Category: Discipleship Essentials

How to Identify and Escape from a Satanic Attack: Part 4 – Debt, Sickness, and Death

Any time we are engaged in doing something important for the Lord, Satan will attack us in various way. We have already covered how he uses deception, accusation, and the combination of mockery, threats, and intimidation to try to derail us from pursuing God’s purposes. In this article, I will look at another satanic triad: debt, sickness, and death.

Jesus described the enemy of our souls very succinctly.

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

In another place he added:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV)

Putting all this together, we can state the following:

  1. Satan is a murderer, liar, thief, and destroyer.
  2. God is a life-giver, a truth speaker, generous, and a builder of what is good.

How do we practically apply these simple truths?

  • Any person or government that seeks the welfare of its people represents God legitimately, but one that robs and tyrannizes its people is satanic. (This can be done through robbery through repressive taxation or other unjust or illegal operations.) (Romans 13:3-4)
  • A person or government that protects the sanctity of life and the unborn is from God, but one that encourages the murder of innocent citizens, including unborn children, is serving and representing the devil.
  • A government that tells the truth to its people is from God, but one that systematically lies is satanic. (This can include censorship of the truth, misinformation, and propaganda.)
  • A government that ministers justice to its citizens, protects the innocent, and punishes evil doers is from God. One that promotes lawlessness and a multi-tiered justice system to protect the rich and powerful but punish opposition is satanic.
  • A government that promotes peace and prosperity if from God, but one that promotes war and civil unrest at home or abroad is from the devil.

Quite simply, life, truth, prosperity and freedom come from God, which sounds a lot like our Declaration of Independence, but death, lies, debt, and slavery come from the evil one.

You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26  There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. Exodus 23:25-26 (NLT)

Health comes from God, but sickness and death come from sin and the devil. Blessings and prosperity come from God, but Satan wishes to curse and impoverish us. Children are a blessing from the Lord, but Satan wants us to be childless; hence, the emphasis on birth control, abortion, and population control. God wants us to be healthy and enjoy life, but Satan wants us sick and miserable; hence, the emphasis on medicines and vaccines that actually make us sicker and reduce childbirth and fertility. God wants us to be debt free, but Satan wants us crushed and impoverished by a mountain of debt; hence, his servants have spent our nation into a hopeless debt situation.

Is there any good news? Absolutely! The Bible tells us that Jesus came to set the captives free! He came to heal the sick, raise the dead, and pay back our hopeless debt!

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19  and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

Jesus said that he came that we might have an “abundant” life here on earth and live forever in heaven! He came to reveal to us just how incredible God’s love is. He came to change us on the inside so we can become more and more like God, loving others, telling the truth, and helping others find their freedom in God, too.

How can we experience what Jesus came to give us? It’s really very simple. All we have to do is recognize that we need help and turn to Jesus. God wants us to acknowledge that we are incapable of living without him. He wants us to return to the Author of Life so he can be our all in all – our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Hope.

If we give Jesus our trust and allegiance, he will give us all that he is. We will discover that he really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we will escape from the tyranny of the devil.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Why not make the exchange today? Give to God your sin and hopeless situation and receive all Jesus died to give to you. You might pray this simple prayer from your heart.

Prayer

Jesus, I am weary of being subject to the devil. I have had enough of his lying, stealing, and murder. Forgive me for being allied to him and for the things I have done, thought, and said that have evidenced my rebellion against you, Lord. I ask you to forgive me for trying to live independently from you, Lord. I give you my life, and I receive your forgiveness. Thank you for giving me eternal life. Come, Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Live your life through me. Empower and equip me to be a proper follower of Christ and his witness to others. Amen.

Share this post...

How to Identify a Satanic Attack: Part 3 – Mockery, Threats, and Intimidation

If deception and false accusations fail to succeed, the devil and his allies often resort to mockery, threats, and intimidation to discourage and instill fear to derail us from pursuing God’s purposes.

When Nehemiah endeavored to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, he encountered every form of satanic resistance and attack. The book of the Bible named after him is one of our best study guides for identifying and countering deception.

The Babylonians defeated Israel and tore down Jerusalem’s walls, making those still living in that area vulnerable to harassment from their enemies. This delighted those who hated Israel, but broke the heart of Nehemiah, a servant of the king of Persia. Nehemiah asked permission from King Artaxerxes to return and rebuild the wall, which was granted. Once this prodigious task was underway, the first thing Israel’s enemies did was mock their efforts with a small helping of false accusation added.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. Nehemiah 2:19 (NLT)

The last thing these three men wanted to see was Israel’s return to any sort of prominence and strength. But Nehemiah refused to be intimidated. He replied:

...“The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2:20 (NLT)

Because of Nehemiah’s firm leadership and the willingness of the workers tremendous progress was made very quickly. This provoked Israel’s enemies to step up their game.

Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2  saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” 3  Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” Nehemiah 4:1-3 (NLT)

The purpose of mockery is demoralization.

If the enemy can discourage us, we may stop ourselves, without his having to actively resist in any way. We must steel ourselves against the powerful weapon of being mocked and ridiculed. What others think about us is not our business.

Nehemiah recognized it as a formidable attack and responded appropriately, going directly to God.

Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5  Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” Nehemiah 4:4-5 (NLT)

If mockery fails to accomplish its objective, God’s enemies will usually escalate their attack.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. 8  They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. 9  But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. Nehemiah 4:7-9 (NLT)

The threat of physical violence is designed either to inflict harm or incapacitate us through fear and confusion.

If we have to defend ourselves, how can we get anything done? Another possible response to the threat of violence is to cease from doing what provokes the enemy’s anger. Nehemiah refused to be intimidated. In addition to prayer, he took action.

So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. 14  Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” 15  When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. 16  But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah 17  who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. 18  All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. Nehemiah 4:13-18 (NLT)

When we are under satanic attack, as was Nehemiah, we must be prepared to encounter mockery, fear, and intimidation without letting those things deter us from doing God’s will.

Later Israel’s enemies lied and falsely accused the Jews of rebellion to the Persian government, but that tactic was overcome, too. In 52 days, the wall was completed, which was an amazing feat.

We are not trying to rebuild a physical wall. Instead, followers of Christ today are working to build and extend God’s kingdom here on earth through preaching the gospel and making disciples. Satan works overtime to keep us from obeying God in these two areas. It is my firm belief that the devil will tolerate many things that churches do, such as fellowship, pray, worship, and teach the Bible.

However, when a local assembly makes the commitment to pursue obedience to the Great Commission, it can expect to encounter strong satanic resistance.

When this happens, a decision must be made whether that church will continue on course or abandon the quest to obey God. Nehemiah was willing to endure the mockery, lies, threats, and even physical attack in order to rebuild Jerusalem. Restoring Jerusalem was more valuable to him than his own life. But we are part of something much bigger – the kingdom of God, which will never be destroyed. Earthly kingdoms will come and go, but God’s kingdom never ends. May God work in his people to make us so committed to God’s kingdom purposes that we will not allow anything to deflect us from that pursuit!

Share this post...

How to Identify a Satanic Attack: Part 2 – Accusation

Accusations almost always accompany a satanic attack. One of the most revealing names given to Satan in the Bible is the “Accuser.”

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10 (NLT)

Satan began his assault on humanity by accusing God to Eve.

He claimed that God did not have her best interests in mind, could not be trusted, and should be disregarded. It worked. For some reason, even from the beginning when Adam and Eve were pristine creations, people gravitate toward “dirt.” We seem to more easily believe a lie than the truth. The closer an accusation comes to the truth, the more effective it tends to be. If Satan was not afraid to accuse God, he certainly will have no qualms about accusing us! According to the Bible, he accuses us day and night to God’s face.

All accusations are painful, but false ones are violations of God’s command not to bear false witness.

Lying in court is called perjury, and carries a heavy penalty. Lodging false accusations against people is a sin that carries a heavy price tag because it has the potential to destroy lives. God’s justice will see to it that liars are punished.

A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Proverbs 19:9 (NASB95)

Modern politics greatly relies upon accusations, and it does not seem to matter if they are true or not. Guilt or innocence is not the issue. Mud is thrown in the hope that some of it will stick in the minds of the voting populace. Jesus said that Satan is a “thief” whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) False accusations are a tool to accomplish that end.

Being falsely accused is a difficult test.

Everything in us wants to set the record straight. It is a fundamental violation of our character, integrity, and reputation. Jesus endured this test without feeling the need to retaliate because he fully trusted in God’s ability and promise to vindicate him eventually.

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken! Isaiah 54:17 (NLT)

Waiting for God’s vindication is difficult, but the reward will be worth it.

Considering the amount of accusation exhibited in the current political landscape, it is obvious that our nation is under a severe satanic assault.

Even though God promises to punish false witnesses, it does not stop people from falsely accusing political enemies. If we find ourselves so targeted, we must trust that God can and will vindicate us as he sees fit.

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10  He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 2 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

Totalitarian states encourage their citizens to report their neighbors to the authorities if they appear to violate some government order. This opens the door to all sorts of abuse, with the accused having no recourse. 

Such accusation is a betrayal and breaks down trust in a society. It is a tool the devil uses to demoralize a populace, steal our freedom, kill our joy, and destroy our lives.

When people accuse one another to the government, we can be sure the devil is hard at work. 

How Can We Defend Ourselves?

When Satan accuses us of being sinners, he usually has plenty of ammunition. Even Christians who have the Holy Spirit living inside fall into sin. Jesus came and died on the cross as God’s Lamb to deliver us from every form of condemnation. He took the accusations, guilt, and punishment for our sins, so that we can walk free of all three.

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

The first defense against Satan’s condemnatory accusations is to accept what Christ did to free us. Now that we have been made righteous in Christ, Satan bears false witness when he condemns us to God. 

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:33-34 (NLT)

In the courtroom of heaven, God is the judge, the defense lawyer, and the jury. When Satan falsely accuses us, the case is thrown out of court immediately. This was settled over 2000 years ago. On an individual basis, we have been set free from the power of false accusation in the spiritual realm.

But what about the natural world in which we live? How can we defend ourselves and those we love against the accuser of the brethren?

The first thing we can do is pray that God will expose this activity of the devil and cause it to backfire.

We can also point out when false accusation is being employed by those around us. This is similar to exposing the activity of a gossip. It needs to be brought to the light. Lastly, we can make sure we do not engage in the same.

There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. James 2:13 (NLT)

False accusers show no mercy, and none will be shown to them. Let’s choose to be mercy people. Since we need mercy, let’s give it to others. This is a positive example of reaping what we sow.

Share this post...

How to Identify a Satanic Attack: Deception

A chief characteristic of all satanic attacks is deception.

Satan undermines individuals, groups, and entire societies by suppressing truth and aggressively spreading lies. All totalitarian nations do this. They control the information flow so that only the propaganda they create gets to the people. The way to undermine such a state is to create alternate ways for the truth to be known.

The Bible says that Satan is the “father of lies” and that “there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44) He overthrew Adam and Eve by lying to them about God’s character and motives and the consequences of sin.

Any person or organization that lies as a matter of course is satanically affiliated and is motivated and empowered by hell. (James 3:6)

Over the past several years reporting by the mainstream media has been characterized by deception and misinformation. You connect the dots. Many realize what is happening, which is maddening. Others, who have lost their ability to judge truth from falsehood, have no clue that they are being duped.

“A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.” – Booker T. Washington

Since lying is satanic, those who give themselves over to lying become tools of the devil. The scariest thing that can happen to a person is for God to give him or her over to the evil from which they refuse to renounce. (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) If that happens, there may be no escape. Repentance is a gift from God, and if the Holy Spirit stops working in someone to influence them toward good, the evil present in them will gain mastery over them.

“Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7  You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7 (NLT)

Sin mastered Cain because he refused to repent from his hatred and bitterness, resulting in his murder of Abel. This is what happened to Pharaoh when he repeatedly went back on his word and “hardened his heart” against God. When we refuse to respond to the Spirit’s promptings to turn away from evil, the Bible says that God “hardens our hearts.” (Exodus 9:12) The Lord gives some people over to their sin. He stops actively working to turn them away from their habitual disobedience, thereby allowing them to become captives to Satan to do his will.

Paul wrote:

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25  Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26  Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NLT)

Abandoning truth leads to captivity by Satan. Large numbers of people in our government and the media have given themselves over to lying and have become active agents in a satanic attack on our country.

The purpose of satanic deception is to hide truth, undermine our faith in God, and generally demoralize us.

Pontius Pilate illustrated what demoralization looks like, when he responded to our Lord, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) The personification of truth stood before him, but he could not recognize him. He had become so demoralized by all the lying he saw taking place over the years that he apparently gave up on the very idea of truth. His cynicism blocked any possibility for him to recognize the identity of our Lord. Such can happen to anyone who lives in a society that routinely inundates its people with deception.

False information leads to bad conclusions which produce destructive actions. It should be obvious that this is happening in society at large. Large numbers of people have swallowed lies regarding homosexuality, transgenderism, sex outside of marriage, abortion, and so on.

Believing lies often results in disobedience to God, bringing upon ourselves the negative consequences associated with sin.

Nobody ever “gets away with” sin. We always reap what we sow, eventually.

How Do We Defend Ourselves?

A key to fending off satanic deception is to be a lover of truth which necessitates that we read, study, and obey God’s Word in the Bible.

The antidote for the poison of deception is the truth. Armed with the truth, we can make our stand against the lies and schemes of the devil.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. Ephesians 6:14 (NLT)

Jesus is the Truth. He stands opposed to Satan’s lies. His truth sets us free from the power of the lie.

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

Once we embrace truth, it is like turning on the lights. The dark power of the lie simply goes away. It cannot survive exposure to the light.

God wants his people to boldly proclaim truth, which starts with sharing the gospel. It includes a wholesale acceptance of the Bible, all of it, as God’s written truth to us. God’s Word is truth. (John 17:17) But our responsibility extends beyond the confines of religion.

We are to stand for truth in every area. We must be declarers of truth wherever we discover that lies are being propagated.

In our day, this is nearly everywhere: government, education, medicine, the news media, television, the movies, and what is called “science”. Remember: Satan

...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)
Steps to Freedom
  1. Confess that Jesus, who is the Truth, is the Lord. To follow Christ is to embrace truth.
  2. Read, think about, and put into practice the teachings of the Bible.
  3. Repent in any area where you have embraced deception.
  4. Become a truth teller.
Share this post...

Legalism Plays the Blame Game

Legalism plays the blame game and uses guilt to manipulate and motivate people. Psychologists recognize that we often deride and malign others in an attempt to bolster our own position or image. We also sometimes project on others the things of which we are guilty ourselves. This can be done malignantly to deceive or it can be simply a form of denial. We often fail to see in ourselves what we clearly see in others. We imagine that we are better than the person we judge, and feel comfortable accusing them, without realizing that, in so doing, we condemn ourselves.

Paul highlighted this sinful tendency in his letter to the church in Rome.

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. Romans 2:1 (NLT)

Our propensity to judge others for the things for which we are also guilty reveals that we have not seen or accepted the truth about our own sinfulness.

A root of legalism is that we think we are better than we are.

Jesus told a parable (Matthew 18:21-35) about a servant who owed his master an enormous debt for which he no means to repay it. Rather than consign his bankrupt servant to debtor’s prison, the master amazingly completely forgave the debt. Perhaps such magnanimity was an affront to the servant’s pride, who imagined still that he was capable of repaying the debt. The ungrateful and deceived servant immediately set about trying to do just that by collecting much smaller debts that others owed him. When a fellow servant was unable to come up with the money owed, the forgiven servant threw him into debtor’s prison. When the master heard about this, he became furious and had the previously forgiven man also placed in the same prison.

The first servant’s main problem was his pride which kept him from seeing that he was a pauper, who fully depended on his master’s mercy. He thought he was better than he was and certainly better than the one who owed him money. Demanding from others what we cannot produce ourselves is a sure sign of pride and legalism.

When this is our condition, we do not appreciate the mercy shown to us and refuse to give any to others.

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:3 (NLT)

We undercut the mercy shown to us when we refuse to give any to others.

By default, our sinful pride influences us all to gravitate toward legalism.

The false narrative of legalism is that we can improve ourselves and become acceptable to God, if we try hard enough.

Some of us have been engaged in a lifelong remediation project in the hope that one day, hopefully soon, we will finally arrive at our destination – the level of perfection we think is attainable. The Bible teaches that this is the surest way to frustration, anger, and depression. Pursuing perfection can totally demoralize us or turn us into mean spirited self-righteous judges.

The more we try to measure up to the demands of God’s righteousness using our own resources, the greater will be our failure.

Paul discovered this and wrote about it in his letter to the church in Rome (Romans 7:14-25). Until we realize how bankrupt we are, we will feel comfortable accusing and condemning ourselves, our leaders, the church, and everyone else, and, by doing so, unwittingly ally ourselves with Satan, the Accuser. (Revelation 12:10) Misery loves company.

The Price We Pay

When we judge others in an accusatory and condemning way, we heap judgment upon ourselves.

And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3  Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Romans 2:2-3 (NLT)

Jesus also warned us about the flashback effect of improperly judging others.

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)

No one likes to be judged; yet, we often do it to others without regard for the negative consequences. Judging others restricts them and us. Judging others invites God’s judgment into our own lives. Judging others strips away our joy and peace.

When we improperly judge someone, we lose the ability to help or be helped by them.

When we judge and condemn those in authority, we may open the door for divine judgment to fall upon us. I am truly concerned about those who call themselves Christians and who seem to feel very comfortable railing at our president. (Acts 23:5).  If you are not familiar with the stories of those who decided it was fine to attack and criticize Moses, you should read those accounts, such as found in Numbers 16. It is sobering.

Examples
  • Sometimes I am surprised when church leaders say that the current broken state of society is the church’s fault. This presupposes that if we do everything right, everyone else will also do the right thing, which is totally false. Jesus did all the right things when it came to training his apostles: yet, one of them betrayed him. It certainly was not Jesus’ fault. God created Adam and Eve and gave them a perfect environment; nevertheless, at the first opportunity, they betrayed their Creator to follow Satan. Was that God’s fault? Of course not. Perfect parents, if there ever were such a thing, cannot guarantee that their children will turn out well.

Legalism’s false narrative is that if we can perform well enough, we can guarantee an outcome. The other side of the coin is that if we get a bad outcome, it was our fault.

If we accept the lie that the church is responsible to change the world through its performance, we fall into a legalistic trap that will lead to frustration, demoralization, or self-righteousness.

  • Some people teach that God always physically heals us when we ask him. They cite scriptures that bolster this position and insist that God is always true to his word. Therefore, they reason, if we do not receive our healing, the fault must lie with us. People are taught to deny that they are sick, since God has healed them already. They are encouraged to repeat over and over the verses that promise healing, in the hope that faith will grow and God will be persuaded by our persistence. I remember once when I heard that the family of a man dying from cancer would admit no one who did not hold the same belief about positively confessing healing. People who properly discerned that it was his time to die were not allowed to console and encourage him as he approached the threshold into eternity. I thank God for his promises. I thank him that Jesus paid the price for my healing. I believe that we should trust him to do just what he promised, but I also realize that it is in God’s discretion and timing how he dispenses his grace and gifts. Everyone dies eventually, and only God knows when it is our time. Jesus holds the keys of hell and death. When that moment arrives, nothing is going to stop it from happening. Likewise, before it is time for us to die, nothing can take us out by stealth.

Surrendering our lives and health to a loving and sovereign God is the surest way to peace and being able to discern what the Spirit is speaking to us about our situation.

We should beware of legalistic formulas that supposedly guarantee spiritual outcomes.

Instead we should make it our priority to grow in our trust in our all-powerful and loving God, who always has our best interests in mind. When we do this, we fully trust his promises but leave the outcome to him.

(You can read more about this important topic in my book, Seeing God’s Smile, which can be purchased on Amazon.)

Conclusion

Life is so much easier and more joyful when we admit that we are spiritual paupers who depend on the mercy of God and have no right or business condemning others. There is a proper form of judgment, which amounts to wise discernment, but never morphs into condemnation. It is important that we refrain from judging ourselves, too. We get enough of that from the devil and other people.

Share this post...

Legalism Tries to Control Us

Not only does legalism seek to measure our spiritual progress and standing, it also tries to control us. God gave us freedom when he created us, but we traded our liberty for bondage when we believed the devil’s lie in the garden. By pursuing what was presented as freedom from having to depend on God, we became trapped in bondage to sin and death. Jesus died and rose again to set us free, which we can experience if we are willing to surrender to his benevolent lordship. Freedom is found only in God.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NASB95)

Freedom is based in truth; whereas, bondage is founded on a lie. 

The gift of grace provides freedom; whereas, legalism, which is founded on the lie that we can and must earn and maintain our right standing with God, always produces darkness and slavery to sin.

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

At the government level, the bondage of sin influences those in authority to seek to control those under their oversight. Sin, left unrestrained, will always trend toward the darkness of totalitarianism.

Totalitarian governments prey upon the fears of the populace by offering security in return for the surrender of personal freedoms.

The goal of the individuals at the top of such governments is total power, wealth, and control. Since bondage and the desire to control originate in Satan and are a product of our sin, the end game of totalitarian governments is usually quite sinister, including seeking to destroy those who worship and serve the God who gives freedom. Totalitarian governments suppress truth and anything that would work towards setting people free on the inside, such as faith in God and free speech. Propaganda replaces the sharing of truth. Thought and speech are monitored to make sure everyone is participating in the lie. Totalitarian governments usually strip from their people any means of self-defense. Where freedom exists, people are able to worship, speak, and assemble as they see fit. They are also allowed to have the means to defend themselves.

Totalitarianism can exist in churches, too. The principles at work are the same as in government.

Unscrupulous church leadership may take advantage of the ignorance and fear of their people by offering them a path to obtain security with God at the price of surrendering to church control.

Keep the rules, kiss the ring, and you can go to heaven.

The Roman Catholic Church maintained such control over most of Europe during the Middle Ages. As with governments, their goal seemed to be the accumulation of power and wealth. To achieve this, the church developed elaborate schemes to hold the populace in bondage to it, rather than preaching the gospel of freedom. The church presented itself as the only gateway for people to reach God. They taught that the church held the key to obtaining and maintaining a right standing with God. Only the priests could provide the sacraments which were the means of staying in a right relationship with God – baptism, confirmation, holy communion, confession, matrimony, holy orders, and the last rites. Common people, called the laity, were taught that they had no direct access to God, making them dependent on the the mediation of the priesthood. All of this is contrary to the New Covenant.

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)

(I have written several articles exposing the errors of Roman Catholicism, in which I participated up until the time of my new birth experience as a 19 year old freshman at university. You can access them by clicking here.)

The Reformation set dynamite to the Roman Catholic Church’s totalitarian tyranny, opening the gates to the masses to approach God directly without the mediation of the church or the priesthood. Proclaiming the banner of Sola Scriptura, the reformers taught that the Word of God is the only standard for judging what is right and wrong and acceptable to God, replacing the Catholic Church’s insistence that church tradition and the infallibility of the papacy trumped the Bible.

In the brave new world of the Protestant movement, the freedom to worship according to the dictates of conscience was restored, at least partly, which also introduced a greater degree of personal accountability. Reformers took advantage of this freedom to explore and develop their own versions of what it meant to follow God, resulting in an explosion of new sects and denominations. But the Reformation did not deal with the inherent sinful desire in humanity to control others. Soon the larger Protestant groups sought to control over some of the new sects which they regarded with suspicion. This extended even to actively persecuting these groups.

Today, in America, where at the moment we still have freedom to worship as we see fit, we often find legalistic control at the denominational and local church levels. We are free to associate with whatever church we choose, but sometimes we may suffer for it. We may even find ourselves being controlled by the church of our choice.

Because of sin, legalism is our default setting. It takes constant vigilance to ward off the tentacles of encroaching legalism.

Here are some of the things to which we should be alert in our quest to maintain our freedom.

The Insistence of Our Acceptance of Non-essential Doctrines

An essential doctrine is one that is required for us to be called a Christian. If God does not require it for entrance into heaven, it is not essential here on earth either.

We should be wary of any church or leader that requires members to adhere to doctrines that fall into the non-essential category in order to be a part of a local church. 

Church leaders sometimes use their influence to pursue personal “pet” projects. For example, the United Methodist Church has aligned itself with the LGBTQ+ position, forcing its members to choose between adhering to traditional biblical morality and leave the church or stay with the denomination as it careens away from biblical truth. Those members who have no firm anchor in God’s Word will likely be swept away by the church’s improper use of its influence and power. If you are in a church that is more loyal to a popular societal position than to God’s truth, get out before you partake in its judgment.

The Exaltation of Leaders

Totalitarian regimes, even in the church, always have a privileged ruling class. Jesus taught that a qualifier for leadership in his kingdom is being a servant.

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)

If you see that your church improperly exalts its leaders, it should serve as a red flag. It is always appropriate to honor our leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17), but never to put them in a separate status above the rest of the church.

The Attempt to Control Personal Decisions

Our forefathers in America during the Great Awakening defined slavery in a broad sense as not being allowed to follow the dictates of our own conscience.

They were willing to fight and die to secure this freedom, but today we meekly acquiesce when the government routinely strips us of the ability to make personal decisions, such as during the coronavirus lock down. During what was called the Discipleship Movement a few decades ago, church members were told not to make some family decisions, such as buying new appliances or a car, without checking in first with whomever was in their discipleship “up line.”

Parents make decisions for little children, but making decisions for adults strips away their dignity and hinders their personal and spiritual growth.

Paul made it clear that we are never to seek such dominance over the faith of others.

But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. 2 Corinthians 1:24 (NLT)

If you are in such a church, get out before you get used to being their slave.

The Attempt to Control Thought and Speech

Our society is currently being assaulted by the thought and speech police who run Big Tech. This censorship violates our First Amendment rights. We are being told what words we can use, what positions we can have, and with what political party we should align.

Sadly, the church has been known to participate in such tyranny by using its position as an arbiter of truth to influence its members to embrace a false narrative.

For example, some churches have embraced the lie that to identify sexual sin is tantamount to hate speech. However, if the Bible is true, we are asked by God to love those who embrace a sinful lifestyle and proclaim that their way of doing life is in direct opposition to the purposes and plan of the Creator and will ultimately end in their death and destruction. The gospel does not condemn us in our sin, but offers a way out. We condemn ourselves, however, if we refuse the offer. God’s judgment against sin stands. The only remedy is faith in Jesus and what he did to free us from the guilt and condemnation of sin.

The church operates in the dynamic tension between loving people who have been deceived and captured by sin while holding to the biblical position that all sin will be judged.

Jesus did this, and the Holy Spirit can help us to share the truth with love, too.

If we find ourselves in a church that tries to control thought and speech, we must flee and find somewhere that allows people to pursue God in accordance with our own conscience and understanding of God’s Word.

Healthy churches teach biblical truth and encourage their people to check it out for themselves.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11 (NLT)
Conclusion

In writing this article, I have made the presupposition that the reader understands that freedom does not preclude the proper function of godly authority. The spiritual road we travel has two ditches to avoid: lawlessness and legalism. We live in a dynamic tension between freedom and a proper sort of control. True freedom is allowing God’s Spirit to control us.

He uses people to help us along the way, especially church leaders, who are responsible before God for the flock they oversee. They are charged with teaching God’s truth, encouraging the weak and faint- hearted, rebuking the headstrong when they plunge into sin and error, and even on occasion administering church discipline. 

We live in a dynamic tension between properly listening to those whom God placed in authority in our lives, without relinquishing personal freedom and responsibility before God for our thoughts and actions.

Likewise, church leaders must always evaluate how far their authority can be properly exercised without damaging their people’s relationship with God. As with government, less is usually better.

Share this post...

Legalism Tries to Measure Us

Legalism likes to hide in plain sight; so, in order to recognize it, we need to know where to look. One of the main characteristics of a legalistic mindset is the need to measure how we are doing spiritually. We look for ways to measure our righteousness against some established standard or against another person’s performance.

Those in the business world have developed standard ways to measure success. In some small businesses success might be measured in a variety of ways, including profitability, service to the community, producing a quality product, or customer satisfaction. When a company grows larger, it is often purchased by investors who simply want to obtain an acceptable return on investment, or ROI. When profitability is the only measurement of success, the things that made the company profitable in the first place or often sacrificed in the pursuit of a greater ROI.

We live in a time when a large segment of the church has adopted policies and methods from the business world with corresponding ways to measure success.

The modern church growth movement is largely responsible, but it is part of human nature to want to gauge how we are doing on our spiritual journey. Three Bs have been used by measurement-minded pastors for years: bodies, bucks, and buildings. Rate of growth, numbers in attendance, and new baptisms are sometimes factored into the body count. Many times, pastors try to leave their mark on congregations and build their resumes by being the instrument for pulling off a building project, often saddling the congregation with debt and the pressure to maintain a high level of attendance and giving.

Measuring success using worldly parameters pressures church leaders to present a version of church and the gospel that will draw and keep the largest number of people.

Jesus set the bar very high for his followers and often “thinned the herd” by reminding them of the high cost of discipleship. Churches that major on attendance often struggle between preaching God’s unadulterated truth and being seeker friendly enough to keep people coming back. The pressure to keep church income high enough to cover the cost of staff, programs, and facilities can put pressure on leaders to overlook the sins and offenses of large donors and to prefer the most prosperous segments of society in violation of Christ’s clear command not to do this. (Luke 14:13-14) Measuring success by financial gauges can also lead to an unhealthy emphasis on money that drives some people away from the church and the gospel.

When we grasp the extraordinary nature of the new covenant, it sets us free from any need to measure ourselves against any external standard of judgment.

The true gospel announces that salvation is by grace through faith alone.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NASB95)

Since our Lord Jesus perfectly kept the Law and died in our place as a law breaker, he accomplished everything needed for our salvation. There remains nothing to be added to it except our faith and  allegiance to Christ and his promises.

The legalistic mindset, however, even though it may begin with grace, always looks for some way to measure a person’s spiritual progress or status by adding adherence to some outward standard of behavior or submitting to some form of control. The early legalists were called Judaizers. They insisted that Gentile believers not only must declare allegiance to Christ but also had to be circumcised and keep other elements of the law of Moses. Paul decried this demand as an affront to what Christ had already accomplished through his death and resurrection. The proof that God did not require this addition to the gospel was that God gave the Holy Spirit to believing Gentiles who had never been circumcised. If God accepted them without keeping the Law, how could the church not?

Paul refused to allow legalists to define Christianity in terms of adherence to outward standards.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20  My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21  I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:19-21 (NLT)

A simple way to identify legalism is to ask ourselves if some standard is being used to measure our devotion to Christ other than our inner faith and outward verbal confession of allegiance to him. (Romans 10:9-10)

Legalism can be as obvious as a church forbidding its members to smoke cigarettes or as subtle as influencing people toward a political stance. It can be as easy to discern as insisting that only a priest can forgive our sins or as hidden as making non-essential doctrines a litmus test for church membership. Anything that attempts to measure our performance, demands that we adhere to some outward standard of behavior not connected to morality, or seeks to control us through spiritual means smells of legalism.

Trusting in God’s grace means we set our focus on Christ himself rather than evaluate our own spiritual development.

Think about it: can we ever really know how we are progressing spiritually? Isn’t trying to do so a trap? Paul wrote about this.

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

By now I hope you understand that this article is only for serious disciples. If you are looking for an excuse to give yourself over to some form of sin in the name of freedom from legalism, you are going down the wrong path and in serious danger. But if we are honestly pursuing Christ, we need to be encouraged to disregard every man made report card.

There is no effective way to measure how disciples are doing spiritually because God does not allow it. It is a insult to God to measure what Christ has already accomplished, as if it were not sufficient.

Share this post...

Building a Biblical Worldview: What Will Happen After We Die?

Part of building a biblical worldview is contemplating what will happen to us after we die. Will how we live today affect our eternal destiny? What we believe about eternity is a natural product of what we believe regarding the previous four worldview questions.

The Bad News

As we discovered so far on our worldview journey, God created us in his image so that we can relate to him as worshipers who draw life and wisdom from him and fulfill his purposes for us here on earth, which are to love him and other people, to be fruitful and multiply, and to take dominion over and care for creation. God provided all we need to live happy, productive, and fruitful lives in fellowship with and dependence upon him.

But that did not satisfy Adam and Eve. They were deceived and lured into choosing to be independent from God, which sadly introduced sin, sickness, bondage, death, the corruption of the creation, and the distortion of God’s wonderful plan.

Adam’s enduring legacy was marring God’s entire creation.

Satan usurped the authority delegated to mankind and ruled over us as a tyrant. The situation seemed hopeless (Ephesians 2:12) because no descendant of Adam is able to live up to God’s holy standards or achieve the righteousness that could bring eternal life and reward. (Romans 3:21-24) Instead, our sin earned (earns) for us the just sentence of death. (Romans 6:23) As a result, every person deserves a bleak and hopeless future, since at the Last Judgment we will all be found guilty of sin and rebellion against God and sentenced to the fires of hell.

Good News

The Good News is that God so loved his struggling creatures that he sent his Son, Jesus the Messiah, to save us from this horrible end. (John 3:16)

As the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), Jesus lived the way God intended for the first Adam, in complete reliance upon and obedience to God. Jesus willingly offered his life as God’s Lamb, taking the guilt and punishment for our sins and rebellion upon himself, so that we could be forgiven and our relationship with God restored. (John 1:29) When he rose again three days later, he emerged from the tomb as the glorious, victorious Lord. Anyone who believes the good news that Jesus died for our sins and is now the risen Lord, will receive forgiveness, eternal life, and restoration to a right relationship with God! (Romans 10:9-13)

Through the resurrection of Jesus, who is the Last Adam, God inaugurated a new covenant and a new edition of humanity. (Isaiah 53:10)

All those who believe and declare allegiance to Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3), who lives within every believer as the internal fountain of life, the revealer of truth, and the one who inspires, assists, and empowers us to live for God. (John 7:37-39) This new generation of people are inwardly motivated to serve God, doing those things which bring joy to God’s heart and blessings to other people. (Philippians 2:13)

How Should We Then Live?

Jesus taught his followers that everyone lives and dies, after which there will be a resurrection and judgment, at which we will be rewarded or punished for what we believed and how we lived. (Luke 14:12-14, Matthew 25:31-36) Those who are born only once (physically, naturally) will die twice. They will die a physical death and one day be consigned to the Lake of Fire, which is called the “Second Death.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

Those who are born twice (physically and spiritually, through the new birth), will only die once – physically. Their eternal life and destiny are secure.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (ESV)

 

Jesus taught us to live in such a way that will maximize our eternal reward. (Matthew 6:19-20)

If we truly believe Jesus’ teachings and the gospel, we will live accordingly. We will put what God values at the top of our own priority lists.

True believers will sacrifice what we cannot keep in order to gain that which we cannot lose.

We will lay aside sin and selfishness in order to pursue the things that bring God glory and honor. We will make the Great Commission our top priority, because others need to find out about this amazing offer from God called the gospel!

John the Apostle summed it up very well.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)

How we live reveals what we truly believe and value.

What will my life, values, priorities, choices, and actions say about me at the Last Judgment? A biblical worldview teaches us to live in the present with our eyes firmly fixed on the prize of eternal reward at the last judgment.

Share this post...

Building a Biblical Worldview: How Can I Know Right from Wrong?

Without having a biblical worldview, how can I know right from wrong, good from evil, or moral from immoral? Universities teach ethics, and businesses provide seminars on the subject. Ethical and moral dilemmas abound in all walks of life. Life confronts us with difficult questions that demand thoughtful answers. How can we properly navigate a course that requires us to make judgments between good and evil, right and wrong, and true and false?

This article deals with the fourth worldview question in my series. Once we have wrestled with the first three worldview questions,

  1. Origins: From where did I come?
  2. Identity: Who am I?
  3. Purpose: Why Am I Here?,

we come to the subject of this article.

If we conclude that we evolved by chance out of nothingness, we may legitimately deduce that there is no basis for making such a distinction, since such concepts are mere human inventions capable of being overturned or changed at will. We will likely adopt Aleister Crowley’s satanist creed, “Do what thou wilt.”

However, if we answer the first question by affirming that we were created by God, all morality must also originate in him. God is our only dependable reference.

Why Do We Even Care?

Most people, even those who deny God’s existence, believe in both good and evil. No one could watch the torture of a loved one and simply shrug his or her shoulders and walk away thinking, “Oh well, what can we expect in an amoral universe?” Injustice rankles even the most atheistic. Why do humans, even godless ones, care so much about justice, if we live in a randomly evolved world in an unsympathetic universe? It makes no sense.

But, if we believe that a just God created us in his image, we must conclude that he planted a love and desire for justice deep in the human heart.

Each of us also has an inner moral guide called the conscience, which tugs at our hearts when we do wrong, unless we are sociopaths or have “seared” it through regularly practicing evil. Is the conscience merely a social-psychological construct, as viewed by Freud, or did our Creator put it inside us?

Those of us who believe the Bible understand that the conscience is part of our being created in God’s image. We have an inborn desire to align with his desires that produces unease when we do not.

Anthropologists recognize that, despite cultural and religious differences, there is a commonality of understanding across the breadth of humanity of what is right and wrong,

All humanity came from the same stock and possess a common basic understanding of right and wrong.

Who Told You That?

In the beginning, God did not want Adam and Eve to know good and evil for themselves in order to protect them from the “Pandora’s Box” of woes associated with possessing such knowledge.

Satan, taking the form of a talking serpent, introduced something new into their pristine minds – doubt. He planted mistrust in Adam’s and Eve’s minds regarding the integrity and goodness of God. He indirectly accused the Creator of being less than forthcoming and withholding something good from them. Falling for the ruse, our first parents judged God to be a liar and chose to disobey his command in order to gain firsthand knowledge of good and evil and be like God in that respect. They embraced a lie, and the effects of sin entered their lives – guilt, shame, and fear.

They introduced sin, death, and destruction into all of God’s creation in the vain attempt to become self-directed moral agents. Satan fooled them into thinking that fulfilling own will is more satisfying than obedience to God.

They did receive a new understanding of evil, but it was not at all good. They began to hide from God instead of enjoying fellowship with him.

God immediately recognized what had happened.

Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10  He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11  “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:9-11 (NLT)

Because Adam and Eve rejected God as the Source of truth and life and opened their hearts to knowledge from an evil source, they became aware of things that God, as a good parent, never intended for his children to know. Originally God intended that they simply do what he said, without needing to go beyond that. That way he could save them from the dark abyss of knowing evil firsthand.

Now as a result of Adam’s and Eve’s transgression, knowing right from wrong is a huge challenge for all of us.

How do we properly know things we were never meant to know?

By default we tend to lean to our own resources in the struggle to differentiate good from evil. Satan always is willing to provide his input, too, which invariably leads us away from God and robs us of joy. Is it even possible for us to get back on track?

Plugging into the Right Source Again

The Old Covenant Law clearly defined right and wrong with respect to morals, diet, sanitation, and religious rites. It pointed out how sinful we are without doing anything to help us keep the Law.

By exposing the depth and breadth of our sin problem, it revealed our need for a Savior.

Jesus came to introduce a new way of doing life called the New Covenant by which the Life Giver resides inside the believer, motivating and changing us from the inside out. (You can read more about this amazing new covenant by clicking here.)

All truth is God’s truth. Truth is part of God’s character and does not exist outside of him.

Jesus is the incarnation of truth (John 14:6), and unless we are reconnected to God through faith in him, we will always be confused and misled.

Through the new birth, Jesus, who is truth incarnate, comes to reside in us. Jesus taught us that God’s Word, the written Scriptures, are truth. This not surprising, since Jesus is the living Word of God, the “Word made flesh.” (John 1:14) All Scripture was breathed by God and written down by people. (2 Tim. 3:16) The Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth, inspired the authors of the Bible to insure its purity. (John 16:13)

Therefore, we must rely upon Jesus, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit, if we are to grow in the knowledge of what is true, right, and good.

The church is also called the pillar and support of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15) The assembly of those who acknowledge that Christ is Lord and Savior and who have the Holy Spirit living inside them functioning as their guide, teacher, and revealer of truth, have been given the responsibility of guarding, preaching, and applying God’s truth to daily life.

Therefore, we also need to be part of a local church that reveres the Scripture.

Going it alone is a repeat of Adam’s and Eve’s initial mistake. God never meant for us to do life as “loners,” because we are very liable to veer off course into error.

Steps to Getting in Sync with God

Sin began with deception, produces deception, and ends in deception and death. Jesus called Satan the father of lies, in whom there is no truth. (John 8:44) The entire world is under the spell of deception woven by the evil one. (1 John 5:19)

Jesus came into this world as the incarnate Truth to reveal God’s true nature and undo Satan’s lies about God.

  1. Profess allegiance to Jesus as Lord. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) The first step to knowing what is good, true, and right is to recognize who Jesus is and to surrender ourselves completely to him. On a personal level, this effectively undoes the rebellion against God that began in the garden.
  2. Submit to the Holy Spirit and God’s revealed truth in the Bible. We can trust the Spirit of God to teach us what the Bible means. (John 14:26) Unless we put God’s revealed truth at the top of our list as the most reliable source of truth, we cannot grow in the knowledge of what is true, right, and good. We also must commit ourselves to obeying God’s truth; otherwise, we will likely become religious hypocrites. (James 1:22)
  3. Connect with a local church that teaches and puts into practice what the Bible teaches. No church or person is perfect, but there must be the desire and commitment to pursue truth. Other believers in such a local church can help us stay on course during our discipleship journey.

If we do the above, we will be able to move forward in our quest for truth. However, no person or church or group is the sole possessor of truth. We must also pursue humility, realizing that we only have a portion of truth, not the whole, and that we need one another. Truth is found in a person named Jesus. Everything else points to him.

Share this post...

Building a Biblical Worldview: Why Am I Here?

One reason we build a proper worldview is to answer the purpose question: why am I here? A right understanding will give us purpose and clarity for life and protect us from being swept away by dangerous ideas that may attempt to lead us astray.

The standard answer found in some doctrinal summaries is that God placed us here to know, love, and serve him. Jesus corroborated this answer when he summarized the entire Law in one statement.

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.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40 (NASB95)

We might think of this as the relational aspect of purpose. The job God gave us to fulfill during our allotted time to live upon the earth can be found in the first book of the Bible.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (NASB)

The basic responsibility of humankind, besides our call to love God and our neighbor, can be summarized in three points: multiply, take dominion, and tend the garden.

These commands were specific to Adam’s and Eve’s situation, but they are still in effect, since there is no record anywhere that God rescinded them. The “garden” should now be understood as the entire earth in which we live, tainted as it is by sin and our long occupation. These purposes apply to every human being in a practical and natural way. They also apply directly to the mission of the church.

Fruitfulness and Multiplication

The very first command God delivered to man was to be fruitful and multiply, which makes it an enduring priority.

This command was restated after the flood. (Genesis 9:1) The earth then and now needs to be populated. The Great Commission restated this foundational command after Jesus’ resurrection. “Go and make disciples” is another way of saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.” The earth now desperately needs to be populated with born-again believers who seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.

The satanic world system seeks to depopulate the earth. Here are a few of its reasons.

  • There are already too many people. If we fail to reduce the population, mass starvation will occur and the earth will be ruined.
  • Children are too expensive and inconvenient.
  • The world is too evil to bring children into it.

Here are some of the false presuppositions found in the above arguments against God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.

  • The earth cannot sustain a very large population.
  • God is unable to supply the needs of large families.
  • The world has always been evil. We bring children into it so they can effect change as followers of Christ.
  • The self-centeredness behind not having children because they are too much trouble is appalling; yet, this excuse has led to countless abortions. Children have always required a lot of work and definitely limit our freedoms, but that is part of growing to maturity.

Because of our inherent rebellion against God, Western nations have embraced abortion, birth control, fear, unbelief, and a self-centered lifestyle in direct defiance of God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.

Many nations in the West now teeter on the brink of cultural viability because of low birth rates. The world will eventually fall into the hands of those groups which are still having large numbers of children.

All of us are influenced by this anti-God mentality. Even churches have adopted variations of these arguments.

Church policies and mindsets are dictated by the following guiding principles.

  • When we have a “large enough” church which can provide an ideal level of fellowship, financial viability, social status, and programs, we sometimes lose the desire to sacrifice in order to “go” and make disciples. We would rather stay and enjoy the fellowship.
  • We invest most of our finances in maintaining the building, programs, staff, and operational costs of maintaining the church plant, instead of spending time, energy, and money on pursuing the Great Commission.
  • Rather than put our people at risk by asking them to immerse themselves in lifestyle evangelism and connecting with broken, unsaved people, we prefer the safety of the Christian fortress called the church. We devise so many programs for our members that they are worn out and have little or no time for pursuing the Great Commission, even if they were willing to take the risks of associating with unsafe people.
  • Missional living is too much trouble. It is far easier to contribute money or volunteer to serve in crisis intervention programs than to get heavily involved in the lives of people who have untold needs and will make unanticipated demands on our time and finances.

Only by prioritizing the Great Commission will the church become the missional force God intends.

Taking Dominion and Tending the Garden

Taking dominion and tending the garden are also important commands. If the multiplied people on the earth and in our churches are to enjoy a good quality of life, we will have to control and tend the environment.

Through the process of being fruitful, taking dominion, and working, people grow to maturity. If we leave even one of these parts out, it can short circuit the process.

Young men and women usually enter marriage with little maturity. The demands of marriage and having children ensures that we “grow up”. Why would we think it would be any different in the church?

Taking dominion always needs to be balanced by the command to tend the garden.

In the spiritual context, taking dominion involves learning to identify with Christ’s victory and the internal work of the Holy Spirit in a way that allows us to be victorious over our sin nature, sin, Satan, sickness, legalism, death, and the demonic. Basically anything that seeks to enslave or destroy God’s people must be brought into subjection to Christ through our faith in God’s promises. (1 John 5:4)

The church can also “take dominion” and “tend the garden” by working in our communities to effect positive change.

Unless we learn to take dominion, we will not be able to properly tend and protect (keep) the garden called the church. Tending the garden means caring for the sheep. This includes protecting, feeding, guiding, equipping, and launching them into ministry – discipleship.

Conclusion

When we make multiplication, whether of children or disciples, our top priority, everything else tends to fall into place.

When young married couples have children, they learn to give their lives away for others. Having children, natural or spiritual disciples, changes our lives in a most fundamental and rewarding way. In old age, there is no greater joy than being with our offspring and their children, especially if they are in unity and serving the Lord. Late in Paul’s life, he rejoiced in his own spiritual children, when he wrote:

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! Philippians 4:1 (NIV)

We should not rejoice if our children never leave the home: rather, our job as parents is to prepare them to leave the “nest” in order to start their own families. This is how we fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply at the family level. The church likewise must think in terms of launching people to start their own church families, which will also reproduce in time. This can be done at a small group level or at a larger church level.

Let’s make the Great Commission our top priority so that we, like Paul, can rejoice in our spiritual children and grandchildren (disciples of disciples)! Let’s make God’s first priority from creation onward our first priority and watch how everything else falls into place.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
Share this post...
Share this post...