Our Father

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, FATHER. Gal. 4:6

God's not a "Parent" nor "Mother", but a "Father".  The word "father" is the Greek word "pater" which means:

"Generator or male ancestor; The originator and transmitter of anything; God, the Father."

The concept of fatherhood or patriarchy confirms that ALL comes from or originates in Him.  Pater is the root of such words as "patriarch" and "family" (patria). When we turn in faith to God, we are receiving the heart of a Patriarch.

God's reflection of His authority in the earth is also seen in patriarchy.  This is why Adam was created first before Eve. This is why Adam named all of the animals. This is why Eve was created for Adam and came from him.  This is why God first came to Adam for an account of what transpired in the Garden of Eden.

This is why God selected 12 patriarchs through whom to establish His old covenant. This is why Jesus also selected 12 patriarchs through whom He would build His church.  We find that these 24 patriarchs form the foundation and gates of the holy Jerusalem from above (Revelation 21:12, 14).  It is surmised that they are even the 24 elders casting their crowns down before the throne (Revelation 4:4).

Pater being the root for family (patria) also explains why the man leaving his mother and father and cleaving to his wife is so important. He is the "originator" (pater) of his own family unit at that time.  This is why the woman takes the man's last name. This is why the wife and children submit to him. This is why he is the "head" of the family, because the family unit is grounded in the identity of the man.

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." I Corinthians 11:3

In the same way, the identity of God's children - born of His seed - is grounded in Him. This is the truth of patriarchal authority, as reflective of, and perfected by, God the Father.

"Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." Jeremiah 49:11

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."James 1:27

There is something that both widows and orphans lack...and that is a patriarch. Yet, God is a Father to the fatherless and a Husband to those without a husband.

The gift and grace of God's presence amongst His people IS the return of a patriarch's heart. This is the promise that ushers in the New Testament.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

John the Baptist came before Jesus in order to turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers.  Consider a similar text describing John's ministry:

"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:17 

Note the juxtaposition here.  Instead of saying that John turned the heart of the children to the fathers, Luke says that he turned "the disobedient to the wisdom of the just".  This tells us two things: 1) The children who have no regard for fathers are disobedient; and 2) Appreciation of the need for patriarchy is the "wisdom of the just".

John the Baptist was preparing the people to receive a love and appreciation for patriarchy, because such is a reflection of the authority of God.  This is the only way in which they would be able to recognize the coming Messiah.  Otherwise, they would be offended by Him, by His message, and the patriarchal authority in which He walked.  Did not Jesus Himself indicate that the reason the religious leaders could not receive His words was because they did not have the Father (John 5:23-47, John 8:27-55; John 14:9-20)?  It is the same today.  People want to profess faith in Jesus Christ based upon their own terms and not through obedience to the Father.

Jesus Himself came as a Son in submission to the will of His Father.  His life illustrated a purpose and authority to do only what His Father commanded.  When instructing His followers how to pray, this is the same model Jesus presented to others; that we would approach God as our "Father".

And how did Jesus describe those who were offended?

"But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses." Matthew 11:8

"But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts."  Luke 7:25

Those who rejected John's message were expecting to see a soft man!  Someone who spoke softly, who said and wore soft things; someone who pampered himself, desiring to be served and waited on rather than to move out in power to proclaim the things of God.  Jesus is describing what in modern day vernacular one might call "Sissies!"  They shirked back from the austere things of life in order to be accepted by the people.

Even today, most of the church world gravitates to men who are soft.  The most popular ministers are those who are matriarchal, stroking people's emotions rather than commanding them to obey the word of the living God.  Like the people of Jesus' day, men, women, and children have grown to be offended by patriarchal authority.  As a result, they have rejected the message of truth and fashioned a "god" in their own image. 

This is why the leadership God ordains for His church is also patriarchal.

"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)" I Timothy 3:2-5

"...ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly." Titus 1:5b-6

Before one can be ordained by God to lead His people, one must first prove to be a righteous patriarch.  A man must be able to show himself faithful as a husband and a father because this is a reflection of the character of God.  As stated above, He is a Husband and a Father to His people.  This is not a suggestion, but is God's command.  The proving ground for leadership in His Body is that one be established as a Godly husband and father.

I'll end it with this.  Too many professing Christians claim that they can disregard God's words because they are led simply by the Spirit.  This is a false statement and the doorway to deception and error.  The Spirit of God was sent to remind God's people of His words, not replace His words.  The Spirit and the word work together to birth and mature God's children.  If the Spirit leading you is doing so in a way that is diametrically opposed by God's word, then you are being led by a false spirit.

Patriarchy is not the contrivance or perversion of man's imagination, but it is the reflection of the nature of a holy God. When we fight against patriarchal authority, we are fighting against God Himself.

God is Not a White Man

But Whom Say YE That I Am?

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 6:13-18

It is critically important who we believe Jesus to be and how we represent Him to the world.  The world may not have a clue who Jesus really is, but part of the salvation experience is an inner revelation by God the Father about the identity of Jesus Christ.  In fact, Jesus says that it is on "this rock" - the revealed truth of Jesus as the Anointed Messiah, the Son of the Living God - that Jesus will build His church.

Yet, as many of you are aware, there is an effort underway to deny who Jesus really is and to even redefine who God is.  This ecumenical message is being drummed into society in many ways via churches, schools, and the media. One example is a song by Michael Gungor entitled "God is not a white man".

Gungor is described as a Christian worship music singer & songwriter whose most noted work "I am a Friend of God" earned him a Dove Awards "Song of the Year" nomination in 2006.  According to his website, he and his band have been developing a "new understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus".  Much of this new understanding however seems to be for the birds...as depicted on their website, which invokes images of drinking blood and repeatedly incorporates symbols of death (skulls & crossbones) into their logo designs.

This better understanding of Jesus caused them to start their own church called "Bloom" which led them to the following conclusions about Jesus:

We aren't sure that God is all that into labels, so we aren't either.  At Bloom we  have tied ourselves to the story of God found in Jesus, which makes us decidedly Christian, but we gladly welcome anybody among us regardless of creed, race, sexual orientation, or any other division that we humans like to divide ourselves into.  Our hope is that everyone who wanders into our community will come to love and embrace Jesus and his story too."

Do you see how they have completely redefined not only Christianity, but Jesus Christ Himself?  Being Christian is not about repentance from sin and turning in faith to receive Jesus as Savior through a born again experience.  Being Christian simply means that one has "embraced" or appreciated the "story" of Jesus.  Jesus is not God Himself, but someone in whom the "story of God" may be found.  While The True & Living God tells us to have no fellowship with darkness, Gungor says they will have fellowship with all no matter what one believes or the lifestyle they live.  Do we show love by preaching acceptance of all beliefs and lifestyles or do we show love by obeying God's words? (John 14:15)

And, of course, this new revelation of God also impacts how they view worship music:

"“If leading worship is just about bringing a group of people into a room so we can get goosebumps and sing songs together, there’s not much value in that. But if leading worship is a means to an end, that we leave this place as a different kind of people, as part of a new humanity that God wants to create – the people that are caring for the widows and orphans, that aren’t bound by the systems of this world but becoming free, becoming fully engaged in our world – then that matters.”"

They see themselves as having moved from 'people pleasers' to those urging others to become more "fully engaged" in the world.  Notice, the vehicle or the "means to the end" of getting people more into the world is their music.

It would appear that Gungor has never had a Biblical understanding about what worship is.  Worship is not about what pleases people or what is acceptable to the world; it is that which is inspired by God's Spirit and His Truth.  If "worship" is not grounded first in the Spirit and truths of God...it is not worship.  And that leads us to the band's song "God is not a white man."

This song can best be described by the video itself, as that illustration gives a clear depiction of the "god" being promoted in this song.  In tearing down what they depict as false images of God, the song's conclusion is very simple, "God is love and He loves everyone."

In one scene, there is a child with a sad face because she is sitting before a plate full of vegetables.  But then "love" comes in and changes these nutritious foods into candy...and that is what Gungor has done in this song.

In this song, he has stripped away from his presentation of "God" any of the saving strength and power of the Gospel, and replaced it with a message that is sugary sweet & pleasing to the flesh, but has no spiritual value.  It would seem Gungor has not moved as far from being a 'people pleaser' as he may think.

What parent would cater to a childish whim to let kids eat candy instead of vegetables just because candy tastes better?  How would such a decision affect the development of the child?  Would not depriving him/her of essential nutrients and replacing that with empty calories actually be feeding sickness and death to them?  Yet this is exactly what Gungor's "god of love" does and that is also what he is doing spiritually to those listening to such "worship" music.

Why am I even bothering to write about this?  Because the church is being sung lullabies of false gospels and feel-good doctrines which are simply rocking many to sleep.  We need to stop swallowing what every "artist" puts out and giving ear to every "song" when such is devoid of true spiritual food.

There is a saying in the computer industry of "Junk in, Junk out."  It means that if you put bad data into a processor, you will only get out bad data.  What are you feeding on?  Do you not know that you are what you eat?  And it is not just Gungor; he is but one example.  There is a whole horde of "Christian" music which is about anything BUT Christ, yet many in the churchworld continue to embrace it.  They play them on the radios, buy their CDs, and even sing them in the church fellowships; becoming increasingly indoctrinated into a one world Babylonian religious system that denies Jesus Christ.

As people sing along with this song (and others like it), I hope they truly understand who they are worshiping.

They are worshiping a "God" who is mocked as someone just like man, an imperfect sinner.  Jesus then is no longer your Savior, but He has now become your "homeboy" as shown in the T-shirt graphic.

They are worshiping a "God" who is one with cross-dressers and transvestites.

They are worshiping a "God" who cannot "be owned by religion".  In other words, God is SO big, that there is not just one way you can access Him.

They are worshiping a "God" who is a "friend" to "atheists, charlatans, communists, lesbians, and terrorists" to name a few.  Yet we know from Scripture that God is not a friend to sinners.

These are just some of the messages promoted in this song.

Is that what God means when He says that He is love? The problem is not whom God loves, but the fact that man loves darkness more than he loves light (John 3:19).  And according to this song, even embracing deeds of evil and darkness is "good".  This is the "god" they are promoting.

So I ask you, "Who do YOU say that God is?"

The Great Commandment in the Law

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with allthy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31

"He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou?  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thyheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Luke 10:26-27

People often speak of how love is the fulfillment of the law.  But what does that really mean? What are these texts really telling us?

• One, it tells us that the "great" commandment to love God with all of our heart, mind, & soul is the highest law; it has primacy over all other laws.
  
  
• Second, it shows that there is a secondary command to the "great" command. This is not less in significance, because it is "like unto" the first.  So, it is also "great" but can only come after the first.  It is only possible to love our neighbors if we first love God (I John 4:21).
  
  
• Third, we are told that all the law and the prophets "hang on", stem from, or are encapsulated in these two "great" laws.  By default, this not only means that the other laws are lesser than these two; it also tells us that the two "great" laws are more broad than the others.  One can only be "summed up" in something which is greater than one's self.

A friend recently said the following:

If you read the Torah closely you will see that outside of the Sacrificial and Ceremonial laws there are no new laws. The rest of the Torah are each of the 10 commandments broken down in detail...for example Exodus 21:15 "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death." This is "honour thy mother and thy father" explictily detailed.

This statement is true!  Further, this tells us exactly why love is the fulfillment of the law.

The laws under the "great" commandments are not the whole of God's will for man or even the whole of God's law for man.  The laws under the "great" commandments are merely "examples" of the greater/higher laws. They are the "great" laws broken down in more explicit detail so that man could perceive God's ways.

Understanding these things, we could depict God's laws as follows:

It can be seen then, how obeying a higher law fulfills the lower laws/examples.  Conversely, it would be in error to say that obeying a lower law/example fulfills the higher laws.

This is why obedience to the Ten Commandments or Mosaic laws could never perfect man (Matthew 19:16-21; Hebrews 7:19), for the "great" commandments of God are broader and encompass more than these examples (Matthew 5:28).

Is this not what Jesus was saying when He criticized the Pharisees for neglecting the "weightier matters" of the law (Matthew 23:23)?  They were heeding the letter, but obeying the letter of the examples could not birth justice, mercy, and faithfulness in their hearts.

Some might ask "Why didn't God just give Israel the two 'great' laws instead of all the others?"  The answer is because man was so defiled by sin, he could not comprehend what God meant by "love God and love your neighbor."  Therefore, God had to give examples of what this meant.

These examples are types or shadows of His perfect will which is reflected fully in the two "great" commandments and embodied in the person Jesus Christ.  This is how Jesus fulfilled the law and also why the law has been fulfilled.

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." Luke 24:44-48

Jesus had to open the eyes of the disciples' understanding because - although they were well-versed in the Scriptures - they still did not have understanding. Jesus told them that He must fulfill what was written: He must suffer, die, and rise from the dead in order to offer man repentance and remission of sins. 

Jesus fulfilled all of the law by walking continuously in the perfect law of God (love) and offering Himself as a sinless sacrifice for our sins. Thus, Jesus fulfilled and not destroyed the law.

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18

Jesus promised to fulfill the law, and He did just what He said.  He became the firstborn from which we may likewise follow and walk in newness of life (Romans 8:29).

Consider again my friend's comments above.  If we understood what God meant by "honor your parents", He would not have to tell us "Do not smite your parents."  We would know that instinctively!

The goal is not to walk around trying not to smite our parents so that we can comply with God's law.  The goal is to be transformed into His image so that we have no desire to smite our parents.  The goal is not to try and resist sinful urges the rest of our life, but to kill that which has the sinful desires (the old man) so that we can obey God by nature (II Peter 1:3-4).  This is why we must be born again by the Spirit of God.

The old covenant is symbolized by what man must or must not do. The focus is on man's ability & works before God: "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not".  However in the new covenant, God says, "I will". The focus is on God's utmost capability in completing HIS work IN man.  Why? Because man cannot change his own heart and the heart of God cannot be legislated. The root of sin is in the heart and only God can change that.

God is not trying to get us to comply with examples of His righteousness, (which is a lower level of relationship), but to be transformed into His righteousness by being made one with Him in His Son (which is a higher calling). The letter of the law (examples) were not made for a righteous man (I Timothy 1:9).  Being made new to walk according to the dictates of the Spirit, we can then fulfill the royal law of God by walking in the "great" commandments (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Romans 8:4; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 4:14).

When the New Testament text speaks repeatedly of the old covenant or the law being replaced, done away, or set aside...it is not saying that the words of God have become void.  It is saying that man no longer needs examples when he has been transformed by God to become the reflection of Himself.  As such, man will walk in all of God's judgments as he is led by God's Spirit in all matters, even areas where no express law has been given.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14

For more information on the law, please see the series on The Spirit of the Law.

The Ministration of Death

The Letter KILLETH

We have previously done a series on the law and its place in the life of a believer. Some, however, assert that references to "the law" in the New Testament is only about the 613 ceremonial and sacrificial laws, not the Ten Commandments.  However, what does Scripture say?

To examine this, we will examine what God calls the "ministration of death".

"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart." II Corinthians 3:7-15

In the above text, God references an event in the Old Testament when Moses' face was so glorious and shone with such brightness, that the people could not even look upon him (Exodus 34:29-33).  This occurred when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the "two tables of testimony", otherwise called the Ten Commandments.

Yet, in II Corinthians Chapter 3, God calls these tables "written and engraven in stone" the "ministration of death" and goes on to contrast them with the "ministration of the spirit". 

Ministration of Death	Ministration of Spirit
Ministration of Condemnation	Ministration of Righteousness
Glorious	Exceedingly More Glorious
That which is Done Away	That which Remains
Blinds the Spiritual Eyes from seeing the end of what is abolished	Removes the Vail of Blindness by placing us in Christ

In order to understand why the Ten Commandments are called the ministration of death and condemnation, we must understand the purpose of the law.

"And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." II Corinthians 3:4-6

God is again making a contrast between two ministrations or covenants.  The old testament is of the letter and kills, while the new testament is of the spirit and imparts life.

The Ten Commandments is called the ministration of death and condemnation precisely because the letter kills.  The law condemns man to death because it can never perfect man in regards to sin, and the wages of sin is death (Hebrews 7:19; Galatians 2:16).  The purpose of the law is to show man that - in spite all of his efforts to be righteous - he still stands guilty before God; he still is in need of a Savior (Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 19:16-21).

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." Romans 3:19-21

The problem is not with the law, but with man.  There is a fleshly, carnal nature in man referred to in Scripture as the "old man", and this old man rebells against God by nature.  Even though the law is perfect, it only brought out the worst in man because it could only produce outward performance and not inner conversion. 

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Romans 7:7-13

Taking advantage of the commandments, sin works death in those under the law by sowing to, and promoting confidence in, the flesh. It leaves man in a constant position of trying to earn God's approval & acceptance through religious works; all of which never changes man's heart, which is the root of the problem.  God's answer to this dilemma is for the "covenant from Mt. Sinai" to be cast out, for such simply promotes being in bondage to the flesh and to sin (Galatians 4:30).
 
In fact, God tells us that those who attempt to bring you under the law are attempting to subvert your souls (Acts 15:24), are adulterers in trying to be "married" to both covenants at one time (Romans 7:3), and are in bondage (Galatians 4:24). 

Therefore, God ushered in a new and better covenant built upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13; Hebrews 10:9), where His people would obey Him by nature and not compulsion through reconciliation in the person of His Son.

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Romans 7:4-6

In Christ, we become dead to the law and can worship God in Spirit and in Truth.  This is why the law is not made for a righteous man.  When people place themselves under the law, they are proclaiming their own unrighteousness before God and self-righteousness before man (Philippians 3:9).

Having the old man crucified in Christ, we are then freed from the law because we are no longer performing for God, but allowing Him to live through us; at that point, we have truly entered into our Sabbath rest. 

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2

There are two covenants contrasted in the Scripture.  We must be either in one or the other; you cannot be under both.  Will we attempt to work our way into God's favor, or will we trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ?  Will we boast in our own self-righteousness or submit to God's righteousness?

Under the old covenant, your fate is condemnation.  In the new testament in the blood of Christ, there is redemption.  Which will you choose?

Old Covenant	New Covenant
Ministration of Death (II Corinthians 3:7)	Ministration of the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:8)
Ministration of Condemnation (II Corinthians 3:9)	Ministration of Righteousness (II Corinthians 3:9)
Glorious (II Corinthians 3:7-9)	Exceedingly More Glorious (II Corinthians 3:7-9)
That which is Done Away (II Corinthians 3:11)	That which Remains (II Corinthians 3:11)
Blinds the Spiritual Eyes from seeing the end of what is abolished (II Corinthians 3:13-15)	Removes the Vail of Blindness by being placing us in Christ (II Corinthians 3:14)
Of the Letter (II Corinthians 3:6)	Of the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:6)
Kills (Romans 7:6)	Imparts Life (Romans 7:6)
Engenders to Bondage (II Corinthians 3:9)	Gives Liberty (James 1:25; James 2:12)
Written & Engraved in Tables of Stone (Exodus 24:12; II Corinthians 3:7)	Written in Hearts of Men (II Romans 2:15; II Corinthians 3:3)
Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2)	Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)
Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28-29; Deuteronomy 4:13; Galatians 3:24-25; II Corinthians 3:9)	Royal Law of Love (Luke 10:27; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; II Corinthians 3:9)
After the Flesh (Romans 8:4)	After the Spirit (Romans 8:4)
Is a Schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24)	Does Not Need a Schoolmaster (Galatians 3:25)
Covenant from Mt. Sinai (Galatians 4:24)	Covenant of Jerusalem from Above (Galatians 4:26)

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

License, Legalism, or Liberty? Part 2

We previously looked at the topic of license, legalism, and liberty in the Christian walk.  The following video from Minister David Pawson provides some quick distinguishing characteristics between the three.

Legalism says you are not free to sin.
License says we are free to sin.
Liberty says we are free not to sin.

Legalism says we are saved by works.
License says we are saved without works.
But Liberty says we are saved for works.

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24

Why Did Christ Die?

There are many answers people might give for this.  To pay the debt for our sin.  To reconcile us to God.  To save man from God's wrath.  In the Scriptures, we find an answer to this:

"And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."  II Corinthians 5:15

He died so that we may NEVER AGAIN live for ourselves, but that we from now on would live only for Him. Can we all say this is true for us?

If not, we should pray that it be made true.

In this sermon from Minister Zac Poonen, he discusses how many Christians still do not understand the "glory" of the Gospel. And yet this understanding is crucial to us being overcomers in this present life as we live for Jesus.  I encourage you to listen to this message and may it bless you. 

Come, Let Me Love Away Your Sin

If there is one thing that would be filed in the "Turns My Stomach" section, it would be the emphasis the churchworld puts on "showing love" as the answer for sin.  By love, they mean toning down or changing the truths of God.  How is it that we find ourselves at the end of time and people think God has all of a sudden had a change of heart?

Perhaps, after thousands of years of interacting with His creation and calling man to repentance, God has realized that He made a mistake.  Having finally come to understand that sin really isn't all that bad, God is doing a "new" work.  Therefore many doctrines and outreach efforts now focus on a gospel of accommodating the sinner while IN his sin...and they call this "love".  The Scriptures have one word for it: apostasy.

Apostasy: A falling away, a defection or divorce; a total desertion of or departure from revealed truth.

Here are just some of the ear-tickling statements so popular from this false church movement:

• All your sins, past, present, and future were forgiven when you were saved.
• God no longer sees your sin, He sees the imputed righteousness of Christ.
• There is too much work to be done in soul-winning for us to worry about sin.
• Preaching on the wrongs of sin only pushes people away and makes the church look judgmental.
• Jesus will never judge you, so don’t listen to the enemy and feel condemned. 
• Nobody is perfect; it is impossible for us to cease from sin while in these earthly bodies. 
• Repentance is works-based salvation.
• God knows your heart.  As long as you believe in Jesus your sin doesn't matter.
• Holiness is legalism.
• We have freedom in Christ, so we are saved in spite of our disobedience.
• You are justified, but just not sanctified yet. 
• Nothing you do can ever separate you from Christ.
• You are eternally secured because Jesus paid it all.
• Jesus is already your Savior, you just need to make Him your Lord. 
• God accepts you just as you are. 
• It’s not your fault, we were all sinners saved by grace, which covers us while we are in sin.
• If you could stop sinning, you wouldn't need Jesus.

God's answer for sin is repentance leading us to the cross (Romans 6:6-7).  The modern church's answer for sin is to keep convincing people how much God "loves" them. The issue of sin is not about God's love of man, but man's love of darkness.

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19

This is the condemnation.  Do we hear that?  The core problem is that man loves evil.  That is why man cannot just decide to come to Christ.  Many are wasting time and effort leading others to a false conversion by trying to show them how they have broken God's laws and are in need of a savior.

EVERY sinner knows that he is a sinner. God has given man an inner witness to know when we are doing wrong.  Even the conscience of a sinner testifies in his heart that he is in sin.

We cannot draw people to Christ by showing them the law, convincing them that they have sinned, and getting them to make a decision to express faith in Christ so as to escape the penalty of Hell.  That is not salvation...that is fire insurance.

The only way man can come to salvation is that the Holy Spirit pricks the heart, bringing about a sorrow within man over his condition which leads to repentance.  Man needs a change of heart by being born again and that can only be wrought by God...not by a hug.

Those who are telling you that there is too much emphasis on sin in the church or that such is a deterrent to the Gospel are merely preaching smooth things in order to justify their own sinful ways.  Seeking to water-down the Gospel so that it does not offend sinners is just one more way that the churchworld seeks to blend with, and gain the acceptance of, the world.  The Gospel message has not changed: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.



God showed the ultimate in love for man because of sin when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross.  There is no "love" we can show greater than that.  When we are truly born again, we begin to feel about sin the way that God does because His very life is present within us.  If we feel offended by the mention of sin or can continue in sin unabated after confessing faith in Christ, such is not the evidence that we need more love...it shows that we are yet unconverted. 

Situations

Holding God Hostage

Sometimes, we go through things in life that may be hard for us to equate to the Scriptural ideals we have about not only who God is, but who we are in Him. 

Is God a Provider?  Yes, but that doesn't mean we will never have financial hardships.
Is God a Deliverer?  Yes, but that doesn't mean you will never suffer.
Is God a Healer?  Yes, but that doesn't mean we will never endure sickness.
Is God a Buckler?  Yes, but that doesn't mean we will never undergo attack.

How is it that we say God is all of these things, yet our experiences don't always seem to reflect that reality in our lives?  We look in His word and see one thing, but look at our lives and see another.  Why is this?

Some will say you have to "name it and claim it".  Simply confess that it is true and it will be true. As a result, people are walking around treating God like a genie in a bottle, converting His words into Buddhist mantras that are supposed to speak these promises into being.

Others may say perhaps you simply don't have enough faith.  Jesus God paid for all at Calvary.  He nailed every curse to the tree.  If you have enough faith, God will deliver you from your situation.  Another assertion is that there is some sin in your life. You must have somehow opened the door to allow Satan the opportunity to attack you.  Therefore you need to seek God on what that is and repent, and then your situation will change.

The unspoken belief behind each of these perspectives is that God promises Christians an earthly walk which will be devoid of trial, sickness, discomfort, stress, hardship, or suffering.  Therefore, when such things occur, it must be an indicator that something is wrong in your relationship with God.  Yet, is this Biblical? 

I am not downplaying the importance of faith or belittling the serious impacts of sin. I am saying that the realization of God's promises may not always be how we think. We cannot hold God hostage to how we believe He should resolve situations. Yes, we can make our petitions known to Him and remind Him of the promises put forth in His word.  Yes, He commands us to ask, seek, & knock; and so we should.  I am not talking about complacency here.  I am encouraging us to take a broader view of the purpose behind circumstances God allows in our lives as He completes His perfect work in us.

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." II Cor. 12:7-10

Paul is enduring some sort of satanic affliction - and while we are not told what this is, we know that it makes him feel weak.  I say "feel" because Paul had to be shown that this physical condition of weakness did not define his spiritual reality.  What he thought to be a physical detriment was actually a spiritual help that God was using to develop more of His strength within him.

Here is someone in the power of the Spirit, preaching the Gospel to the whole known world with mighty signs & wonders following...yet he was often poor, whipped, persecuted, afflicted, and suffering with infirmity.

This infirmity, this reproach, this necessity, this persecution, this distress so affected Paul that he had called repeatedly for the Lord to remove it...yet He did not.

Does God's refusal mean that Paul was not a believer?  Does it mean that God was unable to deliver him?  Did it mean that Paul simply didn't have enough faith?  Was this thorn in the flesh the consequence of sin in Paul's life?  Did the presence of this affliction mean he was not walking in the power of God?  No. God was purposefully using this issue to disempower Paul in the flesh so that he could be empowered more in the spirit. 

It is this truth which gave Paul the peace to say the following:

"...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:11b-13

So my question is, "Have we also learned the same?"  People will often quote the "I can do all things through Christ" text, but Paul is NOT speaking here of our ability to be supermen.  The "all things" Christ is strengthening us to do in this text is to endure hardships & sufferings just as well as when we are abounding & flourishing.  It is our ability to lean on, and look to, the strength of Christ regardless of our situation.

Commentators have argued for years about exactly what this "thorn in the flesh" Paul experienced is.  Some have said Paul was speaking of a person physically persecuting him.  Others have surmised that he is referencing his own physical sickness of poor eyesight (Galatians 4:13-15).  I happen to believe that God - in His wisdom - is deliberately vague about it.  It simply doesn't matter.

The focus of that text is not Paul's infirmity, but that believers understand how our flesh is to be continually delivered unto death for the life of Christ to be made manifest (II Corinthians 4:10-11).  And the mechanism God uses to accomplish this is often affliction.

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." II Corinthians 4:16-18

We need to keep in mind why we are here and the work God is going within us.  God is not trying to give us our "best life now".  The things we endure in this world serve an important purpose; and God alone knows what each person needs to go through to have that purpose accomplished. 

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."  Romans 8:26-29

The mere fact that God has to tell us that all things work together for good to them that love Him & are called by His purpose testifies that it may not always look that way.

There may be situations we face which seem bleak, hopeless, and like anything but good. Yet, according to His word, we cannot look at the situation. Even our afflictions God is using to do a "good" work; conforming us into the image of His Son.

God's saving power is not only seen in Him delivering us FROM a situation, but Him delivering us IN the situation.  We can also see this in the story of the Hebrew boys in the Book of Daniel.

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:16-18

Three little words..."But if not".

Was this an expression of doubt?  Was it evidence that the Hebrew boys simply didn't have enough faith in God to be delivered?  No.  It expressed their knowledge that being servants of the Lord was not dependent upon, or defined by, what they had to go through in this present, temporal life.

These men had faith that their relationship with God transcended their worldly experiences and gave them power over those experiences; not because they were protected from the experience, but because He was with them through it.  Subjecting themselves first to His will in their lives, they exalted Him as God regardless of how He worked out that present trial.  And in fact, their reward in that faith was not that they were kept from the fire, but that God stood with them in the fire.

Yes, God is our Deliverer!  Yet, we should also know that the very things we may be seeking deliverance from could be the thing that God is using to work death in us...which is our deliverance!  Having our minds transformed away from the cares of this life and the flesh crucified so that we are not moved by circumstances in this world is deliverance!

Don't let your situation define who you are in the Lord, but seek for His will to be done in all areas.  Our victory lies primarily not in what we are going through, but in Who is bringing us through it.  So regardless of how the earthly situation unfolds, we can stand victorious because we stand in Him.

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." I John 4:4