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Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines are an often neglected part of discipleship. I will highlight four in this article: prayer, fasting, alms giving, and service. It should be clearly understood that these disciplines do not earn or maintain for us a right standing with God. That comes by faith in Christ’s finished work, through which his right standing with God becomes our own.

Spiritual disciplines are God-given ways for us to connect with God’s heart in a greater way, which makes us more receptive to the indwelling Spirit’s voice and direction. The more we get in step with the Spirit, the more we grow and thrive as disciples.

Prayer

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6 (NLT)

Prayer is a lifeline with God. It can be broken down into four types of prayer: worship, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession.

Worship opens the door for us to get in sync with God’s heart and purposes. As we focus and delight in the Lord, we grow in faith and gain his perspective, which helps us pray in line with his will. When we do that, we can be assured that our prayers will be effective. (1 John 5:14-15)

Thanksgiving is closely aligned with worship. Whereas worship focuses on God’s person, character, power, and worthiness; thanksgiving is the way we consciously and deliberately remember and show our gratitude for his many mercies and blessings. Being thankful is perhaps the most important character quality a person can have. Developing a habit of thankfulness is a primary concern for growth as a disciple. (Philippians 4:6)

Every healthy relationship involves conversational give and take. If all we do is talk during prayer and ask God for things, we miss out on a most important element of petitionary prayer – listening to God. We all have needs and desires, but not all of them are God’s best for us. If we learn to delight in him first, he will fulfill our deepest longings. (Psalm 37:4)

Intercessory prayer is when we go to bat for someone else. God loves his people to take on a Spirit inspired prayer burden for other people and the things God wants and plans to do on the earth. Jesus continually makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25) and delights when we join him in that ministry.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

 

Fasting

And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17  But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18  Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 (NLT)

Good things happen when we fast; even though, it may not always seem so initially. Fasting can be done in any number of ways, from complete abstinence from food and water to some more specific sort of fast, such as limiting oneself to liquids only. Fasts can be for any duration.

The important thing with fasting is to be led by the Spirit and use the fast to set aside time to focus on and listen to God through praying and reading the Scriptures.

Sometimes fasts are directed toward a specific purpose, such as asking God for direction at a particularly confusing, difficult, or important crossroad in life. At other times, we may fast simply to draw closer to God. Fasting shows that we value God more than food itself. It is a way for us to deny ourselves in order to pursue God. As with prayer, we do not gain or maintain our right standing with God through this discipline. It is a matter of the heart.

While fasting sometimes we clearly hear God’s voice. At other times, we may seem to receive nothing. We may receive a spiritual breakthrough that may be accompanied by spiritual warfare, as God opens a door for us that Satan seeks to block. Remember that Jesus encountered severe temptations just as he completed a long fast. After conquering those temptations, he launched his public ministry.

Alms Giving

Giving is a very important part of discipleship. Jesus warned his followers that we must give up all we have to be his disciple. (Luke 14:33) Tithing was an old covenant concept that continues to be practiced by many disciples today. Generally it is understood that tithing involves giving ten percent of our “increase” or income to God. Usually this is done through the local church. The idea is that the tithe is not ours to direct; so, we put it into the hands and under the authority of church leadership.

Alms giving is when we freely give beyond the tithe at our own discretion to whatever or whomever the Spirit directs.

Jesus advocated giving to the poor, as does the Bible in general. In the Sermon on the Mount, he elevated it to the same level as prayer and fasting.

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3  But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 (NLT)

If we are going to be disciples after Jesus’ heart, we will ask the Spirit to develop in us a generosity toward the poor combined with wisdom in how to give without inadvertently causing more harm. (See When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.) God promises that the generous will receive abundant blessings in return.

Serving

Serving is one of the hallmarks of true discipleship. Jesus taught his followers to elevate servanthood to an exalted status in the kingdom of God.

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)

I included serving as a spiritual discipline because serving does not come naturally to most of us. It must be cultivated and deliberately pursued. Growth as a disciple can be measured in terms of how willing we are to serve others. All ministry is service, and, when we serve others, Jesus taught us that we are actually serving him.

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40 (NLT)
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The Genesis Testimony

Christians are people of the Book who value its testimony above all else, at least in theory. This article takes a look at what the Bible says about the creation and design of the earth and the heavens. I will compare the biblical testimony to the claims of modern astrophysics.

It should not surprise us that the devil has not changed his tactics. He tempted Adam and Eve in the garden to disbelieve and disobey God’s clear command. We too must decide if we value and believe God’s testimony more than any other voice.

If we accept that God’s Word is true, then we will believe his account of creation. If we believe the tale of the astrophysicists, we must either throw out the biblical account or drastically alter it so that it no longer says what it originally meant.

Satan knows that, if we doubt what Genesis Chapter One says, we have no basis for believing any of the Bible.

If Chapter One only communicates spiritual realities that have no basis in actual historical fact, how can we suppose that other historical truths, such as the resurrection of Christ, are real?

As one might expect, the Bible begins with a description of how God created the sea, the earth, and the heavens. The Bible gives us no reason to treat it otherwise than as historically factual. Commentators only feel the need to treat it poetically as a result of trying to accommodate it to the Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory (BB-HT).

Just as most conservative Christians reject evolution in favor of the literal creation account, no matter how foolish that seems to the world, we also must be willing to reject BB-HT cosmology in favor of the Genesis account.

In the chart below, I have contrasted the biblical account with the Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory.

The Biblical Account The Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) — This verse is a summary of all that follows. God is the center of everything. This compares to a parallel account in John’s Gospel.

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. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:1–4 (NKJV)

In the beginning of the BB-HT, the universe created itself out of nothing thanks to the amazing godlike attractive/repulsive properties of gravity. It is impossible to harmonize this account with the Genesis narrative. One cannot simply say that the Big Bang took place when God spoke the cosmos into existence out of nothing. (Hebrews 11:3) The Bible says he first created the seas, not an explosion. Nothing in the Big Bang account agrees with Scripture, especially not the timeline. In fact, the notion of the entire universe originating from a single point is found in the Jewish Kabbalah, an occult theory and was later posited by a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest.

DAY 1 – The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 (NKJV) —  God first created the waters, called “the deep.” The dry land or “earth” was not formed yet. The Holy Spirit’s activity is central. To assert that the first thing created was “the deep” places the biblical account in direct conflict with the so-called “scientific” explanation.

 According to the BB-HT, the formation of the universe began with the chaos of an explosion, out of which stars eventually formed after billions of years and later the “planets” and other bodies spun off from them. This means the sun came into existence before it “created” the earth. Therefore, the earth owes its existence to the sun, around which it orbits, held in place by a force called gravity. The sun is central in heliocentrism, which is a variation of sun worship, something Pythagoras and Hermes Trismegistus practiced, and which Copernicus acknowledged. Sadly, this so-called science is really an occult religion. More on that later.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:3–5 (NKJV) —  After creating the seas, on the same day he created light and instituted the pattern of day followed by night. God had not yet created the sun, moon, or stars; so, there was no obvious physical source of this light. It must have emanated from God himself, which agrees with John’s Gospel.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4–5 (NKJV)

Moses was not a stupid man. He knew that the sun produced daylight; so, when he wrote this account of creation, he understood that it did not make sense from a mechanistic point of view. This is a case when God does not explain everything. He asks us to take him at his word without having complete understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The “scientific” view requires that there be a natural source for light, which would come from some form of combustion or nuclear fusion, such as from a star or sun. This would necessitate the sun’s already being in existence, which cannot be found in the Bible account. The heliocentric view also requires the earth to rotate on an axis to account for day and night. Since there was no sun, moon, or stars at this point in the Genesis account, the “scientific” view demands that we reject the Bible as a trustworthy source of information about creation. This is one reason why so many leading exponents of the Big Bang theory are atheists.

The true account of the heavens and earth testifies to God’s glory. The false account argues that there is no god.

The scientific point of view requires that we have a mechanistic explanation for everything. God is not allowed to be part of the equation.

DAY 2 – Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:6–8 (NKJV) —

Here is another place where the Genesis account radically departs from the BB-HT. When people have been indoctrinated from birth in the heliocentric-globe theory, the idea of there being a domed vault (Amos 9:6 NASB) called the firmament encasing the earth seems bizarre.

who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and lays the foundation of his vault on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them on the surface of the earth—Yahweh is his name. Amos 9:6 (LEB)

Raqia, the Hebrew word for firmament, means something solid, such as molten bronze that has been beaten out. It had to be strong enough to support the weight of the waters above. God took an entire day to construct this amazing structure, which was to house what we call the “heavenly bodies” – the sun, moon, and stars. This structure had to be placed on a strong foundation. I will write more about the firmament in my next article.

The structure of the firmament indicates that the earth is a stationary plane, not a round ball or globe in motion.

God chose not to give us many details about the nature of the firmament, except in various other verses which I will cover later. It is enough to say that it is a gigantic structure testifying to the glory and majesty of God. (Psalm 19:1)

The BB-HT requires us to translate raqia as “heavens,” “sky,” or “expanse” because it cannot allow for a solid structure that encloses the earth. The  BB-HT holds that the earth is “fragile,” having no protection against the perils of “outer space,” such as asteroids, sun eruptions, comets, or even alien beings. Instead, the earth is said to be hurtling through the void / vacuum of “outer space” at incredible speeds going who knows where. The BB-HT is specially designed to deny the existence of God and the truth of the Bible. I believe it is being used to set us up for the ultimate deception, perhaps a simulated alien invasion, to allow antichrist forces to gain complete control over the earth as a desperate means to defend ourselves.

The existence of the firmament means that “outer space” is imaginary construct. Travel beyond the firmament is impossible. No one has been to the moon.

DAY 3 – Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:9–13 (NKJV)

On day three we have the first appearance of dry land, called the earth. We learn from Psalm 24:2 that the earth was founded upon the waters, just as Genesis describes it. We also discover from Psalm 75:3 and numerous other places that God placed the earth on pillars so that its foundation is secure and it will not be moved. (Psalm 96:10) Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20 tell us that the creation declares the the glory of God and reveals much about his character and power. The earth has a solid foundation, just as we do in Christ.

The BB-HT, which applies evolutionary theory to the cosmos, cannot have life beginning with plants on dry land. Rather, the evolutionary development of life is said to have begun in the “primordial soup” of the sea.

In addition, the BB-HT says that the earth is tilting, wobbling, and moving at breakneck speed through an evolving ever-expanding universe. The earth is supposed to be rotating at 1040 mph at the equator, traveling at 66,600 mph in its orbit around the sun. The entire “solar system” is supposed to be moving through our galaxy at about half a million mph, and the galaxy is said to be careening outward from the point of the Big Bang explosion at over one million mph. This all directly contradicts the Bible, which says the earth does not move.

He established the earth on her foundations, so that it will not be moved forever and ever. Psalm 104:5 (LEB)

DAY 4 – Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14–19 (NKJV) 

The Genesis account finally gives us physical sources for light on day four. The sun, moon, and stars are all called lights or luminaries. They are all placed in the structure called the firmament, requiring them to be smaller and much closer than modern astrophysics claims. There are no “planets” (spherical solid objects) but only “wandering” (Greek: planetes) lights or stars that move differently from the circular motion of the other stars. If one looks at these wandering stars with a telescope or high-zoom camera, they look quite similar to other stars and not like NASA’s computer generated images.

Their motion is over the earth, as revealed in Psalm 19:5, and fixed as shown in Jeremiah 31:35 and other places. The moon is also described as a light, rather than a reflector. If we think about how the light of the moon extends in complete brightness to its very edges, it should be plain to us that it is not a spherical reflector.

As I already mentioned, the BB-HT of origins states that the sun and other stars were the first things that coalesced after the primal explosion, which directly contradicts the Bible. This theory also says that the moon is a spherical solid reflector of sunlight rather than being a light in its own right. The stars are said to be suns, which contradicts scripture, too. Instead of being in God’s “fixed” order, everything in the universe is supposed to be moving away from the theoretical original blast center. The “wandering stars” (Jude 13) were reclassified as solid spherical objects, much like earth is said to be. Each of these so called planets are caught in the inexorable power of the sun’s supposed gravity. The sun rules its “solar system” as a king would his court. Each “planet” except for the earth is named after a pagan god. This is all based on sun worship, which holds that the sun god, Helios or Sol, rules over all.

Heliocentrism places the earth in the same category as the wandering planets named after false gods, thereby putting us in a place of serving Helios, just like the other servants of Satan.

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Jude 12–13 (NKJV)

 DAY 5 – Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20–23 (NKJV)

Instead of life being self-generated through evolution from the sea, God created sea creatures and birds after he made the plants on dry land.

 The evolutionary BB-HT proposes that life self-generated from the sea, which directly contradicts the biblical account.

DAY 6 – Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:24–31 (NKJV)

The conclusion of creation took place on day six when God created all land-based animals and man. Humans are made in God’s likeness and have been given dominion over the earth. Our first command was to be fruitful and multiply. At this point in time, God completed his creation and rested on the seventh day.

According to the evolutionary BB-HT, it took billions of years for life to self-generate and evolve into human beings through a string of favorable mutations. Not only does this theory violate the second law of thermodynamics called entropy, it also contradicts the Bible.

The BB-HT teaches us that the earth and mankind are nothing special, being accidents of evolution. We have no God-given authority over the earth. In fact, we are considered to be a sort of dangerous virus that needs to have our numbers reduced.

The result of the BB-HT is that we see ourselves as purposeless, meaningless accidents instead of being the focal point of God’s creation.

In addition the BB-HT says that the universe is still self-creating through expansion and evolution, thus contradicting the Bible’s claim that God completed his work in six days and then rested.

One of the fundamental principles of Bible interpretation is that the scripture must be allowed to say what the author meant it to say.

Bible scholars agree that the Hebrews interpreted the Genesis account quite literally. The following diagram is found in Logos Bible Software and accurately describes the Hebrew concept of the heavens and earth.

This view is described by Google as being archaic and disproved by science. This is the result of the Copernican heliocentric view gaining the ascendancy over the past 500 years. Before that, virtually every culture held the same “archaic” understanding of the design of the earth and heavens. Whereas, once it was considered heretical to believe the conspiratorial Copernican view, now it is considered to be conspiratorial, stupid, and ignorant to believe the biblical testimony regarding the cosmos.

The lasting testimony of the Copernican-Newtonian revolution was the separating of “science” from religion. No longer is the Word of God highly regarded by those claiming to be scientists. Paul warned Timothy that this day would come.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from pointless empty talk and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some, by professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you all. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (LEB)

In summary, the Bible presents us with a very different account of origins from modern science.

As Christians, we are confronted with the choice between believing God’s testimony regarding creation or what so-called science theorizes.

I believe we are being tested today in the same way that Satan tempted Adam and Eve. Did God really say? Did he mean what he said?

Satan made Adam and Eve feel foolish and ignorant for taking God at his word. This is how those who believe the Genesis account are made to feel today, even by other Christians quite often. It appears that many of us who profess the name of Christ love our pagan heliocentricism more than God’s Word. I pray that soon changes!

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)
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Freedom from Fear of the Unknown

The gospel provides freedom from the fear of the unknown.

People generally resist change because we fear the unknown. Why else would an abused spouse choose to stay with someone who routinely hurts her instead of venturing out on her own away from danger?

We fear what we do not know because it makes us feel vulnerable and out of control.

Do we take the new better paying job or stay with the one we have, which seems familiar and secure? Do I risk marrying the one I love, or stay in relationship limbo out of fear that the marriage may fail? Should we have another child, even if we are not positive we can “afford” it?

Fear of the unknown is another reason people feel so confused and frightened when unpredictable bad things happen for no apparent reason. It is why we are so prone to assign blame for tragedies, when there was none.

We want to be able to predict the future and control it, but God does not allow for that. In fact, he wants us to become comfortable in being uncomfortable. He wants us to trust him in our uncertainty and fear.

Albert Smith wrote the familiar hymn, I Know Who Holds the Future.

I know who holds the future , And I know he holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen ev’rything by Him is planned.
So as I face tomorrow with its problems large and small,
I’ll trust the God of miracles, Give to Him my all!

These words are based on one of the most foundational of all Bible doctrines, the sovereignty of God. I wrote an article devoted entirely to this truth, entitled The Unexpected Key to Happiness. I encourage you to read it.

Faith in God’s loving sovereignty is the key to happiness.

This is based somewhat on the following verse and other related verses that agree with it.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Jesus believed this, which is proved by the way he lived and the words he spoke. If Jesus believed that his Father is absolutely sovereign and nothing happens outside his will, we should believe it, too. Another way to put this is that, even though God is not the author of evil, he bends and shapes evil to conform to his purposes and makes everything, even bad things, work for our good and his glory. Otherwise, he would not be sovereign at all.

We need not fear the unknown because God will make it work for us, no matter what. Another reason we need not fear the unknown is because God is always with us. (John 14:16)

When the Lord challenged Moses to confront the most powerful ruler in the world, to assuage his fear and uncertainty, God promised him, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) When David fled for his life from King Saul, and his future seemed very uncertain, he wrote these beautiful words that confirmed his trust in the ever present sovereign God.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NASB)

As Thomas and the other disciples contemplated their uncertain future, Jesus comforted them with these words.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4  And you know the way to where I am going.” 5  “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:1-6 (NLT)

Even though we do not know the way, the Way knows us. He promised us that he will be with us, keep us, and guide us. The future is in his hands, and so are we.

No matter what unknown confronts us, the answer to our fear is always the same. God is with us and controls our destinies. Whether we live fearlessly or timidly largely depends on whether or not we believe this. Which is it going to be for you and me?

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Freedom from Fear of Shame and Judgment

 

The gospel provides freedom from guilt and shame and the fear judgment.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately realized for the very first time that they were naked. Many have theorized that perhaps they had been covered previously with God’s glory, which hid their nakedness, but that is conjecture. It is more likely that sin changed them on the inside, introducing a brand new experience into their souls – guilt, shame, and fear. Sin opened their eyes to their new condition, which made them afraid of God and provoked them to hide. (Genesis 3:7-10) All people, whose consciences still work and who have not been thoroughly deceived, are aware of their guilt and shame before God, to one degree or another, which produces in us a fear of judgment.

We know we are guilty before God and dread facing him.

People try to get around guilt and shame by denying their existence. Many insist that laws and social mores are man-made constructs, which can be dispensed with and need not control our lives. Why should sex be limited to one person who is our lawful spouse? Who said that drunkenness and drug abuse is wrong? We should be free to do as we please, right? Who said that homosexuality and transgenderism is wrong? The thinking is that if we can eliminate the commandment, we can eliminate the guilt and shame, but this is wrong thinking.

The Bible says that God is the one who gets to define what sin is, and it is impossible to avoid the consequences of sin.

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

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB95)

However, there is such a thing as false guilt and false shame. When children are abused by adults, many times they are told that it was their fault that it happened. They are shamed into silence. They are told that bad things will happen if they reveal the abuse. Fear motivates them to keep it all to themselves with devastating results. Many adults carry a sense of guilt and shame into adulthood as a result of having been abused as a child, something over which they had no control. Lies are planted in the hearts of abuse victims, which hold them captive until God’s truth sets us free.

But there is also a real guilt and shame that no amount of deception and manipulation can erase.

This is because God is real and is our judge who will hold us all accountable to him and his laws. It is because sin is real, whether we believe it or not. Truth will always prevail over deception in the end. When we at last stand before Christ’s judgment seat, every lie will be swept away, and we will stand stark and exposed before the One who sees and knows all. (Hebrews 4:13) If we have not found the only way of escape, we will receive the death sentence that our sin has earned.

The gospel reveals that God has provided a way out for us by freeing us from real guilt and shame and fear of judgment.

The gospel is free to those who believe and receive it, but came at great cost to God. When Jesus submitted himself to die on the cross, the Bible says that all our guilt and shame came upon him. 

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

Because Jesus absorbed God’s wrath against sin, we can experience freedom from God’s judgment against sin.

This means that we can experience the following benefits.

  • Forgiveness – God will release us from the debt our sin incurred against God’s justice.
  • Justification – God will acquit us, declaring us to be not guilty in the courtroom of heaven, just as if we had never sinned. Instead Jesus’ perfect right standing with God will be given to us as a free gift. This is much greater than mere forgiveness, as you can see.
  • Redemption – Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are released from all that previously held us captive, which includes shame.
  • Reconciliation – Not only are we forgiven and acquitted; God welcomes us into his circle of intimate friends.
  • Sonship – Not only are we God’s friends, he makes us sons and daughters, who have full rights, privileges, and authority in Christ.

Far from being under the thumb of guilt and shame, those who believe the gospel and pledge their allegiance to Christ are elevated to the highest honor and blessings.

When that day finally arrives when all shall stand before Christ’s judgment seat, we have been assured by the Judge himself that we will not be condemned.

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)

Paul restated this glorious truth in his letter to the church in Rome.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT)

In another letter he said it a slightly different way.

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10  Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11  So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NLT)

The apostle John wrote about this freedom from the fear of judgment, too.

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:16-18 (NLT)

The more revelation we receive of God’s love for us, the greater our experience of deliverance from guilt, shame, and fear, and the more our appreciation grows for the One who died to make all of this possible.

We will be motivated to serve him from the heart with a desire to bring him joy and glory. Who would not choose to serve such a God?

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The Gospel Frees Us from Fear – Introduction

The gospel frees us from fear.

Fear terrorizes countless people. There is a proper kind of fear and an entirely different sort that torments. The fear of God is positive and motivates us to turn away from evil and run toward God. Here is what Jesus said about the fear of God.

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

The Bible teaches us that the fear of God is the basis of wisdom.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! Psalm 111:10 (NLT)

God is to be feared because he is our Creator. He sustains all life, and he will ultimately hold us accountable for how we lived our lives, judge us, and assign us to our eternal destinies.

The Bible teaches us that his justice will not be circumvented. We will all reap the consequences of our actions. (Galatians 6:7)

The gospel, however, reveals the good news that, although God wants us to properly fear and respect him, he has chosen to relate to us on the basis of a compassionate fatherly love, if we will accept the offer to be reconciled to him through faith in his Son, Jesus the Messiah.

Those who come to Christ can experience what it means to be set free from the kind of fear that torments people. 

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:16–18 (NASB95)

Tormenting fear can be broken down into the following categories.

  • Fear of powerlessness and the loss of autonomy
  • Fear of shame and judgment
  • Fear of invalidation, rejection, and abandonment
  • Fear of pain and death
  • Fear of the unknown

In the articles that follow, I will show from the scriptures how the gospel sets us free from each of these tormenting fears that we may experience what it means to love and joyfully serve God and others from the heart.

For now, let’s close with the following foundational promise.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
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How God Moves Us from Fear to Faith

 

This is the eleventh article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

 

The opening scene in Judges 6 shows Gideon threshing wheat in a wine press. Wine presses were located in valleys which made them generally less visible to prying eyes. Wheat was usually threshed on top of hills where there likely would be more of a breeze to separate the heavy wheat from the lighter chaff, when the mixture was thrown into the air. Gideon chose to work in the less efficient wine press for fear that Israel’s enemies, the invading Midianites, might see him, steal his crops, and perhaps even injure or kill him. He was a fearful and oppressed person who was intimidated by his oppressor – not a likely candidate for being a hero.

The angel of the Lord stood under a tree watching all this, most likely a little amused because he knew what was coming. God’s sense of humor can be found throughout the Bible. If we need more proof, consider that he made you and me.

God loves to choose unlikely people to accomplish the seemingly impossible because it gives him pleasure, fulfillment to us, and brings glory to his name.

God selected Gideon to lead Israel to victory over apparently insurmountable odds. The Lord picked a man who was fearful, insecure, and small in his own eyes, a man who at the time had very little faith in God because he believed some very big lies.

Imagine Gideon’s surprise when he heard the angel’s greeting.

The LORD’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The LORD is with you, courageous warrior!” Judges 6:12 (NET1)

Gideon must have been taken aback by this announcement because he believed neither of these things. He saw no evidence that God was with him and certainly did not believe he was a courageous warrior. When God starts to work on destroying the lies in which we trust, he doesn’t beat around the bush. By addressing Gideon in this way, the Lord prompted Gideon to state what he believed on a heart level.

Exposing the Lie

Getting the lie into the open is a great first step toward freedom.

Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, but if the LORD is with us, why has such disaster overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Did the LORD not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” Judges 6:13 (NET1)

Let’s look at some of the key words: if, why, where, and but. We often reveal the lies we believe when we use these words.

Satan loves to insert an “if” into the equation to inspire doubt in God’s character, God’s promise, and God’s plan.

The “if” was derived from the why and where. Gideon showed that he depended on his own powers of deduction rather than on God’s character and promises. Paul called this a “stronghold” – a logical speculation or argument derived from our experience or observations that prevents us from knowing and trusting in God. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6) Gideon saw that disaster had overcome Israel and that no known miracles had taken place in his day. This led him to conclude or speculate that God was no longer on Israel’s side and that he was not doing anything powerful at all. This logical argument stood between him and the experience of deliverance and freedom. It blocked him initially from simply believing God’s word to him.

The “but” surfaced the lie in which Gideon trusted: God had abandoned Israel, he thought, leaving them powerless against their enemies.

In Gideon’s lie-based worldview, God was not present and Israel had no hope, thereby providing Gideon with no basis for faith from which to derive courage.

The lie was now out in the open, as was Gideon’s unbelief. Gideon had been paralyzed by lies of abandonment and powerlessness, two of the most prevalent lies we all must face and conquer.

Once the embedded lie is exposed, the Lord desires to speak his truth into our lives, which will demolish the stronghold, if we hear, receive, believe, and act on it.

The devil loves to hide in the darkness, and he wants our lie-based arguments and speculations to swirl around in our minds pulling us deeper into the abyss of unbelief, fear, and confusion. Once these lies are exposed to the light of God’s truth, they tend to dissipate like the morning mist.

Lies cannot coexist with truth, just as darkness and light cannot exist side by side.

The Power of a Personal Word from God

God’s answer to Gideon was a “rhema” word to him. I use the Greek word for “word,” “rhema,” to describe the experience of God’s revealing himself and his eternally true logos Word to us by the Spirit. In other words, a “rhema” word makes the eternally true “logos” Word found in the Bible both personal and faith inspiring.

A personal “rhema” revelation of truth has the power to destroy lies and transform us.

God’s rhema word to Gideon invited him to see things as God did and to believe the truth that the Lord was still with him and is much bigger than any fear or enemy.

Then the LORD himself turned to him and said, “You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?” Judges 6:14 (NET1)

We should pay close attention to what happened in this verse. Suddenly it was no longer God’s messenger speaking: now it was the Lord himself. My next sentence is one of the biggest keys to being set free. This truth is able to unlock some of the strongest prison doors.

In order for us to be delivered from deeply embedded lies, we must hear the Lord himself speak his truth to our hearts.

This is called revelation in the Bible and comes via the Holy Spirit.

God can speak through another person, a Bible verse or passage, or by his Spirit in the inner recesses of our hearts. In this case, it was through a pre-incarnational appearance of the Lord. God’s rhema to Gideon smashed both of the lies in which Gideon trusted: God had not abandoned him or Israel, and Gideon was not powerless because God was with him.

When the Light of the world, Jesus, enters our hearts, darkness is dispelled.

God himself told Gideon that he had the strength to deliver Israel and gave him the command to go do it. Gideon still has his doubts, however, because there were yet more lies to be confronted.

Gideon said to him, “But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 16 The LORD said to him, “Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” Judges 6:15-16 (NET1)

“But Lord!” How contradictory are these two words when used side by side! Here Gideon revealed that his calculations did not include God at all. He still saw things through the lens of his own inadequacies and failed to factor in God’s ability and power. (Don’t we all tend to do this?) When we make excuses for not doing what God commands us, it reveals that we believe that God is either not with us or not up to the task of enabling us.

Our unbelief clearly indicates we doubt either God’s trustworthiness, power, or his love – or maybe all three.

In other words, unbelief impugns God’s character and negates his power; whereas, faith upholds both.

Only faith glorifies God. Peter Block wrote in his book, The Answer to How Is Yes, that when we commit to do something, negativity evaporates and we begin to use our faith to become creative problem solvers.  The “how” of unbelief does not calculate on God and makes excuses for disobedience; whereas, the “yes” of faith moves forward in obedience trusting that God will somehow come through.

When the Lord reaffirmed that he would be with Gideon, he revealed the key to living the faith life – God is always with us.

Jesus is Immanuel – God with us. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this truth.

The root of many deeply embedded lies is a deep sense of abandonment by God.

This derives from humanity’s actual separation from him in the Garden of Eden because of our sin. But Genesis 3:15 reveals that God never actually abandoned us at all. He promised Adam and Eve that one of their descendants would crush the head of the serpent – Satan. This is the Bible’s first messianic promise.

Because Jesus, our Messiah and Immanuel, died and rose again, no one who believes in him needs to experience life apart from God any longer. (John 14:16)

When we imagine that we do, it reveals how far we still have to go in our understanding of grace and how sinfully independent our thinking still is.

Amazingly, God allows us to collaborate with him in life and when we face obstacles. This is one of the great joys of being a follower of Christ. We are not alone any longer! God delights to use us, even though, ultimately, all the glory will go to him, because he alone is able to pull off the miracle. What a joy for us to be his partner! When God allows us to participate, he shares his power, glory, and honor with us in a similar fashion as the moon shares the sun’s glorious radiance. The moon has no light of its own, yet it shines beautifully in the night sky. We have no power or glory of our own, yet we can win great victories when we obey God and trust him completely.

God’s grace shines through us, despite our weaknesses.

But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NET1)

When God made Gideon a promise that he would be with him, it should have confirmed to him that God was loyal and loving toward him; but, he was still not convinced of where he stood with God. This is a common problem for many of us – yes, even with Bible-believing followers of Christ. Because we are at least partially aware of our own faults and shortcomings, we cannot imagine that God could be truly pleased with us or use us in any significant way.

This shows that we have negated God’s gracious promises with a lie-based argument, which causes us to miss a central point of the gospel of grace. No one can possibly be good enough to please God: that is why Jesus had to die for us.

The mindset that God cannot use us is sinful and must be repudiated.

When we receive the benefits of the finished work of Christ by faith, not only are we forgiven, but we are completely reconciled to God. We become members of God’s family and true friends. God provides the Spirit of his Son to indwell us. We have been given the Son of God’s relationship with the Father, minus the divinity part; therefore, when God looks at us, he is as pleased with us as he is with his Son.

Consequently, because of our relationship with God, our commission to be his representatives on the earth, and the  indwelling Spirit, we are able to do whatever he tells us.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 (NET1)

But Gideon did not know this, since he lived in a time before Christ’s death and resurrection. Even though God told him he was highly favored, he still wanted further proof.

So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Judges 6:17 (NASB)

If you are like me, you might be thinking that God was beginning to get a little impatient with Gideon, as he did with Moses when he made excuse after excuse. But that was not the case. God was calling and commissioning Gideon to do the impossible; so, he was willing to corroborate his word to him.

The greater the task the more willing is God to make it plain to us. He knows that our faith needs bolstering.

Gideon offered the Lord a sacrifice, which God accepted by consuming it on the spot with fire in which the angel disappeared from sight. Gideon promptly went from doubt that it was God to doubt as to whether he would continue to live after seeing God. You have to admit this is at least a little humorous. After receiving an assurance that he would not die, Gideon built an altar to the Lord there, naming it “Jehovah-Shalom” – the Lord is peace, security, wholeness, success, or prosperity. All of the these concepts are rolled up into one word – shalom. I like how the New English Translation translates Jehovah-Shalom: “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.”

God took Gideon from doubting his good intentions to worshiping him for showing shalom towards his servant.

By revealing himself as Jehovah-Shalom, God shattered the foundation of several strongholds at once.

Once again, God revealed himself personally with a “rhema” word. He nullified the lie that God did not favor Israel or Gideon. He broke the power of the lie that God is not able to give victory over his circumstances and fears. Shalom declared that God was the provider of financial well being, healing, success, victory, and peace. Gideon’s faith in these truths would later be tested even further; so, Gideon could come to know this amazing God of shalom better.

Faith grows when it is tested, just as muscles are strengthened by exertion.

The Lord moved quickly on the heels of Gideon’s breakthrough revelation. It is important for us to realize that God does not reveal himself to us just for fun. It is to prepare us for what he has called us to do. That same night God gave Gideon his first big job, one that confronted his remaining fears to the core. I find it ironic and intensely interesting that God would reveal himself as Gideon’s peace (shalom) just before commissioning him to fight.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the presence of God that gives us the courage to fight the Lord’s battles.

That night the LORD said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 26 Then build an altar for the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” Judges 6:25-26 (NET1)

In the afterglow of finding out that God favored him and was with him, Gideon was told to provoke the anger of the local idol worshipers, which included members of his own family. This man who went out of his way to stay hidden from danger now was told to stir up trouble and bring down the wrath of the community upon his head. Gideon obeyed, but stuck to his old ways of trying to stay hidden. He did the deed at night with the help of ten associates.

The command to build an altar on top of the idolatrous stronghold is especially significant. Not only does God intend to smash our lie-based strongholds, but he plans to transform their rubble into a place of worship for us, building an altar faith and devotion to God upon which we can give ourselves unreservedly to him.

From the rubble of our smashed strongholds likely will emerge our ministry to the Lord and other people.

As expected, the local townspeople threatened Gideon, but God preserved his life. His name was changed to Jerub-Baal, meaning “let Baal contend with him.” In other words, he became known for his brave and confrontational act of destroying the idols that offended God. God insulated him from men’s threats and violence by personally defending him. His own father, a former idolater-in-chief, defended his son when an angry mob wanted to harm him. God was indeed his “shalom.”

But this test was only the “warm up.” Next God told him to confront and defeat a vast horde of Midianites which oppressed Israel. In a very short time God took Gideon from fearing those invaders to becoming the captain of the minuscule force that defeated them. What an amazing turn around! But this next task required that Gideon become even more convinced that God was with him.

Strongholds run deep. Even though Gideon had obtained some deliverance, he still battled unbelief and fear, as is often the case with us. How could he be sure that this command was really the Lord? When the Lord asks us to do things within our “comfort zone,” we may obey him fairly promptly; but, when he tells us to do something of which we are afraid, suddenly we are not sure if it’s really the Lord! That is probably why God “broke in” Gideon with a lesser task first before sending him against a huge army.

If we are predisposed to unbelief because of our fears, we may lack confidence that we really have heard the Lord or have difficulty accepting even the most obvious confirmations. Fear lacks the ability to think clearly.

Understanding this human frailty, the Lord was very patient with our reluctant hero. When Gideon asked him for a double reverse sign involving a fleece, God obliged both times. On top of that, God even came up with a further sign to help fortify Gideon’s faith. He told him to venture near the enemy’s camp, where he heard one of the enemy soldiers voice his interpretation of an ominous dream in which he predicted that Gideon and his army would prevail over them in battle. This was all Gideon needed. Gideon promptly marched back into camp and spoke rousing words of faith to his men.

When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the LORD is handing the Midianite army over to you!” Judges 7:15 (NET1)

Isn’t it interesting that Gideon put more stock in a dream’s interpretation than he did in God’s direct promise? May God give us more reliance on his Word than in anything else!

But we get ahead of ourselves. God had previously reduced the size of Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300, saying:

…“With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army and I will hand Midian over to you. The rest of the men should go home.” Judges 7:7 (NET1)

God really does have a sense of humor, but I am sure it did not seem so at the time to Gideon. After thoroughly convincing Gideon that it was really He giving him the command to destroy the Midianites, God removed 99% of his army, giving the following reason:

… “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’’ Judges 7:2 (NET1)

This is one of the ways God operates. He convinces us to sign on to his program and then removes from us some of the resources we thought we could count on. He does this so that we can learn to trust in him alone.

Even before reducing the size of the army, Israel was hugely outnumbered, but now the odds were ridiculous from a human point of view. If God did not do a major miracle, Gideon would go down in history as one of the biggest fools who ever lived. This must have been why God obliged him with the two fleece confirmations and gave him the interpretation of the enemy’s dream. Gideon needed to know that this adventure with God was legitimate. His life and that of his men, as well as Israel’s freedom, depended on it.

Well, if you don’t know the rest of the story, it’s in Judges 7. As you might have guessed, Gideon, with God’s help, triumphed and became one of the great heroes of Israel.

When we cooperate with God by allowing him to help us conquer our fears by smashing our strongholds of lies and unbelief, it is no telling what great things can be accomplished in God’s kingdom.

Maybe God has a Gideon-sized job for you? If so, you likely have a Gideon-sized set of embedded lies that need uprooting. Don’t be surprised if God requires you confront your fears head on. Draw near to him and let the Lord speak his loving truth into those hidden places in your heart. The truth will set you free.

Go back to Part 10.

Read Part 12: An Introduction to Overcoming Generational Devastation

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The Danger of Being Wise

How could anything as profitable and desirable as wisdom put anyone in danger? Didn’t Solomon write that finding wisdom is better than acquiring gold? (Proverbs 16:16) Proverbs also tells us that finding wisdom is a way to love our own soul. (Proverbs 19:8) How could something so valuable be dangerous?

Consider these words of Jesus.

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Luke 10:21 (NASB95)

This passage is noteworthy because it is the only recorded instance of Jesus showing such exuberant joy. What made him so gloriously happy? He rejoiced because his heavenly Father chose to conceal the truth about Jesus from the wise and intelligent and reveal it instead to the childlike or simple-minded. Why would that bring joy to the Lord?

Isaiah prophesied something very similar.

Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” Isaiah 29:14 (NASB95)

Apparently God says that it glorifies him that he made it impossible to find him or know him by using our intellects or human wisdom. Perhaps the reason is because Satan prompted Adam and Eve to pursue godhood by using their reasoning and knowledge, and God decided that no one will find him that way.

We have to be willing to lay aside the pride of human intellect and wisdom to know God.

In another place, Jesus quoted Isaiah.

FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ Matthew 13:15 (NASB95)

Faith comes by hearing or perceiving God’s words spoken in our hearts by revelation of the Spirit. (Romans 10:17)

We can only know God by faith. Faith is ignited when the Spirit of God opens our hearts and minds to apprehend the truth of God’s words.This is a spiritual activity that transcends human reasoning and wisdom.

Paul likewise took up this theme in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 (NASB95)

Putting these verses together, I conclude that there is a wisdom from God and a wisdom of the world. (James 3:13-18) The best examples of wisdom from the world is when it uses sound principles for evaluating knowledge in order to arrive at a prudent course of action.

The wisdom from God, includes the previous definition, but relies primarily on our apprehension of and faith in God’s written Word and the revelation of the Spirit.

There is a very big difference between the two kinds of wisdom that produces quite opposite results.

If we as Christians choose to rely more upon the world’s wisdom to guide us in our thinking and actions, rather than upon the written Word and the Holy Spirit, it will put us in danger.

My observation is that the people whom I consider to be the wisest are quite careful and make it a practice to try to avoid all extremes, following King Solomon’s advice.

So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 18 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. Ecclesiastes 7:16–18 (NLT)

Wise people I know generally believe that the truth is almost always found somewhere in the middle between opposing extremes. This results in their tendency to refuse to identify with either side in a political debate, for example, believing that the wise position is a compromise between the opposite extremes. Politically this works pretty well a good deal of the time, but when it comes to truth issues, compromise is not always the answer.

People in the Bible who tried this “wise” approach sometimes ended up in the wrong place. Take for example, when Jesus challenged the Jewish leaders by asking them if John’s baptism were from God or not. They “wisely” considered the outcome of their reply, choosing to avoid committing to either a positive or negative position. They remained cowardly “agnostic,” revealing their duplicity. Jesus told us in Revelation that he would rather we be hot (yes) or cold (no) rather than be “lukewarm” or non-committal. Another example of using wisdom to avoid making a commitment is when Gamaliel advised the Jewish leaders to avoid persecuting the apostles.

And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38–39 (NKJV)

Gamaliel used his wisdom to remain neutral. At least he chose to not persecute the Christians, which is something, but his “wisdom” never helped him make a commitment to Christ, as far as we know. It left him in the gray lukewarm undecided realm.

Truth requires us to make a commitment to it, even if it runs counter to the dominant viewpoint or seems to be an extreme position.

In this day and age, it is important that we understand that communists seek to move the middle to the right, calling what formerly was a mildly conservative position, far right, and what was formerly far left to the middle.

I think most of us understand that sometimes we must take an “extreme” position, such as in the case of abortion. Even though the predominant view in our country is that abortion is a legitimate (legal) option for a woman, we people of the Book know that abortion is the taking of an innocent life. There can be no compromise on this. Regarding less obviously “black and white” issues, however, it seems that wise people try to stay somewhere in the middle and to remain neutral.

If wisdom’s aim is to avoid controversy, this is certainly the way to go.

When Jesus arrived on the earth, he was thought by many to be the bastard child of an insignificant woman from Nazareth. The dominant view at the time regarding the expected Messiah, one supported by the “experts” in such matters, was that he would be born in Bethlehem and would lead the nation out from under Roman oppression and back to being in a dominant position of honor and power in the world. When the Lord revealed to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna that this little babe was the one chosen by God to assume David’s throne on a forever basis, it was not something anyone would ever have guessed or been able to figure out. It was a completely surprising claim that was so extremely divergent from the opinion of the experts (the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Saducees) that it must have seemed like some sort of weird conspiracy theory. (Of course, that term had not yet been coined  by the CIA to dissuade people from probing into the JFK assassination.)

Few if any wise or biblically educated persons would ever have believed such a claim made by ignorant persons from the lower rungs of society.

When Jesus entered his public ministry, very few from the group considered to be educated and wise “fell” for his message. In fact, they were offended by his confident teaching, his demonstrations of God’s power to heal and deliver people from demons, his refusal to be bound by Talmudic oral traditions, and his claim to be able to forgive sins. Eventually those in power put him to death for saying he is the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. From their point of view, Jesus’ claims were dangerous, misguided, and blasphemous.

Their “wisdom” completely let them down because it was unable to accept anything outside their understanding of what was the correct interpretation of the scriptures. How could all the experts be wrong?

These so-called authorities in the Law rebuked those who appeared to be open to the possibility that Jesus might indeed the Messiah.

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” 46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” 47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” John 7:45–49 (NKJV)

The rulers and Pharisees were so convinced that their view regarding the coming Messiah was correct that they were not able to recognize him when he stood right in front of them and spoke to them. Their hearts were closed to anything that did not fit into their paradigm, understanding, and training. They were convinced that they were far wiser and more discerning than the “simple minded,” ignorant people who were being deceived into believing in Jesus. They were convinced that they were the guardians of truth responsible to protect God’s people from heresy and false messiahs. Their worldly wisdom and desire to avoid being deceived by “extreme” claims took them down a wicked path to murder the true Messiah, all the time thinking that they were serving God.

In the eyes of the world, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is outside the pale of what is reasonable and wise.

It is thought to be an extreme position that runs counter to the dominant worldview and all sound wisdom. To accept that Jesus rose from the dead as the Lord of Lords who will one day return to judge the living and the dead requires one to be willing to be labeled as a misguided religious fanatic.This happened to Paul when he preached the gospel in Athens, the center of worldly wisdom at that time.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” Acts 17:32 (NKJV)

Some rejected the gospel, but others were “open” and wanted to hear more. In order to be saved, we have to move from being “open” to God to being committed to him. Before doing so, one should count the cost of making such a decision.

A public confession of Christ followed by water baptism is the designated way for us to declare our allegiance to Jesus the Messiah and become part of what the world considers to be a misguided fringe sect of fanatics.

It is impossible for us to accept the gospel as being the truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is a revelatory “religion.”

Only those people who hearts are open to receive revelation from God are able to believe and come to Jesus. This is what it means to be childlike.

Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:3) Jesus said we cannot come to him unless we are drawn by the Father and have our eyes opened by the Spirit of God. (John 6:44)

Once that happens, the Holy Spirit enables us to see things in an entirely new way. We are able to operate by means of a divine wisdom not recognized or understood by those in the world.

Paul wrote:

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (NASB95)

Since we are human, we remain susceptible to the temptation to rely on human wisdom instead of the Spirit of God and the written Word. This can take us into dangerous territory. Every strength has a corresponding weakness. The strengths associated with wisdom are obvious, but the weaknesses are more subtle. A person who is endowed with natural wisdom can easily begin to rely on that strength and slip away from a dependence on the Holy Spirit to open God’s Word and wisdom to us. There is a similar peril attached to being intelligent. We can start relying upon natural smarts instead of God’s Spirit.

The truly wise person learns to submit his natural wisdom and intelligence to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The humble person will remain open to the Holy Spirit’s revealing surprising truth to him or her for life. Otherwise we are in danger of becoming what Jesus called an “old wineskin” that is unable to receive new revelation from God’s Spirit.

The humble of heart understand that the predominant view of things can be quite wrong. They will accept the need to commit to truth, even if it puts us on the outside looking in at the rest of society.

It is getting to the point where our ability to see through the propaganda of the government run media and education system could be a matter of life and death.

Our government, media, and other powerful influencers have proved to be quite untrustworthy. We will have to listen to God, depend on the what the Bible teaches, and be willing to think for ourselves. Every position that violates the clear teaching of Scripture must be rejected, no matter how many experts say otherwise. It may not be possible to hold a “wise” middle of the road position on some future issues.

I believe we must be prepared to make a stand, one that in many cases may relegate us to being seen as being on the fringe of society – ignorant Bible believers. We should not fear being marginalized.

The church has always been most effective working from the margins. Christianity began as a “fringe sect” of Judaism that soon found itself being persecuted by the Jews and the Roman government alike. Things may be heading that direction again. But that is when the church was able to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6), upsetting the dominant worldview and power structures.

If we are willing to be identified with the remnant who believe God’s Word and declare allegiance to Jesus, we likely will have great impact on the world. We may be foolish in the world’s sight, but God will say we are wise.

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Grumbling against God’s Appointed Authority – the Traitor in Us

This test reveals whether we will support God’s delegated authority in our lives or choose to speak against and perhaps even try to overthrow it.

We are prone to fail this temptation because the “old man” is proud, rebellious, and judgmental. We realize that leaders are people just like us, who always have quite obvious faults and failings. We can grow dissatisfied with their leadership and start viewing them with a critical eye. If this goes unchecked, it can lead to outright rebellion and participation in an overthrow attempt. In 1 Corinthians 10:10, Paul refers to one such case in Numbers, when Korah attempted to unseat Moses as Israel’s leader. God promptly destroyed him, his family, and his associates – a total of 14,700 people! We can read all about it in Numbers 16:1-35.

It might startle us to discover how much God hates this behavior since grumbling and complaining against delegated authority are considered to be an American birthright of sorts. Our constitutional republic gives us the privilege of electing those who govern us. Since our leaders’ authority indirectly derives from the people via the election process, we may feel free to fearlessly criticize and judge them. But this is not God’s way, especially when it comes to spiritual authority. This does not mean we are not allowed to use discernment regarding others, but we should always try to maintain an attitude of humility. This can get tricky when people in authority abuse and misuse their position and power to harm those they govern. In these cases, it may be necessary to speak up against these abuses or even to resist them, but always in the fear of the Lord.

It is one thing to honestly resist the illegitimate use of authority and quite another to grumble and complain.

In the case mentioned in Numbers, unbelief and pride combined to fuel the rebellion of Korah and his followers, producing something God hates.

Moses was appointed by God and carrying out the Lord’s will. We have a responsibility to support godly leaders in their attempt to discharge their responsibility to oversee God’s people!

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)

When Korah defied Moses, he seemed to have some good arguments, but he was fundamentally in the wrong. Like the rest of us, Moses had flaws, but he was still God’s appointed leader. God uses flawed people.

When Korah attacked Moses, without realizing it, he attacked God’s authority, too.

Judgment was swift. Today we don’t always see such quick retribution against those who undermine authority, but be assured that God has not changed his mind about this sin. Judgment will surely come! We always reap what we sow.

If, God forbid, we find ourselves in a situation in which we believe our church leadership is in error, we should approach them humbly and voice our concerns. If there is no remedy, we may find ourselves having to choose between resisting those in authority or finding another church. A general principle is that it is probably better to find a new church with trustworthy leadership than to engage in resisting the existing leadership in a local church. Sometimes we may need to give God “space” or time to work in the hearts of leadership. Patience is a needed fruit of the Spirit. In all situations, we need guidance from the Lord.

Application

If we have become critical of those God has placed in authority over us, it is very important for us to change our tune. This is no small matter. If we need to confront a leader for some reason, we should do so with a humble attitude. Properly regarding, honoring, and following God-appointed leadership is crucial to our spiritual well-being.

We pass the fourth big test by learning how to properly relate to and live under delegated authority, trusting that God is bigger than all who have such authority and is at work in their lives, too.

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Putting Christ to the Test – The Rebel in Us

The third big test we all will face at one time or another is connected to our choice to be satisfied with God and content with what he is allowing us to experience or to cave to grumbling and complaining.

We will be able to pass this test if we discover that God satisfies our deepest longings no matter what our circumstances may be. We can choose to praise God at all times, refusing to knuckle under to our tendency to complain. If we fail this test, we will find ourselves in the unhappy situation of discovering that God is not our first love after all, and our happiness depends on things “going our way.”

This is called “tempting” God because it tests the limits of his patience and can provoke his anger.

How dare we his creatures complain against our maker? How dare we who have been redeemed by the blood of God’s own Son demand anything at all? Truly he has already given us all things in Christ.

The passage to which Paul alludes in 1 Corinthians 10:9 is found in Numbers.

Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. 5  The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6  The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. Numbers 21:4-6 (NASB)

Even though the Israelites saw God deliver them from Pharaoh’s despotism and the cruel slavery they experienced in Egypt, at this point on their journey in the wilderness they only cared about their current physical needs.

They did not know God’s character or ways; so, they judged their situation by their circumstances, reasoning that either God did not really care for them or that he was unable to provide for them.

Both of these accusations reveal a deep seated rebellion against God that originated with Satan, who inspired Eve and Adam with the same doubts in the Garden of Eden.

When we doubt God’s love, character, and ability to care for us, it is a slap in his face and tests his patience. The Israelites dared God to judge their lousy rebellious attitude, and they got what they requested.

We learn from this passage and others like it that God absolutely hates complaining, grumbling, and rebellion against him, his authority, and his provision. For those of us who have parented children, we know that sometimes kids get progressively “out of hand.” When this happens, things usually will trend towards getting worse unless we, the parents, take care of our responsibility to discipline them. As adults, we can allow ourselves to “get out of hand,” too.

If we start grousing and complaining against God and life in general we have crossed the line. If this becomes a habit for us, we need to realize that in God’s eyes it is a serious sin, one for which he will discipline us because it reveals a sullen rebellious attitude against him.

Ironically, at this stage of their wilderness journey, God really was in the process of killing most of them as they had requested. As a group, except for Joshua and Caleb, they previously defied the Lord’s command by refusing to enter and conquer Canaan. Their fear kept them from inheriting what God had promised. Here is what they said.

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2  And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3  Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4  And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:1-4 (ESV)

Rather than obey God, they complained that it would be better to die in the wilderness! God warned them that they would see their wish come true: all the adults who rebelled against him would die in the wilderness. Their “little ones,” however, would be the generation who would obey and go into the land.

Fear, grumbling, rebellion, and disobedience put God to the test and try his patience with us.

All of us have the propensity to rebel, complain, and sin against God. All of us have to be taken into the “wilderness” in order to learn how to trust and obey him.

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:2–3 (NKJV)

The difficulties we endure are custom designed by God to help us grow spiritually, if we keep our eyes on him. (Romans 8:28) Otherwise, we may find ourselves on the wrong side of this test.

Paul discovered the secret of contentment.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11–13 (NKJV)

Like King David before him, he learned to praise God at all times.

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Psalm 34:1–2 (NKJV)

Only the proud in heart complain against God and demand that he change things to suit us. This is a “hard pill” for our pride to “swallow.”

If we find that we habitually complain against God and find it difficult to be satisfied with him no matter what our situation, it is time for us to repent.

Grousing and complaining reveal hearts that are ungratefully out of sync with God.

Faith never complains, because it believes Romans 8:28 – God is working out all things for the good of those who belong to him. We can choose to act and speak as if we believe this and thereby bring glory to God.

We pass the third test by continually praising God.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for the times I tried your patience by refusing to acknowledge you in all things. Holy Spirit, help me to cooperate with your transformation process by choosing to praise, even when things are difficult and confusing. I believe that you always have my best interests at heart. I love you and consecrate myself to you once again. Amen.

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Immorality – The Infidelity in Us

Whereas test #1 exposes any remaining idolatry in our hearts; test #2 searches our hearts to ferret out any moral infidelity so that we can confess that to the Lord and be set free.

Balaam was a false prophet whom King Balak hired to speak curses over the nation of Israel as they marched through the wilderness heading for Canaan. God forbade him from doing so, and, much to Balak’s horror, he spoke blessings and some amazing prophecies over God’s chosen people instead. We learn from this true story that the devil has no power to curse those whom God has blessed.

“For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’ Numbers 23:23 (NKJV)

However, this evil man devised a devilish alternate plan for bringing destruction to Israel by inciting them to sin, which incurred God’s judgment. He and Balak sent idol worshiping Midianite women to lure Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry. This rebellious infidelity to God brought down God’s judgment upon the entire nation.

Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. Numbers 25:1–3 (NKJV)

Since Balaam had not been able to curse Israel, he lured God’s people into bringing God’s judgment upon themselves.

As Moses and those who remained faithful to God considered what to do, one of the sons of an important clan leader blatantly sinned in full view of the camp, taking a foreign woman into his tent.

Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Numbers 25:6 (NLT)

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, took action and drove a spear through both the offending man and the woman, stopping God’s plague of judgment from going any further. In today’s morally lax and tolerant world, this sort of behavior seems very strange indeed and even reprehensible, but the Bible praises Phinehas for this display of devotion to the Lord and his holiness. We learn from this something about the utmost seriousness of sin, especially immorality and idolatry. Sin should never be taken lightly. It is what nailed our Lord Jesus to the cross. Nevertheless, the plague from God killed 24,000 Israelites before it was stopped. (Numbers 25:1-17)

Balaam’s strategy came from Satan and is still operational today. Satan cannot curse God’s people; so, he tempts us to sin against God, which always brings negative consequences.

Mankind betrayed God in the Garden of Eden, choosing to go his own way instead of God’s. Sinful infidelity (the “flesh”) lurks in the human heart ever since, making us susceptible to temptation to sexual immorality. In order to incite us to lust, we are bombarded with graphic sexual images on the internet, TV, the movies, and in other forms of media. Modern culture has largely acquiesced by declaring that sexual transgressions are not really wrong after all. Young people are taught that having sex outside of marriage is normal and natural, and they are encouraged and expected to engage in such activity. The availability of birth control and easy abortions provides a way for people to avoid the natural consequences associated with this sort of sin. Modern medicine has even made STDs less scary.

Nevertheless, one can never truly escape the consequences of sin. Indelible marks are left on our souls and sometimes our bodies, which only the blood of Jesus can cleanse and heal.

God’s commandments always have our best interests in mind, and we violate them at our own peril. Ultimately, we will all give an account to Jesus at the Last Judgment for how we lived and obeyed him. Sexual sin can rob us of heavenly reward and also brings destruction into our lives in the present. It tries to fill our thoughts, thus distracting us from the one thing that should consume us – our love for and devotion to the Lord.

Paul told Timothy:

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 (NKJV)

Families and lives are ruined by sexual transgressions. We reap what we sow. Solomon warned of the dangers associated with failing the test of sexual immorality.

Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her (the immoral woman's) ways, Do not stray into her paths; 26 For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. 27 Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death. Proverbs 7:24–27 (NKJV)

Ironically, this wise man horribly failed this test. We should not imagine that we are somehow immune to the power of this temptation. Many otherwise strong people have succumbed.

Emotional bonds are formed outside of the marriage covenant through having sex, and scars are left when these relationships are broken. This is serious stuff! God will not be mocked. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. (Galatians 6:7)

Jude warned us that even some who profess to be followers of Christ will go off the path and try to take others with them. Many who claim to be Christ followers today have fallen for the lie that God does not really care that much about moral holiness.

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 (NLT)

God’s mercy and grace should never be used as an excuse to indulge in sexual immorality. Even though I am convinced that the Lord will not take away our eternal relationship with him if we sin, we should nevertheless fear the discipline of the Lord. He is not playing games when it comes to this test and will do whatever he sees fit to bring us to repentance and set us free.

Wise people do not test the limits of God’s patience.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31 (NKJV)

Why not rather heed God’s admonitions and flee immorality?

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV)

God will reward us for resisting temptations to immorality. We can only do this by what the Bible calls “walking in the Spirit,” by relying on the combination of a proper fear of the Lord and the grace of God. With God’s help, we can do this! (You can read more about “walking in the Spirit” by clicking here.)

Application

If you have been flirting with or engaging in sexual immorality, or if you have been listening to arguments and reasoning that says it’s no big deal, beware! This is the second of the four big wipe out tests. I encourage all of us to recommit ourselves to setting apart our bodies and hearts for the Lord. Resist sexual temptation and stay away from opportunities to sin. It may be helpful to you to become accountable to some trustworthy loving person, who can assist you to keep your commitments to the Lord. Don’t throw away your heavenly reward for temporary pleasure. Pass the second test by standing strong against sexual temptation.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16  that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. Hebrews 12:15-17 (ESV)
Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for entertaining immorality. I confess it to you and want to be set free. Guide me, Holy Spirit, in whatever steps you want me to take. Amen.

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