Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

Chapter 31: Christ’s Finished Work – Sonship

foundations

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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Chapter 30: Christ’s Finished Work – Glorification Part 2

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The final part of our salvation which is called glorification will transition us from earth to heaven and make us suitable for dwelling with God for eternity.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NIV)

Our glorification will be the final defeat of death and sin’s power in our lives and in God’s creation.

Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21  the creation looks forward to 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 we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Romans 8:20-23 (NLT)

At the new birth, through forgiveness and justification, we were delivered from the penalty of sin. Jesus took the consequences of our sin upon himself, releasing us from our unpayable debt to God and giving to us His righteousness in exchange. This relates to the salvation of our spirits.

Through our identification with Christ’s death and resurrection we have been set free from sin’s power and its ability to dominate us. Even though we still have an inherited propensity to sin, called the “flesh,” it has been rendered “inactive” or “ineffective” and otherwise stripped of its intimidating and oppressive power to dominate our lives. The salvation of our souls, or spiritual transformation, requires that we apply this great truth to our lives by faith so that we can experience the victory Christ won for us through reliance upon the Holy Spirit. It is an ongoing battle that must be fought every day.

Glorification will be the grand finale which removes sin’s very presence from our lives. After resurrection, we will no longer have an inherited propensity to sin because our “flesh” will have been replaced by that which is eternal and without corruption.

Afterward, we will no longer have to struggle with the battle between flesh and spirit because that great enemy called the self-life will have been destroyed forever!

Glorification takes care of the problem we now have by our being creatures caught between two worlds. We have been uniquely created to intersect the spiritual world and the natural one, but because sin brought death to our natural bodies, we are no longer suited for eternity without having a major overhaul. The resurrection and glorification provide just that. Every hindrance to experiencing a blessed eternity will be removed in one glorious moment!

Work of Christ

Justification

Transformation

Glorification

Definition

We were declared not guilty by God and given Christ’s perfect right standing with him.

Jesus freed us from the enslaving power of sin, which allows the Holy Spirit to work into us what Christ has accomplished.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death. Our souls are released from the struggle between flesh and spirit.

Timing

Past – once for all (immediate) at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate grace for transformation by faith and reliance upon the Spirit.

Future – The resurrection will take place at the return of Christ which will fulfill our great salvation. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We were delivered from the penalty of sin.

We are overcoming sin’s power to rule us.

We will be delivered from the very presence of sin.
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • God created us to interface with both the natural and the spiritual dimensions. How comfortable are you at present with navigating both realms?
  • Why do you think it was necessary for God to first deliver us from the penalty of sin before we can experience freedom from its power? (Hint: Romans 8:1-2)
  • How do you imagine our existence will be minus the downward pull of the flesh?
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Chapter 29: Glorification

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This chapter will cover some important points about glorification, which is the final installment of our great salvation.

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. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:16-25 (NASB)

Christians have a confident expectation, which is the definition of hope, that our salvation is not limited to what we experience here on earth. At present, we are very much “under construction;” so, if we are not happy with what we see in ourselves and other believers, we should never give up. The best is yet to come.

By way of review, however, it is important to remember that our salvation is threefold. It pertains to past, present, and future, with reference to the spirit, soul, and body. The chart below provides a quick overview of what we have covered so far in the previous lessons. I include transformation as a subset of redemption. Because we have been forgiven, justified, and reconciled to the Father, we are capable of being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit as we cling to God’s promises in the Bible. Whereas the works of propitiation, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justification were accomplished at the cross in the past, transformation requires our partnership in the process and are a combination of believing in what Christ already accomplished and yielding to the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives. It is a daily process rather than something accomplished “once for all.”

Glorification, however, is completely in the future, even though God reckons it to already be done.

Work of Christ

Propitiation

Forgiveness

Justification

Redemption

Glorification

Definition

God’s wrath against our sin has been appeased.

Our debt toward God has been erased.

Our guilt has been removed and we have been given Christ’s right standing with God.

We have been bought back from slavery and set free.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death through the resurrection.

Timing

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate the grace for transformation.

Future – At the return of Christ, the resurrection will take place. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We can now enjoy God’s love without fear.

We can now forgive others as God forgave us.

We can now come boldly into God’s presence without condemnation or shame.

We are now free to serve God and others.

The bipolar conflict between flesh and spirit is solved. We will be whole at last and fit to rule and reign with Christ.

We have already covered the past and present aspects of our salvation, which refer to our spirits and souls. This chapter  further examines the salvation of our bodies, which is still in the future. We will use the opening passage above as our text.

  • The first point we will make is that we will be glorified “with Him,” which means we will have no glory that is inherent in ourselves. Ours will be a reflected glory. Just as the moon’s light reflects the sun’s, our glory will reflect the Son’s.
  • Secondly, glorification is linked with suffering. This is not something we like to dwell upon, but it is true. Christians are called to suffer with Christ. Of course, we do not share in his atoning work on the cross, but we do share in the suffering associated with His rejection and persecution. As we identify ourselves with Him through our witness here on earth, we will partake of His sufferings. Paul wrote: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT) God promises that these sufferings will be directly compensated in glory. We do not earn glory, however, because it is only by grace that any of us can share in Christ’s sufferings with faith and joy.
  • Thirdly, the glory that awaits us is far superior to anything we can imagine here on earth. Once again, Paul wrote: “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) It takes faith to embrace suffering and discipline here on earth for the sake of God’s kingdom in order to receive a better reward in heaven. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT) Only those who have properly evaluated the exchange rate will pay the cost.
  • Fourthly, all of creation will be affected by the glorification of God’s people. Our glorification will take place in concurrence with Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth. Not only will we believers be transformed, but God will finish the salvation of His universe, too! This will be a “God thing” that will bring Him immense pleasure and glory.
  • Fifthly, in the present time, we must endure contradiction by faith. From Scripture we know what is to come, as least in part, but we must live in a sin-filled world in bodies that are still subject to decay and with souls that are conflicted by the battle of “flesh” and spirit. It takes faith and perseverance to endure. God’s grace, however, is sufficient, as we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Can you think of a reason that suffering and glory are linked?
  • Why do you think our glorification is linked to the renewal of the entire creation?
  • Does the hope of the resurrection motivate you to serve Christ?
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The Effect of God’s Kindness Is Peace

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One of the most important effects or fruit of the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives is peace. Peace is the direct result of God’s showing loving kindness to us through Christ.

Peace with God is the root of all other forms of real peace. It is a treasure freely given to all of God’s born again children that came at an incalculable cost to God.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, suffered and died on the cross and rose again to make our peace with God a reality. Our Lord’s peace was ripped from him during those horrible hours so that the peace God gives to us can never be snatched away.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (NLT)

Paul wrote:

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 (NLT)

The technical term for being made right with God is justification, through which we were given Christ’s very own righteousness. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says that he actually “became sin.” He was completely identified with our sin so that we might be likewise one with his righteousness. Not surprisingly, theologians call this identification.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Some Bible readers imagine this is merely a poetic way of saying that Christ substituted for us by dying in our place. Substitution is another tremendous truth connected with our salvation, but that is not what Paul is writing about here. This verse refers to something much deeper, something C.S. Lewis called “deep magic” in his Chronicles of Narnia. It is the secret wisdom God used to rescue us from the Prince of Darkness.

No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NLT)

Abba Father caused all our sins to fall upon his Son (Isaiah 53:6) so that we will never have to carry them again or suffer their consequences – the terror of separation from God forever. There is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22), but the effect of righteousness is peace.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17 (ESV)

Because God unleashed the fullness of his wrath against sin upon his Son, we will never have to face it. He was appointed to wrath so that we are forever released from that appointment. (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Isaiah beautifully wrote about this wonderful truth of the New Covenant.

Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10  For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:9-10 (NLT)

Paul said it another way in his letter to the church in Rome.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 (NLT)

What an amazing peace producing promise! God’s kindness toward us is eternal, which sparks the desire in us to love him back and willingly serve him with all our hearts. Generosity elicits gratefulness in the heart of the recipient.

Here is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Jesus endured death for us. When he died, we died. When he rose again, we rose with him to life eternal. This is essentially the message of Romans Chapter Six. This is why Paul could write.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

The reason we can experience victory over sin is because it no longer has the power to condemn us or rule us. Paul wrote in another place that the strength behind sin is the Law. (1 Corinthians 15:56) As long as we are subject to condemnation, sin has power over us. Because Jesus took our condemnation, sin lost its power to rule over us.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14 (NLT)

So, not only did Jesus provide us with everlasting peace, he also delivered us from the power of sin by taking our condemnation upon himself. How glorious!

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The Inexhaustible Kindness of God

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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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28: Christ’s Finished Work – Sanctification or Transformation

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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 between us and 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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27: Christ’s Finished Work – Reconciliation

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Reconciliation describes the process through which Christ restored us to a place of intimacy with God the Father. Paul wrote:

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

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Through his death and resurrection, Jesus accomplished our redemption, one aspect of which was to set us free from the power of 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 the 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

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Redemption means to be bought back from enslavement and set free. Jesus redeemed us from the oppression of 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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24: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Powerlessness and Fear

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As part of our redemption, Jesus set us free from enslavement to powerlessness and fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

Fear and a sense of powerlessness are two lie-based strongholds that plague many people. The fear-power salvation paradigm is one with which many people can identify, especially Muslims.

People who live in cultures which practice animism and other forms of spirit worship need to know that followers of Jesus receive authority from Christ and power from the Holy Spirit to overcome the fear associated with being powerless against evil spirits.

Witch doctors and other shamans try to hold people in bondage through the fear of spiritual reprisal should anyone break from the established or traditional order of things to follow Jesus. Jesus sets us free.

Those who experienced sexual and other forms of abuse during early childhood may still be haunted by a nagging sense of powerlessness when around their former tormentors or if they are put into a situation that reminds them of the abuse. Even though they now may be quite capable of defending themselves, they may “feel” quite inadequate still because of the embedded lie that they cannot. Jesus can liberate us from this type of bondage!

Before Jesus defeated Satan’s power through His death and resurrection, we all lived under his evil tyranny.

Satan gained authority over humans by duping Adam into sinning and transferring his God-given authority to him. Although God is the Sovereign over all creation, Satan gained a temporary and limited authority to wreak havoc upon mankind until the coming of the Messiah.

His kingdom of darkness cast its dreary shadow over the entire world. Only Israel, God’s chosen nation, offered any glimmer of hope, as they clung to God’s promise of a coming Messiah who would defeat this oppressor.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

When Jesus walked this earth in public ministry, he used his innate authority over the enemy as God’s only begotten Son to liberate oppressed people.

Jesus lived in obedience to his Father and did what He told Him to do. He never swerved from obedience and never relinquished his status as God’s Son, unlike Adam.

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)

The power that enforced the authority of Jesus’ words came directly from God’s Holy Spirit.

God’s plan was to equip Jesus’ disciples with the same authority and Spirit of God so that they might be proper ambassadors for God’s Kingdom, too.

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 (NASB)

This power and authority was shared with His disciples who ministered in His name while Jesus remained physically here on earth. The real victory was won, however, when Jesus died on the cross and subsequently rose again.

At Calvary, Satan was stripped of his authority that he had usurped from Adam. All authority in heaven and earth was vested in the Son of God who became the Second Adam, the progenitor of a new creation, via His resurrection.

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

 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18 (NASB)

When a person is born again into the family of God, he or she receives a permanent transfer from the realm of Satan into Christ’s benevolent Kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NASB)

To be delivered from fear and powerlessness, the first thing a person must know, believe, and confess is that Jesus has released us from the kingdom and power of Satan.

The devil has no “right” or authority to rule our lives any longer. Satan, however, is a liar and an accomplished bluffer. He will do everything he can to convince us that we are not free at all. This is why we must “stand” on God’s truth, regardless of how we feel about it or what we may experience. Jesus is Lord over Satan and all demonic forces, and we are under his protection.

In addition, all believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of “power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Jesus also wants every follower of His to receive what He calls the “baptism in the Holy Spirit.”

This is another experience with God’s Spirit by which we become “immersed,” so to speak, in the Spirit of God. It can be compared to standing under a waterfall, which would effectively submerge us under the “outpouring.” God wants us to operate in the same anointing that Jesus had when he walked this earth.

We, too, are to become liberators of those who are oppressed by Satan.

This is a great privilege and an opportunity to reverse things against our former tormentor by devastating his kingdom of darkness through the preaching of the gospel, using the authority of Christ, and operating in the gifts of the Spirit.

But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NLT)

When we are filled with God’s Spirit, we have the authority of Christ which overcomes the power of the enemy and  the power of the Holy Spirit within us to enforce Christ’s authority.

We thus become dynamic liberators in Christ’s name. This power, however, resides in imperfect “vessels.” God, in His wisdom, chooses to let His power be perfected in our weakness.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)

Christians live in the tension of power combined with weakness so that we might learn to always rely on Christ and never on ourselves.

This is very perplexing to some who find it to be difficult to accept by faith that they have authority and power in Christ despite their human weakness. Instead of focusing on Christ’s power and authority, they only see their own weakness. This is made worse in some cases by past experiences of powerlessness when God seemed to be nowhere around. For these people, believing that God has delivered them from powerlessness seems like just so many empty words. What can help these people experience Christ’s victory?

I believe the key is for us to trust in the loving sovereignty of God. Romans 8:28 tells us that God is working all things together for good in our lives. This means that even the things that seem to be “bad” are being turned around to work “good” for us. When Jesus was crucified, it seemed as if the kingdom of darkness had won the day. Nevertheless, God sovereignly ruled over everything, even at the cross, so that Christ’s apparent defeat in death resulted in a resounding triumph via the resurrection.

To experience Christ’s victory, we must make the decision to view life through the lens of Romans 8:28.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB)

If we choose to trust and even praise God during our most difficult and confusing times, we become overcomers. Praising and acknowledging God during difficulties and perplexities takes faith and elevates us above our current situation so that we can see things more clearly from God’s perspective.

If we experienced something awful in our past or even now in our present, it is vital that we take that part of our personal history and acknowledge that God is sovereign over it and is in the process of making it work out for our good and His glory. As Joseph did so long ago, we can proclaim with assurance, that although what was done to us may have been meant for evil, God will make it result in our salvation.

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. Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

When we gain the confidence that God is our Keeper and nothing can slip by Him, we have a secret to overcoming fear and any sense of hopelessness or powerlessness.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Besides having a sense of powerlessness, what are some other reasons people suffer from chronic fear?
  • What have you discovered is essential to experiencing deliverance from fear?
  • Have you ever used Romans 8:28 as a basis for acknowledging and praising God amid even the worst things that have befallen you, knowing that he is working everything out for our good somehow? What was the result?
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