Nik’s Notes

The Call to Battle

Ξ February 22nd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Doctrine, Christian Living |

This is a powerful piece by Martyn Lloyd-Jones - the reknowned early-to-mid 20th century preacher of Westminster. It is well worth the read! I found it at Sermon Index (dot net) and don’t believe there is any copyright on it. If so, please let me know.

THERE IS NOTHING that is more urgently important for all who claim the name of Christian, than to grasp and to understand the teaching of this particular section of Scripture. I say those “who claim the name of Christian,” because the Apostle’s words are obviously addressed to Christian people, and to Christian people only. They have no message for those who are not Christians; indeed nobody else can understand them. The world today ridicules this kind of statement. It does not believe in a spiritual realm at all. It is even doubtful about the being of God; it has no faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; still less, therefore, does it believe that there are “principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness even in high (or in heavenly) places.” Such words are meaningless to the world; it has no appreciation of their value and importance.

But to the Christian the statement is not only full of significance, it is also full of help and of real encouragement; and, let me repeat, there is surely no theme more urgently important to all Christians at the present time than just this. I refer, of course, to the whole state of life, the whole state of the world, and to all the difficulty of living, and especially living the Christian life in these confused times in which we find ourselves.

Not that I suggest that life has ever been easy in this world for the Christian. It was not so for the early Christians. And today, in some respects, the problem is more acute and more urgent, perhaps, than it has ever been. There was a time, until comparatively recently, when at least a man’s home was more or less shut off from the world; but now the world comes into the home in many different ways, not only with the newspapers but with the television and the wireless and other media. Thus the fight of faith becomes particularly difficult and strenuous for the Christian at such a time; and in addition to all this there is the general strain of the times and anxiety of the hour.

Called to Battle
It is because of such considerations that we spent so much time in a previous volume in analyzing and considering Paul’s great statement. We were occupied there in dealing with “the wiles of the devil,” trying to understand what it means when it says that we are “wrestling, not against flesh and blood” (in ourselves, or in any other people), but against these spiritual powers and potentates, these principalities, these unseen hordes of wickedness that are at the back of evil, controlling the minds of evil men and all their activities, and that are set against us in order to try to defeat us, to spoil our Christian lives and bring the whole of the Gospel into disrepute. Such occupation on our part was essential. A man who does not understand the nature of the problem he is confronting is a man who is already doomed to failure. Christian people are like first-year college students-they think at first that every subject is quite simple, there is no difficulty. Well, we know what is likely to happen to such when they face an examination! The first thing you have to do is to understand the nature and the character of your problem. So we have to realize that we are called, in the Christian life, to a battle, not to a life of ease; to a battle, to a warfare, to a wrestle, to a struggle. Already we have looked in detail at the varied, almost endless ways in which the devil in his wiliness and subtlety tries to trap and to ensnare, to confuse and to confound the Christian. For the Christian to be forewarned as to the character and strategy of the enemy is absolutely essential, for to be forewarned is to be forearmed, and that in itself is half the battle.

But let us remember that it is only half the battle. Were we to leave it at that we should all undoubtedly be depressed. We would say, “Life is sufficient enough as it is without your dragging out all these things. You show us that the problem is such that no man is adequate to deal with it. You emphasize that we wrestle against terrible powers and principalities. Who is sufficient for these things? Who can stand against such massed hordes of evil, with all their subtlety and malign power?” To consider the problem in isolation, even though absolutely essential, could lead to no result except that we should all feel depressed and completely and entirely hopeless. But, thank God, the Gospel is always realistic. It never hides any of the truth, it never gives a false impression. It is not a true Gospel that gives us the impression that the Christian life is easy, and that there are no problems to be faced. That is not the New Testament teaching. The New Testament is most alarming at first, indeed terrifying, as it shows us the problems by which we are confronted. But follow it-go on! It does not stop halfway, it goes on to this addition, this second half; and here it shows us the way in which, though that is the truth concerning the battle, we can be enabled to wage it, and not only to wage it, but to triumph in it. It shows us that we are meant to be “more than conquerors.”

Confronting the Problem
So the Apostle goes on to show us this second half-, and he does so in his own characteristic manner. He even puts this before he states the problem. He says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that” (in order that)—then he introduces the problem. Here, I say, is something for which we should thank God always. Here, and here alone, we are told that, despite all that is against us, whether in realms above or in the world in which we live with all its strains and stresses, as Christian people we can be enabled to triumph, to rejoice in the midst of it all, and to know that victory is assured. That is the matter to which we now turn.

What is offered us as we find ourselves, as Christian people, facing all this—this wrestling, this struggling, this combat? You notice that there are just two things. First, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might”; second, ‘Take unto you the whole armor of God.”

As we come to look at these two things there are some preliminary comments that I have to make. The first is that both these are necessary. We are not to take one without the other. The Apostle says both, and we have to do both. We shall have occasion to repeat that constantly as we go along. But notice the order in which he puts them. He does not tell you to put on the armor first, and then to be strong in the Lord. No, it is the other way around: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might”; then, “Take unto you the whole armor of God.” There is a very real significance in the order. I will have occasion later to show its significance and the importance of following it as a practical issue.

There is clearly a relationship between the two factors. Let me just hint at what will be developed as we proceed. It is this: that so often people take just one or the other of these factors and therefore make shipwreck of the faith. There are some who say, “All you need to do is to hand it over to the Lord and rely on His strength.” They never say anything about “the whole armor of God”-that is left out completely. There are others who put their whole emphasis on the putting on of the armor of God, as if they could wield it themselves. They forget their absolute dependence upon the power of the Lord, and His might and His strength. We see then that there are several interesting matters in the mere presentation of the two things which are essential to a triumphant living of the Christian life.

The Source of Our Strength
Let us start, then, with the first—”Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Here is a great order issued by this mighty captain, the Apostle Paul-an order for the day. Here is a word sent out to the Christian army gathered together, with the enemy there in position facing it. Here is the word that comes from this great leader who himself had had long experience in warfare personally, and who, as he reminds us so often, had the care of all the churches upon him, and had seen at first hand the machinations of the evil one against God’s people. Here then is a great order for the day—”Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Hold on to this, do not forget it. In the heat and the thick of the battle later on in the day, whatever happens, never forget, never lose sight of, this great guiding and controlling principle.

But what does it mean, and how are we to do it? It is a resounding phrase. To read it, to repeat it, is not enough. We like singing the words of the hymn, “Put on the Gospel Armor.” But what does it mean in practice? Let us investigate the matter. Christianity is not a form of psychology. You do not just walk along the road saying, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might,” using it as some kind of incantation, or auto-suggestion, repeating the phrases to yourself. That is not Christianity at all! It is true of the cults, of course; it is the psychological method. You repeat the phrases such as, “Every day, and in every way, I am getting better and better.” You persuade yourself, and you think less and less about your health, and you therefore begin to feel better. Up to a point it works, but only up to a point.

But in any case, as I say, it is not the Christian message. So often we are in danger of abusing the Scriptures in this way. We use them as mere phrases in that manner, or lightheartedly we sing our hymns, and we feel better for the time being. But the question is, How do we stand up to temptations when we are in the street outside, and what are we like at home? When you turn Scripture into a drug, into something which gives you a temporary relief without your knowing why or how, the effect does not last. It gives a temporary feeling of exhilaration, but fails you when you are in the struggle and in the heat of the battle.

What, then, is the true application of the Apostle’s precept? The first thing to realize is the need to be strong because of the power of the enemy. Never underestimate that power. The Bible always calls us to face the enemy and to realize that he is, as Peter says, “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” We are told that the archangel Michael dared not speak lightly or loosely to him, and when he debated with him concerning the body of Moses he did not bring any “railing accusation” against him. All the archangel ventured to say was, “The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 9). The enemy is terribly powerful and full of wiles and of subtlety and of guile; he can even “transform himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11: 14).

Another reason, and a very practical one from the human side, is that if you are to be able to stand, and withstand in the evil day, you need this strength. “The evil day!” Though the Christian life in one sense is always the same kind of life, there are variations; there are evil days, some days are worse than others; they are exceptionally bad. In general at the present time we are living in a very “evil” day. It is evil in every respect. I am not only thinking of international tensions; it is an evil day because evil and sin are so powerfully organized, so deeply entrenched; it is an evil day because of the confusion in the Church herself which sometimes seems to deny not only the whole of the Gospel but even belief in the being of God Himself. It is not easy to be a Christian at a time like this when you have men in positions of high authority in the Church talking about “meeting atheists in heaven!” Christians are being confused by these things, particularly, perhaps, young Christians. The devil is unusually busy and active, creating this uncertainty about the essentials of the faith and producing this utter confusion—”What is the Gospel? What is not the Gospel?” Undoubtedly we live in a very evil day; and if we are to withstand at such a time as this, there is only one way; and it is the way the Apostle teaches us here. We need this power, and the whole armor of God; and then we shall be able to stand. Thank God that this is so. Though the confusion is terrible, those who believe the truth still can stand. Do not be disheartened, do not be discouraged, do not be misled, do not be put off. You may be standing alone, perhaps, but you can still be enabled to stand though the days are so cruelly evil and vile and foul.

But there are other reasons which should encourage us all to seek this strength and this power. Why should I be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might”? I answer: I wish to be strong in order to avoid personal failure; for I know that, when I do fail and fall into sin, I become miserable and unhappy. This is true of all Christians. So, to save yourself from the misery that is the inevitable consequence of any failure in the Christian life, “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

But I will give you a much higher reason than the fear of personal failure. “Be strong” because you are who you are, because you are what you are. We are individuals in this matter of salvation but we are not isolated units. We are members severally of the body of Christ; we belong to Him, to God’s family. Remember this always, that the Lord Jesus Christ is “not ashamed to call us brethren” (Heb. 2:11). Remember also that “God is not ashamed to be called (your) God” (Heb. 11:16). The Name of God is upon us, the Name of Christ is upon us. Why should I be strong? Well, for His sake even more than for my own sake. In a sense this is an alarming thought, and yet it is one of the most glorious truths we can ever realize about ourselves-that the reputation, as it were, of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is in our hands, and any failure in us brings the great and holy Name into disrepute. We are not isolated individuals, we are one in this great and mighty army.

The world knows how to respond to these appeals, does it not? Nelson knew exactly what he was doing on the morning of Trafalgar: “England expects that every man this day will do his duty.” Certainly! The name of the country! Multiply that by infinity and see that you and I have no right to be weak because our failure not only involves ourselves. The whole family in heaven and in earth is involved with us. We are representatives.

It is not only that we may live a happier life that I am calling attention to this text. Let us abandon this purely subjective approach, let us learn to look at things from the standpoint of the Church of the living God, this great army with banners; let us think of Him who is the Captain and Leader of our salvation. And let us remember that we belong to Him, and that anything that happens to us inevitably involves Him also.

So, finally, I put the matter thus. There is no better way of giving a proof of the truth of the Gospel than that we should “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might,” than that we should triumph and prevail. To live aright is difficult, and when we see someone who is succeeding, someone who can stand against the enticements and the insinuations of evil, someone who is not carried away off his feet by the popular thing, someone who stands steadfastly for truth and for everything that is worthy, we are greatly encouraged. It undoubtedly has a great effect on those who are looking on.

We are all being watched at the present time. The world is most unhappy, men and women do not know what to do, they do not know where to turn. When they see someone who seems to be calm and steadfast, someone who is not utterly bewildered at a time like this, someone who seems to have an insight into it all, and who can see beyond it all, they look and they say, “What is this? What is that person’s secret?” And so you become an evangelist by just standing and being “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” You are not carried away by the flood, you do not do things because everyone else is doing them, you have principles of your own, and you are ready to stand for them and to suffer for them. That has often been the means, under God’s blessing, of awakening others and convicting them of sin, and causing them to begin to inquire after God.

In our daily lives, whatever our earthly calling, we all live in some kind of circle; we are surrounded by people who are blinded by the devil and carried along in evil ways by him at his will (2 Tim. 2:26). You never know when the mere fact that you are just “standing” may arrest attention and open a door of opportunity for the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There, then, are some reasons and preliminary considerations why we must be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

The Reality of Our Weakness
In the second place, we have to realize our own weakness and our need of help. That is the presupposition behind what the Apostle is saying here. He is not only concerned about this because of the power of the enemy, he is equally concerned because of our own weakness, our own lack of strength; and, again, the best way of realizing this impotency is to understand something of the power of the enemy. There is ample teaching in the Bible to bring you to that knowledge. Go back to the very beginning of the Bible. You find there is a man called Adam who was sinless and perfect. But he is confronted by the devil, and the manifestation of “the wiles of the devil.” Though Adam was perfect, and had lived a life of fellowship and communion with God, he fell; and he fell so easily! The subtlety of the enemy with his insinuation that God was against man, that God was unfair to man, was too much for Adam and he fell. When the devil launches his attack, what is man, even perfect man made in the image of God? Adam fell. And if Adam in that perfect state fell, who are we to stand?

But let us go further. Look at the Old Testament saints, all of them, the patriarchs, the godly kings, and the prophets. They all fell, not one of them could stand up to the devil. He is “the strong man armed, that keepeth his goods at peace.” All men have failed, they have all “sinned and come short of the glory of God”; they have succumbed to “the wiles of the devil.”

This has also been the universal testimony of all Christian saints, the greatest saints of the centuries. It is one of the hallmarks of the true saint, that he never gives the impression that the Christian life is an easy one—never! The man who gives the impression that it is easy has confused something else with Christianity; he has a shortcut which he imagines brings him to a place where everything is quite simple. But that is never the Christian way. The greatest saints have always testified to the fierceness of the battle, to their own weakness, to their own ability. They have mourned over this. Let us then pay heed to what this great “cloud of witnesses” is saying to us today.

But let me commend to you also the study of your own experience. If you feel that you are a very strong Christian, let me ask you why you have failed so much and why you still fail? What happens to your resolutions and resolves? Why do you so often find yourself in the place of repentance? Why are you sometimes attacked with feelings of utter hopelessness and almost despair? To what is it due? It is all due to the plain fact of our weakness; it is because we are insufficient and fallible.

But we must face this honestly. It is not enough just to say in general, “Yes, I know the enemy is very strong, as you say, and I am weak.” We have to persuade ourselves of our weakness. This is half the battle. We need to know that we are ill; in other words we need to indulge in a great deal of self-examination. That is why people pay such slight heed to our text; that is why we know so little about what it is to stand, and to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might; we have never realized our own need. ‘They that are whole have no need of a physician.” That was the chief trouble with the Pharisees. They thought they were right with God; they did not go to the doctor; there was nothing wrong with them. We do not go to the doctor as long as we feel that all is well; we have to realize that we are “sick.” But that means examination, self-examination. In that way only shall we discover the elements of weakness that are in us inherently, and that render us incapable of fighting the battle against sin and Satan.

Another thing we have to realize is that mere principles of morality are not sufficient for us. The world has always been interested in what it calls “the good life.” Philosophers have always been interested in the subject; they have written about it, talked about it, and argued about it. But the trouble has been that they were never able to practice it. Principles of morality are good as far as they go, but they are not enough; you can read books on ethics and can wax eloquent on these matters, but it is a very different thing to put them into practice. “To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I know not,” said the Apostle (Rom. 7:18). 1 see that a certain thing is right, but the problem is, “How am I to do it?” And it is when you really face the problem that you begin to realize the extent of your weakness.

Furthermore, human will-power alone is not enough. Will-power is excellent and we should always be using it; but it is not enough. A desire to live a good life is not enough. Obviously we should all have that desire, but it will not guarantee success. So let me put it thus: Hold on to your principles of morality and ethics, use your willpower to the limit, pay great heed to every noble, uplifting desire that is in you; but realize that these things alone are not enough, that they will never bring you to the desired place. We have to realize that all our best is totally inadequate, that a spiritual battle must be fought in a spiritual manner. This has been put well in a hymn by Isaac Watts:

From Thee, the overflowing spring,
Our souls shall drink a fresh supply,
While such as trust their native strength
Shall melt away, and droop, and die.
That is true! Remember also the words of another hymn:

The arm of flesh will fail you,
You dare not trust your own.
Here we have the very beginning of an understanding of this whole matter. The problem is not just a problem in moral living. That is the limit of the State’s concern with our persons. The State knows nothing about the spiritual background, for it knows nothing about the devil and “the principalities and powers.” And that is why it continues to believe that education can really solve the problem and reform persons. That is why it evokes the aid of psychotherapy and various other expedients in prisons. But the more it does so the more the problem seems to increase. It is all because men do not realize the spiritual character of the problem.

You and I have to realize that the living of the Christian life does not follow automatically upon conversion. Many a man, having come into the Christian life through regeneration, through a true experience, has then tried to live the Christian life in the old terms. He thinks that he needs the act of God in Christ to save him, but he seems to leave it at that. He feels that henceforward he is going to live the Christian life by his own power; he has a new understanding so now he is going to live this life. But it cannot be done! This is the road along which people “melt away, and droop, and die,” because they are trusting to nothing but their “native strength.” On the contrary, this is a battle that has to be fought in a spiritual manner and with spiritual understanding.

The Meaning of His Might
That leads us to the third general principle. Having realized that I am to be strong and that in and of myself I am essentially weak, because I am still in the flesh and that it is still true that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other”—realizing that all that is still true of me, and that I am here in this warfare, and up against this terrible power, what is the next thing? It is to realize that the Lord is strong, that He is mighty, and, as the Old Testament reminds us, that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.” His very Name is strong. The Name represents Him, who He is and what He is. And the first thing, therefore, we have to realize is the greatness of His strength. That is what the Apostle is saying to the Ephesians and to us.

Listen to the words; examine them in detail. He says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Do we realize its full significance? What does he mean by “the power of His might”? The basic thing, obviously, is the “might.” We are directed to “the power” of His “might.” The difference between power and might is that might means power and strength as an enduement; might means inherent power, something a man is given. Think of a very strong, muscular man. The “might” is that man’s inherent muscular strength and power. Power means the manifestation of that might; the might is there as a potential, as something inherent, now manifesting itself, showing its efficacy, showing that it can be effectual. It means this great reserve of strength and power is actually in operation, doing something; not the enduement itself but the proof of the fact that you have the enduement.

So the Apostle uses the two terms, and it is important that we should look at both. He says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the might of His strength”; so you start by reminding yourself of His strength. Look at Him, he says, look at His power. You have been looking at the enemy and you have seen his strength; you have looked at yourself and you are trembling in your weakness and in your ineffectiveness; well, now, he says, look at Him, “Be strong in the Lord.”

To be “strong in the Lord” you must remember “the might of His power”—”the might of His strength.” Express it whichever way you like, but look at Him and realize all the reserves of strength and power that are in Him. That is what these New Testament Epistles are saying almost everywhere. “In him,” says the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, “dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” It is there in Him. “In whom,” he says again, “God has hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge” (2:3). They are all there. They constitute this might, this tremendous inherent strength and power. To be strong in the Lord means meditating about Him and His strength. It is not just a phrase, an incantation, a formula. It means that you sit down and remind yourself of these things, and you look at Him, and you remind yourself of some of the things that are true concerning Him.

Incidentally, that we may do just this is one of the main reasons for reading Scriptures regularly, and reading the four Gospels in particular. We should not read the Scriptures merely in order that we may say that we have read our daily portion, and so have done our duty. That is no reason for reading the Scriptures. I am not attacking systematic reading; I am a great advocate of systematic reading. AH I am saying is that you should be careful that the devil in his wiliness does not come in and make you content with a mere mechanical reading of the Scriptures without really looking at them, and meditating upon them without realizing what they are saying, and without drawing lessons for yourself, and praying about the exercise. It takes time to read Scripture properly. It is very easy to read a number of verses and rush off to catch your bus or train. That is not reading the Scriptures; that may be quite useless. You must stop and look and think. So go back to the Gospels and look at Him and “the power of His strength.”

Where do I see His strength? I see it in His life. I see Him here in this world in the “likeness of sinful flesh.” I see Him in the same world as I am in. I see that obviously He knew hunger and thirst and physical weakness and tiredness, that He knew what it was to be disappointed with people. He has gone through it all. And yet what I see, as I look at Him, is that He stands, He always stands. There is never a wavering, still less a failing or a faltering or a falling. He stood, with the world and the flesh and the devil-everything-against Him. He stood. Therefore as I look at His life I see at once One who walked through this world without deviating in any respect. He just went on steadily.

I see even more than that, I see it in all His miracles. I see it especially in the miracles in which He cast out devils. Here is One to whom they were not a problem. Here is One who can command the devils. He can exorcise them. He speaks with power and with authority and the devils have to come cringing to Him, asking Him to spare them, not to cast them into the deep that they might be destroyed. Here is a Master. They come to Him and say, ‘We know you are the Holy One of God.” Here is the One who, when the devils are operating powerfully, with a word could drive them out. The disciples could not do that. Look at the boy at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. The father had brought the boy to the disciples and they had done their best. But they could not help, and the poor boy remained a victim of Satan’s power. But at a word from our Lord the devil is driven out and the boy is healed and is restored to his father. There we see His power in operation, there we see something of “the power of His might.” He is the master of “the principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, the spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 3:10).

But we must go still further and observe this “power of His might” as it is revealed in His own temptation. He was tried directly by the devil himself, not by some of the emissaries, not by one or the other of these principalities or powers, but by the devil himself with all his wiles. Here the devil himself takes charge of the situation because he realizes that it is the biggest problem he has ever confronted. So he came to our Lord and tempted Him forty days and forty nights in the wilderness and on other occasions; but he was utterly and entirely defeated. With the words of Scripture our Lord repels him, and the devil falls back defeated, waiting for another season. But he completely failed in spite of many efforts.

That is what we must dwell upon and consider. This is not just a detail or an incident in the life of our Lord which helps you to understand His Person. It does that, of course, and attests His Person; but now, says the Apostle: Make practical use of it. Take it up, take hold of that power yourself There, you see, He met in single combat the devil with all his power in operation, and He easily defeated him, therefore “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” The power was always and already in Him; and when the devil comes He just shows it, He just lets a little of it out, as it were, and the devil is immediately repulsed. Lay hold of that, says the Apostle.

James, in exactly the same way, and grasping this point says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (4:7). That is the way it works out. But it does not work out until you and I are quite certain about Christ’s power, and really do know something of “the power of His might,” the inherent power that is in Him. “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” He is both God and Man. He cannot fail. He did not fail.

Finally, of course, the Lord proves and demonstrates His power on the Cross and in the Resurrection. The Cross seems to be the day of the power of evil. The powers of evil thought that to be the case, as also did the devil and all his hosts. The world, too, had similar thoughts. They reviled Him, they laughed at Him, they jeered, “Thou savest others, come down, save Thyself.” They thought that He could not do so, and that the devil had defeated Him! But what was happening there was that “He was taking these principalities and powers” (says Paul in Col. 2:15) “and putting them to an open shame, triumphing over them in it” (by it). That is, He was triumphing over them when they thought that they had defeated Him. “Now is the judgment of this world,” He says beforehand, looking at the Cross. “Now is the prince of this world cast out (cast forth)” (John 12:31). So look at the Cross and meditate upon it. This is the supreme paradox: He appears to be dying in weakness, but do you see the inherent strength there, do you see this might of His, do you see the power of the Godhead there, turning even that into the vanquishing of the devil and the setting of His people free—a glorious victorious triumph? Look at it and see just that!

Then go on and look at the Resurrection. He “bursts asunder the bands of death,” triumphs over the last enemy, and the ultimate effects of sin and evil. He is master completely over all these powers that are set against us, He defeats them all. He rises, He ascends into heaven, ‘leading captivity captive.” He is the conqueror over everything that is set against us.

This is not some psychological formula that you and I can apply. But it all comes back to this-to know Him! You will never know power in your life until you know Him. So we must get to know Him. We shall find when we consider the various portions of the “armor” that they are nearly all directed to that end, to know Him, to know about Him and the truth concerning Him. We start with that here—”in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

Do we realize something of this? Do we know anything about it? Forget yourself for the time being. Look at Him and realize the truth about Him. Then realize that His power is available for you. That is the key to it all. So we must look at Him objectively as He is portrayed to us, as He reveals Himself to us. Then we must realize that we belong to One who is “the Lord” and that “all the fullness of the Godhead” is in Him, that there is invincible might and power in Him, and that it is a might and power that not only remains potential, but also becomes actual. It shows itself, it manifests itself on our behalf and also in us. So here we begin to look at this saving word that enables us even in this evil day to stand, to withstand, to be strong, to fight the battle of the Lord, and to bring honor and glory to His great and holy Name.

 

True or false repentance?

Ξ January 28th, 2008 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Doctrine, Christian Living |

In a day in which the idea of accepting Jesus into your heart has gained so much momentum, and in which we have lost a clear conception of sin, it is thrilling to find that we have been left an account of what it really means to repent. The problem is, repentance has even lost its place of prominence that the gospel gives it :

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 3:1-2

But when he {John the Baptist} saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Matthew 3:7-8

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:16-17

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:14-15

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 9:13

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee.
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:10-11

If you still don’t believe that the gospel involves, as a chief element, repentance, then you will not believe by seeing more scripture cited. But as a further insight into understanding the aim of the gospel, look at what we are told (in no less than 3 gospels) about WHO the gospel was preached to:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luke 4:18

The poor have nothing to give. The poor have nothing of their own. The poor are very needy. Those that are rich don’t need. Those that are rich provide for themselves. Those that are rich tend to trust in themselves and their riches. Jesus’ message would not be received by the rich because they “have need of nothing” and the cost would be far too great for them. But for those with nothing worth holding onto, for those who were willing to give up their very lives to receive life, they would find that which few would find - eternal life. The gospel is something which brings down a man. It doesn’t lift him up. It brings down all his pride and requires him to be nothing. It requires him to lose all that he has gained in this life. The poor are eager to receive it because they don’t have much to lose. So for the poor in spirit, this message is incredible. It is life. For the proud and those that trust in themselves - though it is far better than what they have, they reject the gospel because it seems too costly.

Repentance. It is absolutely essential. Yet where do we hear of it today? We hear that Christ’s blood covers us. We hear about remission of sins. We hear that we are reckoned righteous because God sees Christ when He looks at us. We hear about all these TRUE things, but what is rarely pointed out is that for a man to be truly in that position before God, he first needs to repent. And that means that three things must happen :

1. His heart must be turned from sin.

2. His head and eyes must be turned from sin.

3. His actions must be turned from sin.

The heart involves the affections. If our affections are sinful (even if we aren’t actually doing anything) then we, like Lot, will pitch our tent towards Sodom. That means that while we aren’t looking at, thinking explicitly about or actually doing something sinful, our hearts are yearning towards the sinful thing. This state MAY result in the sinful desire being “worn down”, but it isn’t the full thing. It is never wrong to stifle sinful desires in our mind or actions, but we need, for full and effectual repentance, for the heart to turn to the Lord. Without the fear of the Lord, this rarely happens. As we will see, that is one of the fruits of true repentance.
The eyes and the mind involve our willful intents. We are told that the eyes are the light of the body and that if it is single, the whole body is single. So if we spend our days watching things that seem innocuous but include depictions of things the Lord calls sin, then we are not pure. We are affecting ourselves spiritually, and certainly not repenting. We haven’t turned from sin but are - even if only passively - participating in it.

The body involves the actions. This is the most obvious level. And, while it is important for the body to refrain from sin, that doesn’t remove the sin. Lust is one example. We can lust with the eyes and heart and not with the body and we are still just as guilty of adultery in God’s eyes as if we had gone out and actually done it.

Without these 3 aspects of repentance, it is incomplete. But, as we have noted, without God, there is no way to change one’s heart. So, it should be of some note that God, in Jesus Christ, tells us to forsake our sins. To flee anything that causes us to sin. To repent zealously.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Revelation 3:18-19

There is clear indication, now, that Christ’s rebuke and His command to repent comes with the work of the Holy Spirit to convict deeply. To convince us of our need. After all, that is what one of the stated offices of the Holy Spirit is:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
John 16:7-11

So far, we haven’t talked about asking Jesus into one’s heart. We haven’t talked about any inherent need for Christ (though it is there) and we haven’t talked about what one wants. The ground of all this is much deeper than one’s desires. This transaction takes place on a very fundamental ground that supercedes the flesh. It is the basic ground of transaction. If that ground is taken up with tending to the flesh, we die. If taken up with heeding the Spirit of God and living according to that Spirit, then we live. So it should start to become apparent that true repentance doesn’t come because one is asked to invite Jesus into one’s heart, but rather it is done by the work of the Holy Spirit in the words of one who seeks to shed light on the heart of the hearer.

We have examples of this approach. We can see how, first of all, Peter speaks to many without making an altar call, but rather speaking to the hearts of the hearers and letting the Holy Spirit do His work on the unseen man. It is of note that they have just healed the man born lame. His response to their healing was one of praising God and shouting. And in the wake of that glory, the opportunity for the Spirit to move on many is opened up. But also, note that the miracle did not produce faith in those that saw - it merely ministered an entrance for the apostles to testify to the Work of God in the prophets and leading to the ministry of Jesus Christ:

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these day
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Acts 3:11-26

There may be no formula, but there is something common to every EFFECTUAL call of the gospel : REPENT. And how can a man repent unless he is first CONVICTED? Peter is not shy in laying at the feet of these Jews a charge which few today would level at anyone without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. He straight out calls them murderers of the Lord! He is unashamed in preaching the unvarnished truth! He doesn’t try to sugar coat it, but rather lets the full force of the truth have its way in the hearts of those that will hear. He doesn’t say “Accept Jesus”, but rather says first REPENT and THEN, says AS A RESULT, their sins may be blotted out. But, again, he says it twice. He is clear that without full repentance (after hearing the full weight of the guilt that is upon them), there will be no “blotting out” of their sins or being turned away from one’s iniquities. THEN comes the “times of refreshing” from heaven.

While it is true that Peter shows the mercy of God by declaring that while they murdered the Christ, they did so ignorantly and the Lord has offered them another chance to turn. But, as will be seen, once Stephen does the same thing (again) in the temple, the message of the gospel goes to the Gentiles. The Kingdom is being wrested from the grasp of Israel and being given to a nation “bearing the fruits thereof”.

That brings up another point. Repentance is not just a legal maneuver to make one LOOK sinless, but rather it is a way whereby one enters into righteousness and all his past sins come under the blood of Christ. While that one may fall again, to continue in sin without repentance is presumption upon the blood of Christ, to use grace as a license to sin, and to risk counting the blood of Christ an unholy thing. The Lord commanded EVERYONE EVERYWHERE to repent. And what is looked for? Fruit. If we truly repent, we are given POWER to become the Sons of God. But if we don’t, we flounder in impotence and walk in our own power and according to our own lusts. Who knows how long the Lord will tolerate such a situation? Let us not test the Lord, but, while it is called today, let us everyone of us exhort each other to steadfastness in resisting sin, lest any of us be hardened by its deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13). For, as the verse just prior to that says, it is possible for one to DEPART from the living God (that is, implying clearly that one was originally WITH the Living God) by an evil heart of unbelief. For if one under Moses’ Law died without mercy under 2 or 3 witnesses, how much WORSE will be the punishment who tramples under foot the blood of the Son of God by doing despite to the Spirit of Grace? It is indeed a Fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God. So, while there is a legal “reckoning” of past sins, we are not to use that as an excuse for sin now - for the Lord looks for fruit. And a bad tree cannot forth good fruit. Neither can a good tree bring forth corrupt fruit. So if we ARE in Christ, there will be a tangible change. And it begins with REPENTANCE. TRUE REPENTANCE.

Look again at Peter’s speech. The reaction was mixed - but none were neutral:

And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Acts 4:1-4

So Peter is detained for his speech. But while many are angry with him, at the same time 5,000 join the church. Without an altar call, 5,000 people receive the Lord Jesus Christ!

And even beyond that, the elders and religious leaders question Peter and John and eventually find nothing that they can be charged with. All they tell them is to not preach in Jesus’ name. But both Peter and John are unflinching. Without challenging the authority of the leaders, they simply declare that they have to obey God - not them. The result is yet further overflow as the church has all things in common. Beyond that, the situation with Ananias and Sapphirah leads to yet more church growth (see my blog on “The Fear of the Lord”)! One word bears great fruit. And it has nothing to do with man’s desires or seeking man’s will. It is founded on repentance and the uncompromising Word of Truth.

To wind things up, let us look at what repentance looks like in the church. We have already seed that Jesus commands His own people to “be zealous and repent”. We, today, are conditioned to think that repentance results in a weak, airy-fairy, cloud-9 type feeling that may or may not result in practical change in the life of the repentant one. But are we being deceived? Are we deceiving ourselves? The boldness of the apostles should make us wonder. We should question if we are going after our own bellies (desires and feelings) or if we are seeing the real thing?

Simply put, we don’t have to wonder. Paul has left us with what is a clear demonstration of the work of repentance in the life of the truly repentant one. For that, we need to look at his second letter to the Church at Corinth. Paul is speaking to the church with a view to seeing them purged of the filthiness of the flesh. They have come to Christ, but there are still very fleshly things in their midst. It is not a pretty sight and the church is not maturing. But there are signs of some life. So Paul commands them to cleanse themselves from ALL filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:1). Paul has clearly had to chastise the Corinthians prior to this letter and he knows it has caused sorrow. But his joy is that the sorrow has not caused death. For it is and was a GODLY SORROW. This is what he tells the Corinthians :

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
2 Corinthians 7:9-12

The first thing to note is that sorrow can be either of a Godly sort or a worldly sort. Worldly sorrow kills. Godly sorrow pierces and brings repentance and life. Worldly sorrow is self-condemning to no end and to no fruit. It just destroys. Godly sorrow comes from the work of the Holy Spirit. Worldly sorrow comes from the work of our own flesh. The two are worlds apart. So when Jesus says “Blessed are they who mourn…” He is speaking of those who mourn according to the Spirit of God - not according to the deathly mourning of the flesh.

And what is the result of this Godly sorrow? Salvation! Life! Nothing to be repented of! It is an entirely foreign thing to the natural man. And what is the nature of the life produced? Not, as we have said before, some “good feeling” or merely having the weight lifted off one’s shoulders (though this is certainly a part of repentance and forgiveness) - but something that we don’t see much of in the church:

Carefulness - a resulting care for the state of one’s own soul. A desire to avoid all sin and to keep free from the corrupting influence of the world, the flesh and the devil.

Clearing of yourselves - we do see this quite a bit. We see consciences cleared of the stain of guilt and the weight of the sin upon one’s shoulders. BUT…LET US BE CAREFUL THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE OUT TO RID OURSELVES OF. WE MUST SORROW AFTER A GODLY MANNER WHICH MEANS WE MUST BE PRIMARILY CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD. NOT MAINLY BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO BE PUNISHED. NOT MAINLY BECAUSE WE DON’T LIKE THE FEELING OF BEING UNDER GUILT BUT MAINLY AND PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE GOD WE SERVE AND THE GOD WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US! If we are after the simple removal of guilt, we will probably find that - but we have not sought full repentance and we cannot go on in the Lord until we do!

Indignation - a holy hatred of sin in all forms. Oh how we need this today but don’t have it! Even the church seems to be mainly aware of gross sins and more concerned with image than with the truth of the heart being cleansed from ALL unrighteousness. We need a renewed hatred of sin and a repugnance for ALL things that bring dishonor to the Name of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, a generation preoccupied with entertainment and vain pursuits will never know this indignation without the revival of the Holy Spirit to purge their consciences of dead works.

Fear - the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - and by it men depart iniquity. Another thing that is almost impossible to find today even in the church. There is much here, but so that I don’t repeat myself, see my blog on “The Fear of the Lord”.

Vehement Desire - Along with all these things, a pure heart is directed towards the Lord and made to desire - with great passion - the things of the Lord. This is to be distinguished from a man who is simply asked to desire the things of God without first undergoing the work of the cross and full repentance in his life. Without those things, the passions are fleshly and even well-intentioned men will wind up merely inflaming the flesh and arousing base desires and trying to do what they think the will of God is - in their own strength. This is a train-wreck waiting to happen.

Zeal - similar to vehement desire and indignation, the zeal of the things of the Lord comes only from the indwelling and direction of the Holy Spirit. It is a burning desire to protect the things of God from profanation. Zeal without knowledge abounds in the church and we need a serious fundamental change.

Revenge - not a desire to clear one’s name by taking vengeance on one who wrongs them, the church does experience a renewed desire for justice in the repentance that arises from Godly Sorrow. That justice does not result in a cry to avenge “me”, but to see all treated fairly and a hatred of injustice and unfair treatment of other men. This can be a hard one to discern because even unregenerate men cry for justice. But rooted as it is in selfishness, this cry is sullied and never pure. The cry for justice of one who has been fully forgiven and fully repented is pure and results in the Lord moving on the behalf of the one crying out. Oh, that we might see this in the church in full force along with the other fruits of repentance!

The Corinthians approved themselves to be clear in this matter - by judging themselves, and finding a place of full repentance, the Corinthians have found themselves forgiven, relieved, strengthened in the truth and more fully approved in the work of God. They have put off the old man even more and are pressing toward the mark of the High Calling in Christ Jesus as they put aside all things that hinder them and focus on Jesus Christ - seeking His holiness and that the Truth of God be their light. That the God of Truth be their Protector. And that their weakness propel them to find the Lord’s strength. The Spirit of God has found ground to work in their lives and the enemy’s foothold has been weakened.

They know something of true revival!

A final note. Paul says something interesting at the end of this passage. Paul says that the letter of correction was not sent to show up the one who was wrong. It wasn’t even primarily sent to strengthen the one who suffered the wrong - but rather it was done to show the whole body the love of God and how it works. It was for Paul to manifest the Love of God in correction and, ultimately, that that glory might be given to God as a result of the functioning of full repentance in the midst of the Corinthians. The end of correction is not that we might repent (though that is certainly in view) but that the Lord might be glorified in our every action and in the church that bears His Name!

May the Lord meet us and be pleased to bring us low that we might be convicted and repent fully of all that hinders!

 

The Invisible Deception

Ξ January 8th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Prophecy, Christian Living |

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Most people that I know (okay, probably ALL people I know of) interpret this passage in a secular way. That is, they do so from an earthly standpoint and put earthly limits on things. I imagine that is because:
a)they are simply reasoning with their minds so they compare physical things with physical and try to make them spiritual. [I know this is all too common. I have been guilty of it countless times and am probably guilty of it more than not. It’s something that needs to change. We need to compare spiritual things with spiritual. And we know that the natural man doesn’t receive spiritual things. But at least recognizing that it doesn’t is a start.]
AND
b)think that if they are to understand the passage, then they must be somewhat immune from it applying to them (in this case, the falling away and deception by this “man of sin”).

If, instead, the mind didn’t put any limitations or a priori restrictions on the text, we might have a clue as to what is really being said. So to break down the important part that will inform the rest of the text, consider only the 4th verse. There are 3 important aspects to this.

1. To whom is Paul talking? He has been sent to the Gentiles and his ministry has been (as far as I know) exclusively to the Gentiles. And given that this is an epistle to a church in Thessalonica, the passage here is clearly to those who are not of Israel. As such, his terms are to be understood in that way.

2. Realizing that, what can we say about the term “the temple of God”? In ALL instances (4 total) where Paul uses that phrase (1 Corinthians 3:16, I Corinthians 3:17, 2 Corinthians 6:16 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4), it is clearly in the spiritual sense. There is never any building in view when Paul speaks of “the temple of God”. There is no reason this case should differ from the others. We might even note that Jesus used the term to apply to His body in prophesying His crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew 26:61). Were we to look at Revelation, we would probably be justified (I speak only from a point of reasoning - this must be revealed to anyone who wants to know) in reading it that way again. Revelation 21:22 speaks of a physical temple not appearing but God being the temple thereof. Also, we read (e.g. in Revelation 15) of God entering heavenly places as being prophetical of things happening to the church - not to a building. The book, after all, IS a “revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him”. And Jesus referred to His body as the temple of God.
Even if we were to assume that it were possible - though I don’t believe we can as evidenced by the things here written - to assume “the temple of God” were a physical temple in physical Jerusalem for the purposes of this passage, how is it that such a thing would matter to non-Israelite or non-Jewish believers in a risen Christ? How would such an act show that he is God? And the position that this is only for those after some “secret rapture” is untenable because Paul is using this to show the believers in Thessalonica that THIS (in this passage) is to happen BEFORE the day of the Lord. In other words, Paul is clear in letting them know that if they are to live to the day of Christ, they must FIRST see this happen.
Again, let us reiterate, this begins to fulfill the deception that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:24 and Mark 13:22. It is deception that transcends man’s intellectual capacity even to comprehend on its own. That’s why it is only by the grace of God that the deception does not come upon the elect. For, even if unregenerate men were told of the deception ahead of time (which all men are in scripture), in clear terms, they would not be able to escape it without the Sovereign Grace of God. Such is the deception that would deceive even the very elect.

3. We now look at the verse from the standpoint of worship. We understand that the temple of God goes beyond the physical (though we can’t say there won’t be different physical outworkings of it). So, in looking at what Paul says about this man of sin being worshipped, we must notice how emphatic Paul seems to be. This “man of sin” exalts himself above all that is called God OR WORSHIPPED! How much more all-encompassing can Paul be? I can see how some would say this refers to a global religion. And, in some ways, it is true. But the way it is presented is always very fleshly, very natural. This is to be expected from the natural reasonings of men that have some understanding of scripture. But unless they can compare spiritual things with spiritual, they are just as prone to succumbing to the delusion of the global religion that they themselves teach. What are we coming to? We are coming to this:

The delusion and deception that embodies a so-called one-world religion is far beyond what any man has the capacity to imagine. Man thinks in terms of clear dividing lines between things. Buddhism is not Christianity. Islam is not Confucianism. Black is not white. Men are not women. All these things are true. Very true. But they are also very natural. The heavenlies are full of powers and principalities and it is against them that we war. If we make the war against something that we can see, then we have ceased to be spiritual. We don’t fight against men - even the men that may be part of evil plans. Our struggle is with the wickedness in high places that inspires men to rebel against their Creator. So when we are told that someone sits in the temple of God, showing himself to be God, we are speaking of a change that is imperceptible to any who have not the Spirit of God. But it underscores a time when ALL true faith is being copied by a “man of sin”. Not a single man walking this earth, but a deception that covers the entire earth. It is as though one day any man can pray and the prayer is delivered to the Most High - but the next day, those same prayers are delivered to the imitation, the ANTICHRIST. The change is not so much in the earthlies (though it comes) but primarily in the heavenlies (which ultimately affects the earth).

Before you discount this as mere fancy or ridiculous (I know, in some ways, it may sound odd to most of you if not all that read it), consider the way the verse reads. One more (not insignificant) indicator of all this being a spiritual prophecy is the small phrase “so that”. It isn’t written that the man of sin sets himself up in the temple of God “so that” he is worshipped. That would be how we would expect it to read if the temple were a physical temple. No. Instead Paul tells us that he exalts himself above all that is worshipped “so that” he, as God sits in the temple of God. This is not a man pretending to be God by being in a temple. This is a spirit wanting to deceive the nations and rob men of the gift of salvation and fellowship with God by making them worship him. And BY DOING THAT, that “man of sin” enters into the temple of God and shows himself to be God.

The deception is mind boggling. Even knowing that it were to happen, what defense does a man have if he doesn’t know God? Even if he believed what was said, how much more important is it that that man seek God with ALL of his heart and mind and soul and strength and not be attached to ANYTHING that might hinder him. How important is it that he turn over every rock, search out every statement, try every spirit, be absolutely sure of everything that is proposed to him in the name of the Holy One of Israel - lest he instead allow himself to be taken in by the spirit of Antichrist. The world cannot know the difference because they do not know God. The believer is the target. The believer who doesn’t put all his trust in God and who leans on his own understanding will be deceived. The deception is in the heavenlies. Miracles in the natural are nothing in themselves. The men who followed miracles when Jesus walked the earth wound up leaving off following the Savior. So miracles as a sign are only as good as what they point to. And unless we know to what they point, they are just another physical occurrence.

This Antichrist goes beyond the Papal power (though the global religion that can be seen in the natural certainly does center much of its power in the Vatican). It is more than just the Eastern Mysticism that has so much of India in its demonic grasp (though the Eastern influence seems to grow daily - see Ezekiel 8:16, for example as pointing to what seems to be that same spirit) but it can be seen in the church in things like so-called “Christian Yoga” (which any real yoga teacher will tell you is a total contradiction). It transcends the Anti-God spirit of communism (though this darkness is still prominent in places like China and Russia and growing here). It is even far more than the darkness of self-mastery that is delivering most of the Western world to total destruction. The spirit of Antichrist exalts himself SO THAT he is worshipped. In various ways and forms, the natural religions and beliefs of a people are used against them so that they are blinded against the Truth of the gospel. The North American church is blinded because it adopts a spirit of ecumenism and takes on the traditions and trappings of Roman Catholicism but also because it bears a spirit of pride. And pride goes before destruction.

That leads me to what I think is the final thought I have on this passage as it relates to us today. The scriptures are replete with messages that declare that the humble man will be exalted. They abound with lessons on the wisdom of the wise of this world being as foolishness to God - and the wisdom of God being as foolishness to the world. It doesn’t take much to see the excesses that the church in North America has engaged in. But the most heinous and destructive one is that of pride. Satan exalted himself in his heart and said “I will ascend and be as the Most High”. Adam, in taking Satan’s counsel, did the same. Satan’s temptation of Jesus was always aimed at exalting either himself or the flesh and bringing down the glory of God. In all cases, Jesus rebuked Satan with a scripture that reflected the humility which accompanied His entire ministry. The result was that the devil fleed. Merely by rejecting pride did the Lord win the battle over the enemy. The AntiChrist exalts himself by any means. By miracles, by externalities, by deceptions.

And the spirit of pride that is at the heart of the “man of sin” (which should be clear is not a single being, but a type of man which is a follower of AntiChrist), infects the church when men prophesy great things that are false and that false prophet is not dealt with properly. Pride infects the church whenever false doctrine is allowed to perpetuate and grow - thus leading many away from the truth of the gospel. Pride infects the church whenever man’s ideas about spiritual things are given the pulpit. Pride infects the church whenever the church is more concerned about itself (money, numbers, activities etc…) than it is about the glory of God. All these things bring dishonor to the name of the Lord. And repentance is never an option to the proud. That’s another mark of pride (and a cause) - that sin is diminished in importance and repentance is made secondary. It isn’t altogether done away with, but it becomes a trite phrase or a fleshly effort. Today, in the church, self-esteem is one of the factors in ministry. If we realized what the bible said about how we should esteem ourselves - and actually did so (with a mind to mourning over our sin), we would stay as far away from that notion as possible. Sure, it is possible to revel in one’s own dishonor - and that is done - but far more prevalent is not wanting to do anything to harm one’s self image. That is idolatry.

This has become more than just a short exposition on a verse or two. But I want to make sure the central thought is clear:

The setting up of this man of sin in the temple of God is a heavenly thing that is imperceptible in earth as natural effects go. But it results in mass deception and perversion of the truth so that even supposed believers follow a lie. The lie is that man of sin that causes men to worship him. And why is it so deceiving? Because he (it?) is in the very place God “usually” is. And in taking God’s place, the whole world (save the elect) is deceived into following him instead of the True God. There is no easy natural way to tell the difference - but rather it is necessary that a man humble himself and examine the very foundations of his faith and that nothing of his own life go unexamined. The soul is at stake and nothing in the flesh can be trusted to follow or even be inclined to follow the truth.

And if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The implication is “nothing”. The foundations are critical so that if they are gone, no matter how “good” the person who rests upon them, they have no hope.

 

The Fear of the Lord

Ξ January 2nd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Theology, Christian Living |

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent
1 Samuel 11:7

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
Acts 5:11-14

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

There seems to be a prevailing sentiment in many places in Christianity today that would make fear something totally antithetical to God. It would not be difficult to find someone who considers fear to be a totally negative thing - or at least someone who makes it something to be avoided at all costs. Yet we find, in scripture, the very thing enjoined which men would reject.

To look at this admittedly heavy topic, it seems useful to me to examine just a couple of instances where the Fear of the Lord is applied.

In the first instance, we find Saul - newly anointed King over Israel - getting angry over a possible treaty with another people - the Ammonites. It is really an interesting read (1 Samuel 10 and 11, especially) in which Saul is radically changed by God so that he becomes presentable to God and able to bear the responsibilities of a King. He prophesies and is so incredibly changed that a proverb emerges “Is Saul among the prophets?”. His first major action after being anointed involves a group of Israelites who have lost a battle with the Ammonites. A treaty is proposed in which the Israelites involved are to give allegiance to the Ammonites. They are given 7 days to send messengers out to see if any will come to their aid. And if no one will, the Israelites agree to surrender. When Saul finds out, we are told that the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he can’t contain his anger. He takes a yoke of oxen, cuts them up, and sends the pieces to the ends of all the land where Israel dwells. The message is clearly conveyed - anyone who does not follow Saul (and Samuel) will end up as the oxen - torn to bits. The result? The fear of the Lord falls on the Israelites, they all follow Saul as one man, and the Ammonites were obliterated “in the heat of the day”.

The second occurrence is probably a little more familiar to us. Pentecost has just fallen in Jerusalem and the church is busting at the seams with new believers as they are added “daily”. Miracles are commonplace and the witness of God’s people is great. People are so changed that all the church has “all things in common”. They haven’t adopted communism but do no longer count those things they own as anything but things to be used for the work God directs. They give freely as others need (they aren’t lorded over by some tyrant who takes from them). Almost as if to underscore this difference between free giving of all things and an oppressive, systematic disavowal of private property, we are presented the case of Ananias and Sapphirah who, clearly, were under no obligation to give all that they had. They present part of the proceeds of the sale of some land. But in so doing, they are lying about presenting it all. It’s not clear as to whether they were obliged to present either ALL or NONE of it (i.e. not just part of it) or that they were free to give what they wished and simply lied about how much they did give. What Peter said to Sapphirah leads me to believe both of them lied to God about giving all the proceeds when they only gave some. But, again, that’s not clear. What IS clear is that they lied to God about their gift. The result is that they both died on the spot at the time of their lie. This seems like harsh treatment, but the result? Fear falls upon the church and it continues to grow as the message brought by the apostles is strengthened by this judgment.

I have heard some say that the deaths of Ananias and Sapphirah had a negative effect on the church because of the fear - but I believe scripture is clear that it only unified the church more, strenthened her ranks and focused her vision. It may have caused some to leave, but Jesus (who builds the church) did that in His own ministry. He has never wanted anything other than men and women who hold His Life in and through them to be of infinitely greater value than anything in or of their own natural life. In short, those who will settle for nothing less than the “word of eternal life” - WHATEVER the cost to themselves. There is no inkling anywhere in scripture that this action did anything to dampen the truth or curtail God’s work in the church. He was the one who cut down Ananias and Sapphirah.He was also the one that added to the church daily such as should be saved. He was the one who continued to use the apostles to work miracles. Even AFTER this fearful occurrence. Just as in the case with Saul unifying the people, the Fear of the Lord in the New Testament brought unity to the church and vetted those that were pretenders.

It has been pointed out that one of the marks of God’s presence with Israel is that the closer He was to them, the harsher their treatment. In other words, the consequences for breaking God’s Law - when He was near - was huge. But when Israel strayed and God withdrew His presence, they were able (for a time) to sin with seeming immunity from consequence. Granted, ultimately there was great consequence, but when God was near and Israel was supposedly walking with Him, the consequence of sin was immediate and severe. Thus, the fear of the Lord was great. So great, that at one point they tell Moses that they don’t want Him near when He is to give the Law - otherwise they would die. The psalmist seems to echo that when he laments that the wicked prosper while those that seek God seem to suffer. Psalm 73 is one example:

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
Psalm 73:1-14

And Jesus’ message to any that follow Him is right in line with the seeming inversion of justice. He promises persecution, trial and trouble to those that TRULY follow Him and does not deny riches to any man. But warns of the day that comes as a thief in the night that will find those that trust in riches sleeping. They that trust in riches will not pass the judgment but will be condemned. As the Psalmist goes on to say in Psalm 73:17, he understood the end of the wicked once he went down to the sanctuary.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will see the truth in this. When we are furthest from the Lord, our punishment is (at least for a while) seemingly non-existent. But when we walk closely with Him, we are deeply convicted about even the smallest sin. And if we continue in the easy (broad) way where we have a relatively easy existence and little trouble, we can be sure that the day of trouble is approaching. But if we walk the narrow way where much is demanded of us, we will find all of our natural man assailed by our own failures. As we are closer to the Lord, we are more aware of our own sinfulness. But we must seek after this. For without the chastisement of God on a constant basis (for the influence of the flesh is persistent and does not die easily), we will inevitably go our own way (the way of destruction). And without the Fear of God present, we have nothing telling us where we lack. So if we don’t have that Fear of God, we can be assured we are walking our own way.

I don’t mean a paralyzing terror. We all know that. That is what John speaks of when he says “fear hath torment”. But we are also familiar with the fear that comes when we know something about us is wrong. It is a piercing fear that makes a man fearful of going the wrong way. It cleanses a man internally. Those that fear the Lord don’t have to worry about making themselves humble because the fearful presence of the Lord does it for them continually. And they aren’t cowering in fear, but are able to walk in such humility because they recognize that there is NO good thing in THEIR FLESH. So the reproach of the Lord is welcomed. Partly because they no longer have to trust in themselves or follow their own sinful desires, but also because the fear of the Lord, when present, instructs them in the right way. They are directed in the way everlasting and have an innate assurance of life eternal. They are “perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). And that same fear that brings the flesh into total subjection and instructs man in the Way also brings out of the inner man rivers of living water. Like a well grown grape brings forth a full, satisfying drop of wine, so does the man constantly instructed in the Fear of the Lord bring forth praise and adoration that is clean and recognized to be heavenly.

This fear is good. The best analogy I have is of someone who is instructed to carry around a sealed container of an explosive, radioactive material. Dropping it will cause an explosion and opening it will contaminate himself and those around him. But proper care of the vessel yields great benefits. There are three types of men who could carry the device around.

First, the man who is terrified of what will happen if he drops it and is preoccupied with the consequences of failure. He is unfit to carry it around because he is so fearful that he is liable to drop it (from shaking like a leaf) or run into something because he isn’t paying attention to what he is doing or what is going on around him. This man is fearful and tormented. He is like the fearful and unbelieving who are cast into the Lake of Fire.

Second, there’s the man who is confident and does not show any fear and walks around with the vessel almost carelessly. He is confident in himself. He can’t be confident in what he is carrying because he has no clue. He doesn’t even think about what it is he has but is more concerned about what he is doing and how he does it - driven by his own confidence. He may think the confidence is good, but it is misplaced. He has an understanding (however full) that he is carrying something volatile, but no appreciation of it. To my mind, this is the most common type of person today. I’m afraid I fall into this category most of the time.

Finally, there’s the man who knows what he is carrying around. He is fully aware of what he has - and, as such, has a fear of misusing or abusing or damaging what he has. But by the same token, he is not preoccupied with the disastrous. He is fully aware that it is a possibility and even fully admits and warns about it, but his focus is not on it. It is on handling the vessel properly. Why? Because he knows its potential (good AND bad) and that produces in him a fear, but not a crippling fear. It is a fear that includes a respect for the vessel’s capabilities and a fear of its power (because it isn’t his - it is far beyond his own power). He doesn’t handle the vessel flippantly, but neither does his focus simply rest on it alone. It is on the vessel, his handling of it, his other actions (and how they affect the vessel) and his surroundings (and how best to maneuver through them while maintaining the vessel properly). Yes, he does walk in fear, but it is a fear that positively instructs EVERYTHING he does.

That last man is obviously the one paralleling the man who walks in the Fear of the Lord. I’m sure many of us have experienced it, even if briefly. We know the fear and how it cleanses (purifies) our intents to where we don’t WANT to do other than what God says (see, again, the two stories I referenced as well as other references throughout scripture). It is a fear that is fully fear but absolutely not paralyzing. It limits severely what we are “allowed” to do (but in no way is that “allowance” a legal, external enforcement - it is something that is in the heart), but shows us the path of liberty in Christ. We do fear, above all things, not obeying God - but at the same time, that fear is something of overwhelming reverence and awe of God. So great is that awe that when we meet Him, we (like John on Patmos, for example) can do nothing but fall in the dust on our faces in fear and trembling and worship. We become like Isaiah who, in the presence of God declares:

Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 6:5
We (and I speak from experience) want to make that humiliation our glory when that humiliation is not our glory (neither is it our abasement) but it is our token of liberty. Our glory is in our reward for faithful service. Our joy is in His glorification and exaltation.

But for that, we must be operating in the very real and effectual Fear of the Lord.

 

The HBO of Faith

Ξ July 30th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Christian Living |

Faith is a very simple issue. But it is not an easy road, neither is it easy to understand. The scriptures, though, detail all that is of faith. Here are some of the highights :

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
James 2:22-23

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Hebrews 10:23

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:19-20

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. … And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:10,26

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
John 11:40-42

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
John 5:19-20

If you ask the average person what faith is, you will likely get a somewhat vague answer. Faith is believing. Faith is trust. Faith is doing something blindly but believing it will work out. All these answers approximate the typical response. And for good reason - they all have an element of truth. Defining faith is hard for the person who doesn’t walk with the Lord - and for some of us who do profess to have some relationship with Him, it still is just as hard to understand as it is to follow.

But a good look at scripture reveals that faith is at once simple and difficult. It is complicated yet straightforward. The principle itself is so basic that a child displays it without even thinking, but the more we grow in knowledge, the easier it is to be distracted from the purity of true, Godly faith. Therefore, it is with this in mind that I offer up what I have seen revealed in the scriptures, the lives of the saints and the examples which it has been my honor to witness. For while simply understanding what faith is doesn’t in any way guarantee that we will be able to walk in it, the understanding that is grounded in scripture certainly offers the opportunity to a) let us know what it is NOT and b) prevent our undermining the simplicity that is in true Christian faith. Simply put, it removes the unnecessary burden of having to try and figure it out for ourselves and bring it about in ourselves. For the scriptures are clear that this is the wrong ground.

I think the scriptures bear out that true faith can be summed up with the acronym HBO: Hearing, Believing and Obeying.

So let’s examine what we have found in the above scriptures.

First of all, the writer of Hebrews begins a list of men and women of faith by telling us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The very walk of a believer must be characterized by that. It is the walk from death to life and it always bears in it a great amount of expectation. We do not receive immediately much of what we desire or much of what we are promised. There are great promises and comforts that God offers, but our journey is to be marked by a looking beyond what we see - a looking beyond this life and this realm to the things of the spirit and to a place we do not yet occupy.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Romans 8:24-25

Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Hebrews 13:13-14

This fixes both our emphasis and our vision. If we are walking with an emphasis on the things of the flesh, then we are more earthly minded than spiritually minded. While earthly things are not, in and of themselves, bad, it is when our vision becomes concerned mainly with these things - food, clothes, wealth, even physical healing to some extent - that we are not really focusing on Christ in faith. The disciples that followed Jesus till the end were the ones that recognized in Him, the “words of eternal life” (John 6:67-69). On the other side of that were the scores of men that followed Him but could not bear what He had to tell them. Their concern was for being fed and for physical supplies - things that would all perish when this life passes on. But Jesus wanted to give them something that did not perish. Their fleshly focus belied a lack of belief (John 6:35-36). Jesus Himself was the fulfillment they needed, but that’s not the fulfillment they wanted. They needed eternal life. They wanted physical satisfaction. They could not believe that Jesus WAS (and IS) the bread that came down from heaven. So this belief that is of faith is one which looks to the unseen. It is first and foremost concerned with spiritual things and the eternal, unseen habitation. It may be entered into now, but it may not happen while one only walks according to what is seen. This is important, and hard for most of us to swallow.

And if we truly believe, then is that not sufficient? Is it not enough for us to say “I believe, help Thou my unbelief!” and continue on? Surely not. For belief, by Jesus, is called a work (John 6:28-29). So it is that we read of Abraham and his obedience. He not only believed God, but he walked it out. And that obedience to that which was not seen was counted to Abraham for righteousness. For we are only justified by faith. It can be by no other way, otherwise we might receive the glory.

Which leads us to the third aspect of faith - hearing. It is more accurately the first (in order of working out - HBO) and probably the least considered aspect of faith today. Because of that, it is probably the most critical. It is very clear, according to Paul (Romans 10:17) that before anything can be of faith - that is the faith of Jesus Christ - it must be that we hear the voice of God. Not that we will hear an audible voice, not that it will be some great revelation in an instant, but it is simply the recognition - inward recognition - that God has spoken and you believe it. It is this witness that is spoken of here :

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Romans 8:16

And an example of this is seen in Jesus affirming where the faith comes from and in what it is proven:

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 16:15-20

It is staggering what Jesus is telling the disciples NOT to do. He has been revealed to Peter, but it wasn’t by flesh and blood. No one came up to Peter and told him exactly what to say - instead he uttered what he did by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No man can make this statement (truly and with understanding) except by the revelation of God (1 Corinthians 12:3). This is that faith that is true faith - that comes by HEARING the Word of God. Not only did Peter hear the words, but He heard the Word made flesh and it was able to dwell in him. To contrast, those that had the scriptures but not the indwelling word simply could not hear Christ, therefore they could not walk in faith:

But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 5:36-50

This hearing is not an objective thing. You can’t say that you heard the Lord simply because you read it in the scriptures. That’s what the Pharisees did. They read many things but didn’t believe the truth. They didn’t come to Christ even though they had the scriptures. There has been no change in the hearts of men. If His word does not dwell in a man, that man CANNOT believe. If the Word DOES dwell, then that man can hear the voice of God and knows what to believe - he knows what is of true faith and what is not. He knows what to approve and what to reject. He hears God. The indwelling word was the most (if not the only) significant difference between the true disciples and the false. Between the believers and the Pharisees. Let me say that again because I believe it gets to the very heart of saving faith :

THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE DISCIPLES AND THE PHARISEES WAS THAT THE DISCIPLES HAD THE LIVING WORD DWELLING IN THEM. EVEN THOSE THAT FOLLOWED FOR A WHILE AND THEN LEFT DID NOT HAVE THE WORD - AT LEAST NOT IN PROPER FORM.

Consider the parable of the sower and the seed (Luke 8:1-14). What determined a man’s bearing of fruit? Whether or not the word of God bored down deep, died and then grew up in good soil. There was so much against that seed, but there were (and are) always some in whom the word not only dwells, but dwells richly and fruitfully. Yet there are those things that prevent a man from receiving the Word properly: the devil (who simply snatches it away), the testing of temptation (which drives a man away when tested), and the “cares, riches and pleasures of life” (which entice a man away and cause a man not to bear fruit). These things are faith-destroyers. But what happens in “an honest and good heart”? Such a man 1. Hears the word, 2. Keeps it, and 3. Brings forth fruit WITH PATIENCE. This ties in not only to hearing (the indwelling Word) but with faith (patience in waiting for fruit - perseverance in well-doing and realizing that the fruit of true faith is formed over years and not instantaneously).

How does all this match up with a modern view of faith? Briefly, we are told by many that we can name and claim our promise. All we have to do is find some precedent in scripture and it is ours to claim. But it should be clear that this is not real faith. It is mere desire for the fulfilling of fleshly desires. Not necessarily bad in themselves (we need to eat, be clothed and healty etc…) but not the things that are of true faith. True faith recognizes that God provides - but it also HEARS so that it recognizes what God has directed. It does not claim things for one’s self that God has not claimed for it. But rather, it looks to the Lord for what the Lord directs in any given situation. THAT is walking by faith. The differences are subtle in some ways, but vastly different in approach.

We have now established that we must first hear the voice of God for faith to be true and Godly. We must then believe what God has said and in so doing, we must act (obey) on what He has said. To do otherwise is unbelief. But, again, IT IS CRITICAL THAT ALL THREE ASPECTS BE PRESENT OR ELSE IT IS NOT TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH BUT RATHER AN IMITATION. We may hear God and believe Him but not act on it. That is not faith. We may believe God and act, but unless we first hear (not desire and read, but actually know His leading) Him, we are not walking in real faith. These are all straight from scripture. Yet we must realize that WE CANNOT LEARN FAITH AS WE CAN LEARN OTHER THINGS. We must come to know God through scripture and prayer and seeking, but no one - not even the ancient words of a prophet - can substitute for the direction of God in our lives. Without that, the whole thing is another man-made religion. And without Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we would be hard pressed to have that individual direction.

As a matter of looking at faith as a whole, I want to say a word about its nature while going on to a seeming issue with quantity of faith.

Faith is not a matter of believing something can happen. That is just a reflection of the efforts of man. The primary focus of faith is Jesus Christ. Yes, it has much to do with salvation, so faith in (and of) Christ is important for that, but Christ is our example - our elder brother - in walking in faith. He is not just one to believe IN, but One who is the Perfect example of walking by faith :

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Philippians 3:8-9

And lest you think this is a word game, consider what is said of Jesus in Hebrews :

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

First of all, that “our” is not in the original text. It is italicized in the KJV because the original Greek does not say “our”. And while it doesn’t change the overall meaning appreciably, realizing that there is no “our” there serves to underscore what is said about Jesus being the author (also chief and leader) and finisher (perfector - Strongs says “one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith ” of faith. It is ours by inheritance, but Christ’s by origination. And He offers us this example of what it is to walk by perfect faith :

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
John 5:19-20

So faith is perfect and total reliance on the revealed will of God the Father so that whatever is done is NOT done by us, but rather by God - and to Him will all the glory go.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

This doesn’t come about because we say “To God be all the glory” but rather because we are walking by faith. If we are walking by faith, our actions WILL point upward and not to us. There will come that recognition that we are not doing our own work, but that there is some other great guiding principle that is above us. In short, men will recognize that God does the work and that we are merely vessels - IF we are truly walking by faith. There will need be no explanation or verbal encouragement that God is doing the work. It will be apparent. And those that are against God will only be agitated by such a work because it doesn’t testify of the one doing the work, but points to God. And as they do not have His Word dwelling in them or fight that very Word, they only do what is in their nature to do.

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
John 5:30-47

And what is Jesus saying (among other things)? That faith, ultimately, rests in the Father. That is - as Paul said - it is faith that results in righteousness OF the Father (and BY faith). So what, then, shall we say about what faith rests in? It in no way rests in us, but rather in God. We are, essentially, having faith NOT in the outcome, but in the One working the outcome (see Hebrews 10:23 above). And again :

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8

So if it is not already abundantly clear that the faith of Christ is given to us as a gift and that we cannot muster it up ourselves, then it is no surprise that we must hear HIM who directs and works all according to faith. If we do not, how can we rightly call it true faith? It is no more than our own hearts deceiving us. We, many times, do things with well-meaining intentions that are only of our own desires - yet we think we are doing something great for God. In the end, though, unless God has ordered it, it will come to nothing.

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in wh