Forgiveness: The hub of Christian identity

Philemon 17-18 "If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account"

What is forgiveness?
The little book of Philemon is completely dedicated to the theme of forgiveness.  In studying the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words used in the Bible for "forgiveness", we find the following definitions: to let go or to release from guilt and further accusation.  Forgiveness can only be effectively done and make sense when expressed in light of the cross.  (Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:13) Though unbelievers everyday may express forgiveness, it will not have the affect nor will it make total sense outside the cross.  The only thing that makes sense in our unbelieving world is vengance.  As we will see, at the cross, things are reversed.  The grounds of accusation and vengance are revoked - leaving only mercy and grace as the options that can be received into the heart that by faith will look to Christ as Savior and Lord.  (Ephesians 1:7)

Why is the Book of Philemon a book of forgiveness?
The book of Philemon is about Onesimus, a run away slave, who had stolen everything from his master - Philemon.  Onesimus had escaped to Rome, hoping to find his freedom.  Instead he ended up in worse trouble (though in God's Sovereign plan nothing could be better) - landing in jail with the Apostle Paul.  This runaway would had been branded a Fugitive (fugitivas) by the Roman Empire.  According to Roman custom, if the slave owner so chose, he could have the "Fugative" excuted.  In the course of Onesimus' incarceration, he became converted under Paul's preaching.  Paul  wrote this letter to Philemon, who happened to be Paul's friend and Onesimus' owner.   Would Philemon forgive? Will Onesimus be regarded not merely as a slave but also a fellow brother in Christ?  These are the questions the Book of Philemon will aim to answer. 

How forgiveness is the hub of Christian identity
Pastor John MacArthur has noted that we are never more like Jesus Christ than when we forgive.  Forgiveness lies at the heart of true Christian identity.  How is it that forgiveness is at the core of Christian identity?  Consider the following thoughts from Philemon:

1. Christians have no right to be unforgiving. Philemon 1
Paul writes in Philemon 1a "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus....", which tells us that his own self-perception was that of a man without rights.  The man who composed this little letter under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost was saying that as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, he had no rights.  To forgive first and foremost means letting go of "my so-called" rights to hold the grudge and to remain angry. Forgiveness means I choose to no longer accuse the other person who very may well deserve nothing but justice and scorn.  Nonethless Christians have no right to hold grudges, but rather to forgive, as the Lord forgave them. (Colossians 3:13)

2. Christian fellowship depends on forgiveness. Philemon 1b-2
Philemon 1b-2 reads - ..."and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house." Notice the underlined words of these verses - they all have to do with typical relationships experienced in life and among Christians in fellowship with one another.  Philemon's home was the meeting place of the church at Colosse.  We know this because Archippus in mentioned in that letter, most likely meaning he was its Pastor. (Colossians 4:13)  Even more intriguing is the fact that Apphia is Archippus' mother and Philemon may very well had been her husband and his dad!  Imagine if Philemon would choose not to forgive?  it would set of a chain reaction of a church split, a split family and the dimming of the Gospel witness at Colosse.  Christian fellowship depends on forgiveness, and forgiveness is at the hub of Christian identity.  But also notice....

3. Christian Victory relies upon forgiveness.  Philemon 2
Paul writes in Philemon 2 - "and to Archippus our fellow soldier".  Why is it that so many Christians live defeated lives?  Why are we not all living as "fellow soldiers"?  Because we choose to hold the grudge, take up the offense, rather than letting go in Jesus name.  Jesus taught the principle of forgiving your brother as a means of being more effective in prayer.  Consider Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."

4. Christians hear God through forgiveness. Philemon 3
We read these words in Philemon 3 - "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."  This short epistle is all about forgiveness, but it also reminds us that apart from God's Grace, whereby He gives to us what we do not deserve, forgiveness is an impossibility.  Forgiveness brings me to God when I receive it, because in His grace He offered it to me to believe it.  Jesus says in John 10:27 that every Christian follows Him because at saving grace, every sheep was given that capacity to hear His voice and follow Him.

When Christians refuse to forgive, they dull their ability to hear God in whatever area they have chosen to be bitter. Ephesians 4:30-32 reminds us -  "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. "  More tomorrow....

The only way you can forgive yourself

Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The Christian is primarily a product of Christ's finished work, not their past
Have you ever met anyone who had trouble forgiving themselves?  Perhaps you reading this post today fit into this category.  What does it mean to forgive?  Biblically speaking to forgive is to release or let go of the grounds and authority to condemn someone who has hurt you.  Colossians 3:13 tells us - "forgive as the Lord forgive you".  As author and counselor Niel T. Anderson notes: "whenever anyone has believed on Jesus Christ, they are not longer a product of their past, since everything in their lives is now defined by what Christ has accomplished on their behalf." 

What if I'm not a Christian
The ability to forgive others is based upon what Christ has done on the cross.  If you have received by faith the forgivness of sins through Jesus Christ, then you have every provision available to forgive anyone.  If you have not yet  believed on Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and treasure, I urge you do as the scriptures states in Romans 10:8-10 "But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."  

Why the past needs to be regarded as the past, rather than the present - exploring the meaning of "forgiving yourself"
Living with guilt and remorse from the past can paralyze you if you are convinced that who you are is defined by what you did or who you were at the time you did what you did.  But what about forgiving yourself?  What does it mean to forgive yourself? Lets consider some thoughts from Ephesians 2 on how it is you can forgive yourself.

1. Recognize your past identity and life to be dead
To "forgive yourself" in the Christian sense can only be done when you receive God the father's testimony of your new found identity in Jesus Christ.  Note this: there is no command in scripture that speaks about forgiving yourself, however there are tons of scriptures that speaks of God forgiving and accepting the believer in Christ.  "Forgiving yourself" is another way of really saying: "I accept by faith what God the Father declared about me as a believer in the scripture".  Who you were and whose you were is replaced by now affirming who you are and whose you are.  Paul in this chapter labors to demonstrate that who the Ephesians were no longer applies nor has grounds to accuse who they are in Christ.  Note what he says:

Who I was and whose I was
-"And you were dead in your tresspasses and sins" 2:1
-"in which you formerly walked" 2:2
-"according to the prince of the power of the air" 2:2
-"among them we formerly lived" in the lusts of our flesh 2:3
-(we were) indulging the desires of the flesh 2:3
-we were by nature children of wrath 2:3
-Therefore remember that formerly.... (see, this is who you were) 2:11
-remember at that time you were separate...excluded...strangers...no hope...without God...2:12

Before you received Christ by grace through faith, who were you? Dead, bound in lust and desire, children of wrath, without hope and without God.  Before you received Christ by grace through faith, whose were you? You were under the tyranny of Satan.  You were enslaved by your desires.  You were a product of your past, your family, your habits, your old identity in fallen Adam. 

Do you accept God's testimony in His word that this is who you were?  that it is past tense? that you are no more that person? If so, you are well on your way to "forgiving yourself".  But notice what else Ephesians 2 has to say.

2. Choose to receive what God in Christ has said about you instead
To forgive yourself in Christ is to receive and accept what God has already said about your past.  In Christ, the power of the past to influence who you are is broken and is no more. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Ephesians 2 is a fine example of demonstrating what God has to say about the Christian's new identity:

Who I am and whose I am
-"But God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us" - Ephesians 2:4 Hence you are loved by God believer.
-"even when we were dead....He made us alive together with Christ Ephesians 2:5
-"raised us up with Him" Ephesians 2:6
-"seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Ephesians 2:6
-"So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ" Ephesians 2:7
-"But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near"  Ephesians 2:13
-"For He Himself is our peace.... Ephesians 2:14
-"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household" Ephesians 2:19

So in Christ, by faith, who are you? You are loved, accepted and a new creature in Christ.  You have peace with God, a new position and newly given ability to live out whom God has declared you to be.  Whose are you? You are owned by Christ, in association with Him. 

Do you accept God's testimony about who you are and whose you are? Do you receive instead your new identity in Christ? If you do, then forgiving yourself will be no problem, since in Christ Jesus, the past is the past.  So when you regard your former identity to be dead, and choose to receive what God has said about you instead....

3. Only then can you move on ahead
Forgiving yourself is receiving the fact that God has accepted you in Christ.  Now of course you may ask: what about the consequences?  Certainly when we forgive others or "ourselves", we still may very well have to deal with the consequences of our past.  However, in Christ, when you come to terms with what you did to bring about those consequences, living with them will take on a whole new meaning. 

Only one thing can cleanse the conscience
Forgiveness can only be done in conjunction with the cross, since only at the cross is the past offenses erased and the declaration of innocence made by God over the believer. (Colossians 3:13)  Beating yourself up and condemning yourself is not honoring to God nor effective in washing the past away.  Nothing you and I can do can atone or appease the decisions we rendered in the past.  However, what Christ accomplished, when received by faith, alone appeases and atones for the things of not only the past, but also the future. 

Colossians 2:18a states - "Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement. . . "  Only the blood of Jesus Christ, applied to you at the moment of saving faith, can cleanse your sins. (Isaiah 53:4-6)  Furthermore, only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse away the guilt of your conscience not only at your conversion, but also in your walk of faith following your conversion. (Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 1:9)  Can the accusations and memories of your conscience be silenced? Yes! Through the blood of Christ. 

Forgiving yourself means accepting God's forgiveness of you in Christ
In sum, we have discovered the only way you can forgive yourself:
1. Recognize your past identity and life to be dead
2. Chose to receive what God in Christ has said about you instead
3. Only then can you move ahead

Its time to be thankful!

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



 

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

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. 

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. 

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."