preacher who used the King James Version, he became confused because his own translation read differently. This led him to temporarily put away his NASB and study the King James Version instead. Later, he was introduced to the Passion Translation by Brian Simmons, which reignited his understanding of God’s love and grace.

He uses these experiences to highlight that there are many translations — each with differences that can cause contradictions if not read with the right understanding. The Word of God itself is perfect, but man’s interpretation can be imperfect. That is why believers must read Scripture with the filters of grace, righteousness, and finished identity in Christ.

Translations and the Problem of Mixture

Pastor Leonard dives deeper into how contradictions arise within Bible translations and mixed preaching. He defines a contradiction as something that differs completely from another aspect of the same truth, making it confusing or difficult to understand. Contradictions show up in sermons, translations, denominational traditions, and family teachings that have mixed law and grace for generations.

He says these contradictions create strongholds in the soul — and because the soul is the part of us that must be renewed, contradictions delay transformation. Without renewal of the mind, transformation cannot happen. And without ridding ourselves of contradictions, renewal cannot happen.

He then refers to 3 John 1:2, declaring:

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” He teaches that the prosperity and health John speaks of are the direct result of a prosperous soul — a soul free from contradiction and renewed by grace. He explains that the Greek word translated as “prosper” means help along your journey, success in reaching your goals, and abundance in life and business affairs. The word “health” means to have soundness in the body and to be well.

 Thus, God’s will for every believer is to prosper and live in health — but this happens as the soul prospers. If the soul is clouded with confusion, mixed doctrines, and contradiction, the believer’s outer life cannot reflect inner truth.

Renewal of the Soul and the Miraculous

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that renewal begins when the believer learns to see themselves as God sees them. The contradiction-free soul aligns its thoughts with God’s thoughts. He teaches that the renewal of the mind transforms the believer’s entire life, because the soul governs how faith manifests.

Without renewal, transformation cannot occur. Without removing contradiction, renewal cannot occur. Therefore, believers must eliminate wrong beliefs and see themselves as already complete in Christ.

He summarizes the flow this way:
-Renewal brings transformation.
-Transformation brings manifestation.
-But contradictions block renewal, keeping believers from seeing the miraculous.

Example of Contradiction: Colossians vs. Ephesians

To demonstrate how translation issues can lead to contradiction, Pastor Leonard compares Colossians 1:9 with Ephesians 1:3 and Ephesians 1:9.

He first reads Colossians 1:9 in the King James Version:

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” At face value, this verse appears to suggest that believers might be filled or need to be filled, as if they are currently lacking. He notes that nearly every translation phrases it this way, creating a sense that we do not yet possess knowledge, wisdom, or understanding.

 He then reads Ephesians 1:3:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Here, Paul states clearly that God has blessed us — past tense — with all spiritual blessings. Then he reads Ephesians 1:9: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.”

This shows that God has already revealed His will and blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Therefore, if Paul says in one place that we have been blessed and that God has made known His will, it would be contradictory to interpret Colossians 1:9 as implying lack or waiting for what has already been given. The contradiction is not in Paul’s message but in how translations frame it. The correct understanding — the one consistent with grace — is that Paul was praying for believers to grow in revelation of what they already have, not to receive something they do not yet possess.

This aligns perfectly with Ephesians 3:20, which says:

“Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” The power is already within. The revelation of that truth unlocks its manifestation.

Knowing What God Knows About You

Pastor Leonard transitions into one of the sermon’s most powerful revelations: God’s desire is not that we would “know Him more,” but that we would come to *know about ourselves what He already knows about us. He says that when we truly know our nature, identity, and character as God created them, we will automatically know God’s nature. Because we were made in His image and likeness, understanding who we are reveals who He is.

He quotes Genesis 1:26:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

We were created to reflect His image and walk in His likeness — truly righteous and truly holy. As Pastor Leonard says, “When you understand what God knows about you, you will automatically know who God is.” He also explains that God no longer commands believers to love Him under the New Covenant. Instead, He pours out His love toward us, and when we gain revelation of that love, it naturally produces love for Him — a love not born of command but of revelation.

He quotes Ephesians 3:16-19 to illustrate this growth in awareness:

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

When contradictions about God’s love are removed, believers grow in revelation of the full dimensions of Christ’s love, which transforms the inner man and activates the miraculous.

The Power of Love and Faith Working by Love

Pastor Leonard continues with Galatians 5:6: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” He explains that faith becomes active, effectual, and powerful through the revelation of how deeply we are loved by God. When we believe in His love without contradiction, faith naturally operates. Contradictions — such as guilt, fear, and feelings of unworthiness — weaken faith. But revelation of love activates it. He reminds the congregation that Ephesians 3:20 again ties this together: the same power that works within us is fueled by the revelation of His love and truth.

Walking in Truth and Living in the Miraculous

Pastor Leonard urges believers to think about themselves the way God thinks about them. The Apostle Paul calls believers “saints” forty times — holy and blameless ones. God’s thoughts about us are consistent and free of contradiction, and our thoughts must align with His.

He quotes Jesus’ promise in John 14:26:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The Holy Spirit teaches truth, testifies of Christ, and eliminates contradictions in the believer’s thinking. The goal is not to think like any preacher, teacher, or pastor, but to think like God — led by His Spirit and grounded in His Word.

Communion and the Covenant of Wholeness

Pastor Leonard transitions into communion, reminding everyone that Jesus’ broken body and shed blood are symbols of our healing, forgiveness, and restoration. He gives thanks for the bread representing the body of Christ, broken for our wholeness, and the cup representing the new covenant written in His blood.

He declares that the blood of Jesus has redeemed, rescued, forgiven, and restored us, washing us white as snow — referencing Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Closing Blessing and Declaration

As the message concludes, Pastor Leonard speaks a powerful blessing over the congregation, echoing the promises of Deuteronomy 28:6-7, 13: “Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.” “And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.”

He proclaims that their pantries will be filled, their children healed, and their finances blessed, because all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yes and amen. He closes in prayer, thanking God for the power of truth working in every believer and declaring freedom from all contradictions so the miraculous can flow unhindered.

We hope this message, “Rid Yourself of All Contradictions,” has blessed you. Pastor Leonard reminds us that the power of God is already within every believer, waiting to manifest through the renewing of the soul and removal of contradictions. Walk in truth, think as God thinks, and let faith work by love. Share this teaching with others so they, too, may live free from contradiction and experience the fullness of Christ within.