Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 4 – The Mass

 

 

 

 

One of the huge disparities between what the Catholic Church teaches and practices and what the New Testament teaches relates to the priesthood and the Mass. The Catholic Church has blended Old Covenant ideas and rites with the New Covenant, an abominable form of syncretism. The priesthood and Mass are rooted in Old Covenant types, which have already been perfectly fulfilled by Christ and rendered obsolete by God.

Under the Old Covenant, the people of Israel generally had no direct access to God. Although God revealed himself to various leaders and spokesmen (for example, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and the prophets), he set up the sacrificial system as the means for his people to approach him and stay in a temporary right relationship with him. The priests acted as mediators between God and the people and offered daily sacrifices on their behalf. However, these sacrifices had no power to make the people right with God. The blood of animals could never do this, only the blood of God’s own Son.

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:4 (NASB95) —

The purpose of the Old Covenant was to prepare God’s people for their coming Messiah.

The Law pointed out our need for God’s forgiveness and intervention through the only sacrifice that had the power to save us. Once Jesus came and fulfilled the Old Covenant and introduced the New Covenant in his blood, the Old Covenant was rendered obsolete.

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. 7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD. 10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:6–13 (NLT) —

Old Covenant priests were required to offer daily sacrifices, and once a year, and only once a year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, where God dwelled, to sprinkle blood on the Ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement in order to provide temporary forgiveness for himself and the people.

The sacrificial system and Day of Atonement pointed to its fulfillment when Jesus died on Calvary and subsequently rose from the dead as Lord. The introduction of the New Covenant through Christ marked a drastic and complete break with the Old Covenant.

Again we turn to the Letter to the Hebrews.

Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. 23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. Hebrews 7:22-28 (NLT)

The Old Covenant sacrificial system could never remove sin. It was a stop gap measure until the true Lamb of God would come and shed his blood. God accepted the sacrifices made under the Law, if they were made in faith, because that was the only way God had revealed up until that time.

When Christ came to fulfill all the requirements of the Law on our behalf, there was no longer any need for the “shadow” provided by what the Old Covenant required.

History informs us that some 37 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Temple was destroyed and the Jewish sacrificial system abolished forever. This fits perfectly with what the author of Hebrews wrote.

When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NLT)

The Letter to the Hebrews explains that what Christ accomplished on the cross is a perfect and complete work which will never be repeated.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:11-14 (NLT)

I am convinced the old sacrificial system will never be reinstated. What would be the purpose now that Christ himself has been offered?

Now to the crux of things: the Council of Trent established the following doctrine: “If any one saith, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or, that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema.” (Trent: On the Sacrifice of the Mass: Canon 3)

By purporting to re-sacrifice Christ on the altar each time a Mass is celebrated, albeit an unbloody one, the Catholic Church not only defies the clear teaching of Scripture, but it abominably pretends to oversee or mediate that sacrifice with its own order of priests!

Propitiation is the appeasement of divine wrath providing forgiveness. If one is to follow the clear teaching of Scripture, it is impossible to embrace any teaching that says Christ is re-sacrificed over and over again in an expiatory manner.

The New Testament also clearly teaches that the Old Covenant priesthood was abolished with the coming of the perfect High Priest, Jesus the Messiah. Instead, Peter writes in his First Letter that the entire church has been made a “holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) These spiritual sacrifices are clearly enumerated in the New Testament and include dedicating ourselves to God, praise, doing good, and generously sharing with others. (Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15-16)

Old Covenant priests stood in the gap or mediated between God and men, bringing the people’s sacrifices to God and taking God’s word and blessings to the people. The Catholic Church teaches that its priests also serve in a mediatorial role between God and the people. They are said to act as mediators of God’s grace by administering the sacraments to the people. For example, if a person wants her sins absolved, she must confess these sins to a priest, do some form of penance, and then receive absolution or cleansing from those sins from the priest. (It is also taught that absolution can be directly received from God if the contrition is “perfect,” that is, it is totally selfless, being only concerned about God’s side of things and having no thought for ourselves. I think such a form of contrition is virtually impossible.)

The Bible teaches, on the other hand, that Christ has provided access for every believer to come directly to God to receive what is needed, especially the forgiveness that was once for all provided by Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

It is clear that the New Covenant radically altered all believers’ relationship with God. No longer are we dependent on a priesthood to mediate between us and God.

Instead, as Jeremiah prophesied and the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews affirms:

But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:10-12 (NLT)

When I discovered the glorious promises and the astounding realities of the New Covenant, how could I ever return to a church that teaches doctrines rooted in an abolished Old Covenant system? How could I allow the imposition of a priestly class of mediators between me and God? How could I support a purported re-sacrificing of Christ in the Mass, when the Bible teaches that his sacrifice was perfect and will never be repeated? How can I go back to asking God’s forgiveness through a priest when God has already provided that through Christ and has given me direct access to his throne? I hope it is becoming increasingly clear to you, the reader, that I had no choice but to leave the Church of my youth.

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 3 – Sola Scriptura

 

 

 

 

 

How did I go from being a devout Catholic to being an evangelical Protestant? It all revolves around what the reformers called “sola scriptura.”

After my new birth experience, I had no plans to leave the Catholic Church. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Since I grew up in the church, I knew a lot about it. I had believed its teachings and followed its traditions for most of my life. I had seen it transition from using Latin during the Mass (which I had to memorize as an altar boy) to the use of the common language of the people. I had been a part of implementing other changes after the Second Vatican Council, many of which were moving in a good direction. Actually, my involvement in the church increased over the next two or three years as I helped to lead music at what were called guitar Masses, an attempt to blend the music of the Seventies with the traditional Mass. I taught children in the Catholic version of Sunday School. So then, what happened that led me to depart from the church I had known and served for most of my life?

Putting the Bible in the hands of common people fueled the movement called the Protestant Reformation more than anything else.

The Catholic Church had long kept that book in the hands of the Church hierarchy and veiled in the Latin language. When it became available to the masses thanks to the courage of translators, who sometimes gave their lives to do this service, and the wonderful timing of the introduction of the printing press, people began to read the Bible for themselves. They saw discrepancies between what the Bible teaches and Church doctrine and practice. Basically this is what happened to me as well.

One of the rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation was “sola scriptura.” This Latin phrase contains three major ideas: 1) The scriptures have the deciding authority in the church and believer’s life, 2) the scriptures are sufficient for salvation, and 3) the scriptures are clear enough to be understood by the average person.

The Roman Catholic Church taught that the authority of the bishops and Pope (the magisterium) could overrule the Scriptures. Only the bishops and Pope could properly interpret the Bible; therefore, their decisions regarding what it meant overruled what anyone else might think. They introduced extrabibical doctrines and practices, such as the Mass, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of Mary, purgatory, holy days of obligation, and indulgences. Until the invention of the printing press, most common people were not able to read the Bible in their own language, putting them at the mercy of church teachers, who sometimes hid, twisted, or flatly contradicted the meaning.

Sola scriptura meant that the people could turn directly to the Bible without going through the mediation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Secondly, the Bible teaches that we are saved simply by believing what the Bible teaches, especially regarding faith in our Lord. Over the centuries, the Roman Catholic Church introduced several other “necessary” ingredients, which kept people dependent on the church as the mediator between them and God. This “adding” to the gospel is clearly condemned in the Bible.

Sola scriptura meant that people no longer needed to use the church to get to God. He was directly accessible to them.

Thirdly, even though some scriptures are difficult to understand, even for trained interpreters, the general meaning and teaching of the Bible can be understood by the average person, even a child.

Sola scriptura meant that ordinary people were empowered and encouraged to read, study, and understand what the Bible teaches.

People no longer had to depend on a church hierarchy to understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit could teach them.

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27 (NLT) —

One of the marks of a born again believer is a hunger to read, study, understand, and obey the teachings of the Bible.

Jesus said:

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32 (NLT) —

One of the major hurdles that every believer faces is whether or not the Word of God will have complete authority in his or her life. I personally faced this test not long after becoming a Christian, in maybe about a year. When I first was born again, all I really knew was that Jesus is God’s Son, who died for me and rose from the dead. I still had a lot of confusion about other things because I did not know what the Bible said yet. But I kept reading and studying it. I remember wrestling with the decision of whether to submit completely to its instruction and commands. Maybe for some this would be a “no brainer,” but, for a Catholic, it is a big deal. In a sense, I had to overcome what some call brainwashing.

If I were to accept the Bible as my greatest authority, I would have to reject some of the Church’s teachings and its authority in my life. Yes, this was a big deal! To walk away from the church was to turn my back on what I had been taught all my life would enable me to go to heaven. It would mean I would put all my eggs in the basket of trusting simply in what the Bible teaches and in what Jesus did for me when he died and rose again. It would mean that I would no longer depend on the Roman Catholic Church for anything. A big step… one that some are not willing to take.

Jesus warned the Jewish hierarchy of his day, the equivalent of the Roman Catholic magisterium, that they were guilty of nullifying the clear teaching of God’s Word in favor of their religious traditions. (Mark 7:13) He warned them that the scriptures cannot be altered. (John 10:35) In fact, Jesus is the divine Logos, the eternal word of God. (John 1:1, 14) To invalidate the Bible in favor of religious tradition is the worst sort of idolatry. Instead we are to trust completely the promises of God, which are sufficient to save us. Abraham is a clear example. God promised that he would have innumerable descendants when he was a childless old man. He took God at his word, and Bible says that God put him into a right relationship (justified) with him. (Genesis 15:6) Simple faith is what saves us, faith in the gospel announcement that Jesus died for our sins and rose again as Lord of Lords. (Galatians 2:16)

Jesus taught, even rejoiced in the fact, that God reveals his Word to common people.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Matthew 11:25–26 (NASB95) —

Jesus broke the power of the hierarchy to control access to God’s truth in his day, he did it again during the Reformation, and he is still working.

He warned the Jewish leaders that he knew what they were doing.

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. Matthew 23:13 (NLT) —

After studying the Bible and praying, I, like many others over the centuries, began to see clearly how the Roman Catholic Church had established traditions and doctrines that run contrary to God’s Word. To remain in that Church would require me to turn my back on the authority of the Bible in favor of the authority of Church tradition and the Pope, something I could not do. As Martin Luther famously said when he stood trial before the Church, “Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 2 – Grace vs. Legalism

In Part 1 of this series, I described my new birth experience and the realization that my new relationship with God through Christ had little or nothing to do with what I had been taught or seen modeled in the Catholic Church. This does not mean that there is no truth in the Catholic Church or that no godly people are part of that church. Quite the contrary! I learned about God, sin, and judgment there. I learned about God’s demand upon us to live according to his laws. I also met people whom I now realize likely were true born again believers. There are true believers in every church, but unfortunately there are those who are merely following the tenets of man-made religion in every church, too. Jesus called them “tares” or weeds growing among the true wheat. Even in churches which preach the true gospel, counterfeit believers are present. Most likely, they do not even know that they are false brethren. Deception runs deep, and self-deception is the worst of all.

The official teaching of the Catholic Church is that we gain entrance into the church through the sacrament of baptism and maintain a relationship with God by keeping his commandments, church laws, and through the grace brought to us through the Mass and the seven sacraments. Living in a “state of grace” is fluid, and we are always in danger of losing it by committing what are called “mortal” sins. When this happens, the only way back into God’s good graces is through what is called “perfect contrition” (which is pretty much impossible to attain) or by confessing our sins to a priest and receiving absolution from him. One can never be completely sure of his or her final destiny, because that depends upon our being in a state of grace at the time of death. We were encouraged to “make” nine First Fridays (go to Mass and receive communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month) so that we could be assured that we would have the opportunity to make a good confession prior to death. This is called an indulgence, which is basically a promise or guarantee from God (through the authority of the church) based upon some good work we perform. But indulgences are only the tip of the legalistic iceberg. All of salvation is performance-based in the Catholic Church.

Jesus did not secure our salvation, he only made it possible for those who keep the rules.

All sorts of laws are in place that must be kept to stay right with God, some based on the Ten Commandments and others on church tradition. This was also the case in Judaism at the time when Christ ministered. When I was very young, we were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. Later, this rule was abandoned. (I have often wondered if those who were burning in hell because of violating this commandment were set free when the church changed its mind. Smile.) We were required to attend Mass on Sundays and other “Holy Days of Obligation,” or be condemned. Later Saturday evening was included to help people meet their Sunday requirement. Because of the Catholic Church’s performance orientation to salvation, Catholics are on a perpetual treadmill of going to confession, trying hard to remain in a state of grace by not committing mortal sins, committing mortal sins, and going to confession again. One just hopes that he will not die before he can get to confession! I remember realizing as a kid that God already knew whether or not I would die in a state of grace or not and wondering if my destiny was heaven or hell.

There was no way for me to have any assurance, and that is no way to live.

When we grow up in such as system, we think it is normal and right. By default, human beings tend toward legalism because we understand that we are fallen beings who need to get back into a right standing with God. We just do not know how to get there. We think it is by earning our way back, but that is impossible. The only way is for us to be forgiven, not just temporarily, but once and for all. Is this even possible? The Bible says it is.

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:26–27 (NASB95) —

When I experienced the new birth and the Holy Spirit came to live in me, I began to relate to God in a more Biblical manner. The Bible promises that the Spirit will guide us into God’s truth. (John 16:13) The main way he does this is by giving us understanding of the Bible. Prior to my coming to Christ, a young man shared the gospel with my psychology class. I must have talked to him afterward because later he came by to see me in my dorm room. I cannot remember his name but I do remember what he told me. He took me to the First Letter of John and read to me the following verse.

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (NLT)

He shared with me that God wants us to know that we have eternal life through Christ. This was so different from what I had been taught and experienced in the Catholic Church. How can one know something that is unknowable? The gospel is so marvelous that it seems unbelievable to someone steeped in legalism.

Now I understand there is a fundamental difference between the performance-based religion of Catholicism (and some other denominations) and the faith-based relationship provided through the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul clearly understood this difference and addressed it in his letter to the Galatians.

But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:17-21 (NLT)

When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible teaches that those who put their faith in him died, too. (Romans 6) This is a mystery, but nevertheless true. We died to sin’s power in our lives and the power of the Law to condemn us. (Romans 7) The Law is what defines and points out our sins. God gave us the Law to show how hopelessly lost we are. Its purpose was to lead us to Christ so that by faith we might receive his right standing with God. (Galatians 3:21-29) No one can stand in his or her own righteousness. We must have our Lord’s right standing with God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) I hope you will take the time to read and think deeply about these verses of scripture. We can never earn salvation: it is a free gift, one that God never takes back. (Romans 6:23 and 11:29)

If we grow up under legalism, it is difficult to really believe how wonderful the gospel message is! Only the Holy Spirit can deliver us from the enslaving lies of legalism by leading us into all truth which will set us free.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95) —

The precursors to Catholicism were what were called the Judaizers. These supposed followers of Christ, having been heavily steeped in Judaism, could not get their heads and hearts around the radical nature of the gospel. They tried to fit the “new wine” of the Gospel into the “old wine skin” of Judaism.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” Luke 5:37–39 (NASB95) —

It could not work then and will not work today to try to fit the unearned grace of the New Covenant into a legalistic container of man-made religion.

The Old Covenant was based on our keeping the Law, something we are unable to do. The New Covenant was something altogether different. It is based on Christ’s keeping the Law on our behalf. He earned for us what was otherwise unobtainable.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:7–13 (NASB95) —

The Judaizers could not believe that they had nothing else to earn from God and insisted that it was not enough to simply believe in the Good News and trust in Christ; instead, Gentile believers had to adopt and follow the tenets of Judaism to be truly accepted by God. Circumcision became a rallying point. Uncircumcised believers were required to submit to this Old Covenant rite in order to be part of God’s covenant people. There arose a sharp division among the believers which had to be resolved by a council at Jerusalem. Thankfully those leaders came down on the side of the grace message. Peter spoke convincingly.

So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:6-11 (NLT)

Paul understood that Christ had come precisely because God’s people had repeatedly failed to keep God’s covenant over the years.

The New Covenant was put into place because man is so hopelessly flawed by sin that he cannot possibly satisfy the demands of God’s righteousness.

Nor are we able to do so now. For that reason, God sent his Son to keep the covenant for us. Jesus actually became the Covenant. (Isaiah 42:6)

Our New Covenant relationship to the Father is based on Christ’s perfect performance rather than our ongoing failure.

Salvation is the product of God’s keeping the demands of his righteousness on our behalf through his Son. Through faith in Christ, a new birth takes place in the human spirit whereby we are radically changed from the inside out. We become God’s children by an incarnation of Christ in each believer. The Holy Spirit takes up residence and joins himself to our spirit so that we are truly “one” with Christ, as our Lord promised would happen.

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! John 17:22-24 (NLT)

Paul reasoned that we cannot have it both ways: we must either relate to God on the basis of grace through faith or we must try to relate to him based on our performance of the Law (his righteous requirements).

Paul told the Galatians that if they submitted to the Law in the one point of circumcision, they in effect would be placing themselves back into a performance-based relationship with God, something doomed to failure and antagonistic to the Gospel he preached.

Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:2–6 (NASB95) —

There is something in the heart of man, in our inborn sin nature, that insists to trying to be “good enough” to earn our way into God’s blessing and favor.

It is extremely humbling to admit that we are hopelessly sinful and in desperate need of someone to save us. Those who cannot find it in themselves to admit their desperate need for a Savior will reject the gospel of grace and continue to try to reach God through legalism.

Paul said that such people have “zeal without knowledge.”

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Romans 10:2–4 (NLT) —

Once we are saved or brought into a right relationship with God through grace, we cannot maintain that relationship through our good performance.

Our inherent religious performance orientation is fueled by the pride and independence of the sin nature. God has to show us over and over again that we must solely rely upon what Christ did for us. There is no other way.

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:11–14 (NASB95) —

Martin Luther came to just such an insight as he pored over Paul’s letter to the Romans. God gave him a flash of revelation, and he saw clearly that “the just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) The gospel offers us the lifeline of relying upon Christ and what he accomplished through his death and resurrection rather than upon our own failed efforts. Religion is man’s attempt to bridge the gap between us and God on our own terms by our own efforts. Organized religion, whatever its persuasion, is a system of trying to accomplish this.

Organized religion asks its adherents to put their faith in the organization and its methods in order to get into and remain in right relationship with God. The gospel asks us to put our trust solely in a Person and what he already accomplished for us.

I found it necessary to leave Catholicism in order to preserve my newly found freedom in grace. Paul likewise walked away from his beloved Judaism, the legalistic performance-based religion he grew up believing. He chose Christ instead, realizing that Christ had fulfilled what Judaism was designed to introduce.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. Philippians 3:7–9 (NLT) —

He chose reality over the shadow. He was extremely adamant that there can be absolutely no co-existence between the true gospel of grace and the false gospel of performance. This is what Paul said.

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. 8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Galatians 1:6-9 (NLT)

Once we understand and experience the true grace of God, it is impossible to remain a part of any group that teaches something contrary.

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Chapter 33: Lordship Matters – Water Baptism

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

The Great Commission instructs the church to go and make disciples. The two sub-points our Lord attached were 1.) water baptism, and 2.) teaching them to obey his commands. Since baptism is the first command for disciples, it is a top priority and not to be skipped over or taken lightly. It is often the first way any new disciple can show his commitment to the Lord. The church is commissioned teach its disciples the necessity of obedience in all things, especially water baptism.

Water baptism is a public declaration that we belong to the Lord and a pledge to serve him.

When a person accepts the gospel invitation to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross, he or she is born again and indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

The third Person of the Trinity sets up a permanent residence in our lives. He is the resident Christian, the only One Who can live the Christian life. He is our Helper, the One Who ministers grace to us, enabling us to be assured, bold and obedient followers of Christ.

The Bible says that we are “sealed” by this same Spirit. God marks us in an invisible way as belonging to Him. According to Paul, this spiritual seal is proof that God will complete the work of salvation in us which He has begun.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NASB)

This seal is invisible and must be spiritually discerned, but our faith is meant to be a public proclamation, not something hidden. When we submit to a public water baptism, before witnesses, we boldly declare that we belong to Jesus Christ and our lives are his.

Water baptism is our public seal confirming God’s invisible seal, which signifies our union with and allegiance to Christ.

We declare that our old way of living for sin and our own desires is finished, dead, and buried, and that the rest of our natural lives will be lived for our Lord in the power of His resurrection as the Holy Spirit enables us.

Paul wrote the following regarding water baptism.

All of God lives in Christ's body, 10 and God has made you [plural] complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. 12 This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, who brought him back to life. 13 You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature. But God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. 14 He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. 15 He stripped the rulers and authorities {of their power} and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ. Colossians 2:9-15 (GW)

There are three major baptisms mentioned in Scripture – baptism into the body of Christ, baptism into water, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Each of these baptisms is different, having a different baptizer, a different subject, a different medium into which the subject is baptized, and a different purpose.

The baptism into the body of Christ takes place at the new birth. The Holy Spirit takes the new believer and immerses him or her into Christ’s body, the church. This is when we are sealed in Christ by the indwelling Spirit.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB)

Water baptism is the outward demonstration of the inward baptism into Christ’s body with the added dimension of its being a public declaration of allegiance to Christ.

In water baptism, another believer baptizes a new convert, or someone who finally realizes how important it is, into water. Water baptism is an object lesson that our old sin nature and old way of life are dead and buried in union with Christ’s death and that we are now risen in union with Christ’s resurrection to live the rest of our earthly lives for Him.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 (NASB)

The third baptism is the baptism into the Holy Spirit. In this one, Jesus Himself baptizes the believer into the Holy Spirit to empower him or her for service. We will have much more to say about this one later.

Water baptism does not justify a person before God: only the blood of Jesus can do that. Rather water baptism is the obedient and proper response of a grateful and submitted heart to his or her Lord.

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21 (NASB)

Salvation in this verse should not be confused with the new birth or justification. Rather, we are “saved” in the sense of being set apart to God by obeying the Lord in this crucial public declaration of faith, just as we are likewise saved in this fashion every time we obey God, but especially when our obedience results in a bold proclamation of faith in Christ.

In some cultures where Christianity is strongly resisted, such as radical Islamic states, a person can quietly confess Christ at times without repercussion, but when he or she is baptized in water, it is an entirely different matter. Muslims understand that water baptism equates to a radical declaration of allegiance to the Lord Jesus.

No person should take water baptism casually, as if it were merely a step in joining a church. It is a declaration of war upon Satan’s kingdom and a commitment to unflinchingly testify to the gospel even unto death.

As such, water baptism should only be administered to those believers who fully understand what they are doing. It should be a time of celebration and soberness – a celebration that we are taking a big step in our faith journey with the Lord and soberness because we understand that we are truly identifying ourselves with Christ’s death and saying we are willing even to die for our Lord.

Some churches believe that water baptism is what saves us. They confuse the baptism into the body of Christ which happens at the new birth with water baptism. This is just one example of why it is so important for us to understand the teaching regarding spirit, soul, and body.

Other groups make a big deal out of whose name we baptize in. Jesus told us to baptize in the name of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit. The early disciples baptized into the name of Jesus. There is a group which believes that Jesus is the only name into which we must be baptized for it to be valid. This group does not hold a Trinitarian view. Instead, they believe the One God appears in various “modes,” sometimes as Father, sometimes as Son, and at other times as the Spirit. The heresy is called Modalism.

The Scriptures clearly teach that God is One, but that Father, Son, and Spirit are all God and distinct from one another. Hence, we have the mysterious doctrine of the Trinity that is clearly above our comprehension. It is for us to acknowledge but not completely understand, any more than we completely understand how we are composed of body, soul, and spirit – a trinity of its own. There are times when all three persons are present at once, such as at the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:16-17) If the Father and Son are the same, to whom was Jesus praying and calling Father? To whom was Jesus being obedient when he went to the cross? The Spirit was sent by Jesus to empower us to be his witnesses after Jesus ascended into heaven. The Spirit’s presence in our lives is proof that Jesus is the Lord, seated at God’s right hand.

I recommend using the trinitarian formula that Jesus gave us in the Great Commission, but it is also proper to baptize in the name of Jesus as did the first apostles.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion 
  • Has this chapter altered how you view water baptism?
  • Is it clear to you how water baptism differs from being saved by faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross and his resurrection?
  • If you were previously water baptized, did you understand the commitment you were making?
  • Do you feel the need to be baptized at this time?
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The Starfish and the Spirit

 

The Starfish and the Spirit

by Lance Ford, Rob Wegner, and Alan Hirsch

I put Ori Brafman’s book, The Starfish and the Spider, in my favorites list, where this one will go, too. The concepts found in it are foundational and of great value to the church. In summary Brafman’s book describes the genius of decentralized organizations as opposed to hierarchical ones. A spider can be killed by squashing the head from which its life and government flows; but, if a starfish is cut into pieces, each piece will reproduce a entirely new starfish. That’s because it has no central brain. It’s neurological system is located throughout its body. The early church could not be stopped because it was decentralized like a starfish, relying on the Holy Spirit more than human leaders. The leaders could be killed, but the movement kept gaining momentum because its leadership came from Christ through the Spirit. You can read my more detailed summary by clicking here.

When I saw this book for sale, I had to buy it and was not disappointed. In some areas I feel Ford and Wegner became overly analytical, especially toward the end, but that may be because of how I am wired. Otherwise, the book stimulates thought and brought me back to many of the foundational concepts that were behind the founding of LifeNet, our small group based church. In this summary, I will highlight some of the quotes that mean the most to me, interspersing my own comments.

The authors came out of mega-church environments, where they were disappointed with some aspects of how such institutions are governed.

Many faith organizations, particularly those in North America, have unwittingly imported the human resources manuals of corporate America straight into their day-to-day workforce policy. We have let systems that make no claim whatsoever of being informed by the Word and Spirit of God set the rules for us. Earthly thinking never creates heavenly results. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 106). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

They were looking for some way to bridge the gap between what they had been taught in their familiar church environment and the powerful disciple-making movements found in other parts of the world.

We live in an era of “missional movement” in terms of the global church. Currently, there are over 4,500 reports of active DMM/CPM engagement. Of those, 1,369 meet all four criteria! There are currently more than 76.9 million disciples in those 1,369 movements. From that total, 4.8 million churches have emerged, with an average size of 16.2 Microchurch is the “normal” church around the world. When you place that against the backdrop of “normal” in the New Testament, perhaps it’s time to consider the average church in the US as abnormal. These indigenous movements start with extraordinary prayer and fasting and focus on obedience-based discipleship, discovery forms of Bible engagement, and passionate and fearless sharing of the gospel. Authority is decentralized, so finding the “top leader” feels impossible, and the form of church is small, simple, and easy to produce. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 66). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

We found a “Rosetta stone” that overlapped the language of institutional church and movemental church, deciphering for us our experience of church as movement in places outside the West, like India and China, showing us the way to speak that language and create that culture here in the West. That “Rosetta stone” was The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch, which came out in 2006, the same year as The Starfish and the Spider. The combination of those books changed the trajectory of our lives. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 6). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

This book combines principles from Brafman’s book and insights from Alan Hirsch with the authors’ own thoughts, experiences, and suggestions.

Again, our end goal is to see the church as movement reactivated, where all six of the mDNA elements can be cultivated and catalyzed. In The Permanent Revolution, Alan describes it this way: In short, apostolic [missional] movement involves a radical community of disciples, centered on the lordship of Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, built squarely on a fivefold ministry, organized around mission where everyone (not just professionals) is considered an empowered agent, and tends to be decentralized in organizational structure. . . . Apostolic movements require that we see church beyond its more institutional forms—as a movement of the whole people of God active in every sphere and domain of society. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 9-10). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The above quote pretty much summarizes the book.

Alan Hirsch: The idea of organization has been described as “the mobilization of bias.”5 In other words, every organization is formed to achieve certain outcomes that can’t be achieved individually. It is important for leadership to take responsibility for the re-biasing of the organization or church to achieve the outcomes that Jesus intended for it. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 10). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

When we restarted Liberty Church as LifeNet (Life Community Network), we worked to restructure the church around missional (disciple making) values instead of what has traditionally worked in the Western church. The church I love seeks to develop new people rather than showcase the most talented. It is no accident that Jesus chose very “ordinary” people to be the foundation of his worldwide apostolic movement. They became extraordinary when the Holy Spirit filled them and enabled them to follow Christ’s teachings and example.

The church literally exploded on to the scene on that first Pentecost after our Lord’s resurrection. It takes enormous trust in God to allow people to take initiative. The authors point out that what keeps things on track are common values, common mission, trust in God and one another, and great communication.

For those in teams, the most important thing to remember is this: you are in a peer relationship with those around you. This means each member commits to be willing to both give and receive feedback, critique, encouragement, and opinion in the spirit of generous discourse among team members. The commitment is to actively view one another as peer mentors and for each person to broaden their view of their own responsibilities. Everyone vows to keep eyes, ears, and minds open to issues, opportunities, threats, and solutions. When people work together with freedom as an overarching premise, they are motivated not by a single charismatic leader but by the shared vision and goals that come from the mission itself. In a setting such as this, team members are peers, working together as such and holding one another accountable for the overall performance and results of the group as a whole. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

In the starfish expression, we see that every member contains within them a church, and every church contains within it a movement. Here in the West, we have a hard time conceiving of this possibility of power being so decentralized. Yet outside the Western world, this view is quite normal. The starfish is best represented by the viral spread of the underground organic church movements in China, India, and many other places around the world. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 20). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Small groups generally are the building blocks of organic church movements.

Imagine the church as a decentralized network of multiplying disciples, missional leaders, and microchurches, the smallest and most essential expression of church. Unlike a denomination or association of churches, which confers ordination and provides general accountability to church leaders through centralized structure, a starfish movement is apostolic—organized around mission breaking through in new contexts—and organizes as a network of networks, made up of families of churches with a common focus, minus the restrictive structures of a denomination.5 (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 19). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Martin Luther championed the idea of the priesthood of the believer, meaning that the New Testament church does not rely upon a professional clergy to mediate between God and the ordinary people. Jesus through the Holy Spirit makes every disciple a minister.

In the Harvard Business Review article “Understanding ‘New Power’,” authors Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms make the following distinction between “old power,” what we call the spider, and “new power,” what we call starfish: Old power works like a currency. It is held by few. Once gained, it is jealously guarded, and the powerful have a substantial store of it to spend. It is closed, inaccessible, and leader-driven. It downloads, and it captures. New power operates differently, like a current. It is made by many. It is open, participatory, and peer-driven. It uploads, and it distributes. Like water or electricity, it’s most forceful when it surges. The goal with new power is not to hoard it but to channel it.12

Alan Hirsch: In every group of people—and this is particularly true of God’s people, the body of Christ—intelligence is not focused in one or two people but is laced throughout the organization (e.g., 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Eph. 4:1–16). Every part has a role to play in the success and maturity of the whole. This is called distributed intelligence. I invite you to compare your church with that of the New Testament, and be willing to rethink your own structures in the light of Jesus’ original design. New power gains influence from growing other’s capacity and increasing their influence to move beyond consumption and join in as cocreators. God’s design for the Body is clearly one of new power: From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:16 ESV) (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 23-24). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Could it be that the reason that many leaders unconsciously seek to supplant Jesus’ role as leader of the church is because of a lack of faith in the Spirit’s capacity to administrate the church? Giving ordinary people permission to minister and take initiative can feel as if we are losing control. Exactly!

We aren’t designed for old power, which is built on institutional hierarchy, but new power, which flows and feels like organic systems: a body, yeast, seeds, trees, living temples, and vines. Let’s consider again the old power models. Heimans and Timms describe it this way: Old power models tend to require little more than consumption. . . . But new power taps into people’s growing capacity—and desire—to participate in ways that go beyond consumption. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 25). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The focus shifts from developing your own leadership to multiplying and developing the influence of others, decentralizing the power and authority out to them while activating their gifts, their dreams, and their kingdom assignments. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 28). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Coaches don’t want to be the hero, but bosses often do. Coaches find their joy in making heroes of others. By the time they return to Antioch, Paul and Barnabas are peers. When we allow our organizations to be ruled on the Spirit’s shoulders, governance happens regularly, distributed throughout the organization. No longer does it rest on one single leader but becomes a key process shared by many. It changes the way we function in leadership by changing the way we view our roles. Distributed leadership means that “functions that traditionally reside with a CEO or executive team (move) into processes that are enacted throughout the organization, (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 116). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Family and freedom are as important as anything for those who hope to perpetuate movemental endeavors. Leaders who trust their teams like family show the greatest trust in God because God is in the people that make up those teams. Developing cultures of freedom is the proof of trust and belief in the Spirit of God to do his work through his people. Any team member should be able to talk to anyone about anything relating to the organization and its endeavors. Freedom in our workplaces is the most natural and efficient way to operate. God has even designed our neurology so freedom within the safety of family environment is sought and rewarded. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 112). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Just as there is the full potential of a forest in every seed, so too is the task of leadership to help every disciple to be a movement in the making.17 (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 27). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

When we launched LifeNet, our goal was to simplify church so that our members could devote more time with their friends and neighbors in the hope of influencing them toward the kingdom of God.

The gospel presence of an extended spiritual family on mission is, in the authors’ opinion, the most compelling witness to be offered to our current culture. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 202). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The idea is that we are to be salt and life wherever we are and in whatever roles we have in society. God wants the church to impact the world.

Alan Hirsch: The true following of Jesus (discipleship) requires some form of profound conversion, one that implies engagement of our whole being with the whole of reality, with God at its center. More specifically, conversion requires that we give the whole of ourselves irrevocably to the whole of God in a way that involves the whole of creation. Everything changes! (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 172). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

That’s the end game of the movement starfish: to fill everything every way with the fullness of Jesus. The movement starfish is designed to embody, in a practical and measurable way, the end we are seeking—a missional movement. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 37). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The book devotes a lot of pages to discussing how to multiply through disciple making, which is the main mission of the church, according to the Great Commission.

Outside of mission, disciples harden and become souvenirs sitting in services and small groups, at best dim reminders of what they were meant to be—agents of mission and healing. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 208). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Furthermore, mission is not something outside of God. Mission is woven into his very nature. Mission is the heartbeat of God. This is the reason God left his throne on mission. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 209). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Mission is not meant to be a category of activity that we try to fit into the discretional time slot in our lives as a “volunteer” who serves on the weekends or a “member who brings a friend to church.” It is all of life. When volunteering or bringing a friend to a weekend service is the overflow of a mission-fixated, incarnational lifestyle, it’s beautiful. When it is a substitute, we’ve settled for a domesticated version of Christianity that will never change the world. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 211). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Therefore, the degree to which they are fixated on mission is the degree to which effective disciple-making happens. It is a necessary ingredient for intentional disciple-making. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 209). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

When we launched LifeNet, our goal was to become more effective at making disciples instead of mere church goers. We have not yet succeeded, but we are still moving in that direction. Disciple making requires instruction, modeling, and participation in the ministry, not simply listening to a talking head download information to us.

In the Western religious experience, content and doctrine are king. Much of what is labeled “discipleship,” “confirmation,” or “training” in the church is just a data dump. We are content focused, fueled, and fixated. The emphasis is on transferring content, with little concern for whether people are actually transformed or multiplying. Content-codependence is the diagnosis. Our addiction to “content” enables immaturity and underachievement in disciple-making. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 215). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The church that aims at mission will have to do ministry, because ministry is the means to mission. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 208). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Clearly making disciples is the greatest challenge we face as the church.

Discipling—which involves coaching and mentoring—is never simply a transactional program; it includes an offer of some level of life together. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 114). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The authors believe that imparting a missional core to small groups so that their central purpose is to multiply is essential.

The microchurches set entire oikos ablaze with the grace of God, like wildfire igniting an entire relational network with the gospel. By now you might be sensing how different this is from what most churches call small groups. Unlike traditional small groups, microchurches are a pure missionary endeavor, where the gospel is planted into a network or neighborhood and disciples emerge and form a new community. These groups are proximate and incarnational in that neighborhood or network, unlike traditional small groups in which professionals usually organize people from many networks and neighborhoods into groups. Because microchurches are embedded into a particular neighborhood or network of relationships, daily discipleship and gospel community become the norm. This is vastly different from most small groups, which are typically formed for assimilation and content delivery to churchgoers. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 46). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Imagine if every street had at least two people who said, “I will bless the people on this street! I will begin in prayer for each neighbor. I will listen deeply to the story of my neighbors and my neighborhood. I will eat with them. I will serve them. I will share the good news.” As the gospel is planted in that context, Jesus draws people to himself, disciples are multiplied, and a house—a new expression of the church—emerges. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 49). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Multiplying Disciples Disciple: a person who hears and obeys Jesus. The movement starfish begins with developing disciples, people who hear and obey Jesus in all of life. Then those disciples make other disciples. The critical starting point of any faith movement is the flourishing and multiplying that happens when individuals become owners of the faith. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 50). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

As we look at the inspiring stories of phenomenal apostolic movements in history, all are first and foremost disciple-making systems. On this, Alan remarks, “The rather funny thing is that they never appear to get beyond this—they never move beyond mere disciple making. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 154). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Disciple-making isn’t about being the expert. It’s about learning and adding back in the basic key ingredients any cook can find, which the people of God have known and practiced for centuries. It doesn’t require an advanced degree, a lot of complex preparation, or complicated skills. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 167-168). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Multiplying Leaders Leader: a disciple who has made disciples. As people begin to multiply disciples, they become leaders, often without knowing it. As each disciple becomes one who makes one, who can make another, then all followers are invited to be leaders. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 50-51). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Multiplying Houses (Microchurches) House: an extended spiritual family, led by ordinary people, who live in everyday gospel community and own the mission of Jesus in a network of relationships. Also known as a microchurch. Some call these missional communities or organic churches. As we multiply missional teams and microchurches, we start filling neighborhoods and networks. These usually range from ten to fifty people who can meet in homes or second and third spaces while living in daily gospel community. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 51). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Multiplying Hubs Hub: an apostolic team using a shared space to fuel and equip a network of disciples, leaders, and microchurches in a city or region. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Multiplying Networks Network: two or more hubs/churches intentionally and collaboratively working together in a city or region around a shared kingdom mission. In the New Testament, we witness the power of networks. A microchurch is a network of disciples that make up a new spiritual family on mission. The church in a city—like Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, or Ephesus—is a network of microchurches. The churches/hubs in a city network work together with other churches/hubs in other cities, forming a regional network. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 54-55). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

From this point on, the authors devote almost three-fourths of the book to measuring movements and developing strategies for multiplying disciples and leaders. Below are some notable quotes.

Rank-based concepts create a hierarchy. At the top are leaders, a select and privileged few. Below them are followers, the vast majority.6 This type of thinking quashes the collective intelligence of an organization. It shuts down creativity, heart, and drive under the mindset that only a small group of “gifted” ones contain the competence for decision-making. Sadly, leadership like this slams the door on the unlimited potential of most of our team members. Even more tragic is that the gifts God wants to give our organizations via the silenced majority are summarily rejected by the upper echelon. When this happens, we aren’t playing with the full deck God has dealt us. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 88). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Jesus alone can bear the weight of headship. Yet many, if not most, churches see the lead pastor or a handful of leaders as the “head in residence” in lieu of Jesus. This happens subtly and subversively, not so much intentionally, because church leaders have inherited a centuries-old social contract that must be actively deconstructed in order for Jesus’ rightful headship to become apparent to all. Whereas this model of false headship is characterized by a crushing weight and level of difficulty that is hard beyond bearing, the headship of Jesus offers us a refreshing and radical alternative. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28–30) (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 94-95). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

When we view church and faith-based organizations as typical businesses, we end up viewing those who should be our yokefellows and peers as employees and subordinates. As we will show later, this is not to say everyone has the same role or ability. Different giftings and talents equip us all for different roles. What causes us to go off the rails—through the sin of lording over others—is the tendency to rank the rarer gifts and talents of a few servants above the more common gifts and talents held by others. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 98). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

The starfish goal is not to give everyone the exact same volume of power. The quest is to make everyone as powerful as possible. This means we let go of the overwrought identity of leader and embrace the roll of a catalyst. The catalyst shapes culture and DNA but is happy to cede control in the moment to the members of the team. In letting go of the headship role, the catalyst transfers deep, shared ownership and responsibility to the circle under the leadership of the Spirit of God. The results are freedom for creativity, greater buy-in, lasting stability, mutual respect, and deeper community. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (pp. 123-124). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Making the titular shift from senior leader to coworker is not a negative change in status unless the leader feels the need to leverage his or her title or seniority. The starfish effect is not a demotion of any one leader. It is a promotion for everyone! It unleashes the servantship spirit throughout the organization. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 124). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Starfish thinking “does not mean that we are all interchangeable, or that we are all the same—with equal talents, experience, needs, ambitions, and so forth—or that we even make equal contributions. But what it does assert is that all members of the organization have equal standing.”11 This paradigm is rooted in the belief that the answers to our problems or opportunities are not relegated to top-tier leadership but can be found at any place within the circle. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 126). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

Self-management, and the green pastures of freedom it brings, is an appealing proposition. But higher degrees of freedom last only with greater degrees of responsibility. Entering these meadowlands means we can no longer hide in the barns of blaming bosses for our own mistakes, laziness, or indifference. To be treated like an adult requires acting like one. (Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. 145). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.)

I hope you will take time to read this book. I highlighted some of the more meaningful passages from my perspective. Perhaps you will gain other insights because of your unique perspective, gifting, and calling.

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Chapter 47: Lordship Matters – Authority to Heal the Sick

Note: This lesson builds on Lesson 25 – Redemption from Sickness and Disease, which lays out the theological framework for healing. This is more of a practical application.

One of the signs that should accompany the proclamation of the gospel is healing. Jesus instructed his disciples…

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.  Matthew 10:7–8 (NASB95) — 

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB)

Few things make us more desperate for a Savior than being sick, especially when there is nothing that a doctor can do for us. Sickness and disease are products of Adam’s sin, which corrupted creation and introduced death in all its forms. It represents an aberration from God’s original intent. The suffering it brings is a reminder of our weakness and mortality and reveals our need for a Savior.

Healing is a function of God’s mercy and love and reveals his desire to relieve human suffering.

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.  Matthew 14:14 (NASB95) —

In Exodus 15:26, God revealed that one of His names is, “Jehovah Rapha”… “I AM the LORD, who heals you.” The literal translation of this name is: “I AM your healing.” Healing is one of God’s unchanging attributes, and although God’s plans may change, He himself never changes (see Mal. 3:6). If God’s nature was to heal then, it is still His nature to heal today. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 37-38). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”  Exodus 15:26 (NASB95) —

In this verse, healing depended on Israel’s obedience. In the New Covenant, however, our healing is directly connected to Christ’s obedience. He earned our healing through his suffering.

Jesus accomplished our healing by the wounds He received during His passion and crucifixion. In other words, healing is part of the atonement.

An unbiased reading of Isaiah 53 can lead to no other conclusion.

Surely he took up our infirmities [literally, sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [literally, pains], yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)

The same Hebrew verbs refer to His carrying our sins and sicknesses. If He carried one away, then He did the same for the other. This interpretation is corroborated by Peter in his first letter.

He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds! 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

In order to make it even more clear, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to write the following, which absolutely links Isaiah 53 to physical healing.

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. All the spirits fled when he commanded them to leave; and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases." Matthew 8:16-17 (NLT)

Once a debt is paid, it never needs to be paid again. Jesus paid the debt for our sins and purchased our healing in the process.

The gospels link forgiveness to healing. Both are fruit of what Jesus accomplished by his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection.

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”  Mark 2:9–12 (NASB95) —

While it’s true that Jesus used this encounter as a visible demonstration of His authority to forgive sin, it also illustrates the relationship between forgiveness of sin and healing. Jesus has the same authority over both sin and sickness and the grace of God deals with them in the same way. With the same proclamation Jesus forgave the man’s sin and healed him of his sickness. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 39-40). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Jesus perfectly represents God the Father and his heart toward people. (Hebrews 1:3) Since he often healed people during his earthly ministry and commanded his disciples to do the same, we know that is God’s heart and intention.”

And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)

[Jesus said…] and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  Luke 10:9 (NASB95) —

Healing is “…a tangible demonstration of God’s power, love, mercy and compassion, a means of warfare against the kingdom of darkness, a means of making people spiritually, physically and emotionally whole and a way to bring people into a personal relationship with God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 26). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Some say that God no longer heals because now we have the written Bible, and we no longer need God to prove the truth of his message by demonstrations of power. The Word of God says, however, that Jesus is always the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Hebrews 13:8 (NASB95) —

His compassion for people has not changed. God’s desire to prove the truth of the gospel has not changed. The only difference is that we in the West believe that we only need logical arguments to satisfy our thirst for truth. This is a very “Greek” way of thinking that does not reflect God’s wisdom.

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:22–24 (NASB95) —

Everyone deeply needs to experience God’s power as well as his truth. That is why Paul operated in both realms when he brought the gospel to people.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NASB95) —

Healing is kind of a dinner bell calling people to salvation. When healing takes place, people flock to hear the gospel message. Nothing more clearly reveals God’s love and personal interest to a seeker than a physical healing.

When people see that Jesus has the power to heal, they can more readily believe He has the power to deliver their souls from hell, give them eternal life, redeem them for all oppression, and restore them to intimacy with the Father.

Healing not only applies to the body: God also heals the soul (mind, will, emotions). He heals marriages, old hurts and wounds, and areas in which we have been devastated by the devil, other people, or our own sin.

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”  Psalm 41:4 (NASB95) —

The Good Shepherd loves people and wants the best for us. Those who have his heart for others will feel the same and do as he did.

Jesus is looking for those who will take the gospel and his healing ministry to the lost and dying.

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  Matthew 9:35–38 (NASB95) —

Somehow, we have concluded that representatives of Christ should only preach the gospel. I think these verses and others reveal that we are to minister physical and other kinds of healing, too. Is our reluctance to do so because we are afraid of looking foolish if healing does not seem to take place? Are we more concerned about our own reputation than we are determined to properly represent God’s heart to those who need his healing touch?

After His resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Acts of the Apostles records that the early Christians preached the gospel with signs following that confirmed the truth of their words. This has been the pattern for evangelism from the beginning of the church.

Healing and evangelism are inextricably linked.

Healing has been called the “children’s bread,” which refers to Jesus’ conversation with the Syro-Phoenician woman. She begged Jesus to heal her daughter, but Our Lord replied that it was not proper to take the “children’s bread” and cast it to the “dogs,” an analogical and perhaps derogatory term for non-Jewish people. Not to be deterred, this faith-filled woman responded that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the family table. Jesus responded to her humility and persistent faith by granting her request.

From this passage we learn that anyone who comes to the Lord with persistent faith can reasonably expect Him to mercifully heal them and their loved ones. Warning: this is not a law or a rule, but a principle.

This principle of God’s willingness to heal us is confirmed by Jesus’ words to the leper who asked to be healed.

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Luke 5:12–13 (NASB95) —

There is no record of Jesus ever denying someone who asked for healing.

“Jesus healed all who came to Him. No one was turned away. As long as people were willing to be healed, He was willing to heal them. He didn’t heal all who were sick, but rather, He healed all who were willing to be made well.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 41). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

But what about when we pray and healing does not (seem to?) take place? All sorts of theories have been advanced as to why this happens. Some have concluded that the faith of the one seeking healing or the one praying was deficient since healing has been bought and paid for already. Some have looked for other reasons, such as unconfessed sin or other such hindrances.

While all these things may play a factor, I believe it is important for us to acknowledge that sometimes we simply do not know why some are not healed.

We should not “blame” the unhealed person or the minister for not having enough faith, even though that may be the case. The blame game belongs to the devil, the Accuser of the Brethren, and could put us in the same camp as Job’s friends who said that his suffering was a punishment for his sin, when that was not the case at all. God was simply dealing with Job in an incomprehensible way. It was only at the end that it became clear what God had accomplished through Job’s suffering.

We need to disassociate ourselves from looking for deficiencies in ourselves and others. Instead, it is important for us to see ourselves as Christ’s representatives.

“The key to operating in the power of God is in knowing your identity in Christ and knowing how He wants to work in you. You must shed the false identities you’ve accepted from man and receive the identity given to you by God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 52). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

When it comes to healing, our primary responsibility always is to love people, trust God, and hold on to what the Bible teaches, regardless of the perceived outcome.

We will never go wrong if we seek to bring glory and honor to our Lord by our attitude, words, and actions. The one who endures the adversity of apparently not being healed and does not complain or accuse God perhaps glorifies God more than the person who experiences physical healing. Who is sufficient for these things?

If we are suffering from sickness, the first thing we can do is fully surrender to God and ask Him to glorify Himself through our lives and our present situation. I believe by so doing we maximize our ability to hear His voice, know His will, and believe His Word.

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95) —

The truth is that we already have been healed, whether it appears so or not. The price was fully paid at Calvary.

Faith receives our healing immediately without waiting for any outward manifestation. Nevertheless, the timing and method of our experiencing that healing lies entirely with God.

We still live in a fallen world. Everyone is destined to die, barring Christ’s return before that happens. (Hebrews 9:27) The most perfect expression of healing will take place at the resurrection when these mortal bodies will be replaced by spiritual ones that will never get sick or die. Until then, we live in a sin-scarred world having bodies that are still subject to the effects of Adam’s sin. Our spirits are made perfect at the new birth. Our souls are being transformed day by day, but our bodies will not be perfected until the resurrection. This means we must be okay ministering inside the tension created by the “already / not yet” aspect of the kingdom of God.

Christ already paid the price for our healing, but we don’t always see an immediate result when we pray. However, our faith always rests upon the completed aspect of healing.

Here are some practical tips for praying for the sick.

  1. Practically speaking, we should expect that God will heal each time we pray.
  1. Teach those receiving ministry that they play a part, too.
    • They can ask for healing,
    • Believe for healing,
    • Receive their healing, and
    • Thank God for their healing. All of which requires faith and an open heart.
  1. Prior to praying, it might be advisable to share some Bible verses with the sick person to elevate his or her faith. Remind the one receiving ministry that…
    • One of God’s compound names is the Lord who heals us. It is his nature to heal.
    • Jesus already paid the price for our healing.
    • Jesus further revealed God’s desire to heal us by healing everyone who came to him.
    • Faith receives immediately what God promised before it ever sees any evidence. Faith is the evidence. (Hebrews 11:1)
    • Remember that our faith rests on the promises of God made effective by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of our Lord Jesus.

We must understand that the power to heal resides with us. It is true that the power does not originate in us. It comes from God. But it comes to us and is released through us by the power of the Holy Spirit operating in us. We are something like portable power stations walking the earth. How marvelous it is that He has placed His treasure in these very earthen vessels. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 84). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

  1. Worship is always a good thing. It brings the sick person and the one praying into the manifest presence of God. “God’s glory brings healing, deliverance, creative miracles, and much more into existence. Wherever God’s presence is manifested in this way, heaven touches earth.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 94). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]
  1. Ask the Holy Spirit for any specific instructions.

“To operate successfully in healing it’s imperative to establish a strong, active relationship with the Holy Spirit. All that we do must be led and powered by the Spirit of God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 103). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“Always invite the Holy Spirit to lead the healing encounter and allow Him to do with the person what He wants done. Ministry with the Holy Spirit is a dance. He leads and we follow.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 105). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“A word of knowledge may be given to encourage us to pray for a condition we wouldn’t normally have faith to heal. One of the first words of knowledge I received was for a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease. At this point in my life I had no faith that I’d ever see this condition healed. When I gave the word to him and his wife, it boosted their hope.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 118). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“If you’d like to receive words of knowledge, ask God to reveal things to you and spend time getting to know His ways. The revelation gifts are relational and time is the commodity of relationships.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 119). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. It is a good idea to lay hands upon the sick, since Jesus often did it that way and the Bible encourages us to do the same. (Mark 16:18) The only place we are instructed to anoint with oil is in a command to elders in the church. (James 5:14)
  1. When we pray for the sick, we should do so aloud with confidence, more in the way of a command than a petition. We represent Christ and enforce his victory by using our God-given authority to speak words of liberation.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;  Isaiah 61:1 (NASB95) —
  1. It is okay to pray more than once for a particular issue. Jesus did so in the case of the blind man who was only partially healed at first.
Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.  Mark 8:23–25 (NASB95) —

 “Among my friends who have the highest success rates in healing, there is agreement on one approach that seems to work best. It involves commanding sickness or pain to leave and commanding healing to take its place. Don’t beg or plead with God to heal anyone. The most common mistake people make is begging God to heal. The second is quitting too soon. Persistence brings breakthrough. You’ll have to get used to a little embarrassment. You may look a bit foolish repeatedly commanding a broken leg to be healed when there is no outward sign that it’s helping. Yet the vast majority of healings I’ve seen came because I stood there looking like an idiot, repeatedly commanding an injury to be healed until it finally was healed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 107-108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“When I started seeing people healed, most of it came after four or five times of commanding healing to happen. Be persistent and don’t quit. If you see any change in symptoms or severity of pain after four or five times, keep going. You’re making progress. If you see any change at all, you can eventually get it to go away completely.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 108-109). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. Consider the possibility that an evil spirit of infirmity might be present. We handle that by casting it out.

“If healing is going poorly consider the possibility that a spirit is present that must be removed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“When praying with someone, if they suddenly experience pain they didn’t have before, or if a present sensation of pain moves to another part of the body or becomes worse, it’s a sure sign that an evil spirit is manifesting. Demons sometimes manifest to frighten their host. If the demon can create enough fear in the mind of its host they may ask you to stop praying for them, thinking you’re only making things worse. My advice in these cases is to tell them there is a spirit present and the increased pain is a tactic it’s using to frighten them. Ask if you may continue and reassure them it will eventually leave.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 163-164). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“If someone receives prayer from multiple people with a good track record for healing and no progress is being made, it almost certainly points to a demonic presence that hasn’t been dealt with.”  [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 219). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. We should not be afraid to ask the person if they experienced healing after we pray. We may discover that the person was completely healed, only partially healed, or nothing seemed to happen. Our attitude should be to stick with it as long as it takes as long as the recipient is willing. Just listen to the Lord and do what he says. Once I prayed for my wife to be healed of a headache. Afterward I asked her if it was gone. She said no, so I prayed again. The second time it left immediately.

Refuse to be embarrassed if nothing seems to happen. Our reputation is not on the line. God’s is, and he can handle it.

If after repeated prayer, no healing seems to take place, I usually tell the person to keep believing because every healing is not instantaneous.

We must also keep in mind that eventually we all will die.

Healing is always a temporary fix at best. The resurrection is the final solution for these mortal bodies, which are wearing out and proceeding inexorably toward death.

May God be glorified by our faith in His promises and our trust in his loving kindness, wisdom, and sovereign power, no matter what. May we glorify God by receiving our healing by faith and by trusting him even if we do not experience healing in this life. May the gospel be confirmed by the bold pronouncement of healing in Jesus’ name followed by healing and miracles!

For further reading, I recommend two other books. Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth and Divine Healing Made Simple by the Praying Medic (Dave Hayes).

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Have you ever seen someone receive instantaneous healing?
  2. Have you ever prayed for someone who was healed?
  3. Do you have any fears or misgivings regarding praying for the sick?
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What Psalm 23 Reveals about God and the Gospel

Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful and most quoted passages in the Bible and reveals a lot about God and the gospel. It was inspired by the Spirit of God and written and sung by King David, who was an accomplished musician and poet. It has endured for three millennia and will continue forever because it is the unchangeable word of God. This compact psalm is packed with revelation about God’s heart and nature. Let’s take a look at it line by line. I will be using the New Living Translation for the most part.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 (NLT) —

Here the Spirit revealed through David that God the Lord is our shepherd, who provides, guides, and protects. David called him Yahweh-raah, the Lord my shepherd. If we know and rely upon him as our shepherd, we have everything we need. Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. (John 10:11) He did this to bring us back to the Father by providing forgiveness for our sins, setting us free from all that enslaves us, giving us life eternal through the Holy Spirit, and making us children of God through the new birth. Ultimately we will co-rule with Christ over his creation. This is what Jesus called “abundant life.” Once we come to know Jesus as our Shepherd, life will never be the same.

Gospel Hint: If we encounter a person who feels lost, abandoned, or who generally needs a “shepherd,” we should present Christ as the One they seek. He proved his love for us at the cross and his ability to take care of us at the resurrection.

Another Old Testament compound name for God was revealed to Abraham when God tested him regarding his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. When the angel restrained his hand, Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket that he could use in Isaac’s place. He named that place Yahweh-Jireh – the Lord who Provides. 

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14 (NASB95) —

In the hour of his testing and obedience, God’s provision became apparent. When we truly get to know God, we find out that providing for his people is part of his nature. It is who he is. We should never doubt his kind intention to provide for our every need.

Gospel Hint: Is we find someone who is afraid that they will not have what they need, we should introduce Jesus the Good Shepherd and provider. We can always count on God to provide. If we surrender our lives to him, he graciously extends his care to us.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 (NLT) —

For sheep green meadows and peaceful streams are part of God’s provision for them, but this verse focuses more on peace and rest. Jesus promised that he will give his disciples peace that passes natural understanding. God revealed himself to Gideon as Yahweh-shalom, the Lord who is our peace, on the day he commissioned him to fight for Israel against seemingly insurmountable odds. (Judges 6:24) Peace does not depend on our circumstances, but on God’s promises and his presence in our lives. 

Jesus said that he will give us peace in the midst of the storms we encounter in life.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (NASB95) —

Peace is one of the defining characteristics of those who know God. It is a fruit or result of God’s Spirit inhabiting and transforming us on the inside. The more we trust and rely on our Good Shepherd, the greater our peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7 (NASB95) —

Gospel Hint: When we encounter someone who is afraid, we should tell them about the Good Shepherd who relieves us of our fears and replaces them with peace that passes understanding. His perfect loves displaces or casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Psalm 23:3 (NLT) —

In this case, it is a good idea to compare the New Living Translation with the more literal New American Standard Bible, which translates this verse as follows.

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 (NASB95) —

Our strength is renewed as the Good Shepherd restores and heals our souls. When we are born again, God makes our spirits brand new, but our souls still need work. The new birth is once for all, but the restoration of the soul takes a lifetime. This is part of Jesus’ ministry as healer. Everywhere Jesus went he healed and restored people. He still does today, but now he uses his Spirit-filled people to accomplish the work. Before we can help others, we need to experience his healing and restorative work in our own lives.

One of the compound names of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh-raphah, the Lord who heals. (Exodus 15:26) Healing is part of God’s nature or character. It is not something we have to wrestle from him. It flows from his kind heart to hurting people. Healing and deliverance from demonic oppression accompanied the preaching of the gospel in Jesus’ and the apostles’ day. Nothing has changed in God’s plan. God means for people to experience his healing and restorative touch today, too. 

Gospel Hint: If we encounter someone who has physical, emotional, or spiritual pain or disease, we should offer to pray for them as we tell them that Jesus still heals. We never know what God may do.

Right paths and paths of righteousness are different ways of looking at the same thing. God revealed himself as our righteousness in the Old Testament.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:6 (NASB95) —

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he provided a right relationship with God or “justification” for those who put their faith and allegiance in him. By taking our sins upon himself and exchanging our sin with his right standing with God, we became righteous before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are not self-righteous, but righteous in Christ. Apart from him we have nothing.

Now that we have right standing with God, he is working his righteousness into us on a daily basis. In other words, the Holy Spirit is transforming us on the inside so that we more and more think, speak, and act like Jesus. This allows us to “walk” as Jesus did in “paths of righteousness.” When we live like this it brings honor to God and blessings to us.

Gospel Hint: Sometimes we encounter people whose lives are a mess. We can introduce the Good Shepherd to them as the one who can restore them and get them on a path to blessings and success. It starts with their surrendering everything to Jesus the Lord and receiving all he has to offer, which is mainly himself.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT) —

Everyone eventually goes through a dark place. It can be very scary, especially if we feel all alone. One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is “Do not fear. I am with you.” (Genesis 26:24, Deuteronomy 31:8, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 14:27, and John 6:20) God revealed himself in the Old Testament as the ever-present One, Yahweh-shammah (Ezekiel 48:35). King David knew God in this way, too, as revealed in Psalm 139. Jesus also is known as the One who is present in his name Emmanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23) Our Lord also promised that the Holy Spirit, his executor here on earth and our helper, will always be with us.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16 (NASB95) —

The Spirit’s presence in our lives is our most precious gift. Nothing compares. Because Jesus died and rose again, when we put our faith and allegiance in him, God comes to live inside us forever! We will never be alone again.

Gospel Hint: Abandonment is one of our greatest fears. Many people feel rejected and alone. Ultimately this is because our sin separated us from God. Jesus fixed this problem. All who put their faith and allegiance in him never need to be alone again.

The rod and staff represent the shepherd’s commitment to protect and guide his sheep. One of God’s compound names in the Old Testament is Yahweh-Mekoddishkem – The Lord who sanctifies you. (Exodus 31:13) God is committed to transforming us into Christ’s image as we navigate this life with his help. His loving discipline is represented by the rod. God disciplines all his children because he loves them. (Hebrews 12:6)

Gospel Hint: God accepts us just as we are, but he doesn’t leave us there. Most people would like to be better people. Only God can get us there as we learn that he is committed to transforming us on the inside without condemning us for our many failures. (John 5:24, Romans 8:1)

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT) —

God revealed himself in the Old Testament as Yahweh-nissi, the Lord our banner in battle. (Exodus 17:15) Sometimes we think that peace requires us to be delivered from the threat or presence of our enemies. God prepares a feast for us right in front of our enemies. He wants us to ignore the enemy and focus on him. The Bible teaches us the the battle is the Lord’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15) He has already defeated Satan and his evil allies. All authority in heaven and earth has already been given to our Lord Jesus. Nothing can happen to us without the permission of our Lord, and he promises to work out everything, even the bad things, for our good. (Romans 8:28)

God wants us to learn how to stand against evil. (Ephesians 6:13) We do this by understanding that we are protected by God. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) Our enemies must go through God to get to us. This does not mean that we will never encounter tests, trials, or danger. It does mean that God is always with us as we go through these things. He is our victory. Our faith makes us overcomers in everything. (1 John 5:4)

Gospel Hint: When we talk to people who are in the midst of some kind of battle, we can show them that God promises to be with us in the battle and has already overcome the enemy. If we trust in him, he will give us peace in the midst of our struggles.

One of the most exciting things about being a follower of Christ is participating with him in liberating other people. When Jesus launched his earthly ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 and said that God’s Spirit rested upon him, anointing him for ministry. (Luke 4:18) The anointing, which represents the Spirit’s power and presence operating in and through us, is what we need to effectively minister to others. God honors us by allowing us to participate with him.

God is not stingy. He overflows with blessings and has more than enough for all those who trust in him. This ties into God’s being our Shepherd and provider. As we are blessed by God, we can pass these on to others.

Gospel Hint: Many people live outside of God’s blessings because they have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. The gospel promises God’s richest blessings upon all who trust and follow Jesus.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 (NLT) —

Instead of being hounded by the curse associated with sin, Jesus opened the door for us to be pursued relentlessly by God’s goodness and mercy as long as we live. When we die, we have the promise of being with God forever.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1–3 (NLT) —

Gospel Hint: Jesus provides his followers with blessings here on earth and eternal life with him in heaven. Who would not want this?

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Chapter 32: Lordship Matters – Jesus Is Lord

This chapter begins a new section entitled “Lordship Matters.” The part we just completed focused mainly on different aspects of Christ’s finished work of salvation. Now that we have a better idea of what our Savior has done for us, we will look at what is involved with Christ being our Lord.

Paul wrote that confessing Jesus as Lord is what saves us. (Romans 10:9-10) Adam’s and Eve’s sin was a renouncing of their submission to God. They chose instead to obey the serpent. It is not surprising, therefore, that the fundamental element of our salvation is the reestablishment of our proper relationship to Christ’s lordship.

The early church boldly declared the central truth of the gospel that “Jesus is Lord,” which was a clear provocation to Roman rule and law. Romans were required to publicly confess that Caesar was lord (a divine title), sometimes on pain of death, which would be a violation of any true believer’s conscience. Many a Christian died a martyr’s death for standing firm in his confession of Christ’s Lordship. Today, here in America, we are currently not threatened in such a way by the governing authorities; nevertheless, it is just as important to confess and live in such a way that it is apparent to all who is the Lord.

In earlier times, the concept of lordship was easily understood. People lived with daily exposure to human lordship in operation all around them. Kings ruled over their subjects, doing what they wished and expecting absolute obedience from their people. Slave masters ruled over their slaves. Women generally regarded their husbands as lords of the home. Today things are not so clear to us here in America. We have lived for over 200 years under a republican form of government that believes a ruler’s authority and right to rule are derived from the consent of the people. The idea of a lord having absolute authority over us is usually only something we find in the military in our country.

Paul wrote the following words as a guiding principle for understanding how to properly relate to authority.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1 (NASB)

Here we learn that all authority is established by God, who is the supreme authority. As such, authorities here on earth are supposed to represent God’s rule. Paul went on to explain what the proper functioning of authority looks like.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Romans 13:3-4 (NASB)

Our founding fathers were convinced that any government that misrepresents God by imposing tyranny on its subjects must be resisted, overthrown, and replaced with a more godly form of government. They viewed Great Britain as having violated their own Constitution, which invalidated their right to rule over the colonists.

Paul and the other apostles also lived under a tyrannical form of government imposed by Rome. However, he did not advocate for resistance or armed rebellion against their overlords. Instead, they told followers of Christ to submit to the government, unless it required them to disobey God or violate their consciences.

The general principle for us today is to obey delegated authority whenever we are able to do so in good conscience.

As citizens of a constitutional republic, we have the responsibility to participate in our government, at least to the extent of voting for our representatives. When government overreaches by going beyond what is constitutional and takes away our God-given freedoms, as it did during the Covid lockdown, it is our responsibility not to obey, but to resist in non-violent ways. If push comes to shove, however, it is conceivable that violence might be required. Nevertheless, that would be a last resort. The first obligation is to obey whenever possible.

Today, because live in a society and under a government of elected officials, we are comfortable evaluating and even criticizing those in authority. We often regard what authorities tell us to do as if they are mere suggestions rather than commands. This attitude extends beyond government into the home, the workplace, and school. Many even transfer this kind of thinking to their relationship with God. We may not take seriously what God’s Word says. We may find it easy to say “No” to the Lord of Lords, or, in a passive aggressive way, perhaps simply ignore Him for days on end.

Jesus warned us against this sort of mentality and behavior.

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

We understand from a previous teaching that Jesus explained that the primary way of “doing his will” is to put our faith and allegiance in him.

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29  Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29 (NLT)

However, genuine faith will always produce acts of obedience to God through the inner transformative work of the Holy Spirit.

As James wrote: “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20) As we work through the next several chapters on lordship matters, it will be important for us to keep in mind this connection between faith and works and grace and obedience. It will force us to navigate the tension between having God for our friend and knowing him as Lord. Hopefully, we can arrive at a place where we have a proper fear of God that produces the obedience of faith without any damage being done the sense of wonder inspired by his amazing love for us and the grace he extends our way.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Do you think our founding fathers were biblically correct in their assessment that Great Britain governed illegitimately, since they violated their own constitution by denying rights to the colonists, and deserved to be overthrown?
  2. Why do you suppose that we generally balk at giving others the ability to tell us what to do?
  3. Do you think that most who claim to be Christians know Jesus as Savior and Lord, or just as Savior? Why do you think this?
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Chapter 46: Lordship Matters – Authority to Cast Out Demons

The preaching of the gospel signifies the coming of God’s kingdom. Healings, miracles, and casting out demons should regularly accompany this proclamation of freedom from Satan’s dominion.

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB)

The purpose of this teaching is to equip the hearer to become knowledgeable and confident to step out in faith with reliance upon the Spirit of God to set people free from demonic oppression. God loves to use ordinary people who believe his promises, rely on his Spirit, and step out in faith. Ordinary people like us can do extraordinary things. Casting out demons is not a quick fix. Rather it is usually part of a more comprehensive process of helping people escape bondage. We don’t want to be guilty of having only one tool in our bag, say a hammer, and seeing every problem as a nail.

What is a demon?

Scripture is not clear on this matter. Some hold that they are fallen angels; while others believe they are some other malevolent creatures, who for some reason crave to inhabit and oppress humans. Probably they wish to have a bodily means of expressing their evil in the world, or it may simply be that they wish to mar the crown of God’s creation. Regardless of their origin, demons have power to oppress or demonize people, and Jesus came to set us free from their influence. In addition, our Lord delegated authority to his followers to do the same.

When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan and all in his kingdom suffered a complete defeat.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:8–11 (NASB95) —

Christ’s resurrection sealed the destruction of the kingdom of darkness and introduced the reign of God.

When we respond to the gospel, Father God transfer’s us from Satan’s rule into Jesus’ glorious kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,  Colossians 1:13 (NASB95) —
 
What is demonization?

Unfortunately, most Bible translations incorrectly describe demonic activity as “possession,” implying ownership and complete control over us. The Scriptures call it “demonization,” which can come in varying degrees. Let’s look at an example.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed (Greek: daimonizomai = English: demonized).  Mark 1:32 (NASB95)

What a difference it would make in our thinking if this had been translated like this.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were oppressed or harassed by demons (demonized).

Oppression communicates something very different from possession. Some who oppose the idea that a Christian can “have” a demon correctly argue that those who belong to Christ cannot be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since we belong to God. However, this does not preclude a Christian’s being oppressed by a demon, which happens quite often.

Demons oppress people in a variety of ways, using fear, intimidation, and deception. Below are the names given to these spirits in the Bible.

  • Demon (daimonion) – Matthew 7:22. This is the general term.
  • Evil Spirit (pneuma poneros) – Matthew 12:45. This is also a general term. All demons are evil. This goes for ghosts, poltergeists, etc. There is no Casper the friendly ghost. Don’t be deceived by the current fad of ghost busting. To learn more about this, consider reading Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes by Mark Hunnemann.
  • Unclean Spirit (pneuma akathartos) – Matthew 10:1. This is another general term, but one we in the West do not often use. The opposite of clean or holy is unclean or defiled. Unclean spirits defile what they touch. Jesus, the Clean One, cleanses unclean people with a touch. Part of his ministry was and is to drive out spirits of uncleanness. I think that sexual perversion can be demonic and defiles us.
  • Spirit of Infirmity, Weakness, or Sickness (pneuma astheneia) – Luke 13:11. Some sicknesses and diseases are caused by evil spirits. We must discern whether we are dealing with a “simple” sickness or one that is demonically induced. One requires healing. The other, deliverance.
  • Spirit of Fear, Timidity, or Cowardice (pneuma deilia) – 2 Timothy 1:7. Some spirits inspire fear in those they oppress. Spirits can only minister to others who they are and what they have. Perfect love (Jesus) drives out all fear.
  • Spirit of Python, Fortune Telling, Divination (pneuma puthon) – Acts 16:16. Evil spirits inspire false prophecy and other forms of divination (knowing things by means of an evil source). This is one reason why we must steer clear of demonically inspired sources of information, which include Ouija boards, fortune telling tarot cards, astrology, etc.. Satan always desires to bring people into bondage through false knowledge. He will reveal just enough truth to hook people, but his ultimate desire is to enslave and destroy us by means of clever lies.
  • Spirit of Slavery (pneuma douleia) – Romans 8:15. This spirit keeps people in bondage, often through fear and intimidation. Addictions may be at least partly caused by such a spirit. I believe these spirits are also at work in false religions and legalism.
  • Spirit of Antichrist (pneuma antichristos) – 1 John 4:3. This is the spirit behind false worship and false messiahs. It denies Christ and inspires others to do the same.
  • Spirit of Stupor (pneuma katanuxis) – Romans 11:8. This spirit seeks to dull people’s ability to hear and respond to God and the Gospel. When people start nodding off when anything spiritual is happening, it might be because of this spirit. Of course, they might be suffering from a lack of sleep, too.
  • Lying Spirit (ruach sheqer) – 2 Chronicles 18:22. This spirit works to keep people deceived. Some people are motivated by this spirit to lie. Others are lied to by this spirit. In the biblical example cited, lying spirits inspired false prophets to lie to the king to induce him to take a course of action that would result in his death. Today perhaps the legacy media is the closest parallel.

What evil spirits do according to the Bible.

  • Afflict – to apply pressure,
  • Harass – to distress or trouble,
  • Dispirit – to throw down,
  • Oppress – to exercise power over,
  • Torment –  to make a person hurt himself and cry out,
  • Inflict physical problems – such as sickness, deafness, blindness, muteness, seizures,
  • Try to destroy – such as throw someone into a fire,
  • Make insane – such as the Gerasene demoniac,
  • Defile – Unclean spirits afflict with impurity, sexual or otherwise,
  • Terrify – to fall upon, startle, inspire fear (Saul).
How do people become demonized?

I do not believe that demons are behind our every sin or problem. The greatest culprit we face is our own inborn propensity to sin, which the Bible calls the “flesh.” Paul advised us to…

… lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.  Ephesians 4:22–24 (NASB95) —

Even though our “flesh” should be our first suspect when we have a recurring problem, demons may be more prevalent than we think. They seek to take advantage of “open doors” in our lives to harass and oppress us.

Thankfully, they cannot oppress us at will if they have not been given access to do so.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, 
So a curse without cause does not alight.  Proverbs 26:2 (NASB95) —

We do not have to be worried about some demon “jumping on us,” nor do we have to be concerned that, if we touch a demonized person, the demon can transfer to us. Jesus often laid his hands on demonized people as part of the deliverance process.

And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.  Luke 13:10–13 (NASB95) —

In general, demons are attracted to some sort of “nest” of pain or lies or a “hook” created by some habitual or gateway sin by which to gain traction in our lives. Demons may gain access, it appears, in several ways. Here is a partial list.

  • When we give ourselves over to habitual sin, particularly bitterness, which opens our soul to whatever spirit or spirits may wish to “set up shop” in that area of sinfulness,
  • Sexual sin with a demonized partner,
  • If we participate in the occult in some way, even if it is done ignorantly,
  • If we are traumatized, especially when we are young, and we turn to someone or something other than God to help us,
  • If we give ourselves over to believing lies about God which contradict his character or the scriptures,
  • Through abuse, especially sexual abuse, especially when the abuse is done by someone who should be our protector, and
  • By the passing down of generational or family (familiar) spirits, such as when witchcraft is passed down from a parent or grandparent to a child.
  • Lately more demonic movies and TV shows are being aired. It is quite possible, I believe, for people who are watching these shows to open their hearts and minds to the demonic. It is akin to dabbling in the occult.
  • By opening our souls to evil through the use of drugs and mind altering chemicals.

Demons do not play fair and will take advantage of any opportunity or opening to oppress people, whether we sin intentionally or naively, as in occult involvement, or whether we commit sin or sin is committed against us, as in abuse. Parents, who are supposed to be protectors of their children, can open the door for their children to be demonized by bringing the occult, etc. into their homes.

Lastly, demons can even be sent by God to torment us if we refuse to forgive others.

“Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”  Matthew 18:32–35 (NASB95) —
 
How do we identify demons?

If we believe that demons exist, that they were defeated by our Lord, and that we have authority over them, how do we know when we are dealing with one? That is less straightforward except for those times when they clearly manifest their presence.

Generally, demons seek to remain undetected. Therefore, the first step is to identify the problem.

They want us to assume that the oppression we experience at their hands is of our own making. For example, if we are being bombarded with lustful thoughts from an unclean spirit, it wants us to think these thoughts are all from our own mind. If we do not know a demon is at work, we will not take steps to get rid of it.

Demons try to distract from God and his work. We must never allow them to become the main event or attraction. Rather, we should see them as a sideshow. The underlying problem(s) that gave demons access is (are) the main issue that needs to be addressed and resolved.

Some believe that we should always suspect a demon when a person has a recurrent or difficult problem with sin or addiction. I believe our problems are usually more complicated than that. When helping someone get free from devastating problems, I address their bondage by looking at obvious sin, especially bitterness, generational problems passed down through their family, lies believed, unhealed traumatic pain, and lastly, demons. We all have what the Bible calls the “flesh,” our inborn propensity to sin. The “flesh” never reforms or goes away; although, it does not have the power to rule us after we are born again. However, we can give in to it if we choose. I begin with delving into these various areas of bondage, understanding that I may encounter a demon along the way. I trust the Holy Spirit to reveal if one is there. Often removing the ”nest” gets rid of the demon.

When we allow Jesus to liberate and heal us in these areas and uncover demons, they are easily removed. Deliverance is the easiest part of helping people experience their freedom in Christ.

When healing people, about half the time Jesus simply spoke words of healing, and the rest of the time he identified the problem as having a demonic origin. Our Lord was able to discern the difference, and so must we.

It can be harmful and confusing if we try to cast out a demon that is not present.

Nothing will happen, leaving either us or the person receiving ministry confused. It may be decided that Jesus does not have the desire to help us or that the minister is powerless. The flesh cannot be cast out.

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern the presence or work of a demon (1 Corinthians 12:10), but it takes experience and faith to become proficient at it.

The gift of discerning of spirits is many-faceted. I know a person who told me that she can “smell” them. Others “see” them with spiritual discernment. Many detect their presence intuitively. Others “figure out” that they are the problem by analyzing the symptoms. Occasionally demons manifest in some obvious way. Each minister must figure out how God works through him or her. Personally, I must rely heavily on the Spirit of God since I cannot figure this stuff out on my own. I find this is the safest and most effective way to minister to people.

If we are convinced that the Holy Spirit will help us as we minister in Christ’s name and authority, it will enable us to step out in faith.  

I sometimes resort to commanding a suspected demon to manifest in a “controlled” way. I may pray something like this: “Evil spirit, if you are there, I command you to manifest in a way that Jesus allows and will not hinder or distract us in any way but will reveal your presence.” Once I suspected a young woman who was addicted to cigarettes may have been suffering from demonization. With her permission, I commanded any demon operating in her to manifest. She immediately had a vile taste in her mouth. I commanded the spirit to leave, and she was released from her addiction.

On a humorous side, once while ministering to a man, after we prayed, he heard a voice inside him say, “I am not going to leave either.” We both burst into laughter, realizing that a demon just revealed its presence. We immediately cast it out.

How can we be set free?

Once we identify any demons and help the demonized person to repent and renounce whatever gave them entrance, it is an easy matter to dispose of them. Helping people to be set free from demons is best done in active cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he cast out spirits by the “finger of God,” meaning the Holy Spirit, and so must we.

Forgiveness

Often the first step to being freed from bondage, including demonic oppression, is to forgive. Never try to go forward in a deliverance process until the person who desires freedom has released all bitterness.

Unforgiveness is the Christian’s archenemy.

Generational Devastation – Lies – Unhealed Traumatic Pain

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can uncover the presence of generational devastation, lie-based strongholds, and unhealed traumatic wounds. This usually takes time, sometimes hours of ministry, which I call Personal Prayer Ministry. Identifying the problem, of course, is not solving it. The Spirit of God will also show us how to help people find freedom in Christ. In the process of freeing people from these things, we often uncover the presence and activity of demons, because those areas are where they love to hide and operate. Jesus is the great Liberator. We are simply his representatives whom he commissioned to carry on his work.

Any lie-based stronghold that is uncovered should be renounced and replaced it with the God’s truth. This can happen in a variety of ways, but often it takes place when the Spirit speaks directly to the person seeking freedom. If there are any unhealed wounds, we should ask Jesus to heal them. Generational devastation must be confessed and Christ’s victory over it declared.

We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)

 

The Occult

Once we have helped a demonized person release any bitterness and examine the other three areas of bondage, the next general thing to cover is whether the person has ever participated in the occult or some secret society. Sometimes this may be moved higher up the list. Just let the Holy Spirit guide you. Occult involvement can be as “innocent” as playing with a Ouija board as a child or as serious as participating in satanic rituals. We can trust the Holy Spirit to reveal where a spirit gained access, and sometimes a simple checklist can help spur the memory. Here is a sample list.

Occult

Abortion (Molech), animal spirits, antichrist, astral projection, astrology, automatic writing, black magic, books, clairvoyance, conjuring, control, crystal ball, demon dispatching, demon worship, divination, eight ball, evil eye, ESP, fortune telling, handwriting analysis, hexing, horoscopes, hypnosis, I Ching, incantations, jezebel, levitation, meditation, mediumship, mental telepathy, necromancy, non-Christian exorcism, Ouija board, palm reading, past life readings, pendulum readings, psychic readings, psychic healings, python, reincarnation, satanic worship, séances, slavery (occult), sorcery, spells, spirit guides, spiritism, superstition, table tipping, tarot cards, tea leaves, third eye, trance, TM, vampire, victim, voodoo, water witching, werewolf, white magic, Wicca, witchcraft

Have you ever?

Cast a spell, drunk blood or urine, had hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock or violent rap music, had Masonic or occult jewelry, had occult books, fetishes, heard voices, joined a coven, played Dungeons and Dragons, made a blood pact, oath or vow, participated in martial arts, seen a sacrifice, demons or horror movies, selected a guru, used mantras, visited pagan temples or Indian burial grounds?

Secret Societies, Cults, etc.

Armstrong, Baha’i, Buddhism, Buffaloes, Christadelphians, Christian Science, College fraternities and sororities, Daughters of the Nile, DeMolay, Eastern Religions, Eastern Star Lodge, Edgar Cayce, Elks Lodge, Free Masonry, Hare Krishna,  Hinduism, Indian Occult Rituals, Inner Peace Movement, Islam, JWs, Job’s Daughters, KKK, Knights of Columbus, Mafia, Masons, Moonies, Moose Lodge, Mormonism, New Age, Odd Fellows, Orange Lodge, Rainbow Girls, Rebecca’s Lodge, Religious Science, Rosicrucians, Santeria, Satanism, Scientology, Shamanism, Shintoism, Shriners, Silva Mind Control, Spiritualism, Swedeborgianism, Knights Templars, the Way, Theosophy, Unitarians, Voodoo, Wicca, White Shrine, Witchcraft

Confession and Renunciation

If we discover an open door via the occult, as with any other sin that may act as a gateway or hook for demonization, it is best to lead the person to confess the involvement as sin, renounce any association, and command any spirits that gained access to leave.

A big key to easily uprooting a demon from its place is for the demonized person to renounce the sin or activity that opened the door.

Afterward doing these things, it is a simple matter to use Christ’s authority to command the demon to leave. The Holy Spirit will enforce our command. If we try to cast out a spirit without prior repentance, we may find that it resists leaving or reattaches itself to the delivered person because the door of access was left open.

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”  Luke 11:24–26 (NASB95) —

Strangely enough, some people are reluctant to part with their demon “friends” or familiar spirits because they have been deceived into thinking they are somehow beneficial to them. All this should be exposed and renounced prior to casting out a spirit.

For example, one woman we helped had been exposed to a spirit of death in her childhood. Over the years she took comfort thinking that if things got bad enough, she could always die. When we identified the spirit’s presence, initially she was not sure she was ready to part with her “old friend.” We asked the Holy Spirit to reveal the true nature of this spirit to her. Almost immediately she said she wanted to be free. After we cast it out, she later told me how much freer she felt. She had been suffering oppression from this spirit for years without knowing it.

Say It Aloud. Don’t Just Silently Pray.

It is vital that we have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and an acquaintance with working in partnership with the Holy Spirit, which is another topic.

Confessing and renouncing sinful activity that opened the door to the demonic should be done out loud. It is not certain that demons can read our thoughts, and every example of deliverance in the Bible was done orally.

We are not to be passive. Instead the Lord wants us to use the authority we have by boldly and directly commanding evil spirits.

One caveat I want to mention here is that once while praying for a demonized person in tongues, he experienced complete deliverance with physical manifestations of gagging, etc. I was not consciously ordering the spirit to leave. The Holy Spirit took over. I did not even know that could happen. Since then I often pray in tongues during deliverance, sometimes going into obvious warfare prayer in an unknown language. It is a wonderful thing to partner with God’s Spirit!

Pre-Deliverance Checklist and Prayers

Evil spirits are master intimidators and inveterate liars. They will use every trick in the book to convince us that we have no ability or right to get rid of them. The usual shenanigans include telling us that they are too strong for us, are not going to do what we tell them, have a right to be there, or to try to convince us that we have some area of personal sin that disqualifies us from ministry. For this reason, before every ministry session I spend time declaring aloud and reminding myself, the person(s) with whom I am working, the Lord, and any demons present that my righteousness is derived solely from Christ, not my own performance; my authority is Christ’s authority, and I am his personal representative; and Jesus is Lord over the ministry session (and everything else). I also invite the Holy Spirit to oversee everything and ask him to work in and through me to help the other person.

Here is a checklist of things to pray aloud before engaging in ministry.

  • Proclaim the Lordship of Jesus and reaffirm that you are under his authority.
  • Acknowledge that you have been given Christ’s delegated authority.
  • Thank God that Christ’s righteousness has been given to you and your ability to cast out demons does not depend on your own spiritual performance or standing.
  • Surrender the ministry session to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to oversee every aspect of what you do, including putting into your mind Bible verses, giving you spiritual gifts including faith and discerning of spirits, and generally leading you.
  • Bind the activity of all evil spirits that may be present, commanding them to not interfere in any way with what you are doing and only to manifest with the express permission of our Lord.
  • Lead the person receiving ministry to declare his or her surrender to the Lord Jesus.

Once this is done, many times I will spend some time worshiping the Lord and praying in the Spirit (tongues). Praying in the Spirit attunes me to the Holy Spirit, making me sensitive to any direction he may give.

Taking Authority over the Demon

Reading Scripture aloud can build faith. Here is a passage that is helpful.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:17–19 (NASB95) —

When ready, the person ministering deliverance should speak a command to any evil spirit to leave the person in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and not return.

Should the demon resist, and they often will, especially if we are new at deliverance or weak in faith, it might be wise to find out if there is any yet undiscovered hook or foothold that should be identified, confessed, and renounced. Here are some possible blockage points.

  • Unconfessed secret sin or vow
  • Undiscovered generational sin
  • Unconfessed or unrenounced occult involvement
  • Agreement with a lie, such as my sin was too great to be forgiven,
  • Pride – “My” demon is so strong that not just anyone can cast it out.

Remember: there is nothing a person may have done that can effectively block deliverance. It is all a smokescreen.

For example, once while ministering to a young man who claimed to be a believer and suffered from a strong sense of condemnation, I began teaching him on how Jesus died and rose to set us free from the power of condemnation. (John 5:24 and Romans 8:1) He began laughing at me in an obvious demonic way. Once he stopped manifesting, he confessed that he was terrified because he did not understand what was happening. I began rebuking and binding the spirit, but nothing changed. I realized that something was yet to be uncovered; so, I asked the Spirit of God to show me what to do. Eventually, after several episodes of this mocking laughter, the young man confessed that he had previously “turned his back on the Lord.” I led him in a prayer of repentance. There was no further manifestation. The evil spirit left because the Lord had allowed it to stay only until the underlying sin was exposed and renounced. What a blessing that it did not go when I first commanded it to leave! Otherwise, the real problem would have gone undetected. This is a reminder that demons are never the main attraction. They are often the smoke that is coming from an underlying fire.

If a demon refuses to obey our command to leave, we should assume that we have not dealt with everything yet. Never conclude that the spirit is not under our authority in Christ.

Sometimes it is taught that certain demons are so strong that the average person cannot dislodge them. This is a lie. Every believer has the authority of Christ backed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No demon is too strong for the least likely believer. The key is for us to know and believe that.

Demonic disobedience must not be tolerated. They will try to bluff us away from our stand on Christ’s authority. If we have covered every angle, I find that it is a good thing to turn any resistant demons over to Christ for Him to deal with as He sees fit. We do not have time to waste on recalcitrant demons.

No demon can resist the awesome power of God’s Spirit released by the authority of our command in Christ’s name!

A resource to gain greater understanding of these principles is a book by Neil Anderson entitled Bondage Breaker. Another great book is Biblical Healing and Deliverance by Kylstra.

Let us remember that casting out demons is not a power struggle between us and the evil spirit. It is an authority issue.

We use Christ’s authority, which is triumphant and overarching. The power that enforces our Lord’s shared authority comes from the Holy Spirit, the “finger of God.” Casting out a demon is no harder for the Holy Spirit than thumping a fly is to us. Jesus did the hard work. The Holy Spirit enforces his victory. We act as representatives.

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Luke 9:1 (NASB)

How do we know when the evil spirit has departed?

The Holy Spirit operates in and through individuals in a variety of ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) In my case, I often have an inner confirmation from the Holy Spirit when a spirit leaves. I don’t know how to describe it except that it seems to be a kind of inner “whoosh.” I am sure that this is not helpful to you at all, which is good, because the last thing we need to do is try to copy someone else. At other times I see the spirit leave in a visionary way. God can confirm that a spirit has been cast out in any number of ways. We might even ask the person receiving ministry if they experienced anything. But let us remember that we do not even need confirmation. We operate by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) However, thankfully, God may give us an inner or external confirmation. Often the person receiving ministry feels deliverance happening or senses the result of a spirit having left, as in a sense of release, joy, freedom, peace, etc. A minister may “see” it leave through spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10) The person being delivered might have some sort of physical manifestation, such as coughing, gagging, etc. Regardless, we base our faith in God’s Word, whether we see any evidence or not. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Period.

In conclusion, demons are never the main thing and casting them out should never be what we focus on. Rather, according to Jesus, we should rejoice that God loved us so much that he reconciled us to himself! (Luke 10: 20)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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Chapter 31: Christ’s Finished Work – Sonship

The last aspect of Christ’s finished work that we will cover is what I call sonship. It derives from the new birth and conveys that believers have been given the responsibilities, rights, privileges, and authority that come with our being sons of God. All born again believers, both male and female, are spiritual sons because the Spirit of God’s Son lives inside us.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:15–17 (NASB95) —

Our new identity is “in Christ,” who is God’s only begotten Son. This is not a gender issue but a spiritual identity. If females feel uncomfortable with identifying as a “son,” perhaps they will be comforted that men must learn to see themselves as the “bride of Christ.” We are all sons because in Christ spiritually speaking there is neither male nor female.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:27–29 (NASB95) —

This resurrection reality does not mean that the anatomical, physiological, and psychological differences between men and women have been obliterated. Rather, it speaks of the new spiritual reality that will become completely manifested in the resurrection.

But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Matthew 22:29–30 (NASB95) —

Resurrected people do not become angels, but they become like angels, their new bodies having properties and abilities like angels. Paul spoke of this new reality as being “one new man” in Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:13–18 (NASB95) —

Since our present earthly reality, however, involves our being either male and female, it is usually less complicated to think of ourselves as children of God rather than sons.

As God’s children, we have been given enormous privileges and authority related to sonship.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children. 2 Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1 John 3:1-2 (NLT)

Being God’s sons and daughters gives us responsibilities as his representatives here on earth.

In Biblical times, the oldest son was charged with running family affairs when his appointed time came. Jesus is our elder brother who already has been given complete authority, but He shares this responsibility with us along with the commensurate authority to do the job.

Our eternal destiny as children of God is to reign with Christ.

The following verse illustrates this, even though it is couched in symbolic language.

Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6 (NASB95) —

Whether or not we believe that his promise refers to a literal one thousand year reign or the church age in which we now live, the truth is that we shall or do reign with Christ. Jesus shares his authority with his brothers and sisters in the Lord who are children of God via the new birth.

Because we are in Christ, that which is true of him is also true for us, minus his divinity. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, including God’s authority, in Christ.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1–4 (NASB95) —

Since our eternal destiny is to rule with Christ, our time here on earth is partially a training ground for us to learn to use Christ’s authority.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB95) —

We use this authority when we speak in his name. When we proclaim the gospel, we tell people that God will forgive and give them eternal life, if they put their faith in Christ and surrender to his lordship. Who gave us  authority to say such things? God. We also have authority to “proclaim liberty to captives.” (Luke 4:18) This includes casting out demons and healing the sick. Every believer should become comfortable doing these things as God’s representative. One day we will judge angels; so, we should become comfortable making spiritual judgments regarding practical things here on earth, too.

When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2  Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3  Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NLT)

Being God’s children gives us the responsibility to properly represent Christ, and it also has its privileges.

As his beloved children, we have access to the Father’s throne and heart.

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11  This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12  Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. Ephesians 3:10-12 (NLT)

Our Lord Jesus dwells in the “bosom” of the Father. I liken this to a child sitting on his Father’s lap, a place of safety, intimacy, and privilege. Since we are “in Christ,” we are also seated there at all times. (John 1:18) We have access to our Father’s heart as beloved children. There is nothing greater than that!

As his children, we have a place in His kingdom family forever.

A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. John 8:35 (NLT)

We eat at the Father’s table and carry His name. We have been given honor and authority in Christ. Truly we are the most privileged of people!

The rights and authority we have as sons of God relate to that which has been given to us in Christ. However we now experience only a small part of what will one day be given to us when our full sonship will be revealed at the resurrection.

So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family—calling him "Father, dear Father." 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:15-25 (NLT)

When we believers receive our full rights and privileges of sonship at the resurrection, the whole creation will be released from the bondage to death and decay that sin inaugurated. To be a son (or daughter) of God is the greatest privilege imaginable. We will be greatly helped on our discipleship journey if we remember that this is our core identity.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • As Christ’s representatives here on earth, we carry his authority. In what areas do you feel that you need to grow in your ability, competence, or faith to do that?
    • Announcing the good news and forgiveness of sins?
    • Casting out demons?
    • Healing the sick?
    • Raising the dead?
    • Rebuking and correcting recalcitrant sinners?
    • Pronouncing judgments?
    • Discriminating (judging) between that which is good and that which is not?
    • Binding and loosing?
    • Commanding nature?
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