Chapter 107: Providence

(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

Definition of Providence: God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that the following is true.

  1. Preservation – God keeps all things in existence and maintains the properties with which he created them;
  2. Concurrence – God cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and
  3. Government – God directs them to fulfill his purposes. (Grudem, Bible Doctrine, p.142)
Preservation

Christ upholds or carries along the entire creation.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds (Greek: phero – carries) all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  Hebrews 1:3 (NASB95) 

The use of the present participle of the Greek verb phero indicates that Jesus is continually carrying and sustaining the creation.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together [consist].  Colossians 1:17 (NASB95)

Without our Lord’s continually sustaining the creation, it would cease to exist.

Only God is self-existent. Everything and everyone else must be continually sustained by the Creator.

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’  Acts 17:28 (NASB95)

You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve (Hebrew: chayah – give life in an ongoing sense) them all. The host of heaven worships You.  Nehemiah 9:6 (NKJV)

God preserves us in congruity with how he made us. We maintain the same properties over time, which is the basis for science. God’s unchangeableness is reflected in this aspect of creation.

Concurrence

God accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will while maintaining the properties of his creation.

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works (Greek: energeo) all things after the counsel of His will,  Ephesians 1:11 (NASB95)

He concurs with his creation as he works all things together to accomplish his will. This includes inanimate matter, animals, and people. This means that even seemingly random or chance events are under his direction in the sense that God makes everything work together to accomplish his will. Often God’s concurrence is hidden from our sight. It may seem that events are caused solely by created beings or processes, but the Bible assures us that God is the ultimate Mover.

His sovereignty extends to nations.

For the kingdom is the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.  Psalm 22:28 (NASB95)

His sovereignty oversees every aspect of our lives, including gender, family, health, intelligence, location, lifespan (Psalm 139:16), provision (Matthew 6:11), salvation (Galatians 1:15), calling (2 Timothy 1:9), and the choices we make (Proverbs 16:9). Everything we have comes from God. (1 Corinthians 4:7)

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13 (NASB95)

God is sovereign, but he is he not responsible for evil.

The Bible maintains the twin assertions that God is sovereign and uses evil to accomplish his ends, but he is not the author of evil.

“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”  Luke 22:22 (NASB95) 

this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.  Acts 2:23 (NASB95)

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  Acts 4:27–28 (NASB95)

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 (NASB95)
 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Genesis 50:20 (NASB95)

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  James 1:13–14 (NASB95)

God does not do evil, or he would not be good. If evil does not fulfill his purposes, then evil is not under his control and might not fulfill his purposes. (Grudem, pp.149-150)

God is perfectly righteous when he judges his moral creatures for the evil we commit.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,  Romans 9:19–23 (NASB95)

God is sovereign and we are responsible.We cannot fully comprehend how both are true, but it is what the Bible affirms. We dare not limit the Bible’s meaning to only what we can grasp.

We have freedom to choose, but only within the bounds of God’s sovereignty. An absolute freedom that could contravene God’s purposes is not possible. Nevertheless, we do make choices that have real consequences. No one sins involuntarily, unless it is done in ignorance. We act according to our desires. This is where the New Covenant comes to bear. God changes us on the inside so that we begin to desire to do what pleases God. Then the Holy Spirit gives us the grace to carry out those things.

While acknowledging God’s sovereignty, we reject fatalism, the idea that our actions are outside of our control and predetermined. We believe God predetermines outcomes without violating our ability to choose. This is a profound mystery, but both must be true.

Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  Romans 9:13–16 (NASB95)

We must accept what the Bible teaches, even if we cannot completely comprehend it. Man is not the measure of what is true. God is.

Government

God providentially directs all things to accomplish his purposes.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.  Psalm 103:19 (NASB95) 

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’  Daniel 4:35 (NASB95)

It is only because God sovereignly governs all things that Paul can say that God works everything together for good (and his glory). (Romans 8:28)

Human Responsibility

  • We are responsible for our actions.
  • Our actions have consequences that impact history.
  • Prayer is important and can change outcomes.
  • Trust in God is also called a “work” by our Lord.
  • Our faith is demonstrated by what we do. (James 2:18)
Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:28–29 (NASB95)

In conclusion, we maintain that God is sovereign over creation and predetermines outcomes without violating our responsibility to choose life and reject sin and death. Ultimately, we can only choose Christ because the Holy Spirit draws us and enables us to repent and believe. When it is all said and done, we will give thanks to God for his supreme kindness to us who believe.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

The right and wrong way to make judgments.

Is there a right way to make judgments? No one likes to be judged; yet, it is a necessary part of life, if done the correct way. We have all been judged in a wrong way, being accused of something we did not do or rejected for no good reason. But many of us have profited by being judged in a good way. Everyone who has competed for a prize and won did so because judges deemed him or her worthy. When we are appraised for our work and receive a raise in pay, this is another example of a good kind of judgment. So what is the right way to make judgments, and what is the wrong way?

The kind of judgment that is good and proper and a necessary part of life could be called assessing, discriminating, or discerning.

The definition of discrimination that applies here is the ability to properly discern by seeing and making fine distinctions. We all should make these kinds of judgments every day, unless we naively assume every person has our best interests at heart. When we go shopping we assess products based on quality and price. When meet someone, we try to use good discernment regarding the character, values, and intentions of that person.

Some of us have a finely tuned sense of discernment and are able to quickly assess others, being able to detect things beneath the surface. It may even be a God-given ability. This does not mean that we are always right in our assessments or judgments, but often we are. Others of us may not have such a refined ability to assess others and only really get to know what is in a person until quite a while after we are in a relationship with them. Regardless, we should not be too quick to completely trust someone. Jesus was not.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24–25 (NASB95)

The bad kind of judgment is condemnatory.

If we see faults in someone and immediately reject or condemn them, we may be operating in a wrong kind of judgment. There is an evil kind of discrimination that evaluates people based on skin color, gender, nationality, or other things outside the control of the one being discriminated against. As Martin Luther King, Jr. hoped, we want to be the kind of people who judge people according to their character, not for superficialities.

Only God has the right to condemn people for their behavior, which will happen at the last judgment for all those who reject the gospel. Nevertheless, this does not release us from the responsibility to properly identify sin.

We properly judge when we tell people what is sinful behavior, without being condemnatory.

When we see people aborting their unborn babies, we must properly call it out as being sinful. To be silent in the face of such gross injustice would be sinful. (Proverbs 24:11-12) The “catch” is that while we are supposed to identity and all out sin, we are not to condemn the sinner.

When we condemn people for their sins, we end up condemning ourselves in the process, because we are all sinners.

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. Romans 2:1 (NASB95)

We hate to be judged, but may be comfortable dishing it out. We hate the hypocrisy of people who judge others for doing what they are guilty of themselves, but are we guilty of the same? What makes us prone to see faults in others without realizing we are guilty, too? Isn’t it because we are spiritually blind and full of pride?

Every time we improperly judge or condemn others, it always boomerangs.

As Jesus put it:

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT)  

If we want to be able to properly judge, we must learn to operate as Jesus did. He said:

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 (NASB)

Jesus listened to what his Father told him; therefore, he always judged people and situations correctly. He had no selfish personal agenda that clouded his judgment, but he did judge sin, people, and situations. He had to, and so must we. If we operate as he did, listening to God in every matter, we can judge properly, too. Not judging people and situations correctly is naive and can destroy us.

Everyone has to properly evaluate people and things every day. The key is to do it in a way that is constructive, without condemning anyone, even though we may have to reject their behavior as sinful.

Jesus gave us a great example in John Chapter 8, when he showed mercy to an adulterous woman, while commanding her to “sin no more.” Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13), without minimizing the seriousness of sin.

Unfortunately, some of us so identify with our sin that we find it impossible to accept someone’s pointing it out to us without feeling condemned by them. This is extremely unfortunate and sabotages our ability to acknowledge our sin, repent, and find mercy, forgiveness, and freedom.

Anytime we express a judgment against a sinful behavior, we must be extremely careful to acknowledge that we are just as much a sinner as anyone else.

We should seek to come across as sinners who need mercy who want other sinners to receive the same mercy.

Otherwise, we may repel the very people we hope to reach because of the stench of our hypocrisy.

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:4–5 (NASB95)

Church leaders have a special responsibility to evaluate people’s actions and words and render proper judgments. They do this to protect individuals and the church from harm. If they fail to do this, they will answer to our Lord, the Chief Shepherd. In the church setting, every member has a responsibility to confront egregious unrepentant sin, without becoming self-righteous or condemning. It is part of what it means to be a disciple.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2  Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)  

To conclude, we are to refrain from condemnatory judgments against one another, especially regarding motives; while, at the same time, we all, and especially church leaders, are commanded to make discriminating functional judgments of those whose unrepentant sinful ways threaten to harm God’s people or lead them astray. In every case, however, the long-term good of the person or persons being so judged must always remain in view. Our hope is always that such judgments will provoke the offender to repent and be reinstated fully to the church and live according to God’s truth. (To read more on the purpose of church discipline, click there.)

We are not called to judge those outside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12), but we must judge their sinful behavior in order to call them to repentance. If they choose to identify with their sin and become offended at us, we cannot help that.

Love should infuse every proper judgment and motivate us to refuse to judge incorrectly.

If we fail to properly judge, people will get hurt. If we judge in a condemning way, people also will get hurt, and it will come back to bite us, because none of us are without fault. The important thing is for each of us to operate in wisdom, courage, faith, and love as led by the Holy Spirit in conformity to the teachings of the Bible. Beyond that, we must trust the Lord for the results. May He have mercy on us all!

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (ESV)

Chapter 106: The Trinity

(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized as follows: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. (Grudem, p. 104)

Trinity means “triunity” or “three-in-oneness.” The actual word is not found in Scripture, but the Bible does reveal this truth.

Old Testament Revelation of the Trinity

This doctrine is somewhat hidden in the Old Testament but can be derived from various scriptures when we use New Testament revelation to explain them. One of the basic rules of hermeneutics is that the New Testament explains and expands our understanding of the Old. Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus and the New Covenant.

Our first example is from Genesis.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image...”  Genesis 1:26a (NASB95)

Some try to explain the use of the plural here as what is called “plurals of majesty,” but there are no instances of this elsewhere in the Hebrew Old Testament. Others have suggested that the angels were included, but nowhere does the Bible say that angels contributed in any way to creation. The best solution is one held by early church fathers that this was a reference to God’s plurality of persons. The same usage is found later.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—  Genesis 3:22 (NASB95)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8 (NASB95)

There are also Old Testament verses that differentiate between God the Father and another divine being.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.  Psalm 45:6–7 (NASB95)

“God” is this passage is the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which is itself plural. Elohim refers to two separate persons here. The one whose throne is eternal and the one who anointed him. The author of the letter to the Hebrews informs us that this verse refers to our Lord Jesus.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”  Hebrews 1:8–9 (NASB95)

In Psalm 110:1, David wrote:

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”  Psalm 110:1 (NASB95)

Jesus used this passage to silence his critics by showing that David’s descendant, the Messiah, was more than merely human.

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet” ’? 45 “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.  Matthew 22:41–46 (NASB95)

It seems that David was also aware of God’s plurality of persons.

Psalm 63:10 suggests that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person, too, who has emotions and can be “grieved.” In other passages, the “angel of the Lord” is equated with God and is a divine person. Compare…

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.  Judges 6:11 (NASB95)

With…

The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”  Judges 6:14 (NASB95)

In conclusion, we cannot derive a complete doctrine of the Trinity from the Old Testament, but it certainly contains significant hints.

New Testament Revelation of the Trinity

There are passages in which all three persons of the Godhead are present at once. In the following, we have the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit together in one place at the same time.

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”  Matthew 3:16–17 (NASB95)

This passage nullifies the heresy of modalism, which states that there is only one person of God, who merely appears in different forms.

This clearly cannot be the case, since all three persons are present at the same time. In addition, modalism makes Jesus’ prayer in the garden non-sensical. Was he talking to himself? Was he pledging to do his own will, when he said, “Not my will…?”

When Jesus gave us his baptismal formula, he differentiated between the three persons of the Trinity.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  Matthew 28:19 (NASB95)

Jesus lets us know that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons.

Some modalists teach that it is only proper to baptize in the name of Jesus. They propose that Jesus only is God, there is no Trinity, and Jesus’ name is the only name of God that we are now allowed to use. However, this disagrees with Jesus’ own command to his disciples. Although Acts records that the early apostles baptized in the name of Jesus, we are not to infer from this that Jesus’ formula is wrong or not used by the early church. However, if we understand that water baptism is primarily a declaration of allegiance to Jesus the Lord, it makes sense that people were baptized in the name of Jesus.

Other passages also mention all three members of the Godhead.

God the Father is usually referred to as “God” or theos in Greek. The Son is called Lord or kurios. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit or pneuma.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit [pneuma]. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord [kurios]. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God [theos] who works all things in all persons.  1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NASB95)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.  2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB95)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4–6 (NASB95) 

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.  1 Peter 1:2 (NLT)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  Jude 20–21 (NASB95)
God Is Three Persons in One Essence

The doctrine of the Trinity says that even though God is one essence, he is three distinct persons. Perhaps no passage illustrates this mystery better than John 1:1-2.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.  John 1:1–2 (NASB95)

The Word (logos) was both “with” God (theos) and “was” God. We would never say such a thing about a human being. We cannot be someone while at the same time being with ourselves. Other verses in John clearly show that Jesus and the Father are distinct persons while being one.

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  John 17:24 (NASB95)
 “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:30 (NASB95)

The following verse distinguishes between the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  John 14:26 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is called “he” in this passage. Even though the Greek word for spirit (pneuma) is neuter, the pronoun “he” (Greek – ekeinos) is masculine. Other characteristics of a person are applied to the Holy Spirit. He teaches (John 14:26), searches (1 Cor. 2:10), knows God’s thoughts (1 Cor. 2:11), is willing (1 Cor. 12:11), speaks (Acts 8:29), forbids (Acts 16:6-7), evaluates and approves (Acts 15:28), and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). (Grudem, p.107)

Each Person Is Fully God

God the Father is obviously fully God. Jesus is also God according to various scriptures.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 (NASB95)

After his resurrection, our Lord appeared to unbelieving Thomas, telling him to put his fingers in his wounds. Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus did not correct his disciple for calling him God. Hebrews 1:8 calls Jesus God, too.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.  Hebrews 1:8 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is also revealed to be God in such verses as follows.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  Acts 5:3–4 (NASB95)

The Spirit lives inside every believer, making the church a temple of God.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 3:16 (NASB95)

 Being born again by the Spirit is also called being born of God.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  John 3:5 (NASB95)

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  1 John 3:9 (NASB95)
There Is One God

While consisting of three distinct persons, the Trinity is one God.

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NASB95)

When God speaks, he does so as a singular voice.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other,  Isaiah 45:5–6 (NASB95)

The New Testament affirms God’s oneness, too.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB95)

In the above verse, Jesus’ manhood is preeminent, highlighting his role as mediator between God and mankind.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  James 2:19 (NASB95)
Analogies Fall Short

Sometimes we use analogies to try to convey the mystery of the Trinity, but they almost always come short of relating the complete truth. For example, the three-leaf clover that St. Patrick was said to have used to teach the Trinity in Ireland, is an imperfect analogy. Each leaf contributes to the makeup of the entire clover, but each leaf is not the clover.

Others use the three forms of water – ice, liquid, and vapor – to represent the Trinity. This one conveys part of the truth, but it is not possible to speak of one “water.” In addition, water cannot be all three at the same time. This analogy more closely corresponds to the modalistic heresy than to the truth. Perhaps the best analogy is the tripartite makeup of human beings. We are spirit, soul, and body. The three together make up the person, but each part is distinct; nevertheless, we are one person.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NASB95)
Heresies Usually Deny One Strand of Trinitarian Truth

Modalism

This heresy teaches that God is one person who appears in three different forms or modes – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This heresy is attractive in that it stresses God’s oneness and seems to overcome the claim that Christianity is a polytheistic religion. This heresy runs into big problems trying to explain the atonement (Isaiah 53:11). Into whose hands did Jesus commit his spirit when ready to expire on the cross? To whom was Jesus praying when he addressed the Father? Why did Jesus say that the Spirit of God was upon him (Luke 4:18), if he and the Spirit are one? Modalism forces us to believe that God deliberately deceives us in these instances and dismisses the clear relationships between Father, Son, and Spirit.

 Arianism

This heresy denies the full deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Arius, bishop of Alexandria in the fourth century, is credited with developing this false doctrine, which was condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Modern exponents of this heresy include the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This error teaches that Jesus is a created being, not the eternal Son of God. They believe the Greek term “monogenes” (only begotten) means that Jesus was created. We can properly interpret this word in three ways. First, Jesus’ body was created when the Spirit impregnated Mary at the Incarnation. Secondly, Jesus is the first-born from the dead (Colossians 1:18), meaning he was the first to rise again from the dead permanently, making him the first-born of (the new) creation (Colossians 1:15). Additionally, the first-born of creation can mean the one having the privileges of the first-born, which includes being in charge. Thirdly, the word can also mean “one of a kind,” in a class all by itself. It is clear from other scriptures, which we covered earlier, that Jesus is indeed God and truly man.

Subordinationism

This heresy holds that, even though Jesus is divine, he is not equal to the Father. This false teaching was also rejected at the Council of Nicea. This one is interesting in that it relates to the relationship between a natural father and son and a man and his wife. The Father in heaven is not superior to the Son, but he is called “greater” by the Son out of respect. Natural children are to honor their parents, but no one would ever say that they are not equal to their parents. Equality of being is not the same as having equal roles. The same is true regarding man and wife. The man is given headship and is respected and obeyed by the wife, but he is not superior to her. These are God-given roles we play. Subordination in role is not equal to subordination in being.

The Jewish leaders understood that Jesus claimed to be equal with God and condemned him for it.

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  John 5:18 (NASB95)

Tritheism

No group today holds this view, but other religions, such as Islam, accuse Christians of worshiping three Gods.

Roles within the Godhead

Creation

  • God the Father spoke creative words to bring the world into being. (Genesis 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:6)
  • The Son is the eternal Word or logos through whom the Father’s decree was carried out. (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16)
  • The Holy Spirit’s role was more mysterious. He is said to have “hovered” or “moved” over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2 – rachaph – grow soft, relax, tremble)

Redemption

  • God the Father planned redemption. (Ephesians 1:3-5, John 3:16)
  • Jesus carried out the Father’s plan by dying for our sins and rising again. (John 6:38-40, Hebrews 10:5-7)
  • The Holy Spirit is a sort of executor who applies the merits of Christ’s sacrifice to those whom the Father elected and draws them to Christ. (John 3:5-8, 1 Peter 1:2)

Equality of deity does not prohibit the persons of the Trinity from serving in subordinate roles. For us to operate with proper humility toward one another, it is important for us both to recognize and embrace this distinction.

The Eternal Existence of the Three Persons of the Trinity in Their Roles

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians informs us that the Father chose us in the Son before he created the world. This indicates that their respective roles preexisted creation.

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, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,  Ephesians 1:3–5 (NASB95)

The different functions of the persons of the Trinity reveal the nature of their eternal relationships. Their respective roles are essential to who they are in the Godhead. In being they are the same, but in roles subordination comes into play.

Subordination does not imply inferiority.

In marriage God brings male and female into a unity in which the two become one flesh. This unity is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and his church, which is also a unity. It also reflects the unity of the three Persons of the Trinity.

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”  Mark 10:6–9 (NASB95)

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.  Ephesians 5:31–32 (NASB95)

This unity in diversity is also reflected in the church which is one body but has many members.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Romans 12:4–5 (NASB95)

The doctrine of the Trinity is an important lesson in humility. If the Persons of the Trinity are able to subordinate themselves to one another, surely we can do the same.

Jesus was the perfect example. Paul wrote:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:6–11 (NLT)

The ability to humbly function in subordinate roles when appropriate is perhaps the greatest takeaway for us in the doctrine of the Trinity. God is humble while being unfathomably great and powerful.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

 

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Chapter 105: The Communicable Attributes of God

(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

Whereas the “incommunicable” attributes of God are outside of our experience, the communicable attributes of God’s nature and character can be experienced or shared by us to some degree. The Bible tells us that we are to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1), which is made possible through the spiritual transformation process whereby the Holy Spirit imparts to us experientially the character of God, called the fruit of the Spirit.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB95)

 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  Romans 8:29 (NASB95)

God’s communicable attributes can be categorized as follows:

Attributes of God’s Being
  • Spirituality
  • Invisibility
Mental Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Wisdom
  • Truthfulness
Moral Attributes
  • Goodness
  • Love
  • Holiness
  • Righteousness or Justice
  • Jealousy
  • Wrath
Attributes of Purpose
  • Will
  • Omnipotence
Summary Attributes
  • Perfection
  • Blessedness
  • Beauty (Grudem, pp.85-86)

Spirituality

This attribute signifies that God is a spirit and lives on a higher plane of existence than the finite physical world which he created.

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:24 (NASB95)

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.  Hebrews 11:3 (NASB95)

When he created Adam, he made him out of the physical world (dust) and put within him a spirit. He thus became what the Bible calls a living soul.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [soul].  Genesis 2:7 (NASB95)

It appears that when Adam sinned, his spirit “died” within him, cutting him off from God’s eternal life. Jesus came to restore us spiritually through the new birth, whereby the spirit is recreated.

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.  1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (NASB95)

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

We share in God’s spirituality because we have become one with him in the spirit.

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)

This recreation of man through Christ will be culminated at the resurrection when our entire being will be restored into a glorious new spiritual reality that presently is past our comprehension.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  1 Corinthians 15:50–52 (NASB95)

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  1 Corinthians 15:42–44 (NKJV)

After we are resurrected, we will share God’s spirituality in every area of our being – body, soul, and spirit – having received a spiritual body.

Invisibility

Because God is a spirit, he is not visible to our eyes.

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  Colossians 1:15 (NASB95)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.  1 Timothy 1:17 (NASB95)

He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.  1 Timothy 6:16 (NLT) 

However, we can observe partial manifestations of God. These are called “theophanies” or appearances of God. Jesus, when he walked on the earth, was the most perfect representation of the invisible God.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…  Hebrews 1:3a (NASB95)

John wrote that Jesus made the invisible God known to us.

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.  John 1:18 (NASB95)

However, we have the promise that, after we are resurrected, we will see him as he is.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  1 John 3:2 (NASB95)

We learn from the above verse that we share in God’s invisibility in that who we are spiritually in Christ is not yet visible to us, but one day it will be.

Knowledge or Omniscience

God is omniscient in that he always has all knowledge of all things. In other words, his knowledge is “perfect.” (Job 37:16)

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.  1 John 3:20 (NLT)

God fully knows himself and everything about his creatures and creation.

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  1 Corinthians 2:10–11 (NASB95)

 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.  Hebrews 4:13 (NASB95)

He even knows what is possible, even though it never takes place. (Matthew 11:21 and 2 Kings 13:19) God knows all things at once. He sees the end from the beginning.

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;  Isaiah 46:10 (NASB95)

We share this attribute with God in a limited fashion. He gives us knowledge and even shares his ability to foresee the future and hidden things through the gifts of prophecy and words of knowledge.

One day we will know as we are known.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  1 Corinthians 13:12 (NASB95)
Wisdom

God always wisely chooses the best course of action and the best means to reach those ends.  Paul perhaps gives us the greatest declaration of God’s wisdom in the Bible.

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. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.  Romans 8:28–30 (NASB95)

In his foreknowledge and wisdom, combined with his sovereign power, God works out everything for our good and his glory. Paul identified him as the “only wise God.” (Romans 16:27) Evil may be cunning, but it is never wise. Only God is wise. This is affirmed by his amazingly intricate creation.

We can share in God’s wisdom by asking for it.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5 (NASB95)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10) When we stand in awe of God, we will lean on his wisdom instead of our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) It is wise to seek God and to trust God. Those times when life is confusing to us, we must choose to trust that God in his wisdom is working things for our good.

Truthfulness or Faithfulness

God defines truth because all his words are true. Jesus said that his Father is the “only true God.” (John 17:3) Jesus called himself the “Truth.” (John 14:6) God is looking for faithfulness in his creatures, which is a highly regarded fruit of the Spirit.

Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?  Proverbs 20:6 (NKJV)

Godless people have no standard for truth, but we who believe have God’s Word as the gold standard. God’s faithfulness, a corollary of his truthfulness, means that he will always do what he says. (Numbers 23:19)

God wants us to share in this attribute of truth and faithfulness. The first step is loving truth.

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 2:10–12 (NLT)

Those who love the truth will pursue God and his truth.

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

God is working in his people to make us lovers of truth and truth tellers.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.  Psalm 51:6 (NASB95)
 
Goodness

God is the final standard of what is good. All he does is worthy of approval. (Grudem, p.90)

And Jesus said to him, “…No one is good except God alone.”  Luke 18:19 (NASB95)

For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 100:5 (NASB95)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Genesis 1:31 (NASB95)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17 (NASB95)

Mercy and grace are closely related to God’s goodness. Both are given to us when we do not deserve them, out of the goodness of God’s heart.

The Lord wants us to participate in his goodness by how we love others.

Love

The Bible tells us that God is love. (1 John 4:8) The love usually associated with God is called agape in Greek, which is sacrificial in nature. God’s love existed before he created the world since it describes the relationship between the members of the triune God. Jesus spoke of this love in John’s gospel.

“Father, … You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  John 17:24 (NASB95)

but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.  John 14:31 (NASB95)

God extended his love toward us when he sent Jesus to die for our sins and restore us to a right relationship with him.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NASB95)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8 (NASB95) 

God wants us to imitate his love by returning love to him and extending that love toward other people, even our enemies.

And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  Matthew 22:37–39 (NASB95)

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  Luke 6:27–28 (NASB95)

This is all possible because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Holiness

Holiness means to be set apart. We are set apart for God and for his purposes. This means we are also set apart from sin and everything that works against our being set apart to God. Holiness is closely related to the fear of the Lord.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB95)

We are to be holy because God is holy. (Leviticus 19:2) He is wholly separated to his purposes and glory and from sin.

God disciplines us to share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)

As we devote ourselves to holiness, we are promised that we will grow in our revelation of God. (Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8)

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
Righteousness or Justice

Righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with and is the final standard of what is right. (Grudem, p.93) Justice and righteousness are very similar.

The Rock! His work is perfect [complete], For all His ways are just [mishpat – judgment]; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous [tsaddiq – innocent, blameless, just, righteous] and upright is He.  Deuteronomy 32:4 (NASB95) 

Whatever conforms to God’s moral character is what is right or just. That is why, without God, there is no standard of right and wrong. When we observe God’s acts, we should resist any temptation to criticize him, thinking he has been unjust or unfair in some way. This is to malign and blaspheme God. God does not always explain his actions; so, we must hold fast our commitment to regard him as being just even when things do not make sense to us. If we find ourselves in a difficult situation that makes us question why God would allow such a thing to happen to us, it would be wise to ask God to reveal to us what he is doing in our lives so we can try to fully cooperate in the process rather than resisting it. When Jesus allowed Lazarus to die in John Chapter 11, he did so because he planned to raise him from the dead, something incomprehensible to him or his sisters.

God’s justice was revealed at Calvary. He could not forgive our sins unless the just penalty was paid on our behalf. If we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, it is good to remember what Jesus endured on our behalf. Since Jesus took the penalty for our sin and guilt, God retained his justice while at the same time justifying us.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:23–26 (NASB95)

God wants us to share in his righteousness through the ongoing process of transformation. The righteousness that God imputes to us through justification is meant to be imparted experientially.

Jealousy

When people are jealous, it is usually negative and connected with an attempt to selfishly control someone. There is a godly jealousy, too. God describes himself as being jealous.

You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.  Deuteronomy 5:9 (NLT)

God is not selfish, since agape love is always focused on the other. Paul felt such jealousy for God’s people in the church in Corinth.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:2–3 (NASB95)

God always deserves our honor; therefore, it is never wrong for him to be jealous for it. In addition, when we fail to honor God, it hurts us. So, God has two reasons to jealously protect us from false gods. Godly jealousy has God’s honor and the well-being of the other person in the forefront.

God wants us to share in his jealousy by hating sin and loving him and other people.

Examples of people sharing in God’s jealousy are Phinehas in the Old Testament (Numbers 25:11) and Paul in the new (2 Corinthians 11:2-3).

Wrath

God’s wrath means that he intensely hates all sin, which opposes his lordship and character and destroys the sinner. The Old Covenant Israelites frequently incited God to wrath by their flagrant idolatry and rebellion, but God’s wrath is present in the New Covenant, too. God’s intense wrath against sin fell upon Jesus at Calvary because he took our sin upon himself. It is impossible to understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrificial death unless we understand God’s intense hatred for sin.

The gospel is the announcement that God is willing to forgive our gross rebellion against his rule if we will simply believe the gospel and declare allegiance to Jesus the Lord. Those who refuse to do so, however, will eventually encounter God’s wrath.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  John 3:36 (NASB95)

This means that everyone in the world lives under the threat of encountering God’s wrath on judgment day. The only escape is through believing the gospel.

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  Ephesians 2:3–5 (NASB95)

When we place our faith in the crucified and risen one, Jesus, we will be delivered from the wrath that is surely coming to those who reject the gospel.

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.  1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 (NASB95)

The delay of God’s coming wrath is due to his patience in giving time for more people to repent to escape encountering his judgment.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB95)

God wants us to understand and embody his wrath by hating sin and the devil.

The psalmist wrote about this in Psalm 139.

Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.  Psalm 139:21–22 (NKJV)

Jesus commanded us to love our human enemies, however, and pray for them.

 Will or Sovereignty

God’s will is that attribute of God whereby he approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence and activity of himself and all creation. It is the ultimate reason for everything that takes place. (Grudem, p.95)

… having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  Ephesians 1:11b (NASB95)

Creation itself originated and is sustained by God’s sovereign will.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  Revelation 4:11 (NASB95)

Even Christ’s death was ordained by God’s sovereign will.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  Acts 4:27–28 (NASB95)

God is never the author or originator of evil, but he allows evil to operate within the parameters set by his sovereign will. He works all things, even evil, for the good of his elect and for his glory.

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 (NASB95)

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,  Romans 9:22–23 (NASB95)

God has a revealed will and a secret will.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29 (NASB95)

The revealed will of God is made known to us so that we can obey him and know the path he wishes us to take. The secret will of God involves those things which he decreed but has not made known to us. In these matters, we must trust in the goodness and love that accompany his sovereign rule.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95)

We only discover God’s secret will as events unfold. An example of this is how God transformed what Joseph’s brothers meant for evil into something good and salvational.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Genesis 50:20 (NASB95)

God foretold via dreams that Joseph would be elevated to a place of honor, but how he did it was unknown until it took place. It was a most surprising end to what appeared to be years of suffering and futility as Joseph endured being betrayed, sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten. Nevertheless, God turned it all around and fulfilled his purposes for Joseph and all Israel.

God’s revealed will is that he wants all men to be saved.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  1 Timothy 2:3–4 (NASB95) 

However, he may choose to hide truth from some but reveal it to others.

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

Nevertheless, we are responsible agents who will be judged for our choices and actions. God’s sovereignty and our responsibility are not mutually exclusive, although we may not always understand how the two interact.

God’s sovereign will allows him to have complete freedom to do all that he pleases. He is not under any form of restraint, except what exists by reason of his own character.

But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.  Psalm 115:3 (NASB95)

All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’  Daniel 4:35 (NASB95)

God wants us to share this attribute by coming into alignment with his sovereign will.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10 (NASB95)
 Omnipotence

Omnipotence means that God has the power to accomplish all his desires. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,  Jeremiah 32:17 (NASB95)

And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26 (NASB95)

God’s will would not be sovereign if he were not omnipotent. The only factor that limits God’s actions is his character. He will always act in agreement with his character. We “tap into” God’s omnipotence when we acknowledge and worship him in all situations, knowing that he is working them omnipotently for our good and his glory.

We can participate in his omnipotence when he enables us through faith to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible to us.

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.  Mark 11:23–24 (NASB95)
Perfection

Perfection means that God completely possesses all excellent qualities and lacks nothing that would be desirable for him. (Grudem, p.99)

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew 5:48 (NASB95)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17 (NASB95)

Those who are born again share in God’s perfection in the spirit. This is called justification. God intends for us to experientially share in his perfection through the transformation process and the resurrection.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.  Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
Blessedness

Blessedness means that God delights fully in himself and in all that reflects his character. (Grudem, p. 99)

God is perfectly happy and has fulness of joy in himself, a joy that he shares with us as we give ourselves to him.

…He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.  1 Timothy 6:15b–16 (NASB95)

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  Psalm 16:11 (NASB95)

God takes pleasure in all he made because it reflects his glory.

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Genesis 1:31 (NASB95)

God’s goodness and power are revealed through his creation so that we will choose to glorify him.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.  Romans 1:18–21 (NLT)

We find our greatest blessedness in glorifying God. Conversely, refusing to do so keeps us in darkness and sin and prohibits our enjoyment of God.

Beauty

God’s beauty means that he is the sum of all desirable qualities. (Grudem, p.100)

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.  Psalm 27:4 (NASB95)

As we behold God’s beauty, grace transforms us to share in it.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB95)

 

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

Chapter 103: Release from Demonic Oppression

Introduction

In the New Testament, there is no word for being “possessed” by a demon. The Greek word used is daimonizomai, which, as is easy to see, simply means to be demonized. Regrettably, most Bible translations refer to demonization as possession, but a better English word is oppression.

All sorts of arguments have arisen as a result of using the inaccurate translation of demon “possession.” Bible teachers argue that believers in Christ cannot possibly be “owned” by an evil spirit because God owns and inhabits every believer.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB) 

I fully agree that God does not share ownership of his children with the devil. However, if we approach this issue by translating the Greek word daimonizomai  as oppression, the problem disappears. Everyone knows that even Christians suffer from being oppressed at times.

Jesus taught us that the devil’s agenda is to kill, steal, and destroy. He does this work primarily through deception and fear.

When Jesus walked the earth during his itinerant ministry, Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1 to describe his ministry. (Luke 4:18) The apostle Peter summarized our Lord’s ministry in one sentence.

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) 

In this verse the word translated “oppressed” literally means “being under the power of.” This is a good way to describe demonization; although, not everyone Jesus healed had a evil spirit of infirmity. Some were just physically sick, but all sickness is a manifestation of sin’s curse and the devil’s dominion. (Click here to see what I have written about Jesus’ victory over sickness.)

The devil seeks to use people to accomplish his purposes. He works to deceive us into aligning with his God dishonoring quest. Interestingly to me, demons have a desire to inhabit people. In my opinion, this is most likely due to two reasons. First, God created us to be temples for his Spirit. Demons wish to spoil what belongs to God. Secondly, human bodies are pleasant and useful habitations for demons, giving them a place of “rest” and providing them with the means to act out their destructive desires.

Demonization can take many forms, anything from a person crawling around on the ground as a snake to being harassed in the mind by oppressive sinful thoughts and temptations. It can also include a vast array of physical problems, which Jesus commonly addressed during his public ministry – deafness, inability to speak, crippling arthritis, and epilepsy, to name a few. Demonization can also manifest itself as it did in the Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20), who lived in constant agony, alone among the tombs, cutting and generally hating himself and his condition. His pain was so great that, when he saw Jesus, knowing our Lord could set him free, ran to him and begged for help. Paul encountered and set free a young woman who had psychic abilities that came from being demonized by a spirit of “python,” which used her as its mouthpiece.

During Jesus’ day, it was not uncommon to encounter obviously demonized people. Today we generally lock such persons away in institutions and heavily medicate them into a stupor. Many others suffer in less obvious ways.

One of the devil’s chief weapons is deception. He has managed to convince a great many people that evil spirits are not even real, but were an attempt by primitive peoples to explain medical and mental problems they did not understand.

Believers who hold that the Bible is the inspired Word of God cannot dismiss the reality of demons.

In addition, if we wish to help people experience freedom, we should not quickly conclude that Christians cannot be oppressed by demons. I have seen evidence of such oppression far too often to pretend it does not exist.

When our theology does not match reality, something is wrong with our doctrine.

My goal in these articles is to help us to properly understand the scriptures regarding demonization in order to help people find freedom in Christ.

How People Become Demonized

How do demons gain access to people? Can they simply “jump on” someone? Are we helpless before them? Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves? Can we free ourselves from their oppression? These are all good questions that I will attempt to answer in this teaching.

Thankfully demons cannot randomly oppress anyone they choose.

God is sovereign, and the devil can only operate with God’s permission within the parameters set for him. (Read the Book of Job.) If demons could oppress us at will, we would see significant demonization everywhere. In general, God protects us from Satan and his servants, but certain things can open the door to demonic oppression.

Demons are all around us for sure, but for them to be able to significantly oppress us, they must somehow gain access to us. God’s protective barrier must be breached.

Solomon gave us insight into how this can happen.

He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. Ecclesiastes 10:8 (NASB) 

In general, we or someone who has protective authority over us must break through God’s protective wall by sinning in a way that opens the door to demonization.

Adam took the lead in this, but our ancestors and living members of our families, along with other authority figures, whom God gave to protect us, sometimes fail miserably at their responsibility and actually facilitate those under their care to suffer oppression.

Demons harass people several ways. It can be helpful to think of them as flies. (Interestingly, one of the devil’s names is Lord of the Flies or Beelzebub.) Flies are attracted to putrefaction and wounds. Where these two things are present, flies usually will be on hand.

One can spend his time swatting flies or removing or treating what attracted them in the first place. Over the long haul, the latter course of action will be the most effective.

Demons look for a wound, a “nest,” or a “hook” in people to set up shop. Because unhealed traumatic inner pain is so devastating, it cries out to be resolved. If we do not find healing in Christ, demons often come knocking to offer their version of assistance.

In addition to trauma, certain personal sins can be gateways to demonization.

Involvement in the occult is especially sinister. This can be something seemingly innocuous such as children experimenting with a Ouija Board. Likewise, sexual activity with demonized people can open the door to oppression.

In general, I believe that if we abandon ourselves to sins, we run the risk of demonization.

Unfortunately, we can also be demonized when others sin against us. Sexual and other forms of abuse by adults may open the door to demonic oppression in its victims. I know this does not seem “fair,” but the devil does not care a bit. He is what may be called an equal opportunity oppressor. When parents and other trusted adults fail to be protectors of those under their care, but instead open a doorway to evil in their homes, children may be scarred for life. After all, the entire human race came under the devil’s “thumb” because of the sin of Adam. Conversely, we experience freedom because of the obedience of Christ.

Sometimes demons are passed down from generation to generation.

I remember working with a woman who was experiencing recurring nightmares. During ministry, I discovered that her grandmother was trying to recruit her to take up the family tradition of witchcraft. She renounced any such involvement and claimed her freedom in Christ from this torment. The nightmares stopped immediately.

A great first step in getting rid of demons is to remove what gave them access in the first place.

A way to look at this is to imagine that we have a front and a back door to our hearts. If we kick demons out of the front door without locking the back door, what good have we done? (Matthew 12:43-45)

The first step toward gaining freedom is to close and lock the back door, the place where demons gained access to our lives in the first place. This means we must first deal with bitterness, personal sins, generational sins, lie-based strongholds, and traumatic pain. Then we will be ready to be set free.

Diagnosis Demons

Have you ever sensed the presence of an evil spirit? How did you do it? Was it a feeling? Something said? Something you saw? Were you sure about what you discerned, or did you merely have a suspicion?

Being able to accurately discern the presence and activity of the demonic in people’s lives is a very important aspect of helping them find freedom.

Trying to cast out what is not there is an exercise in frustration and confusion. Failing to discern a demon can leave it in place to continue its harassment of the individual.

Demons in general prefer to be hidden. They also sometimes can be quite bold. I remember once when a young man looked me in the eye and said that the demon in him was going to jump on me. I suppose the evil spirit did this to try to intimidate me in some way, but it didn’t work because I know who I am in Christ.

Demons use fear and intimidation when they can no longer hide.

There are two general approaches to diagnosing the presence of demons.  The first is to assume that demons should be the first thing we look for as a cause of sinful behavior or oppression. The opposing view, which I prefer, is to look for demons last of all, unless there is some reason to think otherwise. In my experience in counseling, demons are rarely the main event. They may seek to block or distract us from continuing along the road to genuine healing and deliverance. I also believe that demons get blamed for things that are more rightly attributed to the “flesh,” a lack of proper repentance and teaching, embedded lies, unhealed pain, and generational issues.

Demons, however, often lurk in the midst of the snarls of interconnected bondage issues, and we should not be surprised to find them there.

In fact, I have had more dealings with demons while engaging in Spirit-led Counseling than at any other time. This is because going deeper into people’s issues gets to roots of bondage, where demons try to hide.

But how do we know when we are dealing with a demon? Some people believe demons are behind nearly every affliction known to man. I reject this notion, preferring to limit myself to those evil spirits identified in the New Testament. However, I must admit that once when ministering to a woman who had been unable to quit smoking, I asked her if it would be okay to check out the possibility of a demon being behind her addiction. I did not think it was, but recently someone had encouraged me to consider the possibility, and I thought it would be worth a try. She agreed; so, I asked Jesus to reveal to us if a demon was involved. My wife and I commanded any evil spirit present to manifest itself somehow so we would know. Amazingly the woman immediately had a terrible taste in her throat. We concluded that this was God answering our prayer. We cast it out, and she stopped smoking immediately. I suppose God had a good laugh at my expense, but I still don’t go looking for demons behind every affliction and addiction.

I always depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal to me whatever I need to know, since I am not clever enough to figure it out on my own. This has been the secret to whatever success I have experienced doing Spirit-led Counseling over the years. I know it is his ministry, not mine.

I try to be alert for clues pointing to demonization, and, if I find any, I then ask the Holy Spirit to show me clearly what is going on. We don’t want to make a mistake. If we try to cast out a non-present demon, the person will get no relief. This may cause the person to draw one of a couple of wrong conclusions. They may think the demon is too strong for Jesus, or they may think deliverance in general does not work. Lastly they may lose confidence in our ministry to them. None of these is good. We also should never offer anyone the false hope that simply casting out a spirit will solve all their problems. The “flesh,” which is a much greater problem, remains, and it cannot be cast out.

As a matter of covering all the bases, it is good to routinely ask if the person we are counseling has ever dabbled or practiced the occult. In fact, before engaging in Spirit-led Counseling, I ask those who will be receiving ministry to complete an extensive application which asks these sorts of questions up front. There is no sense waiting until you are far into ministry before finding out crucial details.

Occult involvement will often open the door to demonization. It is the devil’s realm powered by the demonic.

My advice is to always suspect demonization when there has been occult involvement, which includes a vast array of things from Ouija boards to palm reading, from tarot cards to seances, from witchcraft to Satanic worship, and the list goes on. The application form I use covers most everything.

Discerning spirits is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10) and part of the ministry of Christ. It is intuitive and works differently in individuals.

I know a minister who says she can “smell” demons. Some “see” them by the Spirit. You may simply be able to know that they are there intuitively. Sometimes I am able put the puzzle pieces together to ferret out one. When I believe I have discerned the presence of a demon, I usually ask the Holy Spirit to confirm it. I sometimes command the evil spirit, if it is there, to manifest itself in some clear way under Christ’s authority and oversight, without making a scene; so that I will know. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Sometimes I know for sure that I am dealing with a demon, but at other times I move forward on the reasoned assumption that we are dealing with one, asking for Holy Spirit confirmation. Each person must gain experience by doing the ministry. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

In summary, we trust the Lord to show us when we are up against demonic oppression and to give us his strategy for getting rid of it.

Remember, it is God’s ministry not ours. He is the one with the wisdom, authority, and power to get the job done. We are his representatives or ambassadors.

Biblical Names for Common Demons

A once popular book, Pigs in the Parlor, presented a model which taught ministers to look for demons behind almost every resistant spiritual problem people might experience. In contrast, the Bible only acknowledges a relatively small group of demon names.

If we are going to be properly cautious and biblical, I believe we would do well limit ourselves to calling demons by biblical names.

For example, there is no biblical precedent for calling an evil spirit a demon of nicotine addiction. This does not mean that demons cannot contribute to such an addiction. I am sure they do, but being so specific is not found in the Bible.

As mentioned before, demons oppress people in a variety of ways, using fear, intimidation, and deception. Below are the names given to these spirits by the Bible.

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

What evil spirits do according to the Bible.

  • Afflict – to apply pressure
  • Harass – to distress or trouble
  • Dispirit – to throw down
  • Oppress – to exercise power over
  • Torment – to make a person hurt himself and cry out
  • Inflict physical problems – such as sickness, deafness, blindness, muteness, seizures
  • Try to destroy – such as throw someone into a fire
  • Make insane – such as the Gerasene demoniac
  • Unclean spirit – Afflicts with impurity, sexual or otherwise
  • Terrify – to fall upon, startle, terrify (Saul)

When we minister, one of our responsibilities is to accurately discern and diagnose what are the sources of the bondage being experienced by the people we seek to help.

If we discern the operation of an evil spirit, it is very helpful to comprehend the nature and scope of that spirit’s oppressive influence. Some believe it is necessary to name spirits by an exact name, such as when Jesus cast “Legion” out of the demoniac. This however was the exception, not the rule. Usually Jesus simply commanded the spirit using a generic name, such as unclean spirit.

We can depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what we need to know and do.

Remember, demons by nature are liars and manipulators; so, we should be extremely careful when extracting information from them in a ministry session. Once we know exactly what spirits we are dealing with and how they gained access to the person, we are ready to lead him or her through the deliverance process.

How to Cast Out Evil Spirits

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

If setting people free from demonic oppression depended on my righteousness or my authority, I would fail, but since it solely depends on Christ, I will succeed, and so will you.

This means that evil spirits must do what we command them to do in Christ’s name. We don’t have to raise our voices or struggle in any fashion. We don’t need a band of strong men to hold down a demonized person. If we resort to such tactics, it reveals that we think that the battle is ours instead of the Lord’s and have been deceived from the very start.

The Theology of Deliverance

The theology of deliverance is simple. When Jesus died and rose again, he stripped Satan of his authority and right rule over those who are submitted to Christ.

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB)  

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

Jesus defeated Satan when he died and rose again. Drawing upon that future victory, Jesus empowered his disciples to minister in his name even before he went to the cross. How much more can we who live in the aftermath of the resurrection do the same!

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. 20  "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." Luke 10:17-20 (NASB)  

Today, post-resurrection, we are in “mopping up” operations in which we are enforcing the victorious reality of Christ’s lordship. As representatives of Christ, we speak and minister in his name, releasing his authority. It is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to back up our words with God’s power. Let me repeat this essential point.

We proclaim Christ’s victory over demonic oppression, thereby releasing his authority to set captives free. The Holy Spirit then enforces what we say and makes it happen. He is the power behind the authority.

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:28 (NASB)

Casting out demons is a clear sign of the presence of God’s kingdom. Unless we understand that the Spirit is the power behind Christ’s authority, we may resort to using fleshly means to try to cast out spirits, much to the devil’s delight.

Getting Ready

During a ministry session, we should depend on the Holy Spirit to give us insight, wisdom, discernment, and whatever else may be needed. I recommend asking him to be in charge of the session. Next, bind any evil spirits in Christ’s name, commanding them aloud not to act out in any way that might hinder or distract from Christ’s work. I tell them to keep quiet and not manifest in any way, unless by permission of Christ. If we do this, we will eliminate any showy demonic displays that are intended to provoke fear and confusion. In addition, having prayed in such a way, if a demon manifests or is otherwise discerned or detected, I assume that it is God revealing to us that it is time to deal with it. Remember, demons are never the main attraction. Instead, we should be far more interested in discerning how they got there, what has kept them there, and in helping the people to whom we minister repent and renounce whatever opened the door to demonization in the first place.

Depending on the Spirit’s Guidance

Once a demon and its entry point have been discerned with the Holy Spirit’s help and any sinful behavior or beliefs renounced, it is time to cast out the evil spirit.

Jesus and Paul cast out spirits without going through these steps, but I am not usually in the marketplace when this ministry happens, as they were. I have the luxury of being able to take the necessary time to get to the root of the matter. I suppose this is another example of what the Bible calls a “variety” of ministries in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians12:5) Once again, I believe we should never simply assume that we know what to do.

Always ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Thinking we know what to do, simply because our doctrine is correct or we have ministry experience is potentially harmful.

King David knew how to fight battles, but when he went up against the Philistine armies, he asked God for a specific strategy. (2 Samuel 5:22-25) We should do the same.

Steps to Deliverance

  1. Lead the person to confess and renounce any sin, wrong belief, generational sin, occult involvement, etc. that opened the door to demonic oppression.
  2. Ask the person to submit to Christ. Salvation is all about lordship. James wrote that the first step toward resisting the devil is to surrender to Christ the Lord. (James 4:7) We should lead the person who needs deliverance to pray a simple prayer of surrender to Jesus the Lord, especially in the area where the evil spirit has been oppressing him or her.
  3. Proclaim Christ’s victory over all the power of the enemy and over the particular spirit and area of oppression in focus. Remember: the gospel is a proclamation of Christ’s victory and Lordship which includes an invitation to be forgiven and set free from everything that has held us captive. (Acts 13:39) Saying it aloud is important. (Isaiah 61:1 and Colossians 2:15) We have no reason to think Satan can read our minds. Using our voice is crucial in gaining freedom. God uses the authority of the spoken word, enforced by the power of the Holy Spirit, to cast out evil spirits.
  4. Command any oppressive spirits to leave in Christ’s name and authority. Expect them to obey because they must.

Dealing with Obstacles

Occasionally we will encounter an obstinate demon, who apparently refuses to bend the knee to our command. There could be a couple of reasons. The first thing to do is ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and go with what he shows us. Secondly, perhaps, there is yet some “hook” that we failed to discern and get the one receiving ministry to renounce, which the Holy Spirit wants us to address. Thirdly, ask the person receiving ministry if there is anything yet not covered. Fourthly, it might be profitable to command the demon to speak the truth and and ask it why it thinks it can stay. The answer might be illuminating for further ministry. Always be aware that whatever a demon says, since there is no truth in the devil, has to be judged in light of God’s Word and the witness of God’s Spirit. If another layer of sin, pain, deception, or generational devastation is uncovered, address it as before. Then go through the deliverance process again. Here is a list of potential obstacles.

  • Unconfessed secret sin or vow
  • Undiscovered generational sin
  • Unconfessed or unrenounced occult involvement
  • Agreement with a lie
  • Pride – “My” demon is so strong that not just anyone can cast it out.

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

Always be aware that the demon simply is being obstinate and testing our faith and resolve. In this case, let us remember that the battle is the Lord’s, not ours. When I encounter this sort of thing, after going through every process listed above, I may use the approach of turning the evil spirit over to Jesus for him to deal with as he sees fit. I am not going to waste my time arguing or struggling with a disobedient demon.

How do we know when the evil spirit has departed?

The Holy Spirit operates in and through individuals in a variety of ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) In my case, I often have an inner confirmation from the Holy Spirit when a spirit leaves. I don’t know how to describe it except that it seems to be a kind of inner “whoosh.” I am sure that this is not helpful to you at all, which is good, because the last thing we need to do is try to copy someone else. God can confirm that a spirit has been cast out in any number of ways.

First of all, remember that we do not even need a confirmation. We operate by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) However, thankfully, God may give us an inner or external confirmation.

Often the person receiving ministry feels deliverance happening or senses the result of a spirit having left, as in a sense of release, joy, freedom, peace, etc. A minister may “see” it leave through spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10) The person being delivered might have some sort of physical manifestation, such as coughing, gagging, etc. Regardless, we base our faith in God’s Word, whether we see any evidence or not. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Period.

I remember a case when a person who was delivered approached me a few days later to let me know how much “lighter” she felt. In the aftermath of deliverance, she realized how much the spirit had previously affected her, even though she had been oblivious to its presence. If there is no immediate outward or inward confirmation, ask the Holy Spirit if anything more needs to be done. If everything is clear on his end, simply move on, trusting God to confirm the deliverance in whatever way or time he sees fit.

Deliverance requires faith and is usually a partnership between the one receiving ministry, the minister, and the Holy Spirit.

That is why it is very important to do whatever teaching is required up front so that the person receiving ministry has faith in the efficacy of Christ’s triumph, our authority to speak in Christ’s name, and the Holy Spirit’s power. We want to leave no room for doubt or hesitancy.

How to Maintain Spiritual Freedom

When Jesus sets us free from any kind of oppression, we have a responsibility to fight to keep that freedom. Our Lord warned us that demons, which have been cast out, seek to reenter a person to bring them into worse bondage than before, which is the last thing any of us should want.

"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) 

We learn several things from the above passage.

  • Evil spirits find “rest” in human bodies, which motivate them to seek entrance.
  • We should expect “counter attacks” after we are set free.
  • We have a responsibility to fill our hearts and minds with thoughts, words, and songs related to the Lord so that there is no room for a demonic “re-infestation”.

Paul gave us a wonderful way to “inoculate” ourselves against demonization.

...be filled with the Spirit, 19  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; Ephesians 5:18-20 (NASB) 

In other words, the best defense is often a great offense.

If we fill our minds, hearts, mouths, and activities with God, there will be little room for the devil.

We should be careful to make no place for the devil. (Ephesians 4:27) We cannot afford to coddle sin. It is important for us to develop good habits, which include regular Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fasting, and speaking God’s promises and truths out loud.

We also have a responsibility to put on the “spiritual armor” provided by God by faith.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12  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. 13  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Ephesians 6:10-18 (NASB)  

Here are the main points.

  • We can only stand in the power of God’s might, truth, and authority, not our own.
  • Don’t be naive. God has a plan for your life, but the devil has plenty of schemes to bring us down.
  • Even though the weakness of the “flesh” is a real enemy that must be resisted, our ultimate battle is against spiritual wickedness, which requires us to use spiritual weapons.
  • We must know and stand upon the truth of our imputed righteousness in Christ. Condemnation is one of the most insidious weapons of the enemy. He will use it to try to destroy our peace and confidence in God. There is no condemnation in Christ. (Romans 8:1, John 5:24)
  • Being active in sharing our faith is actually one of our best weapons against the enemy.
  • Faith in God and his promises shields us from enemy attacks.
  • God’s truth also guards our minds from deception and fear.
  • The sword of the Spirit is God’s truth found in the Bible. We can do great damage to Satan’s kingdom by proclaiming God’s Word.
  • Prayer is an important defense against Satan’s strategies. As we submit to God in prayer, we can effectively resist the enemy.
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:6-8 (NASB) 

God encourages the grace of humility as a defense against the devil. Peter proudly announced his unfailing loyalty to Jesus before denying him three times. Don’t let pride open the door to the devil.

God wants us to be ruthless in defending our freedom. We must cut off those things that try to bring us into bondage, rather than be double-minded about it.

If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:30 (NASB) 

This is a matter of our choice, as we rely on the motivation and power of the Holy Spirit to help us fight against evil.

Just as political liberty demands constant vigilance, it is a fight of faith to maintain our freedom in the spirit, too.

There are enslaving agents working relentlessly that must be warded off and defeated.

We also have to be vigilant against what the Bible calls the “flesh”. The “flesh” is that part of us still linked to the old creation in Adam because our bodies have not yet been resurrected. It lurks in the background, waiting for us to become tired, discouraged, disillusioned, or maybe overconfident; so, that it can try to rear its ugly head and lead us into sin. The flesh never reforms. It was crucified and rendered powerless to rule us by Christ, but we still can allow it to have power, if we like. This is a battle between flesh and spirit referred to by Paul.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB) 

This is not to say that we should be afraid that our slightest failure will result in demonization. However, we should not assume that reengaging in old sinful patterns will not result in our going into bondage again, either. We should have a wholesome fear of the Lord.

Maintaining short accounts with the Lord is always a good idea, too. We should make it a practice to quickly repent when we do sin, knowing that, no matter what, we always have access to the throne of grace to find help from God, especially in our time of need. Don’t fall for the lie that we must earn our way back to God.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB) 

Finding a trusted and loving person with whom we can share our struggles can help immensely. This should be a person who will speak truthfully to us as a loving friend and confidant, with whom we can be honest about our struggles, defeats, and victories. This should be a person who will pray for us, ask us how we are doing, and be unafraid to ask pointed questions, and who will guard our confidences. Obviously, we should avoid using anyone who is a known gossip or who is so merciful that he or she would never confront. Except in the case of spouses, these persons should be of the same gender as we are.

To summarize, we should expect the devil to be a relentless enemy who will not easily give up. Be prepared for the battle and take proactive steps to defend what God has done to set us free. Always rely on God’s strength and power. Never allow condemnation to put a wedge between you and God. Keep short accounts and develop good spiritual habits. Put on God’s armor by faith and go on the offense.

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Chapter 104: The Incommunicable Attributes of God

(The next four lessons are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

God wishes for us to know him, even though sin has dulled or minds and blinded us to God’s existence and glory to a very great extent. Creation itself testifies to God’s nature and power.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,  Psalm 19:1–4 (NKJV)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  Romans 1:20 (NLT)

Knowing God begins when the Holy Spirit arouses us from our death-like state, causing our hearts to yearn for the One who yearns for us. God awakens our hearts, enlivens our spirits, opens our spiritual eyes, and unstops our deaf ears so that we can perceive him. The Bible calls this being drawn to God.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.  John 6:44 (NLT)

We cannot know God unless the Holy Spirit opens our understanding. When he does this inside us, faith arises in our hearts.

Faith is a spiritual gift which takes us beyond the limitations of the human mind and allows us to connect with God. Jesus called this being born of God, born of heaven, or born again.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”  John 3:3–8 (NLT)

When this happens, our spirits are joined to God’s Spirit, becoming one with him, giving us the “mind of Christ” and allowing us to have thoughts that transcend our natural sinful abilities. As a result, we begin to know God experientially.

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.  1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.  1 Corinthians 2:10–16 (NLT)

The Bible is the gold standard for truth. Everything we learn about God from the Spirit will agree with the written word of God.

Therefore, it is important for us to devote ourselves to reading and studying the Bible under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, if we want to learn more about God.

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.  John 17:17 (NLT) 

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’  John 16:13–15 (NLT)

But we should always remember that knowing about God is not the same as knowing God.

We should not allow ourselves to settle for gaining information about the Lord without experiencing him. This is why worship, prayer, and “waiting” on God are so important.

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  John 17:3 (NASB95)

One area of the knowledge of God concerns his character. Theologians divide his traits or attributes into two categories: incommunicable and communicable. The incommunicable attributes of God are qualities he possesses that we do not share. The communicable attributes are ones we can share with him.

Independence or Self-Existence

God does not need us or any part of creation for any reason.

This attribute is sometimes referred to as his self-existence. Nevertheless, he loves his creatures which glorify and bring him joy.

He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.  Acts 17:24–25 (NLT)

Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine.  Job 41:11 (NLT)

Only God is self-existent. Every created thing came from him.

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.  John 1:3 (NLT)

Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.  Psalm 90:2 (NLT)

God’s being is qualitatively different from ours. He is altogether “other,” even though we are created in his image and bear some similarities. He is the great “I am” whose thoughts and mind transcends ours.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8–9 (NLT)
 Unchangeableness or Immutability
I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.  Malachi 3:6 (NLT)

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?  Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

But you are always the same; you will live forever.  Psalm 102:27 (NLT)

God does not change in his being, character, purposes, or promises.

But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.  Psalm 33:11 (NLT)

I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.  Ecclesiastes 3:14 (NKJV)

Because God does not change, we can trust him to keep his promises. He is an anchor in a turbulent world in which everything else is like shifting sand.

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.  Hebrews 6:18–19 (NLT) 

God can change his mind in the sense of changing how he responds to us based on our actions. Such a case is found in Jonah 3:10.

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.  Jonah 3:10 (NASB95)

This change of mind merely delayed his judgment of that pagan nation. His eternal purposes did not change, only the timing.

Eternity

God has no beginning or end but exists outside of time while retaining the ability to act inside our historical timeline.

Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.  Psalm 90:2 (NASB95)

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.  Jude 25 (NLT)

God created the heavens and earth, thus introducing time. He existed before creating these things, outside of time.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  John 1:3 (NASB95)

Because he exists outside of time, he sees all history from beginning to end. He knows and controls everything. This is directly related to his being omniscient or knowing all things.

Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;  Isaiah 46:9–10 (NASB95)

Eventually time will cease (Revelation 10:6 – “delay” is the Greek word chronos meaning time.), but God will continue to exist, as will all those who share in his eternal life.

God intersects time with his divine purposes.

These special moments in time are sometimes referred to as “chairos” moments, rather than simple time or “chronos.” Such “chairos” moments are also referred to as the “fullness of chronos.” An example of this is Galatians 4:4-5.

But when the fullness of the time [chronos] came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  Galatians 4:4–5 (NASB95)

God created time, rules over it, and uses it for his own purposes. (Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem, p. 78.)

 Omnipresence

God does not have size or spacial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places. (Grudem, p.78.)

Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far off? 24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 23:23–24 (NASB95)

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.  Psalm 139:7–12 (NASB95)

God’s presence cannot be contained or limited.

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!  1 Kings 8:27 (NASB95)

God is “other,” and we cannot define him using our human limitations. We do not believe that God is his creation as do pantheists. Instead, we believe that the Creator is distinct from what he made.

The Creator is also our Sustainer, holding the entire creation together through the Word of his power.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power… Hebrews 1:3a (NASB95)

Although God is everywhere, he is also said to “far” from the wicked and “near” to the humble. This is a reference to how we can enjoy his presence because of the relationship we have or do not have with him. God is present in hell (Psalm 139:8), but his presence in that regard relates to his being there for judgment. Experientially, those in hell are not able to enjoy his presence.

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,  2 Thessalonians 1:9 (NASB95)
Unity

God is not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes of God emphasized at different times. (Grudem, p.81)

All of God’s attributes are always equally present. God is both merciful and just. One attribute cannot be divorced from the other. Therefore, each attribute helps us better understand the others. This means that God is always the same. He is not wrathful in the Old Testament but loving in the New. He is always the same.

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

Some of his attributes are emphasized at various times, but the others are still present. For example, the creation emphasizes God’s unlimited power and wisdom, but the other attributes are present, too.

We should never single out one attribute of God as being more important than the others.

For example, love should never be emphasized to the exclusion of recognizing his justice. He never acts contrary to his attributes; so, if it appears to us that he did, we simply do not have the correct perspective. We should strive to know him in his entire being as the Holy Spirit reveals him to us.

God revealed to Moses that he is who he is, not necessarily who we want him to be.

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”  Exodus 3:14 (NASB95)

Idols are false representations of God that cater to what we want God to be like and wish him to allow. The true God is holy and demands holiness from his people.

Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.  Leviticus 19:2 (NASB95)

 

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Chapter 101: Release from Generational Devastation

One of the least understood and most controversial areas of bondage is related to the sins that are repeated generationally in families. When these sins are not acknowledged and forgiven by God, they produce judgment or consequences, resulting in generational devastation. We have all witnessed the repetition of certain sins in various families, be they abuse, alcoholism, divorce, etc., with their consequent judgments or “curses,” such as the abused becoming the abuser, children of alcoholics becoming alcohol dependent or damaged emotionally, insecure people who do not know how to have a good marriage, etc.

There can be numerous reasons for these sins to continue generationally, one of which is the modeling of destructive behavior, setting up an expectation for repetition. Another might be a genetic propensity toward something such as an addiction to alcohol. We cannot rule out a spiritual component to sins continuing down through the generations either.

Most Bible students are aware of God’s Old Covenant warning that he will visit the sins of the fathers on the third and fourth generation of those who hate him.

...I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:5-6 (ESV)  

The concept of generational curses or judgments being able to continue in the families of born-again believers because of the sins of their ancestors is highly controversial in light of what Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection.

Our Lord Jesus broke the power of sin, guilt, condemnation, death, disease, and everything else that seeks to hold us in bondage; yet, I also have seen generational sins repeat even in families whose members love the Lord. What gives? Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Can we tap into Christ’s finished work in a way that will stop these generational family sins from afflicting succeeding generations? I believe the answer is an authoritative “Yes!”

My purpose in writing is to help people like us experience the fullness of what Jesus died and rose to win for us. Isaiah prophesied that in the coming days, God’s followers would rebuild what was previously destroyed and ruined, which he identified as being generational desolation or devastation.

Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Isaiah 61:4 (NASB)

Followers of Christ who have been set free from the power of sin, have been given the enormous privilege and responsibility to help others experience freedom in Christ. Rebuilding what sin has devastated over generations can be hard work and requires tremendous courage and perseverance. Our Lord has already done the “heavy lifting” through his death and resurrection, but we have a part to play, just as those who witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection were told to “unbind him and let him go.” (John 11:44)

What Is a Biblical Curse?

A Pronouncement of God’s Judgment

Because the word “curse” is often used quite differently today, it is important for us to understand the biblical meaning.

In the Old Testament, a curse was a pronouncement of judgment by God on those who violated covenant stipulations.

When a covenant was made or “cut,” an animal was sacrificed and cut in two. The covenant makers would walk between the pieces of the dead animal, invoking a curse upon themselves should they violate the covenant terms. The following is an example of the curse or pronounced judgment attached to would be covenant violators.

“Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18  And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts— Jeremiah 34:17-18 (ESV) 

 A Revelation of God’s Justice

The curse or pronouncement of judgment was a revelation of God’s justice that provided a warning of punishment for disloyalty to God.

Adam and Eve betrayed God when they chose self-rule over his loving lordship. They valued and believed the serpent’s words more than God’s. The judgment upon their sin was the pronouncement of God’s justice in the form of a curse.

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head,and you shall bruise his heel.”16  To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;in pain you shall bring forth children.Your desire shall be for your husband,and he shall rule over you.”17  And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,‘You shall not eat of it,’cursed is the ground because of you;in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.19  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,till you return to the ground,for out of it you were taken;for you are dust,and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:14-19 (ESV) 

The curse contained the following components, including a messianic promise.

  • The serpent would be cursed or judged more than any other animal.
  • He (Satan) ultimately would be crushed by the coming Messiah.
  • The woman would suffer great pain in birthing children.
  • The relationship between the husband and wife would be strained.
  • The entire earth (creation) would be cursed, making life much more difficult for people and animals.
  • The final aspect of the curse was the penalty of death.

It should be clear to us that, as descendants of Adam, we experience this curse. The effects of the curse were passed down to succeeding generations.

Accumulated Looming Judgment

Below is a New Testament example of a “curse” pronounced by Jesus over the residents of Jerusalem, who were about to reject and crucify him, the Messiah, the ultimate act of covenant disloyalty.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30  saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31  Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33  You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34  Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35  so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36  Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Matthew 23:29-36 (ESV) 

Jesus understood that succeeding generations inherit the judgment earned by their ancestors. We are far more connected generationally than we may realize.

We see in Jesus’ words the principle that unconfessed and unforgiven sin accumulates judgment that looms over living descendants.

Jesus linked the generation to whom he was speaking with their forefathers’ sins. The unrepentant innocent blood shed by their ancestors still cried out to heaven for vengeance (Genesis 4:10), which God had been storing up to release on a future day.

God held (holds) successive generations corporately responsible for the sins of their fathers, especially if they chose (choose) to participate in those sins and reject his generous offer of forgiveness in the gospel.

To the modern Westerner this seems very strange and maybe even unjust. To the New Covenant theologian, it also seems to violate the Law’s pronouncement that children will not die for the sins of their fathers.

Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16 (NIV) 

Surely Jesus knew about that law; yet, he made the pronouncement quoted above. There is something going on here that deserves further thought and a better explanation. The answer will help us grasp what is the nature of generational sin, curses, and the consequent devastation.

Lessons from DNA

Western society is intensely individualistic. That we might be held corporately responsible and subject to punishment for sins committed by others in our family lineage or political group chafes against our individualistic Greek world view. Old Testament people, however, saw things differently. We all know that people often suffer because of the sins of others. For example, if a father commits a crime and goes to prison, the entire family suffers, which likely will impact future generations. When children do not have a father present, it causes damage. Grandchildren may suffer from a lack of proper fathering because their own Dad did not get fathered as God would have intended. This is a clear example of the sin of a father being passed down in unexpected ways.

Old Covenant people understood and believed that they were linked to the blessings and the sins of their ancestors and their nation.

We can see clearly in a variety of passages that Old Testament leaders understood generational accountability. Below I list a few in which various leaders and prophets confessed their own, their forefathers’, and the nation’s sin to God.

Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. Nehemiah 9:2 (NIV) 
O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you. Jeremiah 14:20 (NIV) 

O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17  "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.  Daniel 9:16-17 (NIV)  

Is this merely an Old Covenant concept that was done away with in Christ, or do we have the same sort of corporate responsibility before God today?

We like to inherit blessings from previous generations but not curses.

“May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.”  Genesis 28:4 (NASB95)

We must realize that the New Covenant would not “work” were it not for inheriting blessings generationally. We only participate in Christ’s blessings because we are born into God’s family.

There is a very interesting passage in the Letter to the Hebrews that has a lot to say about generational sins, guilt, judgments, and devastation.

One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10  for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7:9-10 (ESV) 

When Abraham paid tithes, all of his descendants paid tithes. This is a profound statement that should make us rethink things. Negatively, when Adam sinned, all his progeny sinned.

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.  Romans 5:19 (NASB95)

On the positive side, when Jesus rose from the dead, all his spiritual descendants through the new birth rose from the dead.

even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  Ephesians 2:5–6 (NASB95)

In the natural world, a similar process works in our bodies that is based on DNA. Physically, all of us are the sum of the DNA inherited from all our ancestors. Each male inherits Y-DNA from his father going all the way back to Adam. Males and females inherit mitochondrial DNA from their mothers going all the way back to Eve. The rest of our genome comes from others in our line. If we go back to our great-great grandparents, we have a total of sixteen people contributing to our makeup.

God uses the properties of inheritance through the genome to reveal to us a spiritual principle called identification.

This means that, in a real way, we were “in” those sixteen individuals and their forefathers when they lived their lives here on the earth as they were obeying, disobeying, or simply ignoring God. This is quite sobering. Have their sins ever been confessed and forgiven in Christ or do they still cry out for judgment?

Identification means we are “identified” with our ancestors when it come to our natural inheritance. This is how we potentially are connected to generational curses. On the bright side, the New Covenant also works through identification.

Theologically, the principle of identification means that our identity is connected to Christ in a very real way.

Paul called this being “in” Christ. What was and is true for him, excepting his divinity, is now ours through our unity or identification with him.

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 (NASB95)

Christianity would not provide a way for us to overcome sin, Satan, death, and disease if we were not identified with Christ. It is not enough to be merely forgiven through Christ’s dying as our substitute.

True victory lies in his life experienced in and through us via the Holy Spirit.

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 (NASB95)

We are forgiven because he paid the penalty for our sins. We are justified because we have been given (in Christ) his actual right standing before God. We are children of God through the new birth which provides us with God’s “spiritual DNA,” so to speak. We can live for God because he lives in and through us.

Simply put, if not for identification, we would not be saved.

But identification also was the cause of our needing salvation. Before we are born again, our identities are linked to fallen Adam. Just as surely as we were “in Christ” when he walked the earth in complete harmony with and obedience to the Father and in reliance upon the Holy Spirit, did miracles, died a sacrificial death, and rose again in glory; so, we were in Adam when he betrayed God in the garden. We cannot have it only one way. Either both are true or neither is true. Thankfully, both are real!

This forces us to conclude that the guilt-justification paradigm for understanding what Christ did for us on the cross is inadequate. His dying as our substitute, taking our guilt and punishment upon himself, does not tell the whole story. In a very real way, our salvation is more about “Who’s your Daddy?” than anything else. From whom do we derive our life, our makeup, and our inheritance? Is it from Adam or God the Father through the new birth?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)  

We inherited Adam’s inborn propensity to sin via our natural birth. Along with this spiritual inheritance comes a plethora of other things that are handed down regarding physical attributes, inclinations, giftings, etc., along with inherited guilt, since in Adam, we all sinned.

Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 (NLT) 

Likewise, the new birth is what gives us new life in Christ and a wonderful spiritual inheritance.

So then, the idea of corporate guilt is not such a strange idea after all. Neither is the concept of corporate righteousness that we enjoy in Christ as the church. The bigger question, then, is how did Christ deal with this enormous weight of corporate guilt that infected all of humanity? Is there anything left for us to do?

The Law of Sowing and Reaping

God’s righteous judgment upon sin, which is called the curse of the Law, is part of the reaping attached to the sowing of sin. As Paul put it, “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad.

Paul also wrote:

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Sowing and reaping works for good and for bad, which is reflected in God’s proclamation to Moses in Exodus.

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7  keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV)

This passage brings into focus the generational or corporate nature of judgment.

Personal Sin Carries Corporate Consequences

The old saying that the evil I do in private only hurts me is simply not true. For example, in the time of Joshua, when Israel was in the process of conquering Canaan, God place a ban of destruction on the city of Jericho. He warned the Israelites that no one was to take any of the loot for themselves. It all belonged to God. Achan decided to secretly disobey God by stealing some silver, gold, and a Babylonian garment. In so doing he brought judgment upon the entire nation. (Joshua 7:1) When his sin was eventually exposed by God, he and his immediate family were sentenced to death by stoning.

Achan’s private sin brought terrible consequences upon others in his family. Furthermore, his disobedience resulted in many Israelites outside of his family being killed in battle. The entire nation suffered because of one man’s secret sin.

There is no lack of historical examples of corporate “reaping” for the “sins of the fathers.” The USA endured a horrible Civil War, which many believe was a form of judgment against the injustices connected to slavery. Many of those who suffered and died in the conflict never owned slaves or approved of the practice; nevertheless, they were caught up in the conflagration that engulfed the nation. Many citizens of Germany, most of them old men, women, and young children, including those who likely opposed the Nazis’ crimes, died in the horrific fire bombings inflicted by Allied bombers, as the horrible suffering inflicted on the rest of Europe returned upon Germany with a vengeance. Common people suffered greatly for the decisions and deeds of their leaders. The Israelites who lived in Babylon during the captivity never may have participated in idolatry, but they suffered the consequences of their forefathers’ disloyalty to God.

As Jeremiah wrote:

Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities. Lamentations 5:7 (ESV)

Need I go on? Can we agree that innocent people often reap judgment and experience the consequences of other people’s sins? Can we agree that innocent children sometimes suffer for a lifetime because of the sins of their parents or other adults? Alcoholism and sexual, emotional, verbal, and physical abuse inflict pain upon the immediate family that often reverberates for many generations. Abuse engenders abuse. Hurt people hurt people.

Sins usually produce negative consequences that extend generationally, unless their destructive effects are somehow neutralized.

Forgiveness and Prayer Do Not Necessarily Stop the Reaping Process

Imagine that a suicidal person climbs to the top of a bridge and, full of hopelessness, jumps. On the way down, in a flash of insight, he realizes that he made a big mistake and asks God to forgive him. In Christ, his forgiveness is instant, but it will not stop the sudden impact bringing about his sudden demise.

Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily undo the sowing and reaping process. God can take away the eternal consequences of our sin without removing the temporal ones.

Another example might be a murderer who asks for and receives forgiveness for his crime from family members, but this does not bring back the dead person or remove the loss from the grieving family. It also will not stop the wheels of justice from imposing a proper judgment against him in the court system.

We can be forgiven in heaven but reap judgment on earth.

I have witnessed praying mothers wringing their hands because their children repeated their own mistakes, despite their prayers. By itself, prayer does not have the power to undo the sowing and reaping principle. The same is true when it comes to weight loss or any number of health-related issues. We cannot break all the rules for maintaining healthy bodies and expect God to overrule the law of sowing and reaping just because we pray. What is true in the natural realm is also true spiritually.

Praying for a Crop Failure or a Crop Transformation?

I have a friend who prayed that God would bring about a “crop failure” with regard to what he had earlier sown in his life. We all laughed, but I think it was valid prayer request. We have a very encouraging verse to lean upon.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12  as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13  As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. Psalm 103:10-13 (ESV)  

If God returned “tit for tat” to us according to our sins, we would all be dead by now. I think it is altogether proper to pray for mercy when it comes to sowing and reaping; nevertheless, we must realistically face the fact that God has put this law into effect.

Notwithstanding, we do have a powerful weapon against this relentless law.

We can have complete confidence that Romans 8:28 promises that God will convert everything in our favor, even when we are reaping the consequences of our own foolishness and sin.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 (ESV) 

God can take what we reap because of sinful sowing and work it out for our ultimate good and his glory. Hallelujah!

When we praise God during whatever suffering or confusion we may be enduring, even if it is because of our own doing, it honors God and opens our hearts to see things from his perspective. It helps us grasp what he is doing in the midst of it all – how he is working it out for our benefit and his glory.

Praise during suffering is one of our greatest spiritual weapons. We may not be able to obtain a crop failure, but we can see God transform something painful into something beautiful and God honoring.

Nevertheless, we must be realistic, God’s working out our difficulties for good is not always easy or pretty. King David spent many years reaping the consequences of his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. He was forgiven, but the ongoing consequences were real, painful, and extremely costly for him, his family, and the nation of Israel. We do indeed reap what we sow.

The Awful Prospect of Looming Judgment

One of the great deceptions people fall for is a false sense of security gained from delayed judgment.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:11 (ESV) 

God’s judgment against unforgiven sins committed by our ancestors and our nation’s leaders and people may still be looming on the horizon, waiting for God’s timing to release it. Jesus, the Author of the New Covenant, proclaimed the following just before offering himself for our sins.

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48  So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49  Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50  so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51  from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. Luke 11:47-51 (ESV) 

He knew that his coming death as God’s Lamb would provide forgiveness for sins, even the sin of putting him, the Messiah, to death, for those who would choose to repent and believe the Good News.

When we repent for our sins and those of our ancestors, we receive forgiveness and release from looming judgment.

Nevertheless, God’s justice would roll on for the unrepentant and unforgiven, which resulted in the smashing of the rebellious Jewish nation under the wheel of Roman might.

Jesus warned his followers to flee the city of Jerusalem when they saw God’s judgment at the door. If they failed to extricate themselves from the city, they would reap the consequences of covenant betrayal along with the unrepentant perpetrators. (Matthew 24:15-23) History tells us that the Christians heeded our Lord’s warning and escaped when the Roman army approached. They understood the nature of sowing and reaping.

The blood of over sixty million innocent babies slaughtered in government sanctioned abortion clinics cries out to God for justice. Will the prayers of those who oppose this practice undo the terrible law of sowing and reaping? Will the USA escape the judgment of God that looms? Discerning eyes can see storm clouds on the horizon. Our nation’s leaders have been leading us down a road to destruction for many years. Those who have participated in the crime of abortion may be personally forgiven by Christ, but judgment still looms over the nation, just as it did over Israel. God will not be mocked. What we have sown, that shall we also reap as a nation.

Until that judgment arrives, we still have hope for mercy, however. As followers of Christ, we can still cry out to God for mercy and ask him for crop failure. We can repent on behalf of the nation, asking God to turn the tide of injustice and immorality. We can plead with him to turn the nation to Jesus.

Just as we have a national identity, we also have a family identity.

The unconfessed sins of our forefathers may be looming over the family line. I believe it is our responsibility to confess and forsake these sins, as living representatives of the family, and thank God for releasing the family from any inherited judgments and claim God’s blessings that are ours in Christ.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  Galatians 3:13–14 (NASB95)

Abraham stood in the gap for Sodom and Gomorrah and for his nephew’s family who lived there. In the end, only Lot and his daughters survived, but that was better than everyone perishing.

I wonder who will escape generational devastation because we stand in the gap?

In conclusion, generational sins and their attached judgments can affect not only the sinner but also his family, community, and nation. The law of sowing and reaping plays a big part in this process. As believers, we recognize that we are personally forgiven for our own sins in an eternal sense, but we may still reap negative consequences for what we have done. We can trust God to turn even the worst situations into something that will bring him glory and work for our good. (Romans 8:28)

We can also pray (proclaim, declare) for ourselves and our family to be free from any passed down family and corporate judgments (curses). (Galatians 3:13-14)

Overcoming by Repentance and Faith

Christ has already broken the power of the curse of the Law, but we must apply his victory to our lives by faith.

Paul wrote the following declaration of victory by our Lord.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"— 14  in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 (NASB) 

Jesus’ death by crucifixion proved biblically that he was under God’s curse in our behalf. The Jewish leaders regarded him as being cursed and thought that he deserved a blasphemer’s punishment, since he claimed to be the divine Son of Man prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. (Matthew 26:64) Paul further explained the theological import of his becoming a curse on our behalf in his Second Letter to the Corinthians.

He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) 

Jesus identified himself with our sin. It was as if he were personally guilty of committing all of our sins. The punishment for our accumulated guilt fell on him, which apparently included the experience of being separated from his heavenly Father. This is a mystery that we try to understand and explain as best we can, realizing that we no doubt fall short. But we need some sort of handle to grasp theologically, and Paul gave us one.

The amazing transaction that Father God provided through his Son’s death and resurrection was that Jesus took upon himself the guilt and punishment for our sin and provided us with his perfect and proven righteous standing with God.

He “became” us, so to speak, and now we who believe are joined to him in the Spirit and are “one” with him. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

He became “one” with our sin, and we become one with him and his glorious relationship with Abba!

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, Romans 8:15-16 (NASB) 

We joyfully accept this profound mystery. In fact, isn’t all of life a mystery? Even the most educated scientist, if he or she is honest, will admit that we still know very little about this thing called life. Even we who believe know little about eternal life, since we have only experienced a foretaste of it.

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. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)  Romans 8:23–25 (NLT)

If Jesus took our sin, guilt, and punishment upon himself and provided us with his right standing with his heavenly Father, then why am I even writing a series of articles on how to deal with generational devastation? Hasn’t this already been handled by the Lord?

The Requirement of Standing by Faith

A careful reading of Isaiah 53 reveals that the same Hebrew verbs are used to describe how Jesus bore our sins and how he carried our sicknesses and diseases. If the first is true, then so is the second. If our sins are forgiven, then we are also healed. The logic is inescapable. This is confirmed in the New Covenant scriptures.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (NASB) 

 

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)

I imagine you see where I am going with this. Even though Jesus already paid the price to provide for our healing, people still get sick, even Christians. When we do, we are instructed to pray for one another for healing.

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15  and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. James 5:14-15 (NASB) 

If we used the thought process of those who deny the need to intervene in cases of experienced generational devastation, we would simply tell the sick person, “You don’t need prayer. You have already been healed.” This theology would lead us to disobey the clear biblical command to pray for the sick.

Any time our theology encourages us to disobey God, something is fundamentally wrong.

When we pray for the sick, we apply our faith in the finished work of Christ to the present need. When we pray for people experiencing generational devastation, we do the same.

We live in a world that is still largely afflicted with the curse of the Law associated with Adam’s first sin. Even though we have been rescued from eternal death and destruction, we still face physical death and sickness, despite what Christ has already won for us.

We live in a tension between what has already been done in Christ eternally and what remains to be completed in our experience. That is why we need faith.

Experiencing what Christ already has accomplished for us often comes with a battle. That is why it is called “overcoming.” If Satan cannot keep us from believing in Jesus, he will do his best to prevent us from being effective and fulfilled in our service to him.

Even though our “old man” has been crucified in Christ and sin no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:6,14), we still must apply our faith in his finished work daily in our battle against sin.

Sin still has the power to tempt us, even though Christ’s victory is complete. The ongoing battle does not negate Christ’s victory. It is an  opportunity for us to demonstrate our faith in that victory.

When we encounter evidence of ongoing generational devastation in an individual or family which has confessed Christ as Lord and Savior, it is important first to teach that Christ has already conquered the curse of the Law. It is also necessary to show how to apply this truth in a practical way to experience the freedom Jesus died to give us.

To conclude, an ongoing struggle against sin does not negate Christ’s victory over sin. A battle against sickness does not mean Christ failed to defeat sickness and death.

Likewise, a fight against generational devastation is not an admission that the curse of the Law still has power over us. Instead, it is an opportunity to stand by faith in the finished work of Christ against that which seems to contradict his glorious victory. It is our fight of faith and our opportunity to overcome.

The Elephant in the Room: Ezekiel 18

Those who argue that there is no need to address generational devastation at all considering the efficacy of the New Covenant usually use Ezekiel 18 as a proof text.

"Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. 20  "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. Ezekiel 18:19-20 (NASB)  

To understand Ezekiel 18’s impact on the subject of generational devastation, it is necessary to separate judicial judgment and sentencing from the law of sowing and reaping.

For example, if a father is a drug dealer and is apprehended by the law, his children will not go to jail with him. However, they will be negatively impacted by his incarceration. This is simple enough to grasp. The children will suffer the absence of their father in the home, with all that means – lack of income, lack of presence, lack of affirmation, lack of discipline, lack of wisdom and guidance, and lack of protection. The negative effects of the father’s imprisonment may last for a lifetime or even generations, especially if the sons in the family buy into the lie that their lot in life is to follow in their father’s footsteps. Or the daughters may accept the embedded lie that they are not loved and cannot depend on men. The poverty that will likely accompany the loss of their father may limit the children’s access to many things in life and may tempt them to try to better their situation illegally. Also, the absence of a father may contribute to the proliferation of the single mom household pattern, which is all too prevalent today. Many low-income communities are experiencing this type of generational devastation.

Children and others often suffer generationally; even though they are not judicially sentenced for their father’s crimes.

The mechanics of reaping generational devastation, as described above, consist largely of the planting of deeply embedded lies in the hearts and minds of children, which often persist in adulthood. In addition, it may include the creation of traumatic and painful wounds in the hearts of children, which, if left unhealed, can negatively influence decision making and behavior into adulthood. It may also involve demonization, since people, especially young children, may be tempted to befriend evil spirits posing as imaginary friends and “helpers.” This may sound strange, but it happens often and will be covered later.

But let us consider Ezekiel 18 from another angle. Even though God commands us not to punish children in courts of law for the crimes or sins of their fathers, God may do so in his heavenly court.

We have that from no less an authority than our Lord Jesus himself.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? 34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! Matthew 23:29-38 (NASB) 

Jesus wept over the children of Jerusalem, knowing that they would reap the whirlwind of God’s judgment, when it finally fell upon the nation in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans. Those children in his hearing would be somewhere around 37 years older when judgment arrived. They would be adults in positions of power and influence at that time of reckoning. Children who were not even yet born were “in” their fathers when their fathers sinned.

Children who were alive when their fathers sinned, as was the case with the children present when Jesus spoke the words above, still reaped the consequences for what their parents did – the judicial punishment for killing the Messiah.

The only way out was for them to repent and renounce the evil deed, which is exactly what happened on the first New Covenant Pentecost.

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." 37  Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38  Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." 40  And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" 41  So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:36-41 (NASB)  

hose who responded in faith to the Gospel message, were released from the awful prospect of being judged by God for rejecting and killing the Messianic King, but they still lived in a land that was under God’s judgment, because the vast majority of the leadership and populace refused to acknowledge their awful sin.

Unrepentant sin, even that of long dead ancestors, demands that God’s justice and judgment be released. When a person dies, their guilt does not evaporate. It gets passed to succeeding generations, who often replicate and participate in the sins of their fathers.

When children do not renounce the sins of their fathers, according to Jesus, it puts them in agreement with their forefathers. It’s not enough for descendants merely to say, “I did not do it.” From God’s point of view, we did do it, indirectly, perhaps, in and through the actions of our fathers.

As I pointed out earlier, this is hard for a Westerner to swallow; yet, if we are to be biblical in our thinking, we must.

God requires repentance from us on behalf of our fathers, which is one of the first steps in undoing the effects of generational devastation.

The Bible gives us numerous examples of this very thing. (E.g. Nehemiah 9:2; Jeremiah 14:20; Daniel 9:16-21)

In addition to forgiving those who repented, Jesus warned his forgiven followers to flee Jerusalem when they saw God’s wrath in judgment approaching. (Matthew 24:16) As is usually the case, I suppose that there were some who did not heed Christ’s warning and were caught up in the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who did obey escaped. Lot’s rescue from Sodom and Gomorrah was a Old Covenant picture of this. Sometimes, however, descendants cannot escape. An entire nation may get caught in the trap of reaping the whirlwind of God’s judgment. I fear what may be ahead for the USA for the horrific sin of slaughtering over sixty million innocent babies! May God have mercy on us and turn this nation back to him!

Summary

In conclusion, Ezekiel 18 states a principle that human courts of law should not judicially sentence children for the sins or crimes of their parents. However, in God’s heavenly court, when it comes to the judgment due our sins and the sins of our ancestors going back to Adam, this is only true for those who come under the New Covenant through believing the Gospel message and declaring allegiance to the risen Lord Jesus. Jesus took our guilt and punishment upon himself.

Believing the Gospel, however, though it releases us from condemnation to the lake of fire, does not necessarily release us from reaping the consequences of parental and personal sins.

God’s judgment looms over unconfessed and unrenounced generational sin. If the people and leadership of the United States were to suddenly reverse course regarding legalized abortion, repenting, confessing, and renouncing that sin, would that be enough to avert judgment? Only God knows the answer, but it will surely go better for those who do, especially at the final judgment.

Ezekiel 18 does not absolve children from reaping the non-judicial consequences of their forefathers’ sins.

Suffering, embedded lies, traumatic pain, and demonization can devastate families for generations, unless someone decides to stand in the gap. God is raising up intercessors who will approach God’s throne on behalf of their families to ask forgiveness and release from any previous sins and looming judgments, and to pray for blessings to be released in keeping with God’s purposes in the New Covenant. Will you be one of those people?

"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. Isaiah 58:12 (NASB)
Practical Steps to Freedom

Here are some practical prayer steps we can take to experience freedom from long standing generational devastation.

  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify and bring to the Lord any observed repeating generational devastation in our family line. This includes behaviors, beliefs, addictions, diseases, embedded lies, traumatic hurts, and demonization.
  2. As a representative of our families and on behalf of our families, repent for any known ancestral sins and ask Jesus to release our families from any looming judgment associated with past unconfessed and unforgiven sins. (Note: We are not asking Jesus to forgive our ancestors personally. We are asking forgiveness on behalf of the family still alive, who may bear the brunt of judgment against those past sins.)
So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them. 40 ‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.  Leviticus 26:39–42 (NASB95)

 

  1. Repent of any personal participation in those same sins.
  2. Claim Christ’s victory over generational sins, judgments, and the resulting devastation for ourselves and our families. Remember: Jesus already won the victory at Calvary. (Galatians 3:13-14) We are tapping into that victory by faith. When our faith couples with God’s promises, God’s power is released.
  3. Declare Christ’s victory over embedded lies and pray for truth to permeate the family, setting us free. (John 8:31)
  4. Declare Christ’s victory over traumatic hurts and pray for his healing to touch every wounded area. (Note: This is covered next in this series.)
  5. Declare Christ’s victory over every form of demonization and ask for specific deliverance over family members. (Note: I will cover this in detail later.)
  6. Ask the Lord to bless us and our families in a way that directly contravenes the observed generational devastation. For example, if rage has been a problem, ask the Lord to make us gentle and patient. If poverty has been a generational problem, ask the Lord to prosper us and help us become generous givers.
  7. Thank the Lord for setting us free, even before we may observe any behavioral change.

When I minister to people for deliverance from generational devastation, I try to go through these steps for every identifiable generational issue. Usually this process is outwardly uneventful, but occasionally the person receiving ministry may have an emotional response which indicates the presence of an embedded lie or traumatic wound. It is possible to encounter demonization when going through this process as well. We may not realize the extent of how Christ is setting us free until later, when we realize we do not react to triggering words or events as we had before. I have seen significant deliverance by praying in the way described above, and I encourage you to give it a try.

 
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Chapter 100: How God Removes Deeply Embedded Lies

This lesson will show how God helps us to remove deeply embedded lies that are the building blocks for powerful logical arguments that block us from knowing God or believing his promises. One of the major ways Jesus sets us free from bondage is by identifying and removing deeply embedded lies and replacing them with truth.

Once the darkness of the lie is exposed to the light of God’s truth, it loses its power to control us.

According to Paul, these “lie-based” strongholds are built upon sinful logic and reasoning that opposes the truth of God’s Word and tempts us to impugn God’s character.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NASB95)

Satanic lies are extremely deceptive, and often we do not even realize that we believe and serve them until the Holy Spirit shows us.

An important concept for us to grasp is that we can believe one thing in our minds and quite another thing at the heart level.

Lie-based strongholds are built upon stubbornly held internal arguments and conclusions (or speculations) which are based on our observations and experience of life. We may have good theology at an intellectual level but be practical idolators or atheists at the heart level. What we claim to believe may be betrayed by how we act or speak. If there is a disconnect between our words and actions, there may be embedded lies hidden deep in our hearts that must be identified and expelled.

If we react with negative emotions out of proportion to the provocation, this may point to the presence of a painful lie-based stronghold in our lives. What we do, say, and think when we are under pressure can reveal what we really believe down deep.

Unless we allow the Lord to reveal what these lies are and replace them with a revelation of himself and his truth, we likely will stay in bondage. Lie-based strongholds resist most attempts to remove them; so, simple debate is usually fruitless. We cannot reason with fear and unbelief. It takes divine intervention.

An Example of a Logical Stronghold Built on Lies

Over the years I have been privileged to work with many sexual abuse victims. Any person who has experienced the betrayal and traumatic pain associated with abuse as a child at the hands of people who should have protected him or her, will often have great difficulty trusting God for protection as an adult. I think this should be rather obvious.

The argument will probably sound like the following. God did not protect me from being abused when I was young; so, why should I trust him to do so now? Either he was not able to protect me or chose not to protect me then. What is different now? This logic seems to be impregnable because it is based on personal experience, which cannot be denied.

We must concede that God, since he is almighty and sovereign, did allow the abuse to happen. Logically, based on the interpretation of his or her personal experience, the person feels justified in concluding that God cannot be trusted. This argument can hold us tenaciously in its grip despite the Bible’s clear teaching that God is our loving and powerful defender and Keeper. (Psalm 121:7-8) This is a perfect example of a lie-based stronghold, one which I have seen God help several people to overcome.

The foundational lie of this stronghold is that God is not trustworthy. This is the same lie that Satan presented to Eve in the Garden. It is perhaps the most insidious of all lies, especially when we are presented with seemingly inescapable logical proof that it is so. Perhaps you know someone whose faith in God was derailed by such an argument. I do. Anyone captured by this satanic logic is in deep trouble, and without the help of the Holy Spirit, probably will stay enslaved by the lie.

How does God liberate us?

We tend to believe what we see and experience more than we believe God and his promises because deep down we are fiercely independent sinful beings.

When we are born again, we receive a new identity. Our reborn spirit is joined to and loves the Lord. (1 Corinthians 6:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17). However, even though our spirits are reborn, we still have a connection to Adam’s sinful independence through our yet unresurrected bodies, which the Bible calls “the flesh” (Greek: sarx). We are beings who are a combination of a new creation spirit and an old creation not yet resurrected body. Our souls (mind, will and emotions – the personality) are conflicted as a result. (I have written about this extensively in my series, Living Free in the Spirit.) We have a sort of “split personality.”

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Romans 7:22–23 (NASB95)

Part of us loves God deeply and wants to serve him, but the “flesh” still wants to be an outlaw and live off God’s grid. The “flesh,” still insists on making its own decisions and evaluations instead of relying upon the Lord and trusting his words. The “flesh” never disappears, until the resurrection, and cannot be rehabilitated. According to Paul, the “flesh” was crucified with Christ and must be constantly put to death by us.

For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.  Romans 7:5–6 (NASB95)

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:24–25 (NASB95)

The flesh wants to be able to provide for itself rather than trust the invisible God. It wants to protect itself, instead of relying on God to be its defender. This reveals that we still hold to a belief that we are better off on our own in life, which is exactly what prompted Adam and Eve to reject God and choose independence so long ago. They failed their test. God helps us to overcome this temptation to opt for a self-directed independence, which allows us to experience the freedom Christ died to give us.

Sinful logic has a very limited perspective and does not factor in God’s wisdom and understanding.

It is not built on any sort of revelation of God or faith in his promises. Think of how modern TV shows and movies are written and produced. Most of them present a version life in which God is never in the picture and people fend for themselves. Karl Marx called religion the “opiate of the masses,” a crutch for weak-minded people who cannot handle life on their own. The “flesh” laps up this sort of logic, which is one reason why so many fall for the lies behind Marxism and evolution, which are God-denying, man-glorifying approaches to life.

The Way Out

If a person who is captured by such a stronghold wishes to experience freedom, he or she must eventually reject their sinful logic and make a decision to rely on what the Bible says about God and his promises.

I can almost hear you thinking, “Yeah, right. That sounds pretty easy but actually is close to impossible.” Exactly! That is why we need God’s help. When we approach God in prayer, asking for his help, he will never let us down. He is more willing to help us to experience freedom than we are to seek it. Jesus already paid the price for our liberation.

The Holy Spirit is waiting for us to ask for his help.

Changing how we think about things is called repentance, which comes from the Greek word metanoeo and means literally to “change the mind.” Changing how we think precedes changing who and what we believe.

Repentance moves us from trusting in ourselves to trusting in God.

Repentance and faith are gifts from God. (Acts 5:31 and Ephesians 2:8) Unless God reveals himself to us in a personal way, we cannot repent or believe using only our own abilities. The Holy Spirit is always at work when people truly repent and trust in God from the heart. Bondage derives from sinful logic, but a heart that turns back to God in simple trust will experience freedom.

That is why it is vital for us to take any of our lie-based logical strongholds directly to the Lord in prayer and ask him to help us with them through his written Word and the Holy Spirit. Lie-based strongholds are always arrogant and proud obstacles that stand between us and knowing God. The only way to destroy such a stronghold is to confront it head on with repentance, humility, and a determination to move forward with faith in God and the truth of his Word. We cannot make it through this process without God’s direct help.

If we suspect the presence of such a stronghold, we can go directly to God in prayer. A good time to do this is when we feel the direct impact of any attached negative emotions, which are smoke indicating the presence of a fire, so to speak. We can ask the Lord why we feel these emotions. The next step is to listen, expecting him to speak to us. It’s a good idea to keep a journal of such prayer times where we record what we believe the Lord reveals to us. It is also a good idea to use a trusted friend or counselor as a “sounding board” to assess what we think we hear God speak to us.

Once we identify the lie, we can ask the Lord to speak his truth to us. The entrance of God’s truth turns on the light, driving out the darkness and setting us free.

The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.  Psalm 119:130 (NASB95)

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32 (NLT)
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Chapter 102: Jesus, the Healer of Our Souls

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:1-3 (ESV)

Deep unhealed wounds and the associated traumatic pain can interfere with our experiencing all that Jesus died to provide. The devastation experienced because of unconfessed and unforgiven generational sins and their attached judgments is overcome through actively claiming and applying Jesus’ releasing us from the power of the curse when he died on the cross. Lie-based strongholds are defeated through our recognizing and renouncing any lies we have believed and replacing them with promises and truths from the Bible. The truth sets us free from the power of the lie. (John 8:31-32) We must learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide us through this process. When it comes to deep pain, however, neither the authority of the resurrected Christ over all generational devastation nor the bondage breaking power of the truth is the complete answer.

Deep traumatic pain requires the healing touch of Jesus.

All sin and bondage is based on lies. The bondage of sin and death began because a satanic lie was spoken, believed, and acted upon, which opened the door to a lifestyle of sinful independence with its resultant pain and destruction. When we encounter pain in our lives, we usually attempt to understand and make sense of it to protect ourselves by using the carnal or fleshly (Greek: sarx) mind, which lacks wisdom and often weaves for itself another layer of deception. The lies we believe, when acted upon, can introduce even more pain, setting the cycle in motion once again. Demons often take advantage of this situation and may present themselves as our “friends” who are trying to help. Demons look for a “nest” of lies and pain to set up housekeeping. Sometimes they rely upon some sort of “hook” in our souls, such as involvement in the occult. Such demonization may go back generationally. Deliverance from bondage needs to address these interrelated areas.

Identifying the Presence of Inner Hurts

Hurts and wounds of the soul are carried on the inside of a person and may be invisible except for how they affect our reactions and relationships. Their presence may be revealed by exaggerated emotional responses, bizarre behaviors, and irrational thinking. When our reactions are out of keeping with a provocation, inner hurts and associated lies may lie beneath the surface.

In the process of asking the Lord Jesus to set us free from inner hurts, embedded lies, generational devastation, and demonization, a good strategy may be to begin where the pain is the greatest. In fact, the reason most people seek help is because the pain has become unbearable. Pain motivates us to seek a cure. A good practice for each of us when we experience emotions that are not from God’s Spirit is to ask the Lord what is going on inside us. If we listen to the Spirit, he may reveal to us bondage breaking truth and provide healing.

Receiving healing from inner hurts may involve our repenting for known sin, identifying and claiming freedom from generational devastation, asking Jesus to heal our pain and replace lies with truth, and casting out any attached demonic influence in Christ’s name and authority.

Demons are not always part of the problem, however, and should not be assumed unless they are discerned with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Unless we use this broad approach to deliverance, we may leave key components of bondage in place, providing an incomplete form of help.

Usually, our pain has an historical basis and is directly connected to events we experienced, to words spoken over us, or to attitudes expressed to us.

None of these things has the power to bring us into bondage unless we believe some lie as a result. Jesus experienced all sorts of negative things in his life but never reacted sinfully and never came into bondage.

For example, when a parent fails to love his or her child properly, it may break the heart of that little one. As a result, depending on the personality of the child, the response might be to become afraid, depressed, angry, or maybe just shut down emotionally to wall out the pain. Lie-based strongholds are often generated as we try to understand and cope with our pain. We may come to believe that we have no personal worth, because our parents did not value us enough to live with us, spend significant time with us, or speak affirming words to us. We may feel ashamed and think there is something inherently wrong with us, causing everyone who is important to us to eventually abandon us.

As you can imagine, believing such things triggers corresponding behaviors that can be a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

For example, we may expect to be rejected; so, to protect ourselves from that pain, we reject the other person first. These hurts must be healed, and the lies must be addressed and replaced with God’s truth. The generational side of things usually needs to be addressed as well.

At times we need to consider that some events have produced a deep level of hurt in an entire group of people. Think of what happened at Wounded Knee when the US Army massacred an entire Indian village. Dee Brown wrote a book entitled Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which communicates some of the pathos attached to that event. A once proud people were reduced to living in poverty on reservations supplied by a government that systematically lied to them, destroyed them, and divested them of their territories over several decades. We would have to ask a Native American what kind of pain remains and how has it affected both mental health and personal fulfillment and happiness. Poverty, hopelessness, and alcoholism run rampant on reservations. This is a generational inner hurt accompanied by generational lies and probable demonization.

Unless these past injuries are properly addressed, we may be hindered in moving forward in life.

Jesus can heal us from the pain associated with our personal, group, or family past, too.

Binding Up the Brokenhearted

How does Jesus bind our wounds and heal our broken hearts? When Jesus launched his public ministry, he told his followers what his focus would be by quoting the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; Isaiah 61:1 (ESV) 

The poor in this passage are those who have been so reduced by their neediness that they crouch and cower. Captives are those who have been conquered and made prisoner. The oppressed are people who have been “broken to pieces,” and part of their breaking has been the rending of their hearts. Many people have hearts that are thoroughly broken. They often are incapable, without proper mending, of feeling emotions properly or trusting God adequately.

Faith comes from the heart, and if the heart is broken, how can we feel or trust properly? That is one reason why the healing ministry of Jesus is so needed.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NASB)

Jesus endured the crushing pain of abandonment, false accusation, betrayal, fear, powerlessness, rejection, invalidation, and confusion. All the common maladies of the soul fell upon him as armed bandits might fall on an innocent, defenseless traveler. Jesus offered no defense but, full of trust in his Abba Father, went to his death as a sheep to the slaughter, as the Lamb of God.

The crushing Jesus experienced provided for our well-being and healing.

Jesus is not indifferent to our pain. He experienced it for himself and knows exactly how to heal it. In fact, he has already paid the price for our healing and restoration, if we turn to him, just as the woman with the issue of blood relentlessly pursued Jesus until she touched the hem of his garment and was healed.

Finding healing in Christ begins with the understanding that he cares, loves, and feels deeply for us. He knows about our pain – how it feels, where it came from, and what it has done to us. He also suffered in his own soul and body to provide for our healing.

If we will believe that Jesus is God the Healer, Jehovah-Rapha, and believe that he has already paid the price for our healing, and if we will come to him in faith, asking him to heal and restore us, we can experience healing at his hands.

This pursuit of healing may require us to revisit the memories of when painful things happened to us, reopening old wounds and unsealing long-repressed pain. We will need the courage to allow ourselves to once again feel that pain and ask Jesus to heal us. This has been labeled “inner healing” or “healing of the memories.” It is simply recognizing that our pain has an historical origin of which Jesus is aware. Our Lord was there when it happened; although, we knew it not. He knows what it felt like, what we were thinking, the lies that were set up in our hearts, etc. He also knows exactly how to set us free because he is the Wonderful Counselor! (Isaiah 9:6)

If we take these painful memories to him and ask him to heal us, the results can be amazing. Often God is far more interested in setting us free than we are in pursuing that freedom.

Some of us were so deeply hurt that it will take a great amount of bravery and trust in Jesus to permit him to visit the hidden places in our hearts. This is what blocks many from the pursuit of freedom. But the Bible tells us that Jesus can be trusted completely. He will be careful and kind to us on our journey to wholeness. Just as surely as he delivered the woman at the well in Samaria from her pain in John Chapter 4 and set the adulteress woman free from her condemnation and pain in John Chapter 8, he can do the same for us. He is the Healer of our souls.

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One Reason Why It’s So Important to Keep Our Word

One of God’s attributes is his faithfulness to keep his word.

But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. 19  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20  For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 21  Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22  who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 (NASB)  

How important is it for us to keep our promises? Many of us, who find it hard to keep commitments, go more by how we feel at the moment, instead of by what we may have promised. Sadly, this attitude impacts many a marriage. Too many of us blithely vow to be faithful unto death, but renege on our promises when “the thrill is gone.”

God is unchanging and he is absolutely truthful. He says what he means and means what he says. It is because of his faithfulness to his promises that we can have hope.

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19 (ESV) 

All of us have lapses in our faithfulness to some degree or another. Most of us can bring to mind times when we let someone down. For some of us, this may have become a way of life. If so, acknowledging our sin and asking the Lord to help us change is in order. If we have placed our allegiance and trust in Christ, over time the indwelling Holy Spirit develops Christ’s character in our lives. He works into our lives faithfulness to our word. Perhaps he is speaking to your heart about this right now.

The more we become like God, the more faithful we will be to our promises.

King David wrote that God will honor…

 Those who…keep their promises even when it hurts. Psalm 15:4 (NLT) 

One of Jesus’ titles is the Truth. (John 14:6) Every lie we tell is a betrayal of our Lord and grieves the Holy Spirit. It might even be said that lying is a form of idolatry because it elevates falsehood in our lives over the Truth. Conversely, the more we keep our word, the more Jesus’ truthfulness is evident in and through us.

God intends that our behavior should reinforce the gospel message. We do not want to give our hearers another excuse to reject Jesus by failing to live up to our word.

Practically speaking, if we prioritize keeping our promises, it will make us more careful about what we say. We will do our best to only commit to those things we actually plan to follow through on, rather than promising to do something simply because we hate to say “no.” We want to be regarded as honest persons who keep our word. It will make us be more respected, happier, a better reflection of God’s character, and a better transmitter of the gospel. None of us is perfect, but the Holy Spirit should be making progress in this area of our lives.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I praise and worship you for your perfect truthfulness. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are the Spirit of Truth. Work your truthfulness in me. I repent from all forms of falsehood and ask you to develop Christ’s character in me. Help me to be an example that will not cause offense or a stumbling block to others. Amen.

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