Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but
they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
The Loss of Thanksgiving
My wife and I have noticed a trend in the past two years with regards to the advertisements produced by stores on cable, smart-phone and internet platforms. By June we began to see advertisements for Christmas sales, followed by an near equal amount of emphasis on Halloween. As of this writing we are near mid-Novemeber and we are pressed to find one advertisement for Thanksgiving.
Paul's formal statement on the judgment of mankind is found in Romans 1:18-31. Despite revealing himself generally in creation, despite the knowledge of God's Eternal attributes being made accessible to all people, mankind as a whole has rejected General Revelation. Among the characteristics of unbelief that marks the heart of sinful human beings is that of unthankfulness.
The absence of any mention about the Thankgsgiving holiday is deafening, and I believe as Christians we need to be warned and we need to recapture one of the central affections of saving knowledge of God - namely thankfulness. In today's blog I want us to explore briefly what thankfulness is, followed by what happens when a nation or humanity abandons thankfulness and then a final word on how we need to be thankful.
What does it mean to be thankful in the biblical sense?
Psalm 100:4-5 states - "Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with
praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 5For the LORD is
good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His
faithfulness to all generations." This passage defines for us what it means to be thankful. To be thankful simply means to express your appreciation for seeing God's goodness.
Why is it that believers and unbelievers alike have this expression of thankfulness? Because God has seen fit to make known the goodness of His glory, in varying degrees, in all things. When you see a child born, or a sunset, or a beautiful flower, or a work of art, or the Olympics, or enjoy a good meal, or enjoy time with your spouse or children, what are you experiencing? Even when they don't put a name to it, unbelievers are experiencing God's goodness indirectly throught relationships and created things.
God's goodness put on display is His glory. Moses prayed for God's glory in Exodus 33:18-19a and was given God's response: "18Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your
glory!” 19And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness
pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you..." Therefore we see the link between thankfulness and God's goodness or glory. So To be thankful simply means to express your appreciation for seeing God's goodness.
The destructive road of unthankfulness
Romans 1:21-31 gives us the downward spiral that mankind experiences when they persist in their rejection of God's General revelation in creation. Unthankfulness means that you have chosen not to be appreciative and that you have concluded that God's goodness is neither desireable nor real. When cultures, nations or individual human beings adopt a posture of ingrattitude, we see a downward, destructive road.
1. Discernment is lost. Romans 1:21a "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but
they became futile in their speculations." People that choose unthankfulness will experience an inability to discern or think clearly. Think about it - whenever we find ourselves complaining, everything seems out of balance. Our culture and government's decreasing ability to make sound financial, moral and politically expedient decisions is a sign of the fallout that is underway due to lack of thankfulness.
2. Direction is lost. Romans 1:21b-22 "and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools" Thankfulness is the first step towards enjoying God. Whenever you and I choose not to be thankful, we are in effect saying: "nothing to enjoy here". With loss of discernment, we see the next step of deterioration - loss of direction. Whenever a nation or a culture rejects God, the vision in which that nation or culture was conceived is lost. Paul's warning here is firm: unless you repent, unless you acknowledge your lack of giving honor to Whom honor is due, your direction and discernment will quickly dwindle.
3. Decency is lost. Romans 1:24 "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that
their bodies would be dishonored among them." As you go down through Romans 1, the downwarding spiral of judgment escalates. God operates His moral and physical universe through cause/effect and influence/response. Whenever mankind has rejected Him, whether through general revelation of nature or the special revelation of the Bible, a corresponding level of darkness is allowed to grip man ever tighter that is fitting to his warped desire. With loss of discernment and direction comes the next logical step - loss of decencey. Taboos are cast off, and anything goes.
4. Destructive patterns increase. Romans 1:28 "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them
over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper". Paul reiterates the fact that mankind at large, when perisisting in its refusal to acknowledge God, will be handed for to a "depraved mind". Simply put, moral and increased physical harm to one another will occur.
5. Death of a culture. Romans 1:32 "and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things
are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to
those who practice them." With the loss of discernment, direction, decency as well as the increase of destruction, when mankind perists in his rebellion against God, not giving thanks nor honor, the final result is the death of that culture. Hearty approval to things like abortion, euthansia and state sponsored practice of both will mark a culture that is in the final throes of the downward spiral of unthankfulness mention here in Romans 1.
Can anything be done?
Thankfully we don't have to end the blog in this fashion. As Paul continues on into Romans 2, we read these words in Romans 2:4 - "do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience,
not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" I would urge you to do what the following passages below prescribe for us to reverse this tide of unthankfulness.
1. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good! Psalm 100:4-5
2. Humble yourself before the Lord and pray, since that will heal us and our land from the consequences of our unthankfulness. 2 Chronicles 7:14
3. Be thankful, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thess 5:17-18
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,500 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The dangers of being unpassionate for God
Jude 3-4 3Beloved, while I was making every effort to write
you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing
that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to
the saints.
Jude's little volume lies near the end of God's Word, urging us as Christians to "contend earnestly for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3) Yesterday we talked about how to guard your passion for God by mainly contending earnestly for God's Word.
In today's blog we want to answer two simple questions: What are the dangers in being unpassionate for God? What is the cure for rekindling passion for God?
Meet a man who was unpassionate for God
Jude 4 tells us why Jude is exhorting his readers to "contend for the faith" - "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness (sensual behavior with no standards) and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude gives historical biblical incidents and people who in times past illustrate the kinds of persons who were infiltrating the church to which he wrote:
1. The rebellious First Generation of Israelites out of Egypt. Jude 5
2. The rebellious angels who followed Lucifer and became the demons. Jude 6
3. Sodom and Gomorrah, the wicked city in the days of Abraham. Jude 7
4. Cain, the first murderer in history. Jude 11
5. Korah, the rebel who attempted a coup on Moses. Jude 11
Another man is mentioned in Jude 11 by the name of Balaam. Balaam was a pagan prophet who lived in the days when Israel was near the end of their 40 year period of wandering in the wilderness. Numbers 22-24 tells the complete account of Balaam's attempts to curse Israel, with each time having him bless the people. Balaam is mentioned elsewhere in God's word as being the epitamy of immorality and heresy. (2 Peter 2:15 & Revelation 2:14)
Jude refers to the "way of Balaam" and warns his readers not to go down such a way. Why is Balaam the picture of a man who is unpassionate for God?
1. He compromised God's word. Numbers 22:20,38
Balaam was told by God to not go with certain men nor speak a word unless they either asked him to come or unless God gave Him a word. Balaam in both cases "almost obeyed", meaning that he either stopped short of obeying God (Numbers 22:20) or said words beyond what God told him to say (Numbers 22:38). Either way Balaam's paganism had him relying more on his drives and the forces of wickedness rather than God. (Numbers 24:1)
2. He was careless and reckless. Numbers 22:34
Despite the unusual circumstances of a talking donkey and the angel of the Lord nearly slaying him, Balaam's "lip-service" repentance was more an act of "being sorry" for getting caught. 2 Peter 2:15-16 tells us - "forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet."
3. He rejected Christ for the wages of sin. Numbers 24:17
Balaam's final attempt to curse Israel was changed by God into a blessing. What made this final oracle of Balaam unique was in the fact he uttered a prophecy concerning the coming of Messiah through the bloodline of the tribe of Judah. (Numbers 24:17) Sadly the testimony of scripture bears out that "Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. (2 Peter 2:15) Unlike Moses, who "considered the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt", Balaam chose the riches of wickedness over the glimpse of Christ's glorious kingdom. (Hebrews 11:26 and 2 Peter 2:15) In fact Numbers 24:25 sadly states - "Then Balaam arose and departed".
In this brief survey of Balaam, the man who was unpassionate for God, we see a predictable pattern: compromise of God's Word leads to carelessness and recklessness. Carelessness and recklessness, consistently pursued, will lead to spiritual death in an area, or could even be evidence of never having been born again in the first place. In short, Christ is exchanged for a lesser glory, a destructive fancy and a whim of the flesh.
Your cure for rekindling passion for God
You and I can avoid Balaam's error by taking into our hearts Jude's prescription for guarding your passion for God. As we close today, I will just list in outline form what Jude prescribes in terms of guarding your passion for God:
1. Contend for God's words, rather than compromise. Jude 3-5
2. Care about repentance, rather than be careless. Jude 17-20
3. Cherish Christ, rather than reject Him. Jude 21-25
Jude's little volume lies near the end of God's Word, urging us as Christians to "contend earnestly for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3) Yesterday we talked about how to guard your passion for God by mainly contending earnestly for God's Word.
In today's blog we want to answer two simple questions: What are the dangers in being unpassionate for God? What is the cure for rekindling passion for God?
Meet a man who was unpassionate for God
Jude 4 tells us why Jude is exhorting his readers to "contend for the faith" - "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness (sensual behavior with no standards) and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude gives historical biblical incidents and people who in times past illustrate the kinds of persons who were infiltrating the church to which he wrote:
1. The rebellious First Generation of Israelites out of Egypt. Jude 5
2. The rebellious angels who followed Lucifer and became the demons. Jude 6
3. Sodom and Gomorrah, the wicked city in the days of Abraham. Jude 7
4. Cain, the first murderer in history. Jude 11
5. Korah, the rebel who attempted a coup on Moses. Jude 11
Another man is mentioned in Jude 11 by the name of Balaam. Balaam was a pagan prophet who lived in the days when Israel was near the end of their 40 year period of wandering in the wilderness. Numbers 22-24 tells the complete account of Balaam's attempts to curse Israel, with each time having him bless the people. Balaam is mentioned elsewhere in God's word as being the epitamy of immorality and heresy. (2 Peter 2:15 & Revelation 2:14)
Jude refers to the "way of Balaam" and warns his readers not to go down such a way. Why is Balaam the picture of a man who is unpassionate for God?
1. He compromised God's word. Numbers 22:20,38
Balaam was told by God to not go with certain men nor speak a word unless they either asked him to come or unless God gave Him a word. Balaam in both cases "almost obeyed", meaning that he either stopped short of obeying God (Numbers 22:20) or said words beyond what God told him to say (Numbers 22:38). Either way Balaam's paganism had him relying more on his drives and the forces of wickedness rather than God. (Numbers 24:1)
2. He was careless and reckless. Numbers 22:34
Despite the unusual circumstances of a talking donkey and the angel of the Lord nearly slaying him, Balaam's "lip-service" repentance was more an act of "being sorry" for getting caught. 2 Peter 2:15-16 tells us - "forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet."
3. He rejected Christ for the wages of sin. Numbers 24:17
Balaam's final attempt to curse Israel was changed by God into a blessing. What made this final oracle of Balaam unique was in the fact he uttered a prophecy concerning the coming of Messiah through the bloodline of the tribe of Judah. (Numbers 24:17) Sadly the testimony of scripture bears out that "Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. (2 Peter 2:15) Unlike Moses, who "considered the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt", Balaam chose the riches of wickedness over the glimpse of Christ's glorious kingdom. (Hebrews 11:26 and 2 Peter 2:15) In fact Numbers 24:25 sadly states - "Then Balaam arose and departed".
In this brief survey of Balaam, the man who was unpassionate for God, we see a predictable pattern: compromise of God's Word leads to carelessness and recklessness. Carelessness and recklessness, consistently pursued, will lead to spiritual death in an area, or could even be evidence of never having been born again in the first place. In short, Christ is exchanged for a lesser glory, a destructive fancy and a whim of the flesh.
Your cure for rekindling passion for God
You and I can avoid Balaam's error by taking into our hearts Jude's prescription for guarding your passion for God. As we close today, I will just list in outline form what Jude prescribes in terms of guarding your passion for God:
1. Contend for God's words, rather than compromise. Jude 3-5
2. Care about repentance, rather than be careless. Jude 17-20
3. Cherish Christ, rather than reject Him. Jude 21-25
Saturday, November 10, 2012
How to Guard Your Passion for God
Jude 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common
salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Guarding your Passion for God requires a pro-active faith
Jude had been desiring for quite some time to write a letter that dealt with the grand themes of salvation. Paul had written Romans and Peter had just penned 1 and 2 Peter. Would it be that perhaps the Holy Spirit would guide him to write a similar book? As he put his pen to the scroll, the Holy Ghost came upon Him and like wind in a sail, began to influence Him in a different direction. The Book of Jude is all about teaching us how to contend for the faith. It is about urging the Christian on how to be "pro-active", rather than "re-active" in their faith-life. By being proactive in contending for "the faith" once for delivered for the saints, Jude is urging us to guard our passion for God.
Its important to be passionate, not passive, in your faith-walk
So often when I find myself waning in my passion for God, it is due to two primary issues - either I have compromised or have simply been careless. The word "passion" literally comes from a Greek word "pathos" which has to do with convictions gained as a result of suffering or intense emotional experience. Thus we refer to Christ's suffering and death on the cross for sinners as His "Passion". If we are to be passionate for God, we must do as Jude exhorts throughout His letter: Contend earnestly for the faith.
Guarding your passion for God requires you to contend for God's Words
As you look at what Jude writes, he states: "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." This phrase is worth unpacking, since it gives us what we need to guard our passion for God in the realm of God's word:
1. Contend earnestly.
The two English words here are translations of one Greek word that has to to with "intense agony or wrestling". We so often approach God and His word in a flippant manner. Do we view our Bibles and retaining of their contents in our hearts as a matter of spiritual survival? Jude uses the most intense word to describe the ferocity of intensity we must have in battling the three common enemies of love for God's word: the world, the flesh and the devil. (compare 1 John 2:17-16).
2. Contend earnestly for "The Faith"
The word "faith" in the Bible is used in at least three different ways. There is the gifting of faith, whereby and wherein I am persuaded to believe and follow Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). The second use is in reference to the believer's own actual act of believing the Gospel. I refer to this as my "small 'f'" faith, meaning my own personal faith in Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 1:12) The third use refers to the Christian faith itself, or what I call "capital 'F'" faith. This third use is mainly with reference to the scriptures and the chief doctrines and core contents of the Christian faith believed upon by every Christian. My "small-f " faith resides in and is based upon "capital - F " Faith which is authored and completed by Jesus Christ through His Word. (Hebrews 12:2)
3. Contend earnestly for the "Faith" which was once for all handed down to the saints
So in guarding your passion for God, you need to be "contending earnestly for "The Faith" that was handed down "once and for all". This little phrase "handed down" or "delivered to" is used elsewhere to describe the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." 2 Peter 2:21 "For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them."
The Bible is the photographic negative of the mind of God and Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:16). It has been handed down "once for all", meaning that there is no more scripture being written today. We must proclaim it, obey it, cherish it and pass it on to the next generation.
The fact that it is handed down "to the saints" tells us that the saints "small -f " faith is fed by and nourished by the "capital - F " Faith handed down - that is, God's Word.
Only when you and I contend for God's Written Word, as prescribed by Jude, can we have a pro-active faith that will guard the passion needed to live for God.
Guarding your Passion for God requires a pro-active faith
Jude had been desiring for quite some time to write a letter that dealt with the grand themes of salvation. Paul had written Romans and Peter had just penned 1 and 2 Peter. Would it be that perhaps the Holy Spirit would guide him to write a similar book? As he put his pen to the scroll, the Holy Ghost came upon Him and like wind in a sail, began to influence Him in a different direction. The Book of Jude is all about teaching us how to contend for the faith. It is about urging the Christian on how to be "pro-active", rather than "re-active" in their faith-life. By being proactive in contending for "the faith" once for delivered for the saints, Jude is urging us to guard our passion for God.
Its important to be passionate, not passive, in your faith-walk
So often when I find myself waning in my passion for God, it is due to two primary issues - either I have compromised or have simply been careless. The word "passion" literally comes from a Greek word "pathos" which has to do with convictions gained as a result of suffering or intense emotional experience. Thus we refer to Christ's suffering and death on the cross for sinners as His "Passion". If we are to be passionate for God, we must do as Jude exhorts throughout His letter: Contend earnestly for the faith.
Guarding your passion for God requires you to contend for God's Words
As you look at what Jude writes, he states: "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." This phrase is worth unpacking, since it gives us what we need to guard our passion for God in the realm of God's word:
1. Contend earnestly.
The two English words here are translations of one Greek word that has to to with "intense agony or wrestling". We so often approach God and His word in a flippant manner. Do we view our Bibles and retaining of their contents in our hearts as a matter of spiritual survival? Jude uses the most intense word to describe the ferocity of intensity we must have in battling the three common enemies of love for God's word: the world, the flesh and the devil. (compare 1 John 2:17-16).
2. Contend earnestly for "The Faith"
The word "faith" in the Bible is used in at least three different ways. There is the gifting of faith, whereby and wherein I am persuaded to believe and follow Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). The second use is in reference to the believer's own actual act of believing the Gospel. I refer to this as my "small 'f'" faith, meaning my own personal faith in Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 1:12) The third use refers to the Christian faith itself, or what I call "capital 'F'" faith. This third use is mainly with reference to the scriptures and the chief doctrines and core contents of the Christian faith believed upon by every Christian. My "small-f " faith resides in and is based upon "capital - F " Faith which is authored and completed by Jesus Christ through His Word. (Hebrews 12:2)
3. Contend earnestly for the "Faith" which was once for all handed down to the saints
So in guarding your passion for God, you need to be "contending earnestly for "The Faith" that was handed down "once and for all". This little phrase "handed down" or "delivered to" is used elsewhere to describe the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." 2 Peter 2:21 "For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them."
The Bible is the photographic negative of the mind of God and Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:16). It has been handed down "once for all", meaning that there is no more scripture being written today. We must proclaim it, obey it, cherish it and pass it on to the next generation.
The fact that it is handed down "to the saints" tells us that the saints "small -f " faith is fed by and nourished by the "capital - F " Faith handed down - that is, God's Word.
Only when you and I contend for God's Written Word, as prescribed by Jude, can we have a pro-active faith that will guard the passion needed to live for God.
Friday, November 9, 2012
P3 God's Strategy for Spiritual Victory - God's Promises
Numbers 21:24 Then Israel struck him with the edge of the
sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as
the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon was Jazer.
Numbers 21:34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
For the past couple of days we have been focusing on God's Stretegy for Spiritual Victory. Through our exploration of the Israelite's experiences in Numbers 21, we have noted from them the following ideas:
1. God's Strategy for spiritual victory begins with the power of the cross.
2. God's Strategy for spiritual victory includes the Person of the Holy Spirit.
By way of types and illustrations of the Brazen Serpent and God's Provision of water for these people, we see scripture employing both images to point us to God's strategy for spiritual victory. The Brazen Serpent of course points to the cross. (John 3:14-16) Whereas the well of water and dry river beds in Numbers 21:12-20 is picturing the Person and work of the Holy Spirit working in the life of the Christian, the dry river bed. (John 7:38-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Today we want to note some promises God gave the Israelites in Numbers 21, noting how God's precious promises provide yet another strategy for Christian spiritual victory.
1. God's Promises in His Word
There are over 8,000 promises in God's Word. For the Israelites here in Numbers 21, they were poised, ready to enter into the promised land. Numerous times God had promised their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the Land of Canaan was to be their land. (Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17, 22, 24,25, 28, 32, 25, etc) This is the urgency for why Israel needed to defeat Sihon and Og, the two Kings and their Kingdoms standing in the way of the entry into the promised land. Thankfully God promised Moses and Israel elsewhere that He would deliver both kings into their hands. (Deuteronomy 2:33).
For us as Christians, we too are given precious promises. 2 Peter 1:3-4 states - "3seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." Because of God's promises communicated to us by the Holy Spirit through scripture, we can have confidence for spiritual victory. But notice another fact concerning God's promises...
God's specific promise - fear not
Numbers 21:34-35 reads - "But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land." I love this particular promise because it takes away fear so that faith and flourish.
Jesus often spoke to His disciples about not fearing, since He was there for them. (John 13:34) I find over 200 places in God's Word where God urged His people to "not fear" or "not be anxious". In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read - "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind." Because of this word to Moses and the Israelites, they were able to kill a Giant, Og of Bashan. David some 400 years later would kill the Giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 due to the fact he was clinging to the promises of God. For you, dear Christian, God's promise of "fear not" is accompanied by His promise "for I am with you". (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:8).
Would we today proceed in spiritual victory. The power of the cross is the grounds for victory. The Holy Spirit is God in us, granting victory. God's promises are there for our use, the grace of victory.
Numbers 21:34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
For the past couple of days we have been focusing on God's Stretegy for Spiritual Victory. Through our exploration of the Israelite's experiences in Numbers 21, we have noted from them the following ideas:
1. God's Strategy for spiritual victory begins with the power of the cross.
2. God's Strategy for spiritual victory includes the Person of the Holy Spirit.
By way of types and illustrations of the Brazen Serpent and God's Provision of water for these people, we see scripture employing both images to point us to God's strategy for spiritual victory. The Brazen Serpent of course points to the cross. (John 3:14-16) Whereas the well of water and dry river beds in Numbers 21:12-20 is picturing the Person and work of the Holy Spirit working in the life of the Christian, the dry river bed. (John 7:38-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Today we want to note some promises God gave the Israelites in Numbers 21, noting how God's precious promises provide yet another strategy for Christian spiritual victory.
1. God's Promises in His Word
There are over 8,000 promises in God's Word. For the Israelites here in Numbers 21, they were poised, ready to enter into the promised land. Numerous times God had promised their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the Land of Canaan was to be their land. (Genesis 12, 13, 15, 17, 22, 24,25, 28, 32, 25, etc) This is the urgency for why Israel needed to defeat Sihon and Og, the two Kings and their Kingdoms standing in the way of the entry into the promised land. Thankfully God promised Moses and Israel elsewhere that He would deliver both kings into their hands. (Deuteronomy 2:33).
For us as Christians, we too are given precious promises. 2 Peter 1:3-4 states - "3seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." Because of God's promises communicated to us by the Holy Spirit through scripture, we can have confidence for spiritual victory. But notice another fact concerning God's promises...
God's specific promise - fear not
Numbers 21:34-35 reads - "But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land." I love this particular promise because it takes away fear so that faith and flourish.
Jesus often spoke to His disciples about not fearing, since He was there for them. (John 13:34) I find over 200 places in God's Word where God urged His people to "not fear" or "not be anxious". In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read - "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind." Because of this word to Moses and the Israelites, they were able to kill a Giant, Og of Bashan. David some 400 years later would kill the Giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 due to the fact he was clinging to the promises of God. For you, dear Christian, God's promise of "fear not" is accompanied by His promise "for I am with you". (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:8).
Would we today proceed in spiritual victory. The power of the cross is the grounds for victory. The Holy Spirit is God in us, granting victory. God's promises are there for our use, the grace of victory.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
P2 God's Strategy for Spiritual Victory - The Holy Spirit
Numbers 21:12-13 12From there they set out and camped in Wadi
Zered. 13From there they journeyed and camped on the
other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border
of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the
Amorites.
Yesterday we saw the first strategy for spiritual victory as pictured by the Brazen Serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, namely the Power of the Cross. In today's blog we will consider the second strategy prescribed by God for spiritual victory - The Person of the Holy Spirit. In the text of Numbers 21 we see reference to dry river beds and water. As you will see, both of these were crucial provisions for the Israelites, and they both point to the Person of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
The Significance of the Wadi - the dry river bed
According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, a Wadi is "a valley or ravine, that is dry except during the rainy season; also the water that flows through it." In other words, a Wadi is nothing more than a dry river bed.
God had Moses and the Israelites camp in a valley of dry river beds or "Wadis". (Deuteronomy 2:17-18) This episode gives insight into the work the Spirit of God desires to do in the Christian life. Lets explore some truths that we can glean out of this text in Numbers 21:12-20.
1. A Christian is a Wadi, a dry river bed, needing the Spirit's life to ever flow through it Numbers 21:12-15
God will sometimes have you dwell in a dry season of life to make you see the purpose for which He made you. God created you to be a channel, a conduit, a faucet whereby His Spirit can flow. However we often find outselves getting caught up in complaining or carelessnes, much like the Israelites had. However when they had experienced the remedy of the Brazen serpent (picture of the cross - John 3:14-16), God moved them into this dry area. They had complained about having no water before, and God was moving them to a spot that at one time had water flowing through it.
God was reminding these people, as well as us, that He is the One who provides living water - the Holy Spirit. Jesus notes in John 7:38-39 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
We will experience dryness at times to see if we are desperate for God. Its not that the Holy Spirit has left us, rather its God prompting us to call out to God and to exercise ourselves to desire the flowing of the life of the Spirit in our lives. Ephesians 5:14 and 18 tells us - 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you..... 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit".
2. A Christian is a dry-river bed that is dependant upon the water of the Spirit for their identity Number 21:12-15
By definition a wadi is a dry river bed which is flooded by water in the rainy season. If there had never been water flowing originally, there would be no wadi. A Christian by definition is a person whose soul has been penetrated by the very life of God. We are those who are identified by the Spirit of God living in our spirit and flowing through the river bed of our soul. 1 Corinthians 12:13 notes - "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
Maybe your life is dry right now as a Christian. Know that He is still there, inside of you. (Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20) Know that He is desiring you to desire Him to flow through you. Your very life is defined by Him as he communicates to to the life of Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
3. A Christian is a dry-river bed, rejoicing in the living water that only God can provide Numbers 21:16-18
The Person of the Holy Spirit is the Living water of God's very life flowing through the river bed of the Christian. Living water is flowing water. The Israelites problem through all their desert wanderings was the need for water. In Numbers 21:16 God tells Moses - "From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”
What did Jesus tell the woman at the well who was in search of satisfying water in John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Just like the Israelites who sang for joy in Numbers 21:17-18, we as believers need to praise God for the provision of His Spirit to us.
4. A Christian is a dry-river-bed, through whom the Spirit desires to flow to prepare for spiritual victory Numbers 21:19-20
It is His Spirit, that mighty river, who can burst up as a fountain, cleaning out the mind, emotion and will of our souls. When He does this by His Word, we have the necessary power to move on, just as those people in Numbers 21:19-20. They arrived at the plains of Moab, the final stop on their 40 year wandering. Dear Christian, the Person of the Holy Spirit is Who positions us to be prepared to fight and win the fight of faith. These Israelites had a water well, an endless supply of water, given to them by God. We as Christians today have the Holy Spirit, living in us and desiring to flow through us to enable us to have spiritual victory in the Lord. As we close, I point you to Romans 8:2 - "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
Yesterday we saw the first strategy for spiritual victory as pictured by the Brazen Serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, namely the Power of the Cross. In today's blog we will consider the second strategy prescribed by God for spiritual victory - The Person of the Holy Spirit. In the text of Numbers 21 we see reference to dry river beds and water. As you will see, both of these were crucial provisions for the Israelites, and they both point to the Person of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
The Significance of the Wadi - the dry river bed
According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, a Wadi is "a valley or ravine, that is dry except during the rainy season; also the water that flows through it." In other words, a Wadi is nothing more than a dry river bed.
God had Moses and the Israelites camp in a valley of dry river beds or "Wadis". (Deuteronomy 2:17-18) This episode gives insight into the work the Spirit of God desires to do in the Christian life. Lets explore some truths that we can glean out of this text in Numbers 21:12-20.
1. A Christian is a Wadi, a dry river bed, needing the Spirit's life to ever flow through it Numbers 21:12-15
God will sometimes have you dwell in a dry season of life to make you see the purpose for which He made you. God created you to be a channel, a conduit, a faucet whereby His Spirit can flow. However we often find outselves getting caught up in complaining or carelessnes, much like the Israelites had. However when they had experienced the remedy of the Brazen serpent (picture of the cross - John 3:14-16), God moved them into this dry area. They had complained about having no water before, and God was moving them to a spot that at one time had water flowing through it.
God was reminding these people, as well as us, that He is the One who provides living water - the Holy Spirit. Jesus notes in John 7:38-39 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
We will experience dryness at times to see if we are desperate for God. Its not that the Holy Spirit has left us, rather its God prompting us to call out to God and to exercise ourselves to desire the flowing of the life of the Spirit in our lives. Ephesians 5:14 and 18 tells us - 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you..... 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit".
2. A Christian is a dry-river bed that is dependant upon the water of the Spirit for their identity Number 21:12-15
By definition a wadi is a dry river bed which is flooded by water in the rainy season. If there had never been water flowing originally, there would be no wadi. A Christian by definition is a person whose soul has been penetrated by the very life of God. We are those who are identified by the Spirit of God living in our spirit and flowing through the river bed of our soul. 1 Corinthians 12:13 notes - "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
Maybe your life is dry right now as a Christian. Know that He is still there, inside of you. (Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20) Know that He is desiring you to desire Him to flow through you. Your very life is defined by Him as he communicates to to the life of Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
3. A Christian is a dry-river bed, rejoicing in the living water that only God can provide Numbers 21:16-18
The Person of the Holy Spirit is the Living water of God's very life flowing through the river bed of the Christian. Living water is flowing water. The Israelites problem through all their desert wanderings was the need for water. In Numbers 21:16 God tells Moses - "From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people, that I may give them water.”
What did Jesus tell the woman at the well who was in search of satisfying water in John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Just like the Israelites who sang for joy in Numbers 21:17-18, we as believers need to praise God for the provision of His Spirit to us.
4. A Christian is a dry-river-bed, through whom the Spirit desires to flow to prepare for spiritual victory Numbers 21:19-20
It is His Spirit, that mighty river, who can burst up as a fountain, cleaning out the mind, emotion and will of our souls. When He does this by His Word, we have the necessary power to move on, just as those people in Numbers 21:19-20. They arrived at the plains of Moab, the final stop on their 40 year wandering. Dear Christian, the Person of the Holy Spirit is Who positions us to be prepared to fight and win the fight of faith. These Israelites had a water well, an endless supply of water, given to them by God. We as Christians today have the Holy Spirit, living in us and desiring to flow through us to enable us to have spiritual victory in the Lord. As we close, I point you to Romans 8:2 - "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
God's Strategy for Spiritual Victory - Power of the Cross
Numbers 21:34-35 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I
have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do
to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So they killed him and his sons and all his
people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land.
A New Generation that had to win two battles
The Israelites had been wandering in the Desert of the Sinai Penninsula. They had rebelled against God, and God consigned them to 40 years of wandering. The original generation that God had brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership had died off, leaving a whole new generation of Israelites. The former generation is recorded from Numbers 1-19, with forty years of unrecorded time lying in between chapters 19 and 20.
The New Generation, some 40 years later, were on the verge of entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. But before they could enter, two strong enemies stood in their way. They not only would have to defeat Sihon King of the Amorites, a people who had been in that area for centuries, but the Giant King Og of Bashan, who may have been as tall as Goliath! (compare Joshua 3:11)
Not only would the Israelites have to defeat physical enemies, but the internal strife and rebellion of their heart. God's victories for His people entails a very specific strategy. As we look at the wider context of Numbers 21:6-39, we can see God preparing his people for these battles, and how it was He was ordaining a strategy for their victory, as well as a spiritual strategy for us as Christians.
Power of Forgiveness in the Brazen Serpent, Picturing the Cross
Back in Numbers 21:5-7 we read - "The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people."
If these people were going to survive to even fight those two Kings in battle, they had to first survive and be forgiven. God provided such a remedy. He had Moses fashion a serpent out of Bronze and place it upon a pole, so that all who looked upon it would be saved - having physical life. (Numbers 21:8-9) John 3:14-15 recounts this scene with these words: 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." For us to have spiritual victory, we need the power of forgiveness and the cross to look to by faith, so that we can have eternal life.
Power for the basis for victory, how the Cross is the source of the post-conversion Christian walk
The cross is not only the basis for the beginning of New Life in Christ, but it is also the source of ongoing victory life in the post-conversion Christian walk. Too often Christians think that the cross was only something they needed to consider in order to be saved - which is true. (1 Corinthians 2:2; Ephesians 1:7) However the cross is so much more than just the means of salvation - it is also the tool for sanctification.
Consider the Holy Spirit's words in Hebrews 12:1-3 "1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "
Those Israelites in Numbers 21 needed to be healed of their snake bite in order to be prepared to fight the military battles against Kings Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. They needed a soundly provided resource of physical life and vitality to move from where they were into the dry river beds of Zered, just South of these Kings.
If God had not provided the revelation to Moses to put up that Brazen serpent, no one would had survived. If God had not sent Jesus to put Himself upon the cross, no one would have the basis for Eternal life nor power to live the Christian life. The cross is the grounds for victory. It is where we look to. When we look to it, we see it stained with blood, reminding us that our salvation has been paid for. We also see it barren, reminding us that the Savior is Alive and well, ever representing us and ready to strengthen us in battle.
A New Generation that had to win two battles
The Israelites had been wandering in the Desert of the Sinai Penninsula. They had rebelled against God, and God consigned them to 40 years of wandering. The original generation that God had brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership had died off, leaving a whole new generation of Israelites. The former generation is recorded from Numbers 1-19, with forty years of unrecorded time lying in between chapters 19 and 20.
The New Generation, some 40 years later, were on the verge of entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. But before they could enter, two strong enemies stood in their way. They not only would have to defeat Sihon King of the Amorites, a people who had been in that area for centuries, but the Giant King Og of Bashan, who may have been as tall as Goliath! (compare Joshua 3:11)
Not only would the Israelites have to defeat physical enemies, but the internal strife and rebellion of their heart. God's victories for His people entails a very specific strategy. As we look at the wider context of Numbers 21:6-39, we can see God preparing his people for these battles, and how it was He was ordaining a strategy for their victory, as well as a spiritual strategy for us as Christians.
Power of Forgiveness in the Brazen Serpent, Picturing the Cross
Back in Numbers 21:5-7 we read - "The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people."
If these people were going to survive to even fight those two Kings in battle, they had to first survive and be forgiven. God provided such a remedy. He had Moses fashion a serpent out of Bronze and place it upon a pole, so that all who looked upon it would be saved - having physical life. (Numbers 21:8-9) John 3:14-15 recounts this scene with these words: 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." For us to have spiritual victory, we need the power of forgiveness and the cross to look to by faith, so that we can have eternal life.
Power for the basis for victory, how the Cross is the source of the post-conversion Christian walk
The cross is not only the basis for the beginning of New Life in Christ, but it is also the source of ongoing victory life in the post-conversion Christian walk. Too often Christians think that the cross was only something they needed to consider in order to be saved - which is true. (1 Corinthians 2:2; Ephesians 1:7) However the cross is so much more than just the means of salvation - it is also the tool for sanctification.
Consider the Holy Spirit's words in Hebrews 12:1-3 "1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "
Those Israelites in Numbers 21 needed to be healed of their snake bite in order to be prepared to fight the military battles against Kings Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. They needed a soundly provided resource of physical life and vitality to move from where they were into the dry river beds of Zered, just South of these Kings.
If God had not provided the revelation to Moses to put up that Brazen serpent, no one would had survived. If God had not sent Jesus to put Himself upon the cross, no one would have the basis for Eternal life nor power to live the Christian life. The cross is the grounds for victory. It is where we look to. When we look to it, we see it stained with blood, reminding us that our salvation has been paid for. We also see it barren, reminding us that the Savior is Alive and well, ever representing us and ready to strengthen us in battle.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Charles Stanley on Listening and Walking with God
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore
you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
Today's blog features thoughts from a message I recently heard by Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia. The title of the message was: "Listening to God - Walking with God". I thought what he preached about listening to and walk with God was one of the greatest summaries I have ever heard on the subject. I could not bear not sharing this with you dear reader.
In the course of the message Dr. Stanley listed 20 items dealing with the subject of listening and walking with God. I have listed them below, and pray you will be as blessed as I was when I first heard them.
Walking with God involves.....
1. Faith
2. Agreement with God
3. Fellowship with God
4. Awareness of His Presence
5. Cheerful Obedience
6. Truth
7. Intimacy with God
8. The Will of God
9. Continuous Surrender
10. The Work of the Holy Spirit
11. Peace
12. Confidence
13. Security
14. Joy
15. Pleasing to God
16. Revolves around Jesus
17. Life separate from sin
18. Life that makes a difference
19. Progressive Journey
20. Its a Godly Life
May you be richly blessed this day as you aim to listen to God through His word and walk with the Lord in prayer.
Today's blog features thoughts from a message I recently heard by Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia. The title of the message was: "Listening to God - Walking with God". I thought what he preached about listening to and walk with God was one of the greatest summaries I have ever heard on the subject. I could not bear not sharing this with you dear reader.
In the course of the message Dr. Stanley listed 20 items dealing with the subject of listening and walking with God. I have listed them below, and pray you will be as blessed as I was when I first heard them.
Walking with God involves.....
1. Faith
2. Agreement with God
3. Fellowship with God
4. Awareness of His Presence
5. Cheerful Obedience
6. Truth
7. Intimacy with God
8. The Will of God
9. Continuous Surrender
10. The Work of the Holy Spirit
11. Peace
12. Confidence
13. Security
14. Joy
15. Pleasing to God
16. Revolves around Jesus
17. Life separate from sin
18. Life that makes a difference
19. Progressive Journey
20. Its a Godly Life
May you be richly blessed this day as you aim to listen to God through His word and walk with the Lord in prayer.
Monday, November 5, 2012
P5 - Traits of the Strong Christian - Prayer life
James 4:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
In recent days we have been blogging on the subject of what traits comprise a strong Christian. We have been examining the life of James, the author of the Epistle of James and Jesus' biological half-brother. We have noted the following four traits of a strong Christian:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizes Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
Todays blog will conclude this particular series on "Traits of the Strong Christian", noting how the strong Christian aims to have a prayer life.
Every Christian can be a strong Christian
My point in these series of blogs has been to demonstrate that any Christian can be a strong Christian. For starters, every Christian has a Personal testimony of what their life was like before Christ, how Christ brought them to the point of conversion and what their life has been like since.
Every Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom they can cultivate a desire to mature in their faith. They have also been given the beginning of a new nature that is inherently inclined to desire Jesus Christ - giving them the base to excercise themselves in focusing their mind, emotions and will upon Him. Then finally if you have a Bible, you have opportunity to know it, meditate upon it and apply it.
Immaturity is our doing alone, maturity is both God's doing and our doing
So why do we see so many Christian's struggling in spiritual immaturity? All the things I just listed in the above two paragraphs are graces given by God. Now salvation is all of God's doing. He brought you the grace and gifting of faith and repentance, whereby you simply received and believed on Jesus. (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) However your growth in Jesus Christ following conversion - called sanctification - is both God's doing and your doing. (Philippians 2:12-13) God has done His part, however where we see the break down is due to the fact that we're not doing ours. Prayer, like the other four traits, is a grace given by God whereby the Christian is given the capacity to hear and talk to God. However, as with all sanctifying graces, the Christian must excercise themselves in it if they are expected to be strong in their faith.
A Strong Christian will pray according to the scriptures
James was related to Jesus biologically through Mary, making Jesus his half brother. However we also know that he had other brothers and sisters who, along with himself, were born after Jesus and who were naturally conceived by both Mary and Joseph. Among those, Jude is noteworthy, since he is the only other half-brother of Jesus who is also the author of a New Testament book bearing his name - the Book of Jude. (see Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3)
Both James and Jude write about prayer, since it was such a cornerstone of their lives as strong Christians. I will give you James' statements on prayer, followed by Jude's:
1. James 1:5-7 (Prayer for Wisdom) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.
2. James 4:3 (Why your prayers may not be answered) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
3. James 4:6-7 (The warfare and triumph in prayer) But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4. James 4:15 (The submission in prayer) "Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
5. James 4:13-18 (Praying for healing) Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."
6. Jude 20 (Prayer as a means of strengthening faith) "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit"
From those six scriptures in both James and Jude, we can glean much about prayer that is based upon the Word of God. Both men tie together prayer and the Word. James begins and ends his letter with statements about prayer, with fertile discussion about scripture throughout his letter. Jude begins his letter with the intent to urge his readers to embrace God's Word, with a powerful exhortation to persevere in prayer.
A Strong Christian prays like Jesus prayed
Why did James and Jude emphasize prayer so much? They both linked prayer with the written word - the Bible. However they both emphasized prayer because of its link to the Living Word - Jesus Christ. Remarkably, both men's teaching on prayer mirrors much of what Jesus' taught on prayer in the Gospels. Over a dozen places in the Gospels record our Lord's teaching on the subject, with parallels found in James' and Jude's writings. Please note the chart below that compares Jesus, James' and Jude's teaching on prayer:
Prayer Topic Jesus teaching James Jude
Wisdom Matt 7:7 1:5-8
Gifts Matt 7:11, 21:21 1:16-18
Promise of Kingdom Matt 6:13; Lk 11 2:5 14-15
Worry Matt 7 4:13-17
Wealth Luke 18:13 5:1-4
Oaths Mt 5:34 5:7-11
Anointing w/ oil/healing Mk 6:14 5:14
God centered prayer Mt 7:7;21:21 1:5-8
Promise based prayer Matt 7, John 14 2:5, 20-27 24-25
Motives in prayer Mt 6:14; 18:34-35 4:2
Corporate prayer Mt 21:13 3:14 20
Since Jesus emphasized prayer, and the Biblical authors emphasized prayer (some 600 times) and since James and Jude along with them emphasized it - why shouldn't we? Prayer is to the strong Christian like oxygen is to the lungs. Without prayer, the faith-life suffocates. May we take to heart these considerations of what it means to be a strong Christian, namely:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizing Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
5. Prayer
In recent days we have been blogging on the subject of what traits comprise a strong Christian. We have been examining the life of James, the author of the Epistle of James and Jesus' biological half-brother. We have noted the following four traits of a strong Christian:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizes Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
Todays blog will conclude this particular series on "Traits of the Strong Christian", noting how the strong Christian aims to have a prayer life.
Every Christian can be a strong Christian
My point in these series of blogs has been to demonstrate that any Christian can be a strong Christian. For starters, every Christian has a Personal testimony of what their life was like before Christ, how Christ brought them to the point of conversion and what their life has been like since.
Every Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom they can cultivate a desire to mature in their faith. They have also been given the beginning of a new nature that is inherently inclined to desire Jesus Christ - giving them the base to excercise themselves in focusing their mind, emotions and will upon Him. Then finally if you have a Bible, you have opportunity to know it, meditate upon it and apply it.
Immaturity is our doing alone, maturity is both God's doing and our doing
So why do we see so many Christian's struggling in spiritual immaturity? All the things I just listed in the above two paragraphs are graces given by God. Now salvation is all of God's doing. He brought you the grace and gifting of faith and repentance, whereby you simply received and believed on Jesus. (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) However your growth in Jesus Christ following conversion - called sanctification - is both God's doing and your doing. (Philippians 2:12-13) God has done His part, however where we see the break down is due to the fact that we're not doing ours. Prayer, like the other four traits, is a grace given by God whereby the Christian is given the capacity to hear and talk to God. However, as with all sanctifying graces, the Christian must excercise themselves in it if they are expected to be strong in their faith.
A Strong Christian will pray according to the scriptures
James was related to Jesus biologically through Mary, making Jesus his half brother. However we also know that he had other brothers and sisters who, along with himself, were born after Jesus and who were naturally conceived by both Mary and Joseph. Among those, Jude is noteworthy, since he is the only other half-brother of Jesus who is also the author of a New Testament book bearing his name - the Book of Jude. (see Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3)
Both James and Jude write about prayer, since it was such a cornerstone of their lives as strong Christians. I will give you James' statements on prayer, followed by Jude's:
1. James 1:5-7 (Prayer for Wisdom) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.
2. James 4:3 (Why your prayers may not be answered) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
3. James 4:6-7 (The warfare and triumph in prayer) But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4. James 4:15 (The submission in prayer) "Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
5. James 4:13-18 (Praying for healing) Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."
6. Jude 20 (Prayer as a means of strengthening faith) "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit"
From those six scriptures in both James and Jude, we can glean much about prayer that is based upon the Word of God. Both men tie together prayer and the Word. James begins and ends his letter with statements about prayer, with fertile discussion about scripture throughout his letter. Jude begins his letter with the intent to urge his readers to embrace God's Word, with a powerful exhortation to persevere in prayer.
A Strong Christian prays like Jesus prayed
Why did James and Jude emphasize prayer so much? They both linked prayer with the written word - the Bible. However they both emphasized prayer because of its link to the Living Word - Jesus Christ. Remarkably, both men's teaching on prayer mirrors much of what Jesus' taught on prayer in the Gospels. Over a dozen places in the Gospels record our Lord's teaching on the subject, with parallels found in James' and Jude's writings. Please note the chart below that compares Jesus, James' and Jude's teaching on prayer:
Prayer Topic Jesus teaching James Jude
Wisdom Matt 7:7 1:5-8
Gifts Matt 7:11, 21:21 1:16-18
Promise of Kingdom Matt 6:13; Lk 11 2:5 14-15
Worry Matt 7 4:13-17
Wealth Luke 18:13 5:1-4
Oaths Mt 5:34 5:7-11
Anointing w/ oil/healing Mk 6:14 5:14
God centered prayer Mt 7:7;21:21 1:5-8
Promise based prayer Matt 7, John 14 2:5, 20-27 24-25
Motives in prayer Mt 6:14; 18:34-35 4:2
Corporate prayer Mt 21:13 3:14 20
Since Jesus emphasized prayer, and the Biblical authors emphasized prayer (some 600 times) and since James and Jude along with them emphasized it - why shouldn't we? Prayer is to the strong Christian like oxygen is to the lungs. Without prayer, the faith-life suffocates. May we take to heart these considerations of what it means to be a strong Christian, namely:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizing Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
5. Prayer
Sunday, November 4, 2012
P4 - Traits of a Strong Christian - Persistent Application of God's Word
James 1:25 "But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful
hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
These past three days we have been observing a series of traits from the life of James that characterizes what we are calling: Traits of a Strong Christian. Why James? James wrote the first book of the New Testament - the Epistle of James. James was half-brother of Jesus according to the flesh, as well as the first leader of the church at large in the book of Acts. According to Paul in Galatians 2:19, James, along with the Apostles Peter and John, was considered a "Pillar of the Church". Ample reasons serve to prove why James would be worthy of consideration as a model of a strong Christian.
Thus far in this study we have noted three traits of a strong Christian, strong Christians have....
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
3. Passionate about Jesus
In today's post we are going to consider another trait of a strong Christian, as seen particularly in the life of James, namely Persistent Application of God's Word.
James - a strong Christian who knew God's Word Acts 15:13-15
If we are going to be stronger Christians who persist in our application of God's Word, we must know God's Word. Acts 15 is the account about the Jerusalem Council, an event wherein the predominately Jewish Church had to deal with a terrific problem. The problem was how to instruct Gentiles who were being converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The terrific aspect of this problem was the fact that people were being won to Jesus Christ.
The dilemma was acute - if the early church relaxed its convictions on matters of holiness and compromised too much - then the character of God would be in question. On the other hand, if James and these church leaders placed too many restrictions on the Gentile converts, the Christian movement would had been mired in legalism and dead, dry religion.
James, the strong Christian, stood up in Acts 15:13-14 "After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14“Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." What was he going to say next? Simeon (Peter) just delivered a glorious missions report. People by the hundreds were getting saved. James states in Acts 15:15 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written".
Notice what he says "with this the word of the prophets". James knew where to go in his Bible. He knew God's Word. To apply God's Word, we need to not only know what area of life to apply God's Word, we need to know what area of God's word to bring life's problems to. God's specific solutions are more than enough to deal with life's problems, but you and I need to know God's Word.
But notice second....
James - a strong Christian who memorized God's word Acts 15:16-19
As James addressed this assembly of the early church, he quoted scripture. He not only knew scripture, he memorized it. He was a walking Bible. As a man who memorized scripture, he could speak as God would to the problem this church was facing. 1 Peter 4:11a "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God..."
We as Christian people are living in a day an age that is full of words of men. Many folks can tell you what they heard on the news, or heard what so and so said on T.V. Often when I am on Twitter, I tell my wife what such and such said. We are saturated by the words of men. But what happens when you and I are faced with a crisis, a crossroads? What occurs when the bottom falls out of your life? A word of man will fail, however a Word from God will prevail. When you and I memorize scripture, we will be able to recall it at a time when a man-made problem needs a God-sized solution. Much more could be said, but lets move onto what else constitutes persistent application of God's word....
James - A strong Christian acts out what He has memorized and read Acts 15:19-35
James the strong Christian knew his Bible. He quoted what he memorized to a needy people. But now James was going to instruct them on how to act on what they heard, read and memorized. Unless you and I apply God's Word, we cannot claim we have understood it nor believed it. James himself writes in James 2:22-24 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."
James quoted more scripture and then he gave further instruction. The assembly agreed, and the church sent out a letter. They not only put prayer to their feet but feet to their prayers. They acted on what they claimed they stood upon. James' influence was not only apparent but evident. These folks rejoiced. God had spoken through this strong Christian. Every child of God has this same opportunity to take their Bible, know it, memorize it and act it out.
May you and I persist in our application of God's Word as strong Christians!
These past three days we have been observing a series of traits from the life of James that characterizes what we are calling: Traits of a Strong Christian. Why James? James wrote the first book of the New Testament - the Epistle of James. James was half-brother of Jesus according to the flesh, as well as the first leader of the church at large in the book of Acts. According to Paul in Galatians 2:19, James, along with the Apostles Peter and John, was considered a "Pillar of the Church". Ample reasons serve to prove why James would be worthy of consideration as a model of a strong Christian.
Thus far in this study we have noted three traits of a strong Christian, strong Christians have....
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
3. Passionate about Jesus
In today's post we are going to consider another trait of a strong Christian, as seen particularly in the life of James, namely Persistent Application of God's Word.
James - a strong Christian who knew God's Word Acts 15:13-15
If we are going to be stronger Christians who persist in our application of God's Word, we must know God's Word. Acts 15 is the account about the Jerusalem Council, an event wherein the predominately Jewish Church had to deal with a terrific problem. The problem was how to instruct Gentiles who were being converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The terrific aspect of this problem was the fact that people were being won to Jesus Christ.
The dilemma was acute - if the early church relaxed its convictions on matters of holiness and compromised too much - then the character of God would be in question. On the other hand, if James and these church leaders placed too many restrictions on the Gentile converts, the Christian movement would had been mired in legalism and dead, dry religion.
James, the strong Christian, stood up in Acts 15:13-14 "After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14“Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." What was he going to say next? Simeon (Peter) just delivered a glorious missions report. People by the hundreds were getting saved. James states in Acts 15:15 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written".
Notice what he says "with this the word of the prophets". James knew where to go in his Bible. He knew God's Word. To apply God's Word, we need to not only know what area of life to apply God's Word, we need to know what area of God's word to bring life's problems to. God's specific solutions are more than enough to deal with life's problems, but you and I need to know God's Word.
But notice second....
James - a strong Christian who memorized God's word Acts 15:16-19
As James addressed this assembly of the early church, he quoted scripture. He not only knew scripture, he memorized it. He was a walking Bible. As a man who memorized scripture, he could speak as God would to the problem this church was facing. 1 Peter 4:11a "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God..."
We as Christian people are living in a day an age that is full of words of men. Many folks can tell you what they heard on the news, or heard what so and so said on T.V. Often when I am on Twitter, I tell my wife what such and such said. We are saturated by the words of men. But what happens when you and I are faced with a crisis, a crossroads? What occurs when the bottom falls out of your life? A word of man will fail, however a Word from God will prevail. When you and I memorize scripture, we will be able to recall it at a time when a man-made problem needs a God-sized solution. Much more could be said, but lets move onto what else constitutes persistent application of God's word....
James - A strong Christian acts out what He has memorized and read Acts 15:19-35
James the strong Christian knew his Bible. He quoted what he memorized to a needy people. But now James was going to instruct them on how to act on what they heard, read and memorized. Unless you and I apply God's Word, we cannot claim we have understood it nor believed it. James himself writes in James 2:22-24 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."
James quoted more scripture and then he gave further instruction. The assembly agreed, and the church sent out a letter. They not only put prayer to their feet but feet to their prayers. They acted on what they claimed they stood upon. James' influence was not only apparent but evident. These folks rejoiced. God had spoken through this strong Christian. Every child of God has this same opportunity to take their Bible, know it, memorize it and act it out.
May you and I persist in our application of God's Word as strong Christians!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
P3 - Traits of a Strong Christian - Passion for Jesus
James 1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
For the past two days we have been exploring traits of a strong Christian. So far in our exploration of the life of James - the half brother of Jesus according to the flesh, we have discovered the following traits:
1. Strong Christians, like James, have a Personal Testimony
2. Strong Christians, like James, Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
In today's post we will notice the third trait of a strong Christianity, namely a Passion for Jesus Christ
James' passion for Jesus' Lordship
As you look at the life of James, the strong Christian, you see the passion he had for the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In James 1:1 we see the NASB and most English translations render James as being a "bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ". In the original text, the term translated "bond-servant" is better translated "slave". As a slave, James is recognizing that he is not his own, he has been bought with a price. (compare 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) As a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, James clearly recognizes himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master.
Unlike 19th century slavery in America, where slaves were viewed as no better than animals, first century slaves in many instances had the potential to have a good life in accordance to the nature of their master. The idea of "Lordship" assumes there having to be a slave. In spiritual terms, this concept carries with it that the nature of the slave comes to mirror the nature of the Master. Romans 6:16 explains - "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" 2 Peter 2:19b states even more briefly - "for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."
James was touched by God's saving grace to see Jesus for who He truly is - Lord. Though growing up in the same household as Jesus, nevertheless the veiled Deity of God the Son was made known in Christ's post-resurrection appearance to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7). James' passion for Jesus stemmed from the fact that He prized the Lordship of Jesus.
James' passion to live for Jesus
The pages of history tell us of the passion that James had for Jesus Christ. Eusebius, the first church historian, tells the story of how James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the self-named Epistle was passionate for Jesus due to His desire to live for Jesus. Writing in the fourth century, Eusebius notes the following about James from Book 2, chapter 23:4-7 of his work "Ecclesiastical History":
"4. James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day; for there were many that bore the name of James. 5. He was holy from his mother's womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head; he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. 6. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people. 7. Because of his exceeding great justice he was called the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek, 'Bulwark of the people' and 'Justice,' in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him.'"
James' life centered around the Lord and His interests. He loved to live for Jesus and He was serious about Christ's Lordship - two essential ingredients for a strong, passionate Christianity. Are you and I passionate about Jesus' authority, Lordship over our life? Are you and I passionate about living for Jesus?
As we close today's blog, I'm reminded of the first stanza of the precious hymn: "Living for Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm, written in 1917:
"Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
For the past two days we have been exploring traits of a strong Christian. So far in our exploration of the life of James - the half brother of Jesus according to the flesh, we have discovered the following traits:
1. Strong Christians, like James, have a Personal Testimony
2. Strong Christians, like James, Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
In today's post we will notice the third trait of a strong Christianity, namely a Passion for Jesus Christ
James' passion for Jesus' Lordship
As you look at the life of James, the strong Christian, you see the passion he had for the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In James 1:1 we see the NASB and most English translations render James as being a "bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ". In the original text, the term translated "bond-servant" is better translated "slave". As a slave, James is recognizing that he is not his own, he has been bought with a price. (compare 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) As a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, James clearly recognizes himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master.
Unlike 19th century slavery in America, where slaves were viewed as no better than animals, first century slaves in many instances had the potential to have a good life in accordance to the nature of their master. The idea of "Lordship" assumes there having to be a slave. In spiritual terms, this concept carries with it that the nature of the slave comes to mirror the nature of the Master. Romans 6:16 explains - "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" 2 Peter 2:19b states even more briefly - "for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."
James was touched by God's saving grace to see Jesus for who He truly is - Lord. Though growing up in the same household as Jesus, nevertheless the veiled Deity of God the Son was made known in Christ's post-resurrection appearance to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7). James' passion for Jesus stemmed from the fact that He prized the Lordship of Jesus.
James' passion to live for Jesus
The pages of history tell us of the passion that James had for Jesus Christ. Eusebius, the first church historian, tells the story of how James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the self-named Epistle was passionate for Jesus due to His desire to live for Jesus. Writing in the fourth century, Eusebius notes the following about James from Book 2, chapter 23:4-7 of his work "Ecclesiastical History":
"4. James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day; for there were many that bore the name of James. 5. He was holy from his mother's womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head; he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. 6. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people. 7. Because of his exceeding great justice he was called the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek, 'Bulwark of the people' and 'Justice,' in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him.'"
James' life centered around the Lord and His interests. He loved to live for Jesus and He was serious about Christ's Lordship - two essential ingredients for a strong, passionate Christianity. Are you and I passionate about Jesus' authority, Lordship over our life? Are you and I passionate about living for Jesus?
As we close today's blog, I'm reminded of the first stanza of the precious hymn: "Living for Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm, written in 1917:
"Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
- Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)