“HUMANITY’S HISTORY, BUT WITHOUT THE
HEART OF HOLY GOD?”
BY: J.FARRELL FISHER, SEPTEMBER 13-15, 2018
Humanity’s History? The Random House Collegiate Dictionary of 1975 defines history in several ways: “the branch of knowledge dealing with past events,” yet makes NO COMMENT related to humanity’s Creator, humanity’s Savior and Lord, and without any mention related to God’s intent for men, spiritually lost or spiritually “blood-bought” through the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary several thousands of years ago!
But, though useful for ordinary ‘existence’, it blatantly omits the eternal intent of ‘fallen mankind’ being reconciled to God through the blood of the Lamb of God, the historic crucified Christ, resurrected from the dead, and presently reigning at the right hand throne of Father God!
I love Sir Francis Bacon’s comment in The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations entitled “Essays: Of Atheism”, stating, “They that deny a God destroy a man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and if he is not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature.” So True!
Yet fallen humanity’s history of life without God strongly supports its light, limited, ludicrous thinking, high-lighting superficial thinking, when its nothing more than the strongest kind of spiritual unbelief! Unbelief shatters spiritual hope! Unbelief deepens the darkness of the human mind and builds greater destruction of the heart in its moral darkness! Unbelief is the ‘dark art of demonic blindness’, easily substituting ‘moral deserts’ for the Master’s Presence!
Humanity’s history, void of “the heart, mind, intent of Holy God”, built on the faulty, fleshly, finite foundation of ‘self-determination’, is a ‘criminal act’ against the merciful, loving, holy God, like a handful of sand blown back by the Holy Spirit into the faces of stubborn, independent, self-seeking individuals!
In Romans 1:18-25 Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God (Himself) has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse;
Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God FOR THE LIE, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Humanity’s History? A ‘history’ without God? A ‘history’ of men at their ‘best’ (?) and worst without God? A ‘history’ of godlessness that releases the ‘wrath’ of God rather than His mercy, love, and grace? A ‘history’ of ‘fallen men’ that doesn’t seem to change but becomes, at least, a little more acceptable and intelligent about ‘living’ (?) apart from Him?
And, ‘because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,’ (Romans 1:28-2:2), Paul also wrote: ‘God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. 2:1-2, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things’.
Humanity’s History? “Inexcusable before Holy God!” “Given over by God to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, dishonoring their bodies among themselves, and exchanging the truth of God for the Lie (one can ‘sin’ and not die!), and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”( Romans 1:24-25). Since Creation it has always been the spiritual warfare of sinful men against Holy God! It still is! Unredeemed, ‘fallen away’ humanity, has always been, yes, enemies of gracious, merciful, and loving God, proven in and through the sacrificial death of His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and further into human history in ‘our day’, still many, many people worldwide live with no interest in the Resurrected, Reigning Christ!
Humanity’s History? Do you remember Peter writing about “the stumblers”, or those “being disobedient to the Word”, “warriors against the soul” in “fleshly lusts”, “like sheep going astray” from the True Shepherd? But in 1 Peter 4:1-3 he warns the believers about insuring and protecting themselves in walking in the will of God, not in the lusts of fleshly men. He wrote: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has CEASED FROM SIN, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles (or the worldly) (or the unbeliever) – when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” YES! AND THE WORD DECLARES: “ENOUGH OF YOUR SINFUL WAYS! HONOR GOD WITH A HOLY LIFE!”
But “Humanity’s History” is about ‘self’ – GOD’S “HIS-STORY” IS ABOUT THE “SACRIFICIAL LAMB AND HIS BORN-AGAIN CHILDREN OF THE BLOOD ATONEMENT”!! And the history of true believers? In 1 Peter 4:19 the converted fisherman wrote: “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
In Proverbs 12:1-2 Solomon steers all mankind toward the wisdom of God, but not all men are even interested in what Holy God says – they monitor and share their own opinions, but true “seekers” want to know what God says! Solomon wrote: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who ‘hates correction’ is stupid. A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.” Flesh-bent, Hell-bent, Satan-deceived men have no interest in God’s “fruit of the righteous that is a tree of life” because their ‘life-slant’ is monetary wealth, not the wealth of knowing, pleasing, or honoring God, certainly seeing no need of a “savior”! Yet Proverbs 11:30 declares, “The fruit of the righteous IS the tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” That’s wise, righteous, fruitful men who win souls for Christ, while unwise men are out to take care of themselves in satisfying their ‘flesh allegiance’, unaware of a God-ordained “Spirit-allegiance” under the Lordship of Christ!
How alerted are YOU to the matter of, yes, showing personal favoritism, which is so opposite the nature, the character, the ministry of Holy God in His relationships? In James 2:1-12 there is a powerful word of instruction about relationship to God, relationship to others, warning about “personal favoritism” rather than the will, mind, and heart of loving, merciful, caring God! It says: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there”, or “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”
Humanity’s History, BUT WITHOUT THE HEART OF GOD? ‘Judged by the law of liberty’ rather than “graced by Holy God through Christ’s Blood Sacrifice”? What powerful words from James, Jesus’ brother, who wrote in James 2:23-24, And the Scripture WAS FULFILLED which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted (credited) to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
No faith – no works! But truly redeemed by “the blood of the Lamb”, a life “redeemed” is a life “released” in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, ready to serve, serving, and blessing others with the Truth of the eternal Gospel of Christ: “Blood-bought through the sacrifice of Christ “At The Cross”!!” “Humanity’s History?” Jesus died for ALL, but not all for whom He bled and died choose to be “servants”, but feel ‘justified’ in at least being a ‘believer’! That’s ‘phony’ “Humanity’s History”! Which caused James to add in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” He majored on the “royal law of liberty” which clearly defines ‘true believers’ as, yes, “servants of Christ” extending His ministry and expressing His love to others!
When Christ Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Is that ‘freed’ with nothing else expected of “born again believers”? Give me a break! What did Jesus say right before His ascension in Acts 1:8 to His disciples (including us in this 21st Century?): “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Why not examine Acts 2:32? “This Jesus God has raised up, of which WE ARE ALL WITNESSES.”
God raised Jesus up? But YOU are not sure He’ll raise you up? Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in her book entitled “The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning”, the last part of a lengthy poem, said, (p.290), about ‘unbelievers’ who just couldn’t “Trust and Obey”,
“And well may the children weep before you; They are weary ere they run; They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory Which is brighter than the sun;
They know the grief of men, but not the wisdom; They sink in the despair, without the calm – Are slaves, without the liberty in Christdom – Are martyrs, by the pang without the palm – Are worn, as if with age, yet unretrievingly No dear remembrance keep -, Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly; Let them weep! Let them weep!”
I cannot even begin to fathom the utter despair of those who hear about Jesus, turned away from Him with deafened ears, but ‘live’ eternally in Hell, hearing, hearing, hearing Truth, but no way now to appropriate His love, His grace, His mercy, deaf ears, hardened hearts, deceived minds, that are the strong tools of Satan keeping them eternally bound from, yes, the Savior of Calvary and the empty tomb!!