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.

Encounters with God’s Kindness

 

Our sin produces inside us an expectation of an encounter with God’s judgment. The Bible tells us that…

...the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Our sin “earns” death; so, anything less than that is an encounter with God’s kindness.

Every time we come face to face with God’s kindness instead of his judgment, it reminds us that Jesus absorbed God’s wrath for our sake to make this possible.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, Romans 3:23-25 (NLT)

Since God is not bound by time but exists outside of it, he sees the entire panorama of history – past present, and future – all at once. It is all the same to him.

What Christ accomplished on the cross happened at a certain point in history but its effect is eternal.

The benefits go backward in time to cover those who lived and trusted God before Christ and forward to cover all those who would be born and believe the gospel after him. His sacrifice was accomplished once for all time.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28  so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28 (NLT)

This means that even though we deserve to face an awful encounter with God’s wrath, we now can expect a meeting with the kindest Person we will ever know who delights to show us mercy.

Here are a few biblical examples of those who encountered God’s kindness instead of his wrath.

  1. Adam and Eve betrayed their Creator in spite of being warned that their disobedience would result in death. In the midst of being judged for their sin, God made Eve a most wonderful promise that one of her descendants would defeat Satan, which was fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. (Genesis 3:15)
  2. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and brother Esau to obtain the blessing normally intended for the elder son. Afterward Esau determined to kill Jacob, prompting him to flee to Haran where he married his cousins Leah and Rachel with whom he had twelve sons. Eventually God told Jacob to return to Canaan, the land of blessing, which required him to finally face up to Esau. After wrestling with his fears, he met his long estranged brother who had come with 400 armed men to do who knew what. Instead of encountering his brother’s anger, he was warmly embraced. Jacob said: “…what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!” (Genesis 33:10 (NLT))
  3. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, which made them jealous and full of hatred. They eventually sold him into slavery into Egypt. Later, after Joseph had been elevated to the second most powerful position in that land, Joseph’s brothers came to him to buy food. In dramatic fashion he revealed to them his true identity, which caused them to fear for their lives. Those brothers expected to encounter judgment but instead came face to face with forgiveness. The kindness Joseph extended was so unbelievable to them that after Jacob died they begged him not to punish them for their past behavior, prompting this response from Joseph. ” …Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21  No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children…”  Genesis 50:19-21 (NLT)
  4. David committed adultery with his good friend Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed in battle after she became pregnant, both offenses being punishable by death. When Nathan the prophet confronted him about these sins, David repented, not knowing what might lie ahead in terms of judgment. Nathan announced that David would reap many negative consequences for his sin but that God chose to show mercy, saying: “…the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.” 2 Samuel 12:13 (NLT) 
  5. In John chapter 8, the woman caught in the act of adultery was hauled before our Lord expecting to be stoned to death as required in the Law of Moses. Drawing an advance upon what he would soon accomplish on the cross, he extended mercy to this woman and set her free. When all her accusers had departed, Jesus’ words have gone down in history. “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11  “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 (NLT) This woman expected to encounter God’s wrath at the hands of men but met face to face with his kindness and mercy.

Every single one of us is just like that woman. We have all sinned and deserve to experience God’s wrath. No one is righteous before God. (Romans 3:10) We all have a “fearful expectation of judgment.” (Hebrews 10:27)

Instead God sent his Son to encounter that wrath on our behalf so that we might come face to face with God’s smile.

The only way for us to avoid our appointment with judgment and death is to accept God’s generous offer to be reconciled to him through faith in Christ and what he did on our behalf. It seems like a “no brainer” to me.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe, I stand before you now well aware that I deserve to encounter your judgment and wrath against my sin. Thank you for sending your Son to die in my place so that I might be forgiven and reconciled to you. I receive that amazing gift right now and give my heart and life to you. Holy Spirit transform me on the inside and help me to live the rest of my life for Jesus. Thank you for being so kind. Amen.

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The Inexhaustible Kindness of God

 

What we believe about God’s kindness will greatly influence how we experience him.

If we think he is hard to please, judgmental, and angry, we will relate to him based on that lens or filter. (Luke 19:20-23) Conversely, if we understand just how much he loves us and the inexhaustiblity of his kindness, it will transform our lives. (Psalm 18:25-27)

Paul wrote about God’s kindness in the first chapter of his letter to the church located in Ephesus in what is now Turkey.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT)

One of the ways to understand the depths of God’s kindness is to contrast it with his wrath. Kindness toward us is only possible because Jesus absorbed God’s wrath against our sin on the cross.

Paul explained it like this.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)

But what about when life is difficult and if we get wobbly in our devotion to God? Paul wrote in another place.

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. Romans 11:22 (NASB)

Depending on our theological perspective, we may understand this verse as a threat that God’s child can be separated from God’s goodness and kindness by falling from grace. It is certainly a stern warning to us all, but there is another way to view what it means. Paul said that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:39) Even when we are running from God, we can never get away from him. David, who spent at least nine months rebelling against God, wrote the following:

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8  If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10  even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11  I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12  but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)

We may encounter God’s stern discipline, if we continue in rebellion, but we will never exhaust his mercy and kindness.

What is called the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints teaches us that God’s grace and Spirit will work in us so that our faith will not fail when we are tested.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. Jude 1:24 (NLT)

The apostle Peter verbally denied even knowing our Lord when he was put to the test during Jesus’ passion. He even spoke a curse over himself on the third time. But Jesus had foreseen Peter’s failure, warned him that it would happen, and promised him that he would eventually come around and be restored.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 (NLT)

After Jesus’ words came true, Peter was devastated by the revelation of his own weakness and faithlessness. He could have despaired and given up on God, but he did not because Jesus had given him a reason to hope. Peter never ceased to continue in faith in God’s kindness toward him, and when the opportunity came, he ran to the Lord to get things right with him again.

Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, had no such hope. After betraying the Lord for money, upon realizing the gravity of his sin, went out and committed suicide. I am convinced that, in spite of being with Jesus for three years, he never really understood who Jesus is or believed in him. Therefore he had no anchor, nothing to fall back on, no revelation of the inexhaustible kindness of God. In his hopelessness, he took his own life.

Another great example of the inexhaustibility of God’s loving kindness is the parable of the prodigal son. This young man cared little for his father or brother. He only wanted to have a good time without regard for God or family. In other words, he turned his back on his father. Nevertheless, he was a son; so, the father never turned his back on him.

Nothing can break the relationship between father and son, even though we may go through times of difficulty and separation.

Ultimately, sons will come back to the loving embrace of the father and be fully restored. Those who are not sons, such as Judas, have no anchor, no confidence in being restored, because they do not know the loving kindness of God.

If we wander away from God, we will find out that we are on a hard path of our own making. (Proverbs 13:15)

If we backslide, we will eat the fruit of our rebellious ways (Proverbs 14:14), but even this is a kindness from God. Our pain wakes us up and reminds us that walking close to God is much better.

The prodigal son finally had enough of the suffering he brought upon himself and returned to his father’s house. Little did he expect the warm welcome he received. His father’s kindness exceeded anything he had imagined.

The elder brother was put off by his father’s extravagant show of love because he had not yet come to grips with his own need for mercy.

God is so great that he can take even the worst things that happen to us and work them for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28) The prodigal son could have beat himself up for wasting his father’s money and treading upon his love, but that would have been counterproductive.

The only way the prodigal could receive the revelation of what his father was like was through his own failure. On the other side of his sinful wandering, he had a better understanding of his father’s love than the ever faithful elder brother.

This is not to say that we have to sin extravagantly to know God’s mercy. Far from it. But we do have to come to grips with our need for God’s kindness on a day to day basis.

How do we see God? Is he an austere demanding judge who always finds fault with us, or is he a loving and kind father who delights in us and encourages us to trust in his unchanging love and faithfulness? If you wish to know him better as the latter, Jesus will show you.

No one has ever seen God. God's only Son, the one who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known. John 1:18 (GW)

Nothing makes Jesus happier than to tell us all about his Father’s amazing love and the inexhaustible riches of his kindness.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I want to experience your love and kindness. Jesus,  you are the One who knows Abba perfectly. Please reveal him to me so that I can trust him completely. Teach me always to rely on God’s loving kindness. Amen.

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Believing a Lie Can Kill Us

In the 1970’s many experimented with LSD, a popular psychedelic drug. It caused users to experience strange mental fantasies. Some even believed they were butterflies and jumped out of windows to their deaths. Believing a lie can kill us.

Adam and Eve believed the serpent’s lie that disobedience to God’s clear command would not result in death. Believing and acting upon that lie killed them and introduced death into the human race. Jesus taught that Satan’s mission is to “kill, steal, and destroy.” (John 10:10) Our Lord’s purpose, on the other hand, is to provide us with a rich and satisfying life. The only way we can have the latter is by believing the truth of the gospel message and declaring allegiance to the One called “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Satan’s lies always lead us down a destructive path. He is never satisfied unless he can destroy what God has created. His main weapon is lying. Jesus called him “the father of lies,” saying that no truth resides in him at all.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

If we have been paying attention, we have observed that lying has become an art form in the mainstream media, Big Tech, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, and our government. And it’s not the sort of lying that we have always known. In the past, politicians have always been dishonest, saying what they think we want to hear in order to secure our vote, while having no intention of following through. Today, however, the lies we are told in some cases are much more sinister.

We were told that there was no help against Covid except the government’s “safe and effective” experimental vaccine. The safe and affordable interventions discovered by some doctors were maligned and resisted, resulting in the deaths of many whose lives could have been saved by using hydroxychloriquine and ivermectin. When the so called mRNA “vaccine” was rolled out without going through safety trials, our government, doctors, the mainstream media, and Big Tech all collaborated in promoting the big lie that “nothing could go wrong.” Many who believed this lie are now dead as a result of various reactions, myocarditis, immune system malfunctions, blood clots, and runaway cancers. And we do not yet know what long-term side effects the jabs may have. Yes, believing a lie can kill us. (To watch Dr. Peter McCullough, a widely acclaimed and published cardiologist, testify before the Pennsylvania Senate, click here. Dr. Ryan Cole, a renowned pathologist, testifies to the link between “turbo-cancers” and the vaccine here.)

Not only are we being inundated with medical lies, we are now having transgenderism rammed down our throats by the government and a complicit media. No amount of lying to ourselves about what gender we are can change the gender God gave us. Surgery, hormone therapy, and pretending cannot transform anyone at the chromosomal level.

We are who God made us to be.

Suicide among those who have tried to change their genders is through the roof.

Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/)

Believing a lie can ruin our lives and kill us.

It is one thing to destroy our physical lives, which are going to end eventually anyway, and quite another to destroy our eternity.

One of the devil’s favorite lies is to tell people that there is no God and no ultimate accountability to anyone but ourselves for what we do with our lives.

Believing this lie will ruin us in eternity. The Bible says that only a fool believes that there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) Fools can be extremely intelligent and well-educated, by the way.

When any of us abandon God’s truth and cease having a proper respect and awe for our Creator, we become biblical fools.

Jesus told us that God hides himself from the arrogant but reveals himself to the humble.

Then Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children. Matthew 11:25 (ETRV)

Multitudes of those who smugly trust in their own intelligence have rejected God and doomed themselves to hell.

No amount of believing that there is no God or hell can save us from the truth.

Jesus said:

Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

These words from our Lord tear down another favorite lie of the devil. Many have fallen for the idea that God is so loving he would never consign someone to hell. What right do we have to declare that another person is wrong since God approves of everyone and everything they do? Paul warned us that in the last days people will not be open to the truth, but will gravitate toward those who teach them what they want to hear.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)

The truth will stand on its own two feet. God’s truth is embodied in a Person, who is the Truth, our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

When we believe a lie, it is a form of idolatry. Lies are intended to destroy us, but the truth sets 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 (NASB)

Jesus is the Truth. (John 14:6) When we invite him to be Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), comes to live inside us. The Bible says that he will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). One way he does this is by opening our understanding to the truth found in the Bible, God’s Word (John 17:17). Only those who love God’s truth can be saved.

This man (the antichrist) will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NLT)

Satan has been allowed to test humanity with deception to reveal those who love God’s truth.

It will probably only get worse as we draw closer to the end. Make the decision to become a lover of truth and a follower of Jesus, who is the Truth. Here is a prayer you may wish to pray right now.

Prayer

Jesus, please forgive me for rejecting you in the past. I now come to you and acknowledge that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Forgive me for embracing lies and trying to live apart from you. I ask you to come into my life right now. I declare allegiance to you. Holy Spirit, please help me to live for Jesus every single day for the rest of my life here on earth. Thank you for the gift of eternal life and the promise of being with you forever. Father God, thank you for accepting me into your eternal family. I want to know you and your amazing love in an ever increasing way. Use me to help others come to know you, too. Amen.

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The Chicken or the Egg?

 

Those who enjoy conundrums love to pose the question, what came first, the chicken or the egg? For those of us who are creationists, the answer if easy. God created chickens, giving them the ability to reproduce themselves. We face a similar question when it comes to our relationship with God.

Does Father God delight in us because we do the things that please him, or do we do what pleases him because he delights in us? The Bible gives us the answer: the chicken comes before the egg.

John tells us that we are able to love God because he first loved us.

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

Paul wrote that God loved us when we were still his enemies.

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. Romans 5:10 (NLT)

In fact, God loved us before he created the world, predating anything we might ever do to win his favor.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

There is only one way for us to be without fault. God exchanged our sin and guilt for Christ’s perfect righteousness.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

Since God accomplished all this on our behalf before we were ever born, we know that his delight in us has nothing to do with our performance and everything to do with his beloved Son. God first loved us to enable us to love him back. The chicken came before the egg.

Father God declared his delight in his Son before he began his public ministry.

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT)

Father God’s love and delight in his Son launched him into a ministry that further delighted his Abba. Jesus delighted to do Father’s will and only did what pleased him. (John 8:28)

When we are born again, the Spirit of Christ indwells us, motivating us from within to please God, but first we must understand that we are already pleasing before we ever do anything.

Our ability to bring pleasure to our heavenly Father is based on the perfect right standing we have with him because of our position in Christ. What is true of Jesus is true for us.

God delights in us because he delights in the One who lives inside us.

The Holy Spirit works inside each born again person transforming us into people who love God and desire to please him.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

We try to please God, not to gain his favor, but because we already have his favor.

This is the profound difference between grace and legalism. Legalists become weary and frustrated by the vain attempt to be good enough to please God. God renews the strength of those who trust in his free gift of righteousness and operate out of the resting place of faith.

When we learn to rejoice in God’s delight in us, we will be motivated to serve him.

Likewise, we parents must make it a first priority to let our children know how much they delight us just because of who they are. We may not like everything they do, but our love for them transcends all that. The better job we do at communicating delight to to our family, friends, and co-workers, the more likely they are to respond positively. All of us desperately need to be loved. Do unto others…

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28: Christ’s Finished Work – Sanctification or Transformation

In this lesson we will examine how the Holy Spirit transforms us via the ongoing application of Christ’s finished work on a daily basis. Paul referenced this process in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

..that, in reference to your former manner of life, you 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 (NASB)

I include spiritual transformation, the process of “sanctification” or becoming holy or “set apart to God” in thought, motive, words, and action, in a grouping under Christ’s Finished Work. I have stated earlier that salvation has three dimensions – past, present, and future. Some aspects of Christ’s work on the cross are a “once for all” “done deal,” never to be repeated, such as propitiation and justification. These things were accomplished on our behalf before we were ever born. We simply “tap into” the benefits. Believers are also “in process” in some areas, as we are all too familiar. Perhaps every Christian should wear a tee shirt stating: “Under Construction – Please Excuse the Mess.” Additionally, part of our salvation still awaits us at a future time via the resurrection from the dead.

Sanctification, or, as I prefer to call it, transformation, is part of the present or ongoing work of Christ in our lives, but there is also a completed aspect to it.

Our daily “walk” with God depends on three things: 1) a personal trust relationship with Christ, 2) a dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to supply what we call “grace,” and 3) faith in God’s promises found in the Bible. Without a proper understanding of God’s Word, we will not even know what those promises are!

For us to properly draw upon God’s grace (the ability he gives to us via his Holy Spirit), we must first understand that all that we need for godly living has already been given to us in Christ.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:2-3 (NASB)

Jesus has already done everything that God requires us to do.

The benefits derived from his life of perfect obedience have been transferred to us because we are one with Christ.  (1 Corinthians 6:17)

This enables us to live out in the present what Christ accomplished for us in the past. Paul, in the opening scripture passage above (Ephesians 4:22-24), exhorts us, to “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” The “new self” is who we are as a result of the new birth.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Our transformation into Christlikeness depends upon our “clothing” ourselves by faith with the finished work of Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection. What he did for us is already ours, but we must “apply” it by faith to our present situation.

God wants us to believe what the Bible says is true about us.

Jesus called it “abiding in the vine.” We live in the present by accessing what Christ has already done for us at Calvary and by waiting with expectation for the full manifestation of that salvation at the resurrection.

We live in a divine tension between what is done and what is still to come. This “tension” is called faith.

Faith is the key to the transformation process, as it is to everything in the Kingdom of God.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 (NASB)

In the above verse, we see that Paul lived in the present by accessing the past finished work of Christ on the cross. In the following verse, note that his present is also lived in anticipation of the coming completion of our salvation.

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 5:5-6 (NASB)

The hope of righteousness is a term that acknowledges that we do not yet experience or manifest the righteousness of Christ in any complete or perfect way, even though we have the legal righteousness of Christ in our “spiritual bank account” through justification. In the present state, we are still flawed because our bodies (the “flesh”) are still connected to Adam’s sin. God removed sin’s power to rule over us but did not obliterate its pull through the “flesh” altogether, or we would be physically dead. At any moment, we are still capable of sinning, that is, until the resurrection, when we shall be made completely righteous in every sense of the word because our physical bodies connected to Adam will be replaced with glorious new creation bodies. In the present, therefore, we live with the tension caused by having a “fleshly” side and a “spiritual” side. We now have a period of time to learn how to rely on God’s promises and the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking, words, and behavior.

Sanctification or transformation depends upon changing how we think so that we come into agreement with God’s truth.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)

By accepting the truth of God’s Word, we change how we think, which is the definition of repentance.

Lies must be displaced by truth. Strongholds of deception must be torn down so that the knowledge of Christ may flow into the barren and devastated places in our souls. Fear must be replaced by faith in our loving God. Unbelief must be rooted out, and a fresh crop of trust planted. Selfishness must be crucified so that love may develop and flourish.

Transformation is a daily process of dying to self and living to God.

Transformation requires faith, surrender, and obedience. Transformation is the working out of what God has worked into us via the new birth and Christ’s finished work.

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)

We have all that we need for life and godliness right now in Christ, but it takes a lifetime to work that out. The Christian will have good days and bad, ups and downs, progress and regression. There are still hidden areas of sin and deception in each one of us that God will expose and demolish one way or another. If we cooperate in the process, life will be much easier for us and more blessed.

Transformation is a joint venture with the Holy Spirit.

Love is never passive. God wants us to pursue him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Like Paul, we can make it our goal in life to know Christ and fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit is beckoning us. Let’s do this!

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Can you explain how transformation or sanctification is both part of Christ’s finished work and an ongoing work of God’s Spirit in us?
  • Describe our part in the transformation process.
  • Explain what Paul meant in Romans 8:24 when he wrote, “For in hope we have been saved.”
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Escaping the Trap of Other People’s Expectations

 

Paul the apostle once wrote that it is unwise to compare ourselves to others. (2 Corinthians 10:12) In another place he said that he formerly evaluated people based on human judgment, but now he made it his goal to see people according to the Spirit.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NLT)

When we evaluate people improperly we can fall into two traps. On one hand, we may assume, based on outward appearances or first impressions, that they are more than they really are in the Spirit. On the other hand, we may focus on their faults and end up seeing and appreciating less than God has put in them.

It is sad and potentially devastating when we fail to recognize what is good about someone because we only see their shortcomings.

We may unintentionally communicate that we are less than pleased or delighted with them because they are not something, instead of letting them know that we appreciate who they are. This is especially prevalent when we relate to those who are very much unlike us. Sometimes we do not even know how to help and encourage them.

None of us can be who we are not, and we may never flower into who we are without the proper encouragement and love.

If we fail to delight in someone, we communicate judgment instead. It’s one thing to correct someone who is obviously sinning, but it is quite another to communicate a general or even subtle dissatisfaction with someone because they don’t measure up to some standard we set for them.

It is pointless and self-defeating to try to live up to other people’s expectations. Ultimately, we have only one person to please, the Lord, and he delights in us based on what Jesus did for us.

Paul wrote:

As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4  My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. 5  So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due. 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (NLT)

A good friend of mine once told me that what other people think about us is none of our business. Yet we may fall into the trap of allowing others to determine how we see ourselves.

The only safe way for us to view ourselves is through the lens of who we are in Christ.

If God is pleased with us, nothing else really matters. Jesus was able to endure the hostility of the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities because he was firmly convinced that his Father loved and delighted in him. He knew this because the Father told him so.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 (ESV)

What was and is true about Jesus is now true about us. The Father delights in us as much as in Jesus because we are now one with our Lord. We have been given Christ’s right standing with the Father. When we come before Father God, we come clothed in his righteousness. We are fully accepted in the Beloved Son.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NLT)

We cannot afford to allow others to define who we are. We must decide that God alone defines our acceptability. None of us are perfect. Most of us have glaring weaknesses, but God is still fully pleased with us in Christ. The Holy Spirit is transforming us on a daily basis, but he does so in light of our being already fully acceptable to him because of Christ.

God wants us to do the same for others. Most of us can see where we and others fall short, and the Accuser of the Brethren, the devil, will help us out in this area, if we need it. Only the Holy Spirit can help us see people through the eyes of faith.

It is important for us to communicate in words, attitude, and demeanor that we love, appreciate, and delight in who others are in Christ, instead of judging them for what they are not.

We do this even when we must administer correction and discipline. The choice is ours. Will we receive God’s delight in us or the disappointment that may come from others? Will we choose to communicate love, acceptance, and delight in our brothers and sisters in the Lord and our natural children, or will we let them know that we are somewhat disappointed in them? Do unto others…

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27: Christ’s Finished Work – Reconciliation

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. Romans 5:11 (NLT)

One of the things that is extremely useful for a Bible student is the art of simplification. Can we sum up a complex teaching in one easy to understand idea?

Christ’s Finished Work is a deep, multi-faceted subject, but I believe we can say that the purpose behind all Jesus accomplished on the cross is contained in the one word, “reconciliation.”

In fact, Paul called the gospel message the “word of reconciliation”.

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NASB)

Reconciliation restores estranged parties to friendship by removing offenses and settling conflicts.

It doesn’t just happen all by itself. Reconciliation requires someone to take the initiative and the other party to respond. Reconciliation is always a two-way process; whereas, forgiveness can be unilateral.

Why did Christ die? Most people would answer, “So our sins could be forgiven.” But why did our sins need to be forgiven? Many would say, “So we can go to heaven.” These two answers are focused on our needs rather than God’s glory. It is only natural that we think of things from a human perspective, but we need to understand, however, that the gospel and all God does is primarily for His own glorious purposes and secondarily for our benefit. If we are properly aligned with Him, whatever is for His glory will always be for our benefit. Jesus’ motivation to endure the cross was first to please His Father and secondly to save us.

So, if we look at salvation from a more God-centered point of view, the purpose of salvation cannot be merely to get us into heaven. It has more directly to do with God’s pleasure, which was to reconcile us to himself.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

In addition to bringing God pleasure, knowing the Father is our greatest privilege and joy. Father God, or Abba, as Jesus calls Him, is the goal of salvation. He is the summation of all things.

When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (NASB)

As Jesus neared the end of His time here on earth, he told His disciples that he eagerly anticipated His reunion with Abba.

Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, because now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. John 14:28 (NLT)

Jesus came to earth to live and die and rise again for our sake by the will of the Father, but His goal, after accomplishing this service, was to return to His Father to wait until our time arrives to join Him in glory.

Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. 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)

When we arrive in heaven, it will be Jesus’ honor to show to us the glory He had and has with His Abba, a glory in which we will share as co-regents with Christ! How good and gracious is our God!

Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! John 17:24 (NLT)

The Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know. Salvation was His plan from the beginning. His heart is so large that He was willing for His only begotten Son to die so that we could be restored to a close relationship with Him.

To be forgiven is one thing, but to be embraced in His loving arms and restored to the full rights of sonship is quite another.

The prodigal son hoped that he would be forgiven and given a place with the servants, but, to his utter amazement, he was fully reconciled to his dad. Jesus told this parable to give us insight into the Father’s heart. Jesus’ ministry, in part at least, is unfolding to us the depths of Abba’s love for us.

No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him. John 1:18 (NLT)

If you ever want to know Abba better, Jesus is the One to show you. The secret to Christian maturity is a growing revelation of the Father’s love. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus.

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)

Can a person have a loftier or more important goal than knowing the Father and His incredible love? I cannot think of one.

As a result of our being reconciled to Father God, it is extremely important that we pursue reconciliation with family, church members, friends, neighbors, and sometimes even enemies here on earth.

So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24  leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

God wants his people to demonstrate here on earth what is true in heaven.

Reconciliation begins with forgiveness, which is a unilateral decision to release someone from any offense or debt they may have incurred against us. If the forgiven person responds to our forgiving them, reconciliation is possible. Often reconciliation also requires confrontation, the pointing out of how that person has offended us.

If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. Matthew 18:15 (NLT)

The goal of confrontation is reconciliation. When we present the gospel, we should understand that we are God’s representatives imploring our hearers to accept God’s offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. To reject such a gracious offer is tantamount to agreeing that we deserve the flames of hell.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19  And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. John 3:18-19 (NLT)

The reconciliation offered by God through the gospel is his greatest gift to humanity.

To refuse it is to spurn God’s love and invite the destruction that results from being separated from God, who is the source and sustainer of life.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8  in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9  They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How would you simplify the gospel message into one thought? Which of the following is preeminent in your mind?
    • Forgiveness
    • Redemption
    • Justification
    • Reconciliation
    • Receiving the Holy Spirit
    • Resurrection
    • Eternal Life
    • Ruling and reigning with Christ
  • Do you think it accomplishes anything good to ask people to consider God’s perspective on salvation rather than simply focus on the benefits that come to us?
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26: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Demonic Oppression

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB)

Many people today question whether demons are even real, seeing them as a throwback to earlier times before science provided a framework for understanding many seemingly mysterious diseases such as epilepsy. Others who do accept the existence of demons would argue that Christians cannot be afflicted by them. Their rationale is that once a person is indwelt by God’s Spirit, there can be no room for an evil spirit to cohabit the same individual. They might also argue that a Christian is “possessed” or owned by God; therefore, it would be impossible to also be “possessed” by an evil spirit.

If we dismiss the existence of the demonic on the grounds that it was an accommodation to mankind’s ignorance at the time the Bible was written, we end up dismissing a fundamental theological truth. The Bible teaches that there are fallen angels who aligned with Satan when he revolted against God in ages past. These angels were expelled from heaven and constitute a Satanic host of evil arrayed against the church.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)

Scripture does not clearly reveal whether demons are fallen angels or some other beings, but we do know that they are aligned with Satan for evil purposes. Demons afflict people and dwell in them at times.

Apparently, the human body is quite inviting to evil spirits and gives them a medium through which to perpetrate evil acts. Jesus said that demons find “rest” in a human body.

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44  "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45  "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB)

In addition, by hijacking a human body and personality, demons dishonor God by marring or distorting his creatures and our God-given purpose to glorify him.

Jesus understood the reality of demons, using his authority as God’s Son to confront and expel them on many occasions.

Jesus, being God, knows far more than any mere mortal; so, whatever He declares is true, I feel perfectly safe believing the same. Otherwise, we find ourselves pitting our very limited intellects and experience against the wisdom and knowledge of God Himself.

If we accept that demons exist, which is the Biblical position, then how do they gain access and how does Jesus set us free from their power?

As previously mentioned, Adam relinquished to Satan the authority God gave him when he succumbed to temptation in the Garden. Satan gained access to oppress and harm humanity as a result and became a vicious oppressor. Because of our own sin and that of others, demon hosts gained access to people, who were somewhat defenseless against their onslaught. The Bible does not explicitly tell us how demons gain ability to oppress us, but observation plus analysis reveal some key insights.

Demons gain access to oppress us when we “open” the following “doors,” allowing them to come into our lives. Sometimes we deliberately open these doors, sometimes others open them for us, and at other times we naively open them.

  • Our own sin, especially bitterness,
  • Participation in the occult, whether innocently or not. This can include initiation into and participation in various secret societies, such as the Masonic Lodge.
  • Experiencing severe trauma during which or afterward we may open ourselves up to demons, which pose as our friends and offer help or comfort,
  • Abuse,
  • Generational strongholds and sins that are passed down from one family member to another, and
  • By believing lies that give demons a “hook” or “landing place” in our lives.

When Jesus healed and delivered people, about half the time he “healed” them and the other times he “delivered” them from demons.

We learn from our Lord that it is vital to discern whether an affliction has a physical or demonic basis.

When Jesus laid down His life at Calvary in perfect obedience to the Father’s will, he took back from Satan the authority Adam had ceded to him. Jesus became the Second Adam, the Progenitor of a new race of humans, who come into existence via the second birth. After his resurrection, Jesus told us that He alone now has “all authority” in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The Bible also reveals that Christ’s victory over Satan and his minions extends to us who have voluntarily put ourselves under his authority by acknowledging him as our Lord.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NIV)

Jesus used his authority as the Son of God to deliver people from demons when He walked the earth. His authority now is connected to his being the crucified and risen Son of Man, the Lord of Lords. He shares or delegates his authority to his church which represents him on planet Earth.

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. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:19-20 (NASB) 

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 (NASB)

Believers now have the authority of Christ that enables us to cast out demons. The Holy Spirit backs up our commands to these evil beings and forces them to obey.

But what about the other question? Can a Christian have a demon? The answer to this question hinges upon our understanding of what it means to be oppressed by a demon.

The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word “daimonizomai” as “demon possessed”. A better translation would simply be “demonized”. Nowhere is the idea of possession communicated in the Greek.

Once we divest ourselves of the possession aspect of the word, we no longer must answer, “How can a Christian be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since he or she now belongs to the Lord?” No evil spirit can own a Christian; however, I believe a Christian can be “demonized”.

Demons can harass, afflict, and oppress Christians, if we do not take the steps to either protect ourselves and/or rid ourselves of this problem.

Demons can gain access into our lives through the same ways they access an unbeliever’s life. For example, if a Christian has had occult involvement either before or after becoming a believer, there is a good chance that there is some level of demonization going on. If a person suffered severe abuse as a child, it is highly likely that some demonic oppression is present. It does not matter if the activity was naive or deliberate, the devil will take advantage of any open door.

Demons seek to hide their activity as best they can, especially from Christians who would not tolerate their presence, were it known. It often takes experienced ministers who rely upon the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Cor.12:10) through the Holy Spirit to identify and root these beings out of our lives.

It is crucial that we close every possible door of access to prevent their return.

Once a demon is found and the access “portal” closed through repentance and renouncing whatever let them in, it is a simple matter to expel them in Jesus’ name. There is no reason a Christian should suffer from demonic oppression.

Sometimes demons hide behind the lies we believe. These lie-based strongholds are more important and more difficult areas of bondage. Once the lie is identified and removed, any associated demonic oppression is easily remedied. We will talk more about this later.

If you desire further insight into deliverance from demonic oppression, a great resource to study is Neil Anderson’s Bondage Breaker. I have also written a series of articles on the subject, which can be found at the following link: https://thirdpeter.com/articles/discipleship-essentials/biblical-healing-and-deliverance/ . Part 21 begins the section on deliverance.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • If you become aware of a demon in a person, what will you do?
  • Put the following steps in order.
    • Lead the person in prayer to repent and renounce whatever allowed the demon access into his or her life.
    • Command the spirit to leave and never come back.
    • Pray for the protection of all persons involved. Command the spirits not to try to attach themselves to anyone involved.
    • Thank God for freeing the person.
    • Command any evil spirits to identify themselves.
    • Confess that everyone taking part in the deliverance is under the authority and protection of the Lord Jesus.
    • Bind any evil spirits and forbid them to manifest or act in any manner contrary to the Lord’s will.
    • Lead the individual in prayer to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, especially in the area under demonic oppression.
    • Advise the individual how to avoid reinfestation.
    • Discern if the spirit is gone.
    • Ask the Holy Spirit to give discernment and wisdom as to how to proceed.
    • Identify any spirit oppressing the individual.
    • Acknowledge that all parties are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
  • Are all these steps necessary each time you expel a demon?
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25: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Sickness and Disease

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 (NASB)

Physical healing is part of the gospel, and Jesus still heals people today! Isaiah 53 is one of the main passages that support this truth. In it a parallel is made between Christ’s bearing our sins and his carrying our sicknesses and pains.

Physical healing is part of the atonement just as much as the forgiveness of sins.

In the passages below, I put the Hebrew words in parentheses.

Surely our griefs (choli - sicknesses) He Himself bore (nasa - to lift, carry or take), 
And our sorrows (makob - pains) He carried (sabal - to bear a heavy load); 
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, 
Smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4 (NASB) 

 As a result of the anguish of His soul, 
He will see it and be satisfied; 
By His knowledge the Righteous One, 
My Servant, will justify the many, 
As He will bear (sabal - to bear a heavy load) their iniquities. 
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, 
And He will divide the booty with the strong; 
Because He poured out Himself to death, 
And was numbered with the transgressors; 
Yet He Himself bore (nasa - to lift, carry or take) the sin of many, 
And interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:11-12 (NASB)

The same Hebrew verbs are used to describe Christ’s finished work on the cross regarding sickness and sin and pain and iniquities.

It would be disingenuous for an interpreter to come to any other conclusion; nevertheless, since translators, like we, have theological biases, in most versions of the Bible we are fed a watered-down translation. Sickness becomes grief and pain becomes sorrow. Below is a translation that more accurately adheres to the literal meaning.

But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain;[13] even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.[14] Isaiah 53:4 (NET1) 
 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done.[30] “My servant[31] will acquit many,[32] for he carried their sins.[33] 12  So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes,[34] he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful,[35] because he willingly submitted[36] to death and was numbered with the rebels, when he lifted up the sin of many and intervened[37] on behalf of the rebels.” Isaiah 53:11-12 (NET1)

Every Christian understands and believes that Jesus carried our sins to provide forgiveness and justification, but not everyone knows and believes that he also bore our sicknesses and pains so that we can experience healing for our minds and bodies.

We should ask ourselves how did the apostles view these verses? Fortunately for us, through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the Bible gives us the answer. Matthew’s gospel clearly tells us that physical healing is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53.

When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES." Matthew 8:16-17 (NASB)

If we hold to this truth, then we are left with the following questions. First, is healing for today, and, secondly, is healing for everyone, all the time? To answer the first question, we understand that the ministry of Christ continues today via the church which is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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

The answer to the second question is more controversial. This is how I understand things. Healing is our birthright in the Kingdom of God. Jesus already paid for it; therefore, it is always right and proper to ask God for healing and believe the Word of God when it tells us, “by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) In other words, our faith for healing is based on Christ’s finished work on the cross.

We place our confidence in what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf, realizing that it is God’s prerogative to apply that healing in His way and in His time.

To better understand this point, consider that we are also given eternal life through Christ’s finished work, and He told us that whoever believes in Him will never die. (John 11:26) Nevertheless, although the Lord has the power to instantly “translate” us into glory without our having to die (Philippians 3:21), as He did with Enoch and Elijah, most of us are going to die a physical death. This does not nullify Christ’s victory over death because the resurrection is God’s final solution.

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 (NASB)

God’s truth regarding Christ’s victory over death has already been accomplished and paid in full, but it has not yet been fully manifested in history. Healing has been fully accomplished and paid, too, but it has not been fully revealed or experienced yet.

Healing comes in many ways. Sometimes it is an instantaneous healing akin to a miracle. At other times it may be a gradual matter. Some die of a sickness or disease while believing that God is their healer. In this last case, healing for them will not come until the resurrection when all things will be set right.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Hebrews 11:13 (NASB)

It is very important for us is to believe and confess the truth of God’s Word regardless of the circumstances and not become offended if things fail to materialize as we hope.

God is glorified when His people trust Him despite encountering and enduring what seems to contradict His promises.

As Job said: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” Physical death is not the end of the story. The resurrection will be the grand finale. That is where faith will be rewarded in full, even if we fail to receive here on earth that for which we are trusting God.

For now we choose to maintain a positive confession of faith that agrees with what God’s Word teaches, regardless of our personal experience.

We do not pretend that we are not sick when we are in order to maintain a “good confession.” That is denial. Instead, we can say, “I am sick, but I am trusting that through Christ I have been healed and have the promise of experiencing that healing in God’s timing.”

An important part to having overcoming faith during sickness is to ask God to give us a “personal” or “rhema” word from Scripture.

This is when God “quickens” or makes a portion of the Bible come alive to us so that we understand that the promise is specifically for us at this time. This is very personal and “subjective,” but it is real. This provides us with a firm ground of faith upon which to stand for a healing in the here and now. In lieu of such a “rhema” word, we simply stand upon what the scriptures in general tell us: “by His stripes we were healed.”

As members of the Body of Christ, we have the privilege of extending Christ’s victory over sickness to others. Healing is part of God’s means to authenticate the gospel to unbelievers and is part of His mercy ministry to mankind.

God not only intends that we learn to appropriate this wonderful gift for ourselves, but he wants us to share it with others who so desperately need it.

As Christians, we can proclaim healing in the glorious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to provide the power that backs up the authority we have in Christ. Never shy away from praying for others to be healed. Doing so provides God with an opportunity to demonstrate that he is real.

Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:7-8 (NLT) 

These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them." Mark 16:17-18 (NLT)
 
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • What is the greatest obstacle to your praying for people to be healed?
  • Have you ever experienced healing in your own mind or body?
  • Have you ever seen God heal someone else?
  • Would you like to?
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Receiving and Giving Away Three Spiritual Treasures

 

 

 

 

 

When Jesus was transfigured before three of his disciples, they heard God the Father speak from heaven about his Son, Jesus.

While he [Peter] was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" Matthew 17:5 (NASB)

What Abba Father spoke over Jesus communicated three spiritual truths or treasures that God wants every person to receive.

Jesus heard that he was loved, delighted in, and important. Another way to put this is that Abba told Jesus and his followers who he was (a beloved son), that he was accepted (well-pleasing), and that he had significance (listen to him). This provided Jesus with a sense of identity (part of the family), security (delighted in), and significance (has something important to say). Parents, especially fathers, are meant to communicate these three things to their children, too. If they do, they will equip their offspring to succeed in life. If they fail in this regard, it can create a void or wound that will need filling by someone or something else.

Identity

Knowing who we are is a foundation for successful living. We draw our identity from our parents, especially our fathers. We carry our parents’ DNA and are shaped by their example, words, and values. It is important for children to know that their parents “claim” them or acknowledge that they belong to them. Too many children have absentee parents today, leaving a void in their sense of identity. Abandoned children will likely infer that they are unworthy of being loved, establishing a negative identity and creating a deep wound in the heart. When fathers are poor examples of Abba, it leaves the child identifying with the bad example or trying to be not like their father. To be not something is a poor substitute for a positive identity.

When parents tell their children that they are beloved sons and daughters, it communicates a spiritual treasure and sets them on a solid foundation for future success. 

Security

It is one thing to be loved and quite another, sometimes, to be delighted in. Have you ever heard a parent say about his or her child, “I love him (or her), but I do not like him.”? Often parents love their children in the sense that they provide for, protect, and claim them as their own, but they fail to act as if or communicate that they delight in them. Children pick up on this, and it can create a deep sense of insecurity. All of us need for someone to delight in us, and, if parents fail to delight in their children, it sets the stage for them to seek for that elsewhere, making them vulnerable to those who wish to manipulate or abuse them.

However, when parents show their delight in their children, they communicate a second great treasure to them, which will make them secure as they launch out into life and in their dealing with others.

Significance

All of us want to feel significant – that we count for something or are important in some way. Abba Father told the whole world to listen to this Son, affirming his paramount importance. Every child needs to know that his parents regard him or her to be significant in some way. We all are; although, how we are important varies and sometimes may be obscured by our obvious defects.

The gift of encouragement is able to see by faith what is hidden beneath the surface and can assist in bringing it forth.

If parents communicate indifference or even negativity toward their children, it creates a wound and sets up a lie that promotes failure in many cases. Those with a more combative temperament may use such negativity as an incentive to succeed, but not from a secure position.

When parents affirm their children and help them to identify their areas of significance, it will help them to succeed.

The Source of All Blessings

The Bible teaches us that God the Father is the ultimate source of every blessing.

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 (NLT)

Those blessings that come through people originate in him. Earthly fathers are meant to imitate Abba by allowing His blessings to flow through them.

When earthly fathers speak blessings over their children, it opens a conduit from heaven in their lives.

When earthly fathers are passive or indifferent, it can prevent the desired blessing from being passed on to their children. If earthly fathers or mothers speak curses over their children, such as “You will never amount to anything.”,  it will create a wound and set up a lie that will likely be believed and acted out.

Ideally, natural fathers will bless their children and give to them to three spiritual treasures outlined above. Eventually, earthly fathers will be able to lead their children to put their faith and allegiance in Christ who will reveal the heavenly Abba to them.

The more faithfully natural fathers imitate Abba, the easier it will be for their children to receive Abba’s love.

The more natural fathers fail to imitate Abba, the more deformed will be their children’s concept of God.

The Remedy

Whether or not we were privileged to have fathers who blessed us, the ultimate blessing always comes from Abba. He gives us all that we need in Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3 (NASB)

Even if we had terrible earthly fathers, Abba can more than make up for their failures. Jesus came to forgive us for our sins and restore us to a right relationship with Abba. Our Lord promises to reveal Abba’s heart to us. All we have to do is ask him.

No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. John 1:18 (AMP)

If there is a hole or wound in our soul, it is important for us to make it a priority to allow Abba Father to speak into our hearts as he did over Jesus. His words bring life, healing, and faith.

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. John 6:63 (NLT)

His words to us can undo the damage created by the neglect or evil done by our natural fathers.

Abba’s words can put within us a proper sense of identity, security, and significance that will propel us into our destiny.

Jesus was able to endure the hostility and attacks of his detractors because he had complete security in God. So can we with God’s help.

Prayer

Jesus, I did not receive from my earthly father all that I needed. I thank you that you died for my sins and reconciled me to my heavenly Father. I ask you to reveal our Father’s heart to me in a way that I can understand and receive. Help me to receive from him all I need to be all he wants me to be. Amen.

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27 (NLT)
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