THE GREATNESS OF GOD
BY: J.FARRELL FISHER
I Chronicles 16:25-26, “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.”
INTRODUCTION
It is no doubt that I Chronicles 16:25-26 declares the greatness of our God and Father – the Triune God of three identities: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but only ONE GOD!
He reveals Himself in three distinct ways: 1) As Father-God seated on the Throne of Heaven ruling and reigning, 2) As God the Son, yes, born of the virgin Mary, truly bodily form as the “Promised Messiah,” Immanuel: “God in Flesh”, and the sacrificial gift of God as Savior and Lord, living, crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended to Heaven, soon to come again to this earth, 3) As God the Holy Spirit testifying of Jesus and empowering Jesus’ witnesses!
That unveiling of the Godhead should shock you, if necessary, into a celebratory lifestyle, filled with continual thanksgiving for God’s reaching down and out and around to all the world! “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…!!!”
If this world of ours is the gift of God, an expression of His love and grace, and the very proof of His eternal power and Godhead, then continually there should be praise and adoration, thanksgiving, exalting His Name, bowing before Him in our hearts and on our knees, and overflowing with hymns of praise and honor for His Son, our Savior, and His saving grace and mercy! Oh, there are times when God is silent! We’ll examine that as we move along together over the next weeks and/or months, but one thing we can be assured of: His silence before us may be one of His great moments of respect and confidence in you and me because we realize “without a word” we have been, are, and forever will be confident that we’ve heard His voice before, and His silence toward us is acknowledgement that He trusts us, is pleased with us, and His silence before you builds confidence and assurance in you that, yes, “I’ve heard His voice before, and I’ll hear it again. For the present, I’m moving on toward Him, blessed by His grace and mercy and love. He will not forever be silent with His son/daughter – I’m His!!”
I love Moffatt’s translation of 2 Peter 1:5 where Peter said “Add to your faith virtue..” Moffatt said: “Furnish your faith with resolution.” And certainly if God has been silent with you, we need to, yes, “furnish our faith with resolve that we’re moving on with Him because ‘The Greatness of God’ is not an untruth, unsupported, or even invalidated by a period of silence on His part!”
Have YOU heard His voice? Have you witnessed His greatness? Are you awed at even the mention of His Name? Do you erupt in hymns of praise because you’ve witnessed His mighty deeds? Tell me, as you look at Jesus on the Cross, what are your thoughts about “The Great God” who became your “Suffering Servant”? This is going to be an interesting journey!!
OUTLINE
CHAPTER ONE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE!”
CHAPTER TWO: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD!”
CHAPTER THREE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? YES, HIS AMAZING GRACE! BESTOWED GRACE – BLESSED VICTORY!”
CHAPTER FOUR: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS UNDYING LOVE!”
CHAPTER FIVE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS HOLY HEART OF HEALING MERCY AND GRACE!”
CHAPTER SIX: “GOD’S GREATNESS? CHRIST’S RESIDENCE – RESIDENT GLORY!”
CHAPTER SEVEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SPIRIT-POWER IN YOU!”
CHAPTER EIGHT: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SALVATION FOR ALL NATIONS!”
CHAPTER NINE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS DELIVERANCE!”
CHAPTER TEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SACRED JUDGMENT!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS EXPOSURE OF LIMITED LIVES OR ETERNAL DESTINIES!”
CHAPTER TWELVE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS CONVICTION AND THE GREATNESS OF HIS CONVERSIONS!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS GUIDANCE!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATER WITNESS OF GOD’S ETERNAL LIFE!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS UNACCEPTANCE OF OUR INCOMPLETENESS!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS AWARENESS OF ALL THINGS NAKED AND OPENED!”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS TREASURES IN EARTHEN VESSELS!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN: “GOD’S GREATNESS? GREAT MEN, GREAT DESIGNS, GREAT HOPE, GREAT CHANGES!”
CHAPTER TWENTY: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS PROMISE OF PERFECT PEACE THROUGH A STAYED MIND!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS ASCRIBED GREATNESS!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: “GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS CONFRONTATION WITH SINNERS AND HIS ADMITTANCE OF TRUE REPENTERS!”
CHAPTER ONE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE!”
I Chronicles 29:11-13 is David’s testimony of God’s greatness. He said, “Yours O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in her “Rhyme of the Duchess May,” wrote: “And I smiled to think God’s greatness flowed around our incompleteness, – Round our restlessness, His rest.” It is so amazing to me that God looked around the fallen world of rebellious mankind, saw our restlessness, our incompleteness, our sin, and decided to sacrifice Himself that we might be reconciled to Him!
Greatness, graciousness, goodness are the outward flow of the very heart of Holy God. And the spiritually “alive” heart and mind of mankind is the abiding consciousness of the reality of God and one’s need of Him in us so beyond our breathing capacity – what is ‘breath’ if one doesn’t live in the ‘blessing’ of His Holy Presence in us?
In Acts 17 Paul addressed the men of Athens, preaching to them Jesus and the resurrection. They said he was bringing “strange things to our ears”. He stood before them boldly, declaring that he perceived them to be “very religious.” He saw an inscription on an altar “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul said, Verse 23, “Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.”
Paul preached in verses 26-27, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;” Verse 28, “for in Him we live and move and have our being,…”
Then the challenge to “repent” came because “God…now commands all men everywhere to repent”, and then announced Jesus as “the Man by whom He [God] would judge the world in righteousness.” The assurance Paul knew they needed? Verse 31, “…He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
And when you read Paul’s message in Acts 17 to the Athenians, you realize his understanding of the very desire of God to be the God of spiritual government over and in men’s minds and hearts! Revelation 4:9-11 tells us: “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’”
If God dwells where the “eternal Throne is,” if God “sits on the Throne,” and if Holy God desires we see the “Throne-room,” what do we see? John said in Revelation 5:6 that “I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb,” and around Him the saints were singing a new song, Verse 9-10, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” And then with a loud voice John heard multitudes of angels saying with a loud voice, Verse 12, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing,” followed by every creature in heaven and earth saying, Verse 13, “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Oh, and then? There was an “AMEN”! “So be it, Lord!”
By God’s will we exist! For God’s purpose we are alive on planet-earth! From the Throne God reaches down to reconcile us to Himself through the shed blood of Jesus who IS the Lamb of God! “God’s Greatness? For His Name’s Sake!” And He is very clear: “You shall have no other gods before Me!” But, of course, we know and understand that “fallen man” decided for himself his own strange gods! Beyond that, there are those who “draw near” the one true and living God, yet will not yield, surrender, or declare allegiance to Him! In Mark 12:28-34 we read about one of the scribes “having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He [Jesus] had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’…
Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second like it is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’”…
So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”…
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him… Why was that? Because acceptance of Truth is not application of Truth to one’s life! Sorry, but our Lord says, “Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, but you do not do what I say?”
“God’s Greatness? For His Name’s Sake?” Jesus said what? “You can be exact in ‘doctrine’ but void of “Truth” in practice! You can affirm “Truth”, then deny its necessity for your daily life and walk! You can get exposed to the “Light” and choose to walk in darkness!”
“God’s Greatness? For His Name’s Sake?” “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.”
No wonder David, the king, cried out to the Lord God Almighty, Psalm 25:4-5, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day!!!” In James 2:23 we read, 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.
If God is exalted as head over all, are YOU included? Have you yielded your life to the ownership, administration, and leadership of the Holy God of Calvary who paid the price for your sins in His own blood? Are you identified as “the friend of God”? You are aware that “Christ [IS] the power of God and the wisdom of God,” because “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men,” [I Corinthians 1:24-25]!
So, the “redeemed” glory only in the Lord, resting in God’s “greatness” because all of life is “For His Name’s Sake”!! In Deuteronomy 7:8-10 we read “because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you…Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”
I think this is why we read in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” It was interesting to read Eugene Asa Carr’s statement from his “Freedom From Fear” writing. He said: “The only sure way to take fear out of living is to keep a respectful fear of God in our lives, which means to maintain a reverent attitude toward His place and influence in the scheme of things. This brand of fear is a healthy ingredient, a deterrent to want, a spur to courage and confidence, an insurance against loss, a source of comfort and understanding at any age.”
I have no hesitation in saying that Biblical fear is the holy, reverential awe of God! There is nothing precarious, harmful, or insecure about one who “fears God”! Psalm 111:9-10 tells us, “He [God] has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” Yes, “fear” biblically IS reverential awe, but “fleshly fears” are evil because they are totally absent of confidence and trust in the saving, completing grace of God, even blind to His eternal watch-care over His own!
But in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 we find amazing words of grace and hope from God Himself. Paul wrote: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For “we are to God” the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” It may shock you: But God intends you to be the extension of Christ’s resurrection life, an expression of His eternal love, and, yes, the proof of His awesome power!
2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” yes, through His children of faith who “lean not to their own understanding, but in all their ways acknowledge Him,” your life the vessel through which Jesus touches our world with grace and mercy!
In I Corinthians 9:22 Paul writes: “…I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Oswald Chambers said in his book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.221], “All God’s men are ordinary men made extraordinary by the matter He has given them. Unless we have the right matter in our minds intellectually and in our hearts affectionately, we will be hustled out of usefulness to God.” Usefulness to God? You’re the “zero” – He’s our everything! You’re the vessel – He’s the eternal content able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” [Ephesians 3:20]. You’re the “body” – He’s the fullness of resurrection life, power, and hope!
“God’s greatness? For His Name’s Sake?” Eternal salvation is not the open door to one’s ‘self-promotion’ in the world, but taking a life, emptying that life, crucifying that life, and making available a person fully surrendered to the eternal intent of God through him or her! “Christ in you the hope of glory”!!
But there are those so unaware of the truth of God’s holy presence in them through Christ that they live “believing” but with a ‘fractionalized presence’ and not the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ! They are void of understanding of God’s “indwelling presence” and His “divine ability” to glorify Himself through your ‘vessel’, your ‘walk,’ your ‘talk,’ your ‘availability’ to all He is and desires to be through you!!
This is why we read in Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him [in Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him…!!!” What’s God up to in your available life? 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us: “For He [God[ made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Isn’t THAT ‘God’s greatness’ for His name’s sake?
“In Christ – the fullness of the Godhead bodily?” Look carefully at John 17:1-4! Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work You have given Me to do.” Isn’t that “God’s Greatness” FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE?!?
Earlier in John 8:13 the Pharisees said to Jesus, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” But it is “eternally true”! God’s Word is living, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword! Someone anonymously wrote: “God is great, and therefore He will be sought; He is good, and therefore He will be found.” And because Jesus, the Word, has come, we know His witness is true as He unveiled the heart of God at Calvary! YES! “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” [2 Corinthians 5:21].
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” AND GOD CREATED!!!
It was Arthur Campbell Ainger who wrote “God Is Working His Purpose Out.” It says, “God is working His purpose out as year succeeds year, God is working His purpose out and the time is drawing near;…
Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be, When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.”
Why? How? Because “God proved His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” But some men have a problem with God because they have a problem in themselves! Isaiah 59:8 says, “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Paul described “fallen humanity” in Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Isn’t that “God’s Greatness” “For His Name’s Sake?”!??
In Ephesians 4:18 Paul described “unbelievers” as “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…”
Oh, but God Himself gives us a promise in Psalm 9:10, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Are you a “seeker” after God? Do YOU “know” His name? Have you “trusted” His ‘finished work’ in Christ at the Cross and the empty tomb? Are you like Enoch “walking with God”? Are you aware of “the gaze of God”? In Genesis 16:13 we read, Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You-Are-The-God-Who Sees;” for she said, : “Have I also seen Him who sees me?” God’s very eyes are on you and me right now! “God’s Greatness? For His Name’s Sake?”
In Genesis 21:33 Abraham had planted a tree, “and there called on the name of the Lord, ‘the Everlasting God.’” In Exodus 6:3 God says He appeared to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.”
Even as early as Exodus God renewed His covenant with His people. He said in Exodus 34:14, (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God). He’s passionate for you, but what about your devotion to Him? In Psalm 72:17 we read, “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.”
God’s Name? Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! His Name is Emmanuel, “God with us,” His Name is Savior, Lord, Redeemer, Deliverer, Healer, Gracious God, Merciful God, Omnipotent God, the God of All Glory, Honor, and Power, Living God, Righteous God, King of kings and Lord of lords, Shepherd, Master, Word of God, Lamb of God, Lord God Almighty, Eternal God, the Rock of Israel, the Rock of ages, the Rock of our Salvation, Wise God, Merciful God, Loving God, God of the Cross, God of the Empty Tomb, Reigning God on Heaven’s Throne, God My Father, God of Eternal Light, the God of our Salvation, God in Christ who reconciles us to Himself, the God of Healing Grace and Mercy, God of the Winds and Waves, the God who is the sinners’ Friend, the God of Eternal Forgiveness, God the Master of the universe, God of the Holy Word, God of the Holy Will, God of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Eternal God, Eternal Ruler and Master and Lord of all!
Leigh Mitchell Hodges, in “Processional,” [1933], wrote: “Lord of the light unfading From day to reborn day; God of the world’s brocading This planet’s nightly way;…
Master of Hope, and builder Of life’s immortal span, Now, when the days bewilder, Thunder again to man!”
I can only say, “My one desire in writing this book about God is that HE ‘thunders’ again to you personally and redemptively!!” Amen? And you respond, “Glory be to God, my Lord and Savior, who still does ‘Great Things’!”
CHAPTER TWO
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD!”
It was Nicholas Rowe who said, “The narrow soul knows not the godlike glory of forgiving.” I have to admit that for many, many years I was that “narrow soul” who did not understand the fullness and blessing of “divine forgiveness” even though ‘growing up’ (?) in the church. At three years of age my parents divorced and I was taken to my mother’s parents and lived with them until I was about twelve years of age when my mother remarried.
Yes, though in the church all those years, I was about 37-38 years of age when I learned all the truth of my parents’ divorce. First, I went to my father to ask his forgiveness because I had ‘bought a lie’ about why he had left me when it was my mother who brought on the divorce. After forgiving my dad I then went to my mother’s hospital room to ask her forgiveness for my bitterness toward her. To say that I experienced “relief” is an under-statement! A heavy, heavy burden was gone!
I’m sure many, like me, learn more than belief about forgiveness – they learn the blessing of God! Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” It was Hannah More who wrote: “A Christian will find it cheaper to pardon than resent. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” Do YOU know anything about that statement?
I’m so awed as I remind myself of God’s greatness as expressed in His great love for us in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son and our Savior the Lord Jesus! Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God has made Him [Jesus] to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God.” What a miracle of amazing grace and eternal love! Certainly ‘forgiveness’ is a necessary part of the human element of life, but it is so much more! “Forgiveness,” divine forgiveness, is ,yes, so beyond our flesh and temporal existence – there IS the spiritual and eternal realm that cannot, must not, will not be missed!
It was Mark Twain who said: “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it.” Do you know anything about “being crushed,” “ignored,” “set aside as unimportant,” or “lied about”? And, of course, that relates to our natural, physical, human level, but what about relationship to the God who made us, lost us, and then bought us with a price? Has He proven His unconditional love to us?
There was a little boy who was learning to repeat the Lord’s Prayer when one night at his bedside he prayed: “And forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are dead against us.” Not exactly biblical, but certainly practical because there are those who are “dead against us” – and we MUST forgive them.
Edwin Hubbell Chapin said, “Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it foregoes revenge, and dares to forgive an injury.” I know very few people on the journey of life who’ve lived it without injury, insults, harmful words spoken to them and against them, who lived with unforgiveness and had a blessed, fruitful life – existence would be a better description.
It was William Cowper, in “Mutual Forbearance Necessary to the Happiness of the Married State,” who said: “The kindest and the happiest pair will find occasion to forbear; And something, every day they live, To pity, and perhaps forgive.” Has forgiveness been ignored, denied, or just flushed in one’s ‘toilet-like’ heart? If a marriage “survives” apart from forgiveness in the daily walk, be assured you’ll witness one or both marriage partners being strangled by their unforgiveness! But there’s a song we sing in our church fellowship that speaks of “wearing forgiveness as a crown”!
That’s so true for redeemed believers by the Blood of the Lamb of God shed at Calvary’s Cross because the “sin debt” was washed away, new life was instilled, and Jesus, living within us, always points us to freedom to choose His Way and not our way of fleshly slavery to our former bondage of an unforgiving spirit! We “wear forgiveness as a heavenly crown!” I don’t know who wrote it, but the following words are so insightful for the one who desires to walk as our Savior walked. “Great God, the treasures of Your love are everlasting mines; Deep as our greatest miseries are, and boundless as our sins.” But Jesus’ blood sacrifice, yes, washes us clean, frees us, and empowers us to be ‘overcomers’, not overcome, overrun, or over-loaded with unforgiveness! Did you hear that poetic word? The “spiritual mines of God,” loaded with the divine “ores” of forgiveness, are never too deep, too strong, too enslaving for Him to “break the chains”! “Whosoever ‘trusts,’ ‘relies upon,’ ‘rests in Him,’ will not be overloaded and enslaved to that devilish spirit of unforgiveness!”
I pray that you’re a “Psalms-person” and that you spend time there in your spiritual journey. Psalm 32:1-2 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Unforgiveness is the word for those who refuse to allow the Spirit and Word of God to rule in their hearts, minds, relationships, or tests! But “forgiveness” gives God room to be Himself in any life that chooses His Way! Is that YOU?
What did the Lord, your Redeemer, say in Isaiah 43:25? “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the prodigal son experience, you’ll find it in Luke 15:11-24. I call him “the gathered goner” who began a “sinister separation” which every sinful man has been a part of, ending up “dumpster diving, pigging out, anxious for even ‘slop’ the hogs treasured, yes, treasuring trash for a period of time”! But if you didn’t know it, were totally unaware of it, your sin separates you from Holy God, and we just read in Isaiah 43:25 that your loving Father “blotted out your transgressions, and because of the Cross, remembers your sin no more.” So now it’s not “your sin or sin nature” but the heart of unbelief that separates you from Holy God!
Sinners ARE “prodigals” alienated, separated, living their own lives selfishly, even objecting, resenting, opposing the grace and mercy of God! But we just read of a rebellious man who came to his spiritual senses to say to his father, “Father, I have sinned!”
Do you remember Paul’s declaration in Romans 7:24-8:2? “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin…
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Are you not aware that to walk according to your “flesh” is one choosing to walk under the controlling influence of one’s old, Adamic sin nature, fully and totally separated from God, even for some with a mental consent of God’s reality? But as Paul learned of liberty and freedom in Christ, so can you and I ! In I Timothy 1:15-17 Paul wrote: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to ‘those’ WHO ARE GOING TO BELIEVE on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.”
But before we were introduced to the saving grace of God in and through the finished work of Christ at the Cross, we were “lost” men and women, alienated from God, strangers to the covenant of Promise, even mindless of our need of a Savior, fallen away from God and anything to do with Him, badly scarred in character and conscience, void of “Light” and victimized by darkness, and the revelation of both God’s “Living Word” and written Word were “strange” to us!
Then we heard about “amazing grace”! Psalm 103! Verses 1-4 tells us, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR INIQUITIES, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Verse 10, He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
Verse 17, But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.” What an amazing, awesome forgiving God!
Are you sensing as you read that a door has been closed on your sin and guilt because of the shed blood of Christ, but also because of our Lord’s finished work at the Cross and then His Resurrection from the dead, a new door of opportunity has opened to every born-again believer? “Behold, I make all things new!”
Can you grasp, reflect on, hold onto the fact that you’re “singing a new song unto the Lord,” because you are the recipient of a “new Heart” and a “new spirit”? God has even given you a “new name” written down in glory! He says we’ve become in Him those who hold on to the “new covenant”! We’re “new men” with “new tongues” celebrating with “new wine”!
Every day God’s “new people” celebrate a “new and living way” – yes, death has died to His “new creations” and they live a celebratory life of High Praises to God and their King of love, grace, and mercy!
How does one really know? Ask new mothers if they sensed the hunger of their new babies for the milk of their mothers’ warm breasts! And God’s Word tells us, “As newborn babes in Christ desire the sincere milk of God’s Word that you may grow thereby!”
New visions, new dreams, new opportunities, new callings, new ministries, new responsibilities, new provisions, new friends in the Faith, new family, new hope, new future! And it’s ALL because of God’s Greatness as we celebrate the Forgiveness of God!
Don’t you personally find God’s Forgiveness so amazing when you consider He forgave not only your foolish ways, but He has forgiven every man who ever lived of his foolish ways? Forgiveness is His “Banner of Heavenly Love,” His anthem of “Eternal Grace and Mercy,” yes, His Own “Hallelujah Chorus”! It was James Hilton, in his writing “Time and Time Again,” who talked about people forgiving and called it, “squatter’s rights of the heart”! And God Himself? Forever forgiveness is embroidered in His mind, heart, and Spirit!
“Your best” in seeking forgiveness from God is not what He asks for because, as previously noted, the crucifixion of Christ with you with Him was the crucifixion of your worst and your best! Forgiveness is released to any man through repentance toward God and “Faith” in the finished work of Christ at the Cross. Have you forgotten Ephesians 2:8? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” “Thanksgiving” should be the active confession of your redeemed heart to Holy God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who convicted and convinced you of “The Way of the Cross”!!
Have you ever considered or thought about or thoroughly examined the evidences of “divine forgiveness”? Is there flooding your soul a “peace that passes all understanding”? If there is – “divine forgiveness” because of heavenly peace with God through Christ!
Do you understand the “open door” to the very throne room of God? Access to the God of love, your Author of Peace, with a clear conscience washed in the blood of the Lamb, and the Holy Spirit guiding you into all truth?
Because of our Lord’s forgiveness, because of the “open door”, do you receive confidence and assurance of an eternal relationship with the Godhead, plus the assurance of select angels watching over you, plus the assurance you’re in God’s hands, yes, to be His drink offering poured out through your life as His witness? Should I dare even mention God’s “use” of YOU as His witness who has been forgiven? And should I mention you have a reserved seat eternally in Heaven? Do YOU KNOW that YOUR Redeemer lives, and you are ONE WITH HIM? All because of His forgiveness through Him!
“Forgiveness”? It’s the very glory of God fully expressed in the human heart who has repented, confessed, rested in, and celebrating daily His forgiveness and His abiding presence in you and through you!
I want to close this chapter out with some words the Lord inspired me to write, July 22, 2014: “FORGIVENESS FROM GOD”,
“Forgiveness is divine, turning ‘dirty water’ into wine; a Sovereign blessing for the taking as God is eternally making, a broken life, a shattered relationship – yours for the taking.
Life can be difficult, and at times very hard, because around all is broken and you’re very scarred.
Heavy burdens you must bear but every day it seems more and more snares. Offenses happen, and you feel so blurred: “Why did it happen, why did it occur?”
But God has appointed a day of Sovereign healing, Because His Word so unveils His Eternal Purpose revealing.
God so loved He gave to keep our souls from the eternal grave, God so loved His Son to share, to nail Him to the Cross and our sins to bear.
Resurrected Jesus came out of the tomb to reveal God’s able-ness to save us, deliver us from the sin of death, and to stamp us with His image and likeness, forever enveloped in His Holy Presence.
New life, new hope, new power, new opportunity to honor His Son, and our hearts inspire, glorious living to bless our God and our testimony uplifting Jesus in each and every hour.
Flesh was crucified as Jesus took us all to His Cross, granting death to our old man but not to our loss, Because in His resurrection we come to life anew, beginning again a life of blessed hope with Spirit-control to forever ensue.
Each day a new day to bless and honor Him, knowing for certain His Light never dims; Holy Presence to inspire our walk, as moment by moment we so intimately talk.
His faithfulness is promised as our guarantee, no fears, no doubts, no questions will abound, because by His mercy and grace we will not turn around, but forever press in to His shining presence, so kept and guided by His illumining ablebodiedness.
Able to save, able to keep, able to comfort, even when we weep; able to lift, able to love, able to inspire in one’s darkest hour, because His love is strong and to Him we belong, and “Glory to our Lord” is our forever song!
Able to defend when the enemy attacks, our loving God will never turn His back, but boldly reach out His Name to protect, and in love and mercy defend His elect.
“Our God Is Able” is the hymn of the saints, and by His faithful promises the Blood is His paint – He covers our canvas with the Lamb’s precious Life, and, yes, when the enemy comes to blur with strife, when he stirs our “seas” with stormy waters, our Lord and Savior stands up, “Don’t be bothered!”
Jesus says “Peace” when the devil says “trouble” – our Lord says, “Look unto Me,” and we understand: He’s our Overcomer!”
Don’t ever forget, ignore, or set aside Colossians 1:13-14! “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Amen?
CHAPTER THREE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? YES, HIS AMAZING GRACE!”
BESTOWED GRACE – BLESSED VICTORY
In I Corinthians 15:10 Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” The older King James Version says, “His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.” And the older translation is why I chose the title for this chapter as “Bestowed Grace – Blessed Victory”!
When Paul told the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” I personally believe that ‘fear and trembling’ was “holy awe and amazing wonder” as he realized God Himself working out Paul’s redemption and salvation experience as if he were the only man to have ever lived! He’d been a ‘rabbi’, but convicted by the Holy Spirit, experiencing Christ’s resurrected presence on the Damascus Road, learning there was an eternal purpose for him beyond his fleshly credentials, Paul saw the first day of “eternal life” in and through Christ and gave all the glory to Holy God! But then he told the Philippians and us, Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
I would assume personal examination is of the utmost importance: Have I encountered Christ? Have I experienced His mercy and grace? Have I just been a “religious” participant or a “re-born” son or daughter”? Has it been “my” best effort or His grace at work in me and through me? I love Oswald Chambers’ statement in his classic book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.271], when he said: “Our Lord never patches up our natural virtues, He re-makes the whole man on the inside. ‘Put on the new man.’”
God’s grace is not your best ‘grease’, ‘trying’ to slide your way into heaven! As someone has already described it, “Grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”!! In the previous chapter I shared with you Ephesians 1:7 as Paul told us, “In Him [in Christ Jesus, the ‘Beloved’] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” And there it is confronting every one of us: “the riches of His grace”!! You should be absolutely thrilled as you read Genesis 6:5-9, especially seeing verses 8-9, but beginning with verse 5 we read, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart…
So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect [blameless or having integrity] in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
But New Testament times? What about Jude 3-4? “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” They turn the grace of God into lewdness, they deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ – and they’re ‘free and clear and innocent because at least they profess faith in a religion’? In Hebrews 10:29 we read, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?”
Later the author of Hebrews wrote, in Hebrews 12:14-17, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking carefully ‘lest anyone fall short of the grace of God’; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”
Thomas Adams said of grace: “Grace comes into the soul, as the morning sun into the world; first a dawning; then a light; and at last the sun in his full and excellent brightness.” And I’m sure that is so true because of our infancy in faith and we learn that God’s grace grows in us as we yield more and more of the governance of our lives under His Divine Sovereignty and the Lordship of His Son and our Savior and the guidance of His Holy Spirit that empowers us!
Are you familiar with I Peter 3:7? Peter gave a word to husbands but in reality he informed both husbands and wives, men and women, and boys and girls about grace! He said: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and AS BEING HEIRS TOGETHER OF THE GRACE OF LIFE, that your prayers may not be hindered.” That is one “great” statement of understanding beyond dwelling together as husband and wife – both are recipients of the very “grace of life” itself! Yes, your very earthly existence is because of God’s grace of life!
Let me emphasize this as strongly as I know how: You are living today because of God’s gift of the grace of life! John 3:3 declares, “All things [even human beings birthed through a mother by the seed of the father?] were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
You would think that all would be overflowing with thanksgiving, with gratitude, with celebration of Holy God because of His gift to every human being of the gift of life, but far too many see themselves as accidents of human nature! I’m not sure “all” have experienced what John Milton wrote about in his “Paradise Lost” when he said: “Prevenient grace descending had removed The stony from their hearts.” Today multitudes remain with “stony hearts” and have no desire to even reflect upon the awesome “grace of God”! But Proverbs 3:34 tells us, “He [the Lord] gives grace to the humble.” The “grace of life itself” is because of “the grace of God Himself”!
The beloved John wrote, John 1:14, “And the Word [Christ Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.” In fact, John added in verse 17, “For the law was given through Moses, but “grace and truth” came through Jesus Christ.” Oh, and then James builds on the foundation of Christ and says in James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” And, no doubt, the question for your “life” NOW and for ETERNITY is: “Have YOU humbled yourself before the Lord” in repentance and faith and full surrender? Then Paul, in Ephesians 2:7, shared with us, “that in the ages to come He [God] might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
God’s kindness toward us in Christ Jesus enlightens us as to His “great” and “merciful” kindness, and it reveals “the exceeding riches of His grace”!! I like what Jonathan Edwards once said about grace: “Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected.” And beyond the grace of physical life, there is the grace of a “new-born life” that matures, grows, inspires, and even becomes able to interpret “glory” as “grace perfected”!
And in Acts 13:43 Paul was encouraging new believers, telling them, persuading them “to continue in the grace of God.” But, of course, we are aware that there are those who interpret God’s grace as their “best-effort-grease”, and all they do is slide around and around but never toward the blessing of kingdom-living!
“Yes,” there is the grace of God that IS the very breath of life! “Yes”, there is the grace of God that IS the gift of eternal life in Christ! Paul put it so clearly in Galatians 1:15-16a when he said: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me…!!!” Did you hear His voice? Did you respond in a repentant fashion when He opened your heart and mind through His grace to know Jesus and have Him revealed through your very life?
Oh, and then there is the grace of God’s oversight of your faith-walk in revealing His Son through you to others! Acts 20:24 says: Paul speaking, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
What did Paul declare to the church at Rome? Romans 1:5, “Through Him [God’s Son Jesus Christ] we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, Verse 6, among whom YOU ALSO ARE THE CALLED OF JESUS CHRIST..”
In “receiving grace”, God qualifies every recipient of that grace to be a “gracious witness”! In fact didn’t Hebrews 12:1 mention us “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”? That’s witnesses of “The Great Commission” declaring Christ in an unsaved world! Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:17 after telling him that he had to defend himself alone but he said, “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” Have you received or accepted His divine grace in empowering you to be a faithful witness?
Notice also that “in Christ”, receiving “saving grace”, we receive the grace that girds or strengthens or continually supports! Romans 5:20b-21 says, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
What did the prophet Isaiah say in Isaiah 40:29-31? “He [God] gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
When God’s grace abounds in one’s life there is also a distinct aura or glow of the very glory of God on and in the inner man! When Paul told the Corinthians, I Corinthians 10:31, ‘…WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD,’ Oswald Chambers wrote in his book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.238], “It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us. If we do not want mediaeval haloes, we want something that will make people say – ‘What a wonderful man of prayer he is! What a pious devoted woman she is!’ If you are rightly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the sublime height where no one ever thinks of noticing you, all that is noticed is that the power of God comes through you all the time.” Amen?
Also, when one looks to Christ concerning “grace”, how could that seeking soul overlook or by-pass Psalm 45 where there is a song of love “concerning the King”? Verse 2 says, “You are fairer than the sons of men; GRACE IS POURED UPON YOUR LIPS; THEREFORE GOD HAS BLESSED YOU FOREVER.” And then in Verse 7 the song says of our King, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
As Jesus taught His disciples the ‘beatitudes,’ he declared to them that suffering and persecution would be a part of their journey, but then said in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” “Glad”? “Gladness”? Because one walks with Christ? Well, if you’re walking with Christ, if He’s anointed you with His oil of gladness, if you’re loving righteousness, then the haters of divine righteousness will hate you, and if you hate wickedness, be assured, persecution, isolation, indifference to you will be on your table – get ready! But “the oil of gladness overflows” from your life!
It just gets better and better! I Corinthians 1:4-9 tells us, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you “were enriched” by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Have you grasped the reality that whatever He asks of you He grants you the “gifts” needed to honor Him and bless others through your witness? Did Paul say “that you come short in no gift”? Paul said in I Corinthians 3:10 that “according to the grace of God which was given to me, [given to Paul but not to you and me?], as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.”
In the economy of God in ushering in His Kingdom on earth through Christ, our Lord and Savior “picks us,” calls us out, and gifts each disciple to extend His Kingdom, express His love, and prove His power. Have you made yourself available to the Lord, receiving the “gifts” He’s designed for you, and you work it out to His glory and honor?
Are you aware of what God tells every “gifted servant” through Paul in encouraging us in His provision for whatever need we have for the particular ministry He’s called us to? 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” Oh, hear me! There is in you as a true born-again believer “the exceeding grace of God IN YOU!!” [2 Corinthians 9:14]. So Paul tells you and me in verse 15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
“BESTOWED GRACE – BLESSED VICTORY!!” In Ephesians 3:6-7 we read, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of God’s promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”
Through the gift of the grace of God we’re not only born-again, but “gifted” in our callings and ministries, fulfilled in us “by the effective working of His power.” And that’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit! Paul said in Ephesians 3:16, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man..” Power to fulfill God’s calling through us is not by our “best efforts,” but our availability to the Holy Spirit in us to anoint us, guide us, teach us, and empower us. We’re vessels, containers, and it’s the Holy Spirit in us that magnifies and glorifies Christ Jesus! It’s why Paul chose to “die daily”!!
Do you have “good hope” for yourself in your walk with Christ? In 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 we read, “NOW may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope BY GRACE, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” That’s my prayer for you, right now, as I write these very words – and although I may not know you, God does – and He hears and answers the prayers of His children of grace and faith in the finished work of Christ!
But, you understand, there are those who live with a “godless hope” and are void of the “good hope by grace”, and end up falling away! 2 Peter 3:17-18 gives us a strong, eye-opening and mind-heart awakening, when Peter wrote passionately: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away by the error of the wicked; but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” Are you “growing in grace”?
“Bestowed Grace – Blessed Victory”? But what if one lives by “abandoned grace”, seeking on their own ‘self-justification’ by their own endeavors, even as some, most, many of the Israelites, sought to be ‘justified’ by keeping God’s Law?
This is why Paul wrote Galatians 5:4, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen [away] from grace.” Do you sense the “smell”? “Self-effort,” even as Judaism sought ‘salvation’ in attempts at keeping God’s Law, unveils the reality of “spiritual death, alienation, separation” from Holy God! Only Jesus saves, redeems, reconciles “sinners” to Holy God through His shed blood alone!
But why are there those who will not listen, refuse to understand, or have no desire of peace with God and the peace of God? There is the “counterfeit of outward allegiance” apart from the desire to be one with God! There are willful deafened ears, there’s even governmental obstruction and defiance of GOD’S TRUTH, there is the parental disease of unbelief that, yes, can extend through generations, there is the devilish, demonic interference, and there is the person enslaved to an old sin nature one refuses to recognize, admit, or denounce, because he/she takes pleasure in their sin and ungodliness! And that’s even having been told, [Romans 3:24], “being justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus!”
“Bestowed Grace – Blessed Victory”? Do you understand that the wealthiest man in the world in monetary riches is spiritually bankrupt before Holy God without Christ as His Savior and Lord? We saw earlier in the opening of this chapter Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Every man, woman on the face of the earth has the eternal opportunity of being “made rich”, exceedingly rich, through the blood of Christ, being reconciled to God, and declared an “heir” of Holy God’s family and resources! What does Paul tell us in Philippians 4:19? “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” But you have a better way?
I want to close out this chapter by sharing Titus 2:11-14 with you. It says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Amen? [Check I Peter 4:10!]
CHAPTER FOUR
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS UNDYING LOVE!”
If God is not love, then the world we live in is empty and, yes, void of True Life! If you are not loving, then your life is empty, void of True Life! The one factor that makes the difference in anyone’s life, “God loved the world, and He loved me in particular – and I receive His love, proven to me in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, knowing, as Paul, ‘I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live because Christ lives in me!’”
But in your life’s journey in Christ there will be times arising, conflicts erupting, troubles exploding, enemies attacking – and you wonder, “Is God’s love real?” In Romans 8:35-39 Paul wrote: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:…
‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’… Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,…
Nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There’s no doubt as Paul wrote that many of his followers had ‘life questions’, those concerned about “trouble in Beulah land”! “What possibly could separate us from the love of Christ?” He mentioned tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the chopping block – but then declared: “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
I love Oswald Chambers’ statement in “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.101], when he wrote: “Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver and Paul is deluded, or some extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God’s character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things. Only one thing can account for it – the ‘love of God in Christ Jesus.’ So, “out of the wreck I rise” every time.” What an awesome declaration!
George Gordon, Lord Byron, in “The Giaour,” wrote: “Devotion wafts the mind above, But Heaven itself descends in love; A feeling from the Godhead caught, To wean from self each sordid thought; A Ray of him who formed the whole; A Glory circling round the soul!” But you didn’t know He circled your soul? If YOU were the only person to ever live, past, present, or future, what Jesus did on the Cross over 2000 years ago, He did it just for YOU, proving God’s love for YOU!!**
Do you remember Jeremiah’s statement in Jeremiah 31:3? “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Drawn to God by His divine creation, drawn to God by His heavenly ‘down-reach,’ drawn to God by His historical record of amazing love, drawn to God by His Holy Word, drawn to God by His army of saints, drawn to God by Christ Himself, drawn to God by His Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, drawn to God by humanity’s reckless abandonment and personal destruction, drawn to God by a loving church and caring fellowship of true believers, drawn to God by humanity’s continual war against Him who they say doesn’t even exist, and they war without winning!
There’s a powerful yet simple statement in I John 4:19 that says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” I John 4:10 tells us, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I hate to burst anyone’s ‘life bubble’, but not a one of us ever loved God FIRST! “We love Him because He first loved us.”
And though the world has truly fallen away from God and His love for it, I believe in a “divine restoration” when fallen men will be or can be reconciled to Holy God, all because of God’s undying love for fallen humanity! “Off-key” lives in the eternal symphony of Holy God can be fine-tuned by the Spirit of God, the blood of Christ, and man’s repentance and faith toward God Himself through Christ our Redeemer! But how does reestablishment happen and, really, who does that include? It’s men and women, boys and girls, who are touched and taken over by the God of Calvary’s love who willingly and gladly rest in our Lord’s finished work at the Cross in our behalf and rest in His forgiveness, His Resurrection Life, and His eternal hope!
That doesn’t mean that every man who ever lived will automatically be redeemed because of what Jesus did in his/her behalf – yes, Jesus shed His blood for all mankind but not all of mankind will be “saved”! Proverbs 21:16 clearly says, “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.” And the assembly of the dead are those who eternally never die but live the existence of death with the devil and his angels.
Psalm 49:13-14 tells us: “This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; ‘Death’ shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.”
But you do discern the difference between those who are ‘the assembly of the dead’ that never die and those who are truly the “children of faith” under the wings of Father-God who live eternally blessed at the Table of the Lord!
All mankind from “the Fall” onward came into this world alienated from Holy God, strangers to the ‘covenant of promise,’ yes, even enemies of Holy God living “under” the domination of the devil and the powers of darkness, even powerfully dictated to by their “old Adamic, fallen, sin nature in opposition to all God is and stands for!”
Yet, where ‘sin’ abounded, the grace of God abounded more fully and completely with the salvation of our souls His driving concern! Before the world was, in the mind and heart of God, Jesus was the Lamb of God slain in His mind and heart before the world was ever created! You didn’t come into this world loving God and neither did I !! “God FIRST loved us!”
Didn’t Paul tell us in Ephesians 2:1-3 that apart from God all men were “dead in trespasses and sins,” didn’t he say we all walked according to the course of a fallen world, didn’t he say we all walked according to the prince of the power of the air, didn’t he say we were all sons of disobedience, walking according to the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and WERE BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH? Oh, but then in Ephesians 2:4 Paul wrote: “But God… But God…But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Verse 5, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..!!” God in Christ set aside His heavenly attire as Ruler of the universe, dressed Himself in ‘human flesh’, chose the bloody robe of a dying Savior and Lord, the true Redeemer, and as He died still proclaimed to the Father, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” willingly shedding His blood that repentant men could be saved!
“God’s Greatness? HIS UNDYING LOVE!” In Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” And what does John 3:16-17 tell us? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son in to the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
It was true before our world was formed and we were birthed by God Himself – “GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD”, and it has never changed, even in the world’s rebellion, disbelief, sinful rebellion, and promotion of “death” rather than God’s “gift of eternal life” in and through Christ alone! How do you react to John 3:14-15? “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man [Jesus Christ, Promised Messiah] be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him [trusts in, relies upon, adheres to] should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“God’s Greatness? HIS UNDYING LOVE?” Several things you must wrap your mind, heart, and will around: 1) Jesus’ Undying Love was and is Eternally Pre-Existent! Before the world was even created, Jesus was and is! He was and is “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth!”
2) Jesus’ Undying Love was and is Eternally Present! Present before the world was, present as the world was created, present as the world “fell away” and “rebelled against Holy God,” present as God foretold of a “Coming Messiah, Lord, and Savior,” present physically in our fallen world born of the Virgin Mary, present as He was rejected by both the religious world and the rebellious world, present in His nailing to the Cross as the Son of God and Savior of sinful man, present in the Supernatural Resurrection, present in His Ascension and present intercession, and HE WILL BE PRESENT AS HE COMES THE SECOND TIME, King of kings and Lord of lords!
3) Jesus’ Undying Love was and is Eternally Proving God’s Divine Intent: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
Hear me! It is not ‘religion’ that reconciles lost men to Holy God but relationship to the King of kings and Lord of lords because of His substitutionary sacrifice and amazing resurrection from the dead! ‘Religion’ is enslavement deeper and stronger – Jesus IS eternal freedom!
4) Jesus’ Undying Love was and is Eternally Preparing Us and, yes, the world around us, for “OUR” Undying Love and Service to Holy God and to all His Royal Family! That’s eternally preparing us to stand in God’s Holy Presence!
Personally, I can only imagine every disciple on his knees worshipping, blessing, honoring God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!
5) Jesus’ Undying Love was and is Eternally Powerful! Follow Spurgeon as he preached about his maturing love for Christ! [Spurgeon’s Sermons, Memorial Library, Vol. 5, p.325], “Ask a young Christian why he loves Christ, and he will tell you, ‘I love Christ because He has bought me with His blood!’ Why do you love God the Father? ‘I love God the Father because He gave His Son for me.’ And why do you love God the Spirit? ‘I love Him because He has renewed my heart.’ That is to say, we love God for what He has given us. Out first love [‘young love’] feeds just on the simple food of a grateful recollection of mercies received. And mark, however much we grow in grace this will always constitute a great part of the food of our love…But when the Christian grows older and has more grace, he loves Christ for another reason. He loves Christ because he feels Christ deserves to be loved. I trust I can say, I have in my heart now a love to God, altogether apart from the matter of my personal salvation. I feel that even now, I must love Him, for His character is so unutterably lovely. His love to other people seems as if it would compel me to love Him. To think that He should love men at all is so great a thought, that altogether apart from my interest in it, I trust that I can say that I love Christ, having seen something of Christ in His offices and something of the rapturous beauties of His complex person. I feel as if I could come to His feet, and say: ‘Sweet Lord, I loved You first because of Your gifts to me; but now I love You because You are altogether lovely.”
Did Spurgeon say, “Sweet Lord, I loved You first because of Your gifts to me; but now I love You because You are altogether lovely,”? And that tells me that our Lord and Savior has graciously given each born-again believer awesome gifts to rest his/her faith upon:
FIRST, THERE IS THE GIFT OF HIS WORD OF LIFE! Jesus told Martha in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
SECOND, THERE IS THE GIFT OF THE WORD OF LIGHT! Jesus told the adulteress woman in John 8:12, “I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
THIRD, THERE IS THE GIFT OF LIBERTY THROUGH THE WORD OF THE SON OF GOD! In John 8:31-36 we read, Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
The question of the moment is, “Are YOU free indeed?” Or are you still a slave to your old sin nature? I find Romans 8:18-21 so informative and so awe-inspiring! Paul wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into THE GLORIOUS LIBERTY OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD.”
Did you see it, receive it, and rest in it? Children of redemptive faith have been blessed with “glorious liberty” as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father!
FOURTH, THERE IS THE GIFT OF THE WORD OF LOVE, GOD’S LOVE! In I John 4:9-10 we read, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
And doesn’t it absolutely thrill, challenge, and motivate you that Romans 8:35-39 reveals God’s Holy Promise in that He says, “NOTHING SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD!!”?
FIFTH, THERE IS THE GIFT OF THE WORD OF LIFTING! James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you UP!!” That’s, yes, the every day tests, struggles, or trials, but there is such a greater word of hope when in John 6:40 Jesus said, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [rests in, adheres to, relies upon] may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Yes! Amen! Glory be to God! Hallelujah! Romans 8:37-39 says: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Howard E. Smith wrote the old hymn, “Love Lifted Me.” It says: “I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I…
All my heart to Him I give, Ever to Him I’ll cling, In His blessed presence live, Ever His praises sing. Love so mighty and so true Merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful, loving service, too, To Him belongs…
Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His love Out of the angry waves. He’s the Master of the sea, Billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, Be saved today…
Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me, When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!”
And, His love is eternally amazing, never changing, and fully available to every person on the face of the earth who was created to be the recipient of His Holy Love and Amazing Grace!! Is it you? Hear Oswald Chambers! [“My Utmost For His Highest,” p. 48], “The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary, a love we never can and never shall merit.” His love is freely given and is to be freely received! Jesus paid it all – and you can rest in His eternal love!
CHAPTER FIVE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS HOLY HEART OF HEALING MERCY AND GRACE!”
Do you remember “The Song of Moses” in Exodus 15 when he sang, Verses 11-13, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods [or mighty ones]? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your hand; the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.”
Have you ever given serious thought to the “wonders”, glorious wonders, from the Hand of the One True and Powerful and Mighty God? I will never understand how a person can seriously look at God’s wonder of world Creation and not be awed by His creative powers! The universes amaze me every time we learn something new of “what’s out there,” with seemingly unending possibilities ever before us! Moses “sang”, Verse7, of “the greatness of Your [God’s] excellence..!”
Paul’s encounter with the Athenians in Acts 17:22-28 should enlighten us even more about the Living God’s “greatness”! He stood in the midst of the Areopagus (Mars Hill) and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of mankind to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”
Also Paul prayed for the Ephesian elders, their church bodies, and us, in Ephesians 1:17-23! “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Do you possess the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, possessing eyes of understanding that have been enlightened, and know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe? And should I dare say, “Do you believe in God’s power to heal?”
I find John’s statement so challenging and thought provoking when in 3 John 2, writing to the elder Gaius, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” I believe Gaius was a blessed man spiritually prospering in the Lord with John passionate that Gaius’ body was to be as healthy as his soul! I’m not sure you can say that of even all believers!
You’ll remember that in Exodus the people complained against Moses because in the wilderness they found bitter water. Exodus 15:25-26 tells us, So he [Moses] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. [I challenge you to consider that the ‘tree’ was the Cross of Christ, and that Jesus’ blood made the waters sweet for you!]. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I WILL PUT NONE OF THESE DISEASES ON YOU WHICH I HAVE BROUGHT ON THE EGYPTIANS. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
Psalm 103:1-5 so inspires me, and I pray inspires you also. David wrote: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
I cannot help but be reminded here of the story that Bob Phillips told years ago after he left co-pastor-ship with David Wilkerson at Times Square Church in New York City. Bob had moved, I believe, to Wyoming where he owned some 1000 acres of land. There was a beautiful log home on the property, but he enjoyed short jaunts out into the wilderness. On one occasion, early one morning, as he walked, he heard this horrendous screeching and howling and painful noise like something he’d never heard before. A neighbor was nearby that day, and when Bob met him, he asked about that painful horrendous noise. His neighbor told him it was the cries of the older eagle whose feathers had so aged that they became dead weights, keeping the eagle from soaring, but when they reached that “state” they would painfully pull out every feather and wait for new growth of new feathers so they could soar again!
Youth renewed like the eagle’s renewal? Who has ever said that ‘healing’ is without pain, even in the spirit-world? I’ve often wondered if Isaiah 30:26 is similar to Bob’s story of the eagle! It says, “Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.” Oh, don’t miss this: Revelation 21:23-24 tells us: “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”
And there is ‘the day’ that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound!
I sincerely feel so heavily burdened at times because all around the world are multitudes of people “sin-sick” unto spiritual death and are not even aware of their extreme sickness! Isaiah clearly spoke of God’s diagnosis and remedy. In Isaiah 53:10-14 the prophet reveals, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide with Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Sin sickness, a Savior who heals and delivers, because the God of grace, mercy, and love intervened, and “sinners” receive the “Great Physician’s” intervention! Romans 5:21 tells us, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Amazing Grace!
Sin sickness in every human being is the natural flesh passed from Adam and Eve and every generation since then who chose to live for themselves, live according to their ‘flesh,’ thoroughly loaded with sin and spiritual death, rebellion against Holy God, dominated by the devil and his demon forces, completely encouraged by ‘lost’ generations, philosophically brain-washed by empty deceptions, traditions of ‘fallen’ men, and the basic principles of a heart-rebellious people!
But, thank God, Revelation 22:2 tells us of a “tree” that yields its fruit, and “the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” It’s not God’s desire that sinful men should “perish”, but that all should come to repentance and redemptive faith. “Jesus Paid It All, All To Him We Owe; Sin Had Left A Crimson Stain, But He Washed It White As Snow!!”
“God’s Greatness? A Holy Heart Of Healing Mercy and Grace?” Thank God that He heals us of “sin sickness,” but you are aware that there are more sicknesses than sin sickness though sin in others can produce heart-breaking sickness in those around them!
I’m reminded of Psalm 147:3 where the psalmist declared, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” When Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been raised by Joseph and Mary, He said in Luke 4:18, that He had come not only to preach the gospel, but that God “has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”
In Psalm 34:17-19 we read, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
To those who gathered around Jesus to hear Him preach and teach, especially as His “Cross-Time” drew near, He said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Yes, ‘trouble’ is on your horizon, but there is the “truth” of His eternal peace, and there is a triumphant ending because Jesus has already won YOUR victory over your broken, troubled mind and heart and spirit! He’s raised you up to be seated with Him in heavenly places!
But, also, it would be hard for me to believe that there are those totally unaware of “demonic and devilish” dominance! Peter was preaching peace through Jesus Christ to Cornelius’ household in Acts 10:38, when he said: “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
We just read together Luke 4:18 where Jesus shared Isaiah’s prophetic word about the “Spirit of the Lord” being upon the Coming Messiah, sent by God to “heal the brokenhearted,” but saying also He was sent “to proclaim liberty to the captives”!
In listing “demonic and devilish dominance”, I’d be amiss not to mention that the devil himself can and does, at times, use human instrumentation to oppress people. I believe this was in Isaiah’s mind as the Spirit inspired him to write in Isaiah 33:1, “Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; and you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; when you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you.”
You are aware that even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, knew the onslaught of Satanic, demonic activity! In fact, in Luke 4:2 we see Jesus tempted for forty days, and then Luke 4:13 we read, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time.” This is why our Lord and Savior is so vital to New Testament warriors! In Hebrews 4:14-16 we read, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. LET US therefore COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
That’s taking authority over the powers of darkness as they try to enter, control, dominate, and destroy you and your faith, yes, resting in our Lord’s victory over the devil through His Cross and Resurrection! His victory over Satan is your victory!
“God’s Greatness? His Holy Heart of Healing Mercy and Grace?” I’m sure that YOU are aware of “the deadly disease of unbelief”! Matthew 13 is such a rich chapter of our Lord and His ministry, but the last verse, verse 58, tells us the following about the community He grew up in. It says, “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
In the Random House Collegiate Dictionary it says of unbelief: “the state or quality of not believing; incredulity or skepticism…a person not accepting any, or some particular religious belief.” It may be a shock to you, but that’s OK! If you’re filled with unbelief, YOU NEED TO BE SHOCKED! God’s Word says of “unbelievers” in Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works. There is none who does good.”
“Fleshly unbelief” IS a deadly disease, but trusting God and His Word? Isaiah 45:22 says, God speaking, “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other!”
Oswald Chambers, in “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.255], spoke about 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Chambers then wrote: “The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man’s respectable goodness; then the Holy Spirit, Who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance…the gift of God.”
It was Alexander MacLaren who once wrote: “Unbelief is criminal because it is a moral act, an act of the whole nature. — Belief or unbelief is a test of a man’s whole spiritual condition, because it is the whole being, affections, will, conscience, as well as the understanding, which are concerned in it.”
Before His Ascension, in Mark 16:15-16, Jesus said to His disciples and us, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” And YOU have a choice!
Let’s go a step deeper than what we just said about unbelief: “God’s Greatness? His Holy Heart of Healing Mercy and Grace?” Beyond ‘unbelief,’ are you aware of the “compromising and corruptive cooperators with the worldly unwillingness to please and honor God”?
Are you aware of multitudes of people who ‘choose’ by their lifestyles, “take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry”? Solomon was called by many a wise man. In Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1 he wrote: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God WILL BRING YOU INTO JUDGMENT. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh. For childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’”
Are you aware of those who come to an end of a godless life and all they can say is, “Wretched and thoughtless man, created by God for His glory alone, why have I lived so foolishly and selfishly?” Are you aware of, yes, “foolish men,” who choose to be pawns in the devil’s hands, choosing fleshliness over godliness, ending up with a worrisome existence exhausted by wasted energies to please the fallen sin-nature, disappointment after disappointment in relationships whether marriage, family, pleasures, or business, and ignoring God willfully “Who WILL Bring Them Into Holy Judgment” before His Throne??!!
“God’s Greatness? His Holy Heart of Healing Mercy and Grace?” What about the “disconcerting influences of doubts and fears”? I was reading Daniel recently and came to Daniel 5 where Daniel was brought in to stand before King Belshazzar. The king said of Daniel, in Daniel 5:14, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.” [As YOU are brought before King Jesus, what will He say of you?].
Daniel then said to the king, speaking about Belshazzar’s father, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 5:18-30, “O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was disposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him…
Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses…
But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified…
Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians…
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.”
Can I tell you without a doubt that even “kings and rulers,” world leaders, men of prominence in leadership in the business world, can possess hearts that are lifted up, spirits hardened in pride, and they know, even though it’s easily hidden, that “doubts and fears” so overwhelm many that their ‘thrones,’ positions, rankings in a godless society, are “weighed in the balances, and found wanting,” and without hesitation they are being consumed! Earthly ‘kingdoms’ so easily fade away!
Do you remember Pharoah after Moses and Aaron had told him to let God’s people go? Pharoah said what? [Exodus 5:2], “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” And I assure you that just a few chapters later in Exodus you’ll read about Pharoah swept away by, yes, the storm waters of doubt and fear as God’s flood swept over them! Pharoah had no desire to honor God with his life because “doubts and fears” are safely hidden away in a man’s heart of devotion to himself – so…he’s weighed and found wanting – his doubts and fears bankrupt him of any redemptive faith!
“God’s Greatness? His Holy Heart of Healing Mercy and Grace?” Beyond the “disconcerting influences of doubts and fears,” are you aware of how easily ‘flesh-allegiance’ is opposed to Spirit-control?
There are two verses in Romans 8:5-6 that each of us must personally deal with and respond to. Paul wrote: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
“Flesh,” “First Adam,” “Sin-natured manhood,” “self-centered, self-controlled, self-valued more than God Himself,” descriptions of a man devoted to “flesh-allegiance” and opposed to “Holy Spirit control”!
It was Sir Francis Bacon, in “New Atlantis,” who long ago gave us a wake-up call! He said: “The reverence of a man’s self is, next to religion, the chiefest bridle of all vices.” Oh, but then Alexander Maclaren turned the ‘flesh-page’ off to the Holy Spirit page when he said, “All along the Christian course, there must be set up altars to God on which you sacrifice yourself, or you will never advance a step.”
Isn’t it amazing to you, even by experience, but also in the Word of our need of Spirit-control when Paul told us in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Three times in the first five verses of Romans 8 Paul said, “according to the Spirit,” because he understood we can never please God by the best of our human flesh! Why not choose, right now, to empty yourself, and give the Holy Spirit the reins to your life and walk? The result? You’ll sense “God’s greatness” and see happening through you and before you, “His Holy Heart of Healing Mercy and Grace”!!
And, yes, what about bodily healing, sicknesses, diseases, touched by Jesus? In Matthew 9:12 Jesus responded to the Pharisees who said to His disciples, in Verse11, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ And our Lord said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” And if God Himself spoke of healing, did He lie? I don’t think so! In Jeremiah 30:17 we read, “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord.
Revelation 22:2 is so clear when it talks about “the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” – and without a doubt, I sincerely believe that tree was Calvary’s Cross and the blood of Jesus the eternal, divine prescription of healing of body, soul, and spirit!
In Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus sent out the twelve, and us, saying, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Do you remember that awesome word in Malachi 4:2? “But unto you who fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings”? And how does that occur? In I Corinthians 12:28 Paul tells us: “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” Tell me about your church’s “Body Life” as described by Paul the Apostle!
Let me close this chapter with one other scriptural unveiling for us: Acts 10:38 says: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” And I ask, “Is God with YOU, in You, desirous of expressing Himself through you as the Divine Healer?”
CHAPTER SIX
“GOD’S GREATNESS? CHRIST’S RESIDENCE – RESIDENT GLORY!”
In Colossians 1:27 Paul shared, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” What an amazing, great revelation!
In verses 9-14 Paul unveils “the hope of heaven [itself] which is laid up for you in heaven.” He wrote: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask [God] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
“God willed” clearly reveals God’s greatness! “God willed” reveals the eternal heart of God! “God willed” reveals, though the mystery of mysteries, that God desires every man on every continent to know His heart! “God willed” that those of earth, separated from Him by our sin natures, should know His heart about His desire for reconciliation! “God willed” that darkness be dispelled by His Eternal Light!
It was William Cowper, in his writing entitled “The Task,” [Book III, l. 221] who said: “God never meant that man should scale the heavens by strides of human wisdom,” which, I believe, was why Paul was inspired by God to write I Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”
But as we look at “God’s Greatness” as it relates to fallen mankind’s separation, alienation, and even darkened minds to eternal Truth, we see His greatness in stepping forth through and by the Holy Spirit to dispel one’s darkness of mind and heart and, by the Spirit, unveil the Lord Jesus Christ!
I know this is why Spurgeon preached what he did long ago: [Spurgeon’s Sermons, Memorial Library, Vol. 14, p.162], “If there be life, rejoice in it; if there be light, walk in it; if there be love, rest in it. If the Lord God Almighty has at length set open the treasures of His grace, and put eternal bliss within your reach, stretch out the hand of faith, and be enriched thereby. Turn not your backs upon God, your Savior; for in so doing you will turn your backs on eternal life and heaven. God grant that none of you may do this.” Let me amplify several truths for you in this chapter!
FIRST, IN THE FULL ASSURANCE OF REDEMPTIVE FAITH, TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS, AND REST IN HIM THROUGH REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND YOUR FAITH IN HIS FINISHED WORK! What did you read in Colossians 1:27? “Christ…!” That’s the Promised Messiah! Promised mediator! Promised messenger! Promised miracle of divine redemption! And “HE IS” the very greatness of God!
In John 1:14 we read: “And the Word [logos] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Verses 16-17 then tell us, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace…Verse 17, For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
I pray you’ve spent time in Ephesians 5:22-33 where Paul was majoring on the “church,” the body of Christ, using the relationship of marriage between husband and wife to explain the “mystery.” He talked about “cherishing,” protecting, loving, caring for, and saying in Verse 32, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
Faith, Biblical faith, historic faith, saving faith, takes “sinners” and miraculously, redemptively, powerfully, in and by the Holy Spirit, imparts “new life” into men and women with the resurrected presence of one’s Redeemer, Savior, and Lord.
Do you see and sense and settle into the scriptural history that a “converted sinner” is declared a saint, that he/she takes on “the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, being declared an ‘heir of God’ or joint-heir with Christ Jesus?
Follow Romans 8:12-17! “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live…
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, IF INDEED we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
“Joint-heirs with Christ”? And Christ IS “Emmanuel, God in flesh”? And if you didn’t know it, Daniel was inspired to call Him “the Ancient of Days”! Daniel 7:21-22 tells us, Daniel speaking, “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” That isn’t a future event! God intends it in this very present moment now for you as a saint to possess the kingdom!
I believe you personally, right now, in this very moment, should “lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways, acknowledge Him” as your personal Lord and Savior, and with Jude, sign on to His true identity!! In Jude 24-25 Jude tells us: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, DOMINION and power, both now and forever. Amen.” Is Jesus reigning, right now, in you and through you?
Again, follow Spurgeon’s revealed wisdom from God when he wrote: [“Spurgeon’s Sermons”, Memorial Library, Vol.14, p.166], “Oh, what has Christ not done for us? He has cast our sins into the depths of the sea; He has taken the cup which we ought to have drunk forever, and He has drained it, dry, and left not a dreg behind. He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; and now He has finished transgression, made an end of sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness, and gone up to His Father’s throne within the veil, bearing His divine oblation, and making everything right and safe for us, that by and by we may follow Him, and be with Him where He is.”
Question: Were YOU crucified with Christ? Did YOU die in Him as He shed His blood on the Cross? Were YOU or YOUR OLD MAN, crucified, died, and buried with Him in the borrowed tomb? Yes, 10,000 times 10,000, Yes! Have YOU been spiritually raised from the dead through our Lord’s Resurrection? What does Romans 6:3-4 tell us? “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN SO we also should walk in newness of life.” What did the beloved John tell us in I John 4:17c? “…because as He is, so are we in this world!”
Do you need more enlightment? Consider Ephesians 2:4-7! “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
In Ephesians 1:5-6 we read: “having predestined us to adoption as sons BY JESUS CHRIST to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Certainly “faith in Christ” is redemptive faith, reconciling us to Holy God, and guiding us daily by and through His Holy Spirit! But there’s so much more we must lay hold of as we walk out our “faith in Christ.”
SECOND, ARE YOU AWARE OF OUR FULLNESS IN CHRIST OF THE HEAVENLY BLESSINGS? There is such an awe-inspiring, encouraging, and uplifting word from Romans 15:29 when Paul wrote the church at Rome AND you and me! He said: “But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”
If Paul had written Romans 5:1 and left us there, I believe that you and I would have a bucket-load of questions about, “What’s next?” He said, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And we all say, Glory! Thank You, Father, for “justifying us through Christ”!
And then in Romans 5:10 we see an enlarging of our spiritual vision in Christ when Paul said: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be [being] saved by His life.”
In the Romans 15:29 passage we see four vital truths about our victorious faith and its fullness: Paul said, “I’m coming with Christ!” The apostolic, missionary servant named Paul knew the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ had come in His Holy Presence into Paul’s life; he understood that it was redeemed bodies Jesus desired not buildings made with men’s hands!!
Revelation 3:20 says, Jesus speaking, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” [Let me reassure you, I’m not opposed at all God’s people gathering in a building, but His Presence there is because He’s in each of us, not bricks and mortar!]. Jesus reconciles us to Himself!
Second vital truth? Paul said, “I’m coming with the gospel of Christ!” I really can’t explain why “professing Christians” have a hard time coming, going, sharing the gospel of Christ!
The “Gospel” is “Good News”! The very heart of the Gospel is that God Himself chose to come in human flesh and offer Himself as the supreme sacrifice for your sin and mine! The “Gospel” is “Good News”! Through His shed blood your sins were washed away! The “Gospel” is “Good News”! Your old man was crucified with Christ – you now are or can be the recipient of His resurrected, everlasting LIFE!!
The “Gospel” is “Good News”! Through Christ you become His official ambassador, His earthly representative! The “Gospel” is “Good News”! “As He is so are we in this world!” “Crucified with Christ, nevertheless living, not us but Christ in Us!”
Third important truth? Paul said, “I’m coming with the blessing of the gospel of Christ!” I pray you understand that Jesus never said it was His desire to make you “happy” – happiness is a fickle emotion of mankind while “blessing” is the assurance of Christ in you!
Good guys or Godly men? Men of fleshly accomplishments or men of the Spirit made over by Him who makes all things new? Good game-players in the games of fleshly activities or “Blessed life-demonstrators” of Holy Presence? Men of good like-ability or men of “the greater love”? Men of a lower-world allegiance or men of a heavenly-world birth and identity with his passport already secured and stamped with his name written down in glory? Do you remember? “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord?”
Fourth important truth? “I’m coming in the FULLNESS of the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In Ephesians 1:22-23 we read, “And He [God] put all things under His [Jesus] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things.”
Paul said later in Ephesians 3:19, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Have you fully grasped God’s desire for your walk with Christ? Even in your walk with fellow believers in your local church? Ephesians 4:13, Paul is challenging every believer to “press in” to Christ in all His fullness and glory! “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” And, thank God, for the blessings our Lord and Savior intends us to walk in while on this present earth!
But There’s a Third Vital Truth In The Blessing of Our Earthly Journey! Please notice, reflect upon, and renew your allegiance to King Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, because, sadly, there is a “war” against His very Name and a “war” against His people!
I Timothy 6:12 tells us, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Remember later in 2 Timothy 4:7 that Paul said, facing imprisonment and literal death, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
In Philippians 1:12-14 Paul challenged the Philippian believers and us when he said, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Tell me about your “fight for the faith”! Within your own family, with employers or employees, with school or university staff, with local political leaders, with even neighbors who may even be, yes, at times, violent concerning their opposition to your faith and allegiance? Have you ever known coaches who demean their players for their faith?
But as a result of that faithfulness in the “fight”? II Timothy 4:8 he said, “Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness..” which we’ll examine in just a few paragraphs, but what are our battle-fronts that all disciples face? Consider, the world, the flesh, and the devil!
There MUST BE a DYING TO THE WORLD INFLUENCE AROUND US! In I John 2:15-17 the beloved John wrote: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
James, the brother of Jesus, was just as strong or stronger! In James 4:4 he wrote: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God?” For yourself and your walk spiritually – Friend of God or devoted friend to the world around you?
We’ve seen Christ’s “residence in us” and the blessings that are ours in Him, with His resident presence, but also there is “Christ in us the hope of glory,” – and I mean a future glory that I do not believe any of us can fully understand when “the hope of glory,” eternal glory, becomes our graduation gift in the fullness of His grace and mercy, but in earthly time, in our presence, when we choose maturity rather than immaturity, when we choose and not reject or misinterpret what God tells us over and over and over! In Christ, you are a significant part of establishing His kingdom-rule in the here and now!
Far too many read “the hope of glory” and consider that to be “heaven someday” and rewards given by God before His throne in another spiritual time-slot! But I don’t believe that’s what His Word teaches us at all! When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, it was, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” The kingdom has come because the King came and established His earthly rule as it was and is and forever will be in heaven!
But our “hope of glory” is the glory of God in you in the here and now because through repentance and faith you gave Him your heart, your life, your presence in our earthly time, expressing His love, extending His kingdom rule, and establishing His throne in you as it’s established in heaven, before, presently, and forever.
The “hope of glory”? I John 5:4-5 tells us, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Believes, trusts in, relies upon, adheres to!! “Christ IN YOU the HOPE OF GLORY” for this present age!
Yes, there’s Heaven someday, there’s Heaven in “the sweet by and by,” but I assure you, if you haven’t entered, received, and presently are walking in the hope of glory, I’m not sure what you’re future will be like! I believe I’d offer myself unreservedly to the King of kings and Lord of lords for this present hour!
I was reading recently and came across a statement Sir Francis Bacon made years and years ago. He said: “As it adds deformity to an ape to be so like a man, so the similitude of superstition to religion [or faith] makes it more deformed.” To be “in Christ” is not superstition but eternal Truth for this very present hour! It’s my prayer the ‘religious’ will discover the reality of regeneration, being truly “new born” in and through Christ, seeing Him make your former ‘hell on earth’ the eternal merciful ability and power of Christ to transform you, raising you up to be seated with Christ in the heavenly places in the here and now! “Deformed professors” OR the “Divinely Blessed Indwelt By Christ and Ruling in Righteousness?”
“Christ’s Residence – IN YOU – His Resident Glory”, in the here and now!
CHAPTER SEVEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SPIRIT-POWER IN YOU!”
I do not believe that the “best efforts” of human flesh, even professing ‘salvation’, can ever succeed in changing their world around them apart from the Holy Spirit! Oh, human ingenuity invents certain changes, but “re-birth” and spiritual growth in Christ never happens apart from the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, assigned by God the Father with responsibility of bringing “human-kind” into the reality of sons and daughters of Holy God, and, yes, productive sons and daughters of faith, obedience, and divine creativity!
Religious people are good at programming ‘religious activities’ and calling them ‘the work of God’ – calling emotional reflexes ‘eternal revival’, or calling parental social control of their kids spiritual disciplines, or even substituting mind control for divine conversion, or human reflexes out of fear and intimidation thinking they’re teaching their family kids or their ‘faith children’ the very “power of God”!
But do you remember what Paul asked the Ephesians when he went to their city and found some disciples? Acts 19:2, Paul asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he discovered they’d learned about repentance but were unaware of Holy Spirit baptism! Verse 5 tells us when they heard this, “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” In chapter 20 of Acts he called for the Ephesian elders of the church to come to him in Miletus, and he told them he had held back nothing they needed to hear, sharing that he taught them publicly, even house to house, (Verse21), “testifying to Jews and also to Greeks (or Gentiles, like us!), repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.” As a result, a positive response to Holy Truth, new believers were then instructed to “receive the Holy Spirit”!
Why? In Ephesians 1:18-19 Paul felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to write a detailed letter about the Ephesian church’s reception of the Gospel of Christ, telling them what they needed to receive. In Ephesians 1:18-19 he told them and us, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”
I seriously do not know what some believers, some pastors, some churches do in their avoidance of the kingdom of God coming to this earth “with power”! Jesus said in Mark 9:1, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God [“on earth”!!] present or having come with power.” And that’s the anointing, empowering power of the Holy Spirit! FOR EVERY BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER!
Do you remember Genesis 1:2 that the “Spirit of God” was hovering over the face of the waters”? And in Genesis 1:26 the Holy Word tells us as God spoke, “Let US make man in our image, according to our likeness…!” Oh, and then, in Genesis 6:3, after the Fall, God said: “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh…”
And do you recall what happened after the Fall? In Genesis 10 we see further results in fallen men alienated from the very Spirit of God: Genesis 10:4, “Come, LET US build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” And, certainly, there was “a scattering” by God Himself that still exists today because of fallen man’s birth of “confusion” and the “beginning of unveiled ‘fleshly’ purposes! But thank God for His mercy and grace and, yes, for men who sense and surrender to His eternal purposes like Abram in Genesis 12! Have you forgotten that Jesus said of Abraham that he “rejoiced to see My day, and he was glad”?
It was Spurgeon who said to his famous church-people in England many years ago: “The fullness of Christ to supply will always exceed the faith of the believer to seek.” No doubt true for far too many believers, but I still have to ask: ‘Have YOU been filled with the Holy Spirit?” It’s certain for every born-again believer that he/she senses with John, John 3:30, “He [Christ Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease,” and then births hope for every true believer that there is the need of all disciples to understand, John 3:34, that “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” In other words, Holy God has fully released His Spirit in you as a believer, without measure, and it’s our responsibility to “yield” to His blessed control, anointing, and in-filling, to honor Christ in us and through us.
In John 7:37-39 Jesus unfolded the “promise of the Holy Spirit” for the historic period of the birthing of the New Testament age or ages: On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes [trusts in, relies upon, adheres to] in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But THIS He spoke concerning THE SPIRIT, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus as not yet glorified.”
“Rivers of living water”? And that’s the Holy Spirit? Didn’t John tell us: “And of His fullness we have all received…” – did John say, a fullness without measure? If so, then why are many believers denying, avoiding, resisting the Holy Spirit? I know that Paul was talking to the Romans about Christ-like submission to governing authorities in Romans 13:1-2, but in His spiritual “Kingdom” there is a governing authority over every believer’s life called the Holy Spirit that ignorantly too many believers resist, ignore, and even rebel against. Paul said: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Would you personally dare to examine every New Testament disciple before salvation, before Pentecost, and examine their “fruit”? In I John 2:20 John wrote, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” At least through the Spirit unfathomable knowledge of God becomes fathomable or available to you! John said in I John 2:27, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you…”! Can I, dare I, say: “Let the Holy Spirit guide you and teach you in your walk of faith!”? Let’s look at God’s greatness as we specifically look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us and through us. In I John 5:6b, John wrote: “And the Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
Notice, the greatness of the Spirit in DIVINE CONVICTION! In John 16 Jesus had informed His disciples that “I go away!” John 16:5-8, Jesus speaking, tells us: “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…”
How vital is “divine conviction” to your own life? I know Jude understood it as he wrote in Jude 15-19 about that coming hour when those void of the Spirit, living ungodly lives, are judged! He said: “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly [which I believe the Spirit is telling you there’s time to repent and be cleansed and washed in the blood of the Lamb!] among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage….
But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their ungodly lusts. These are sensual [soulish, worldly, self-willed] persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”
But, hear me, if you’re an unbeliever, if you’re a professing child of God, in sin, expect the Holy Spirit to come upon you – and there will be a heavy cloud of Holy Ghost-conviction!
But, OH, I pray you sense the “greatness of God” to or in your own life of “divine conversion”! I’m not talking about “cultural Christianity” or world religions, but truly “Christian Re-birth”! In John 3 Jesus responded to Nicodemus in verses 3-8, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [that’s the water of the Word!!] and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
How does that happen in an unsaved man’s life? Listen to Peter in I Peter 1: 22-23, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth [ I pray the Spirit of the Living God penetrates your mind and heart by showing you “obeying the truth” is the door opener to eternal salvation!] through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again [Don’t miss this!], not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER.”
“Through the Spirit!” “Divine Conversion”! “Reconciled to God Through the Spirit!” “Partakers of the divine nature through the Spirit!” The “Greatness of God witnessed through the miracle of the ‘new birth’ through the Spirit!”
But also are you aware of the “Divine Guidance Through and By the Holy Spirit”? Jesus said in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will show you things to come.”
Do you realize that most of our world is guided by “the strongest voices of a world culture in opposition or unbelief in God”? Jesus talked about “the few that be who find it” – and I have no doubts that what the few found was “divine guidance” with eternal results!
In John 14:15-17 Jesus gave every true believer a magnificent promise: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HELPER, THAT HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” “The Spirit of Truth?” Do you grasp your need of the Spirit to guide you into His Truth and avoid disastrous deception? In I Timothy 4:1 Paul wrote his spiritual son saying, “Now the Spirit [that’s the Holy Spirit!!] expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…” That ought to shock some into an awakened state of examination! “Have I opened the door to ‘the foul spirit’ and not the Holy Spirit? Have I opened the door to my mind and heart to false doctrines of demons?” I say, “Deal with it through the opened Bible and submission to the Spirit of Truth!”
Just how vital is the Holy Spirit in our time period of human history? I just read this week in Revelation 16:13-15, “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” What a warning for our modern-day world and modern-day ‘church-life’!! Oh, how we need the Holy Spirit as our guide!
And, yes, more than our guide, there is the Holy Spirit’s protection of us and our “alarm-warning” to us when “flesh” or one’s old sin nature tries to deceive, leading to the death of one’s spiritual vitality! Paul tells us in Romans 8:12-15, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” YES!! GLORY HALLELUJAH FOR THE SPIRIT’S ALERTNESS IN PROTECTING SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD WHO ARE IN CHRIST!!
The blessings, the gifts, the identification of true sons/daughters of God through Christ? Have you ever considered or known the Spirit as the “seal of your salvation” and the “seal of your adoption”?
Examine with thanksgiving Ephesians 1:13-14! “In Him [in Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were ‘sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,’ who “is the guarantee of our inheritance” until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Oh, and then there is the “seal of your adoption”! Romans 8:15 is so clear: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the “Spirit of adoption” by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
One other vital “truth” I want you to see and examine! Did you know that in John 14:16-18 Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit who is called “Comforter” or “Helper”? He told His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another ‘Helper’, [or Comforter], that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Pains, sorrows, troubles, lostness, alienation, separation from those you love and care for are like your beckoning call to God: “I need Your help, Lord; I need Your presence with me” – and loving God sends the Holy Spirit, His “Comforter”, His “Helper,” to see you through your spiritual journey!
Jesus was soon to depart from His first disciples to His “Resurrection-Home” in Heaven until the Father sends Him back – He said in John 20:22, as He breathed on them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Receive His Personhood, receive His ministry, receive His anointing as you have become Christ’s royal ambassador! Amen?
CHAPTER EIGHT
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SALVATION FOR ALL NATIONS!”
There are two verses in Isaiah 52 that I want to highlight for you as we begin this chapter-study on God’s greatness of His salvation for all nations: Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, WHO PROCLAIMS SALVATION, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Then in Isaiah 52:10 we read, “The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of ALL THE NATIONS; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
I read an anonymous statement recently that spurred the writing of this chapter: “Hell is God’s justice; Heaven is His love; Earth [or the world], His long-suffering.” And, thank God for that!
I’m sure you’re aware of Genesis 6 that speaks of the very wickedness of fallen mankind and God’s judgment on them. Do you remember that the Lord said in Genesis 6:3, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed ‘flesh’ [or in possession of a fallen sin-nature!].” Then verses 5-6 tell us, “…the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
The result? God was ready to destroy what He had created…but Genesis 6:8 tells us, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:9 reveals Noah as a man who “walked with God.” And God told Noah to build an ark! Why? Because a “flood” was coming, and God wanted Noah and the few like him to be rescued! I call this episode in human history, “The Beginning of the unveiling of grace for a needy world”!
Should I dare tell you that I believe redeemed, regenerated disciples like Noah are those who build “arks of safety” in their lives inviting the world around them to be rescued from the “flood waters of divine judgment”?
I know when Robert Browning wrote about the ‘world’ he was speaking about the created world apart from God’s birthing of the human race. He wrote: “O world! As God has made it! All is beauty: And knowing this, is love, and love is duty, what further may be sought for or declared?” No doubt there are multitudes of people who ‘love the created world’ but are void and empty of a true love for Holy God! Yes, THERE IS MORE TO BE SOUGHT FOR OR DECLARED, and that is “God’s Greatness of Salvation For All Nations”!! And Jesus’ disciples are those whom our Lord and Savior uses to touch the world around them with His love, grace, and mercy.
There are those who spend their lives in looking and loving the constellations, universes, and planets God made, but never look to Him for the salvation their souls need and never consider His redemption of world populations! But Jesus did! He came “to seek and to save that which is lost”!
I turned 78 years of age, June 12, 2014, which puts my birth in 1936. At five years of age, in 1941, I still remember sitting on my grandfather’s lap with him listening intently to our nation declaring war – I believe that was December 7, 1941- maybe a little later because the December 7 day was the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor! It wasn’t long after that, because of a fear of bombings all over America, no lights were to be left on at night. About five years later, maybe six years, I remember returning soldiers back in colleges in the U.S. on fire for Jesus, even preaching in my home church in Cleveland, Tennessee, with a passion to see the U.S.A. sold out to our Lord and Savior! There was a spiritual awakening occurring in our area for sure!
[I may have mentioned already that my parents were divorced when I was three years of age – I was taken by my mother to live with her parents, my grandparents, as my mother moved to another city to find work. My father lived in a different city also. For about nine years I had no contact with my father and very little with my mother. She remarried when I was twelve, and I then moved in with her and my step-father.] I thank God for the ‘church influence’ I had through my grandparents – they had two daughters a few years older than me that were certainly dynamic spiritual influences on my life!
In the present modern-age a spiritual awakening is desperately needed, I believe even greater need than following the Second World War! But we can’t just look at the country where we’re presently located, what about the need of nations desperate for true “saving grace”? We don’t need a “sacred epidemic” of religiosity, but the Sovereign-move of God in and by the Holy Spirit honoring, exalting, and glorifying Jesus Christ, the ONLY Savior and Lord of mankind! We don’t need “religions” manifesting their ‘untruths’ but disciples laying their lives down for the Truth of “Jesus Only”, led by the Holy Spirit!
I’m talking about “The Greatness of God’s Salvation For All Nations”!! And without a doubt that only happens as disciples lean not to their own understanding but surrender to the Sovereignty and eternal pleasure of the Holy Spirit! Do you remember Peter sharing in Acts 2:16-18 what was spoken by the prophet Joel? He said, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.”
The necessity for today for every church, every pastor, every disciple? That’s the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, blowing as a mighty wind of Heaven itself, softening hardened hearts, subduing stubborn hearts, silencing rebellious hearts, and establishing new hearts, miraculously implanting the New Spirit, and releasing vocal chords in the Hallelujah Chorus and symphony of praise for God’s saving grace, mercy, and love! I’m telling you, what is a theological degree if Truth-Divine, un-anointed is spoken about?
Spurgeon said: [Spurgeon’s Sermons, Memorial Library, Vol. 5, p.341], “The tendency of the church perpetually is, to be covering up its own naked simplicity, forgetting that the truth is never so beautiful as when it stands in its own unadorned, God-given glory.”
Do you remember Jesus’ prayer to the Father in John 17? In Verses 16-19 our Lord and Savior prayed: “Father! Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” “Sanctify?” That means “set apart” – and set apart to the glory of God for His use of us in touching our world with His love, grace, and mercy!
I often wonder if modern-day churches today are gathering in “church members” absent of disciples trained to be witnesses! I also wonder at times if churches are truly committed to intercessory prayer for the salvation of cities, states, nations, institutions of higher learning, markets and marketing arenas, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, hospitals etc. I even wonder if there is any true brokenness over the “lost-ness”, the separation from God of multitudes, the emptiness of most youth and university students who hear and are influenced by, sadly, atheistic, agnostic, unbelieving professors who downgrade the Word of God!
“The Greatness of God’s Salvation For All Nations”? How blessed we are by John who wrote his Gospel led by the Holy Spirit. And in John 1:19-23 we read, “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said: ‘I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
And regardless of “who you are” in Christ, your identity should be like Isaiah, like John, like early church history soldiers of the Cross, like Reformation witnesses, like the Billy Grahams of the world, yes, like early Acts witnesses sent by Jesus who understand this entire world is your ‘field of service’. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “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.”
It possibly might be interesting for you to know that as a college graduate, a seminary attendee for three years, a pastor for twelve years, that I became the recipient of the “new birth” I preached about! And following my conversion God Almighty instilled in my heart a passion for the nations. It began in Haiti and extended to Brazil. Then a dear friend said, “Farrell, you need to go to India!” I resisted his suggestion at first, and then had a door opened – and my heart was truly captured for India! I spent 25 years traveling and ministering in crusades, youth conferences, but every week while there leading pastors in 3-4 days a week conferences teaching the Word!
Oh, I know, not every single disciple is called to be missionaries, but every child of God is called to participate in touching our world somehow, some way, even as prayer intercessors and generous givers to support those who have that calling on their lives! Local witnesses in birth cities are just as vital and important to the Kingdom as those who fly internationally! Being a participating disciple in a local church, touching every age group around you, is just as important as a foreign missionary! But… the world is before us – and we do have the calling!
“The Greatness of God’s Salvation For All Nations?” Because it’s greatness is birthed, based, blessed in His unfailing love proven in the sacrifice of His Son on Calvary’s Cross! I have confidence that a large majority of church believers know “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That’s John 3:16!
It was Sir Walter Scott who wrote in “Lay of the Last Minstrel,” these words: “True Love’s the gift which God has given to man alone beneath the heaven: It is not fantasy’s hot fire, whose wishes soon as granted fly;…
It lives not in fierce desire, with dead desire it does not die; It is the secret sympathy, the silver link, the silken tie, Which heart to heart and mind to mind in body and in soul can bind.”
Do you know about “God’s binding love that will not die?” Aren’t you thankful that “God’s love covers a multitude of sins”? Don’t you rejoice that divine love in you casts out fleshly fear? Do you celebrate, yes, daily, that God’s love in you is truly being perfected as you love others more than you love yourself?
I’ve been truly motivated by Joshua Loth Liebman’s writing called “Peace of Mind.” [Simon & Shuster]. He said: “God hears no sweeter music than the cracked chimes of the courageous human spirit ringing in imperfect acknowledgement of His perfect love.”
Albert Peace and George Matheson wrote the hymn, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” It says, “O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; I give Thee back the life I owe, That in Thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.” I pray you understand that beyond God’s great love for the “world”, that you see, sense, rest in, and receive His great Love for you!
“The Greatness of God’s Salvation For All Nations?” Beyond God’s great love for the nations, do you understand His heart is broken over people who are blinded by their sins, defiled in their unbelieving hearts, and wanderers away from Him, not toward Him? Individually, if YOU were the only person to ever live, in your state of spiritual slavery, God would do just for you what He did through Christ for the entire world! But…
Are you aware of the demonic, devilish plundering of the people in the nations of the world, even enslaved by godless men out to enrich themselves on the “backs of their slaves”? Do you overlook “cheaters” warping children and youth through their pagan philosophies, their empty deceptions, their traditions of men opposed to God’s TRUTH, through the debased principles of allegiance to “our world as we see it,” denying, even warring against Holy Truth at every turn, rejecting Christ and His saving grace for their own opinions, false teachings, and empty devotions to their “nothing world” without God’s love?!?
In Galatians 4:3 Paul wrote, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.” He was not talking about ‘pre-teens’ but, yes, adults who were in bondage, but act like untrained, undisciplined, godless children! But Jesus came to “set the captives free,” and Galatians 4:4-7 tells us, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
One by one, person to person, state to state, nation to nation, the very “love of God” is being poured out, shared, lived out, proclaimed, celebrated by His people of redemptive faith! A new day is dawning! Even aware of a darkened world by men of the old sin nature, there are those who “let their Light in Christ” shine around them wherever they go! The ministry of the Kingdom of Christ in our world will not be shut down, closed down, or buried, even with “the death of Martyrs”!
Revelation 12:11 tells us of “victory over our accuser”: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
And I say to you, “Victory in Jesus” as a disciple of His, for the salvation of our world, is because we stand with Paul as he did before King Agrippa, Acts 26:19, “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” And in our day as disciples, servants, witnesses of our Lord and Savior, we cannot, must not, will not, remain silent!
It was James Russell Lowell who said: “The wicked and the weak, by some dark law, have a strange power to shut and rivet down their own horizons round us, to unwing our heaven-aspiring visions.” NO! In Jesus’ Name, we will stand for the honor of Jesus’ Name! We will not falter, we will not slumber or sleep through these days, we will not be silenced even if we have to preach behind prison bars or in the seat of an electric chair or to the enemy of Jesus with his machete!! They cannot, will not shut or rivet down, or unwing our heaven-inspiring vision! “Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father! Jesus is the Sacrificial Lamb! Jesus is the Resurrected King of kings and Lord of lords! Jesus is Savior, Master, Redeemer of all mankind! But doesn’t it break your heart to know they choose to “by-pass” Jesus and go their own way! Sin has been forgiven, but unbelief becomes the cause of the Judge of Eternity assigning them a place forever with the ‘wicked and the weak’!
You do understand: It was the spotless, sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! It was and still is the Pure Truth whose Name is Jesus who sets the captives of our world free! And IT IS THE INCARNATION OF TRUTH WHOSE NAME IS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST who extends God’s love, proves God’s power, and is the eternal expression of holy love through you to a world that needs to be saved!
Eugene Bartlett wrote the old hymn entitled “Victory In Jesus.” The first verse says:
“I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood’s atoning, Then I repented of my sins And won the victory…
O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever, He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.” AMEN?
CHAPTER NINE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS DELIVERANCE!”
There is a powerful, informative, freeing verse in Psalms 18:50 when David wrote about God’s great deliverance from the hands of his enemies and even from the hands of King Saul! He wrote: “Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.”
It became so real to David in his spiritual walk with the Lord God that in Psalms 32:7 he wrote or sang these words: “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Question! Have you been singing lately about God’s songs of “deliverance”?
Giving serious thought to the term “deliverance”, I’m not sure it is evident to even a lot of church people about what the Bible teaches us. Even the Random House Collegiate Dictionary was vague, mentioning deliverance as ‘liberation’ or ‘salvation.’ Concerning simply the term ‘deliver,’ the Dictionary had one short mention of its meaning as “to disburden (oneself) of thoughts, opinions, etc.,” but coming to the term “deliverance” in God’s Word, you’re going to find several different meanings than the modern dictionaries will give us.
Come with me to Hebrews 11: 30-35 to grab your immediate attention before I examine “The Greatness of God’s Deliverance.” The author of Hebrews tells us: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword; out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” I’m not sure how many today in the church in America would accept torture but not deliverance!
One of the things that really caught my attention in Psalm 18 was the 19th verse that says: “He [God] also brought me out into a broad place; HE DELIVERED ME BECAUSE HE “DELIGHTED” IN ME.” As you come to the 40th Psalm, one’s eyes are opened wider to the graciousness and kindness of God. Three verses I want to point you to: Verse 5b which says, “And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Then Verse 7 says, Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. Verse 8 says, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”
Do you see that “delighting to do God’s will” is the door opener of God’s availability to our need at times of His deliverance? There are people who have no desire to see God, serve God, bless God, honor Him, or even call upon His Name in the times of their ‘desperation’! But I pray that you are one open to His mercy and grace and power as it relates to your need. Human experience apart from Divine intervention, presence, and helps, should be described as meaningless, but far too many who are, yes, “fallen away from God” live with an attitude of “I’m OK on my own – I don’t need Him.”
But there are the Pauls of even our modern world who live overcoming, not by their own skills, insights, fleshly strengths – it’s men who have received “not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” Yes, ‘trouble’ will come, but true disciples rest in the Triumphant Spirit! You may know tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword, But YOU “IN CHRIST” are more than conquerors – there’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! In Him you’ve received, not the spirit of the world, but the Holy Spirit – and He honors Jesus in you and through you regardless of your life circumstances!
We’re going to intently look at “God’s Greatness” and “The Greatness of His Deliverance,” but I really sense as I’m writing that it IS “God’s Greatness” and “The Greatness of His Deliverance,” but I want you to clearly see, First, your personal part in God’s deliverance ministry! Look with me at Colossians 1:24-25! Paul said, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.”
Do you understand a believer’s “sufferings for others”? Do you even catch a scent of need in new, young, immature disciples, who haven’t fully learned laying down their lives for others yet? It’s not stepping in where even angels fear to tread, but stepping in because Jesus says, “You reach out and touch this soul in need in My Name!”
In 2 Corinthians 6:3-7 Paul reveals more of the Christ-like ministry of caring for others in need. He said, “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”
Should I dare say that I personally do not believe most ‘church members’ have a clue what pastors or men like Paul experience as they seek to honor Christ with their lives? And I can only pray that pastors today are equipping their own people to do “the work of the ministry” because I’ve never known a church fellowship exempt from sufferings, tribulations, troubles, with the desperate need of all disciples equipped to do the work of the ministry! And I pray that YOU personally are not those in your church fellowship “restricted by your own affections,” sadly, affections for yourself alone and not a needy world surrounding you!
You do remember that “He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again,” extending His Life, expressing His love, and proving His power! In 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul said, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Are YOU a “Light-Giver” to the glory of Christ?
Have you personally ignored, denied, or even privately sought to refute the Truth that God desires to use you in His “deliverance ministry”? Again, in 2 Corinthians 5:21 the apostle wrote: “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [in Christ Jesus!].”
And what did Paul tell us in Galatians 6:1? “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted…Verse 2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Listen to Paul in I Corinthians 2:12! “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, [self-centeredness, self-will, self-pleasure, self-indulgence], but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
Second, In His Gift of Deliverance, [beyond personal ministry to others], Is There Conviction of Our Own Need of Deliverance From That So Opposite of the Nature and Character of Christ? Does Romans 5:9-10 resonate with your walk and your maturing process? It says: “Much more then, having now been justified [accepted just as if I’d never sinned!!] by His blood, we shall be [being] saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, WE SHALL BE BEING SAVED BY HIS LIFE!!”
To the Galatians Paul said, Galatians 4:19, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” Earlier in Galatians did you notice Paul’s deep concern for those he had led to Christ? He said in Galatians 4:9, “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?” And you’re unsure of “personal deliverance”?
“WE SHALL BE BEING SAVED BY HIS LIFE”? But we’ve just read that there were those who were choosing, were lied to, were deceived, were experiencing the reality of allegiance to what they were without Christ, ending up in spiritual bondage and chains as they also sought to serve Christ! Paul even said to those Galatian believers, Galatians 3:1, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Are you shocked by that, broken by the Galatian believers’ self-indulgence?
The conflict, the cosmic battle, even the corrupting or betraying of Biblical Truth? Sadly, YES! It’s why Paul also said in Galatians 5:13, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” And we have the dividing lines clearly drawn: “Flesh, the old man without Christ, the old sin nature, the enslaved or captured by a Christ-less life” OR “The Spirit-man, the born-again, new birth, new life, new hope, new spirit, new desire and discipline, new weapons for our warfare, new help, new power, new future surrendered to the Sovereignty of God! And “The War” is on!! “Flesh or Spirit”? “Christ or the devil?” “The world or the Kingdom of God”? Your fleshly opinions or the Revelation of His Holy Word?
But the truth is, I believe, because of ‘spiritual immaturity’, that there are conflicts that arrive, related to a ‘divided allegiance’, even a split mind of loyalty! This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Is it possible in the ‘infancy’ of one’s faith that pressures between ‘flesh’ and the Spirit of Christ, pressures from unbelieving friends, parents, or co-workers, play havoc with one’s Spirit-allegiance to Christ? And certainly, immature faith can be ‘blind-sided’, and a troubled disciple [it’s always ‘trouble’ when flesh or self speaks louder than the Spirit and the Word!] can find himself/herself ‘playing’ both sides of allegiance between their world and the Master’s will!
The psalmist, in Psalm 119:38, said, “Establish Your word to Your servant, who is “devoted” to fearing You.” It was David in Psalm 19:9 who said, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” And I’m convinced a true disciple’s “fear of God” is an awesome reverence that keeps him/her away from fleshly, selfish indulgences! Without “fear”, no true faith; without “fear”, no true ‘follow-ship’; without “fear”, no true devotion and allegiance in honoring Jesus through one’s walk!
It was Douglas V. Steere, in “Prayer and Worship”, who wrote: “Devotion is not a thing which passes, which comes and goes, as it were, but it is something habitual, fixed, permanent, which extends over every instant of life and regulates all conduct.”
Jesus said in Luke 21:19, “By your patience possess your souls.” If you won’t, the devil will, if you won’t, the world around you will “squeeze you into its mold,” if you allow it your ‘old man’, ‘flesh’, will lead you astray from Christ! We come into this world apart from the nature and character and spirit of God, but when we come to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior a ‘brutal war’ begins between ‘flesh’ and the Spirit; and if Jesus says, “By YOUR patience [or steadfastness] possess your souls,” then we go to war against our, yes, undisciplined natures and we “put on the new man”!
Are you “taking heed to yourselves”? Luke 21:34-36 our Lord and Savior tells us: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
I love Oswald Chambers’ spiritual wisdom and writings in his book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p. 183]. His words are so on target in our maturing process as a disciple of Christ! He said: “The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not understand what He was after. In the Garden of Gethsemane they slept for their own sorrow, and at the end of three years of the closest intimacy they “all forsook Him and fled.”[…BUT], “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost” – the same “they,” but something wonderful has happened in between – Our Lord’s Death and Resurrection and Ascension; and the disciples have been invaded by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord had said – “You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,” and this meant that they learned to watch with Him all the rest of their lives.” Have you learned the lesson?
Third, In His Gift of Deliverance, [Beyond Possessing Your Own Soul!], I Pray That As A Disciple of Christ You Know the Deliverance Ministry of Others From the Powers of Darkness That Trouble and Torment Them!
In Luke 4:18, from the Book of Isaiah, Jesus revealed His personal ministry, and I have no doubts that two of Isaiah’s prophetic statements were about His ministry [and ours!] of deliverance: 1) “to proclaim liberty to the captives”, and 2) “to set at liberty those who are oppressed [or downtrodden]”! And I believe both come from the devil himself and his army of the power of darkness forces!
It is so illuminating to hear Jesus in John 8:44, talking to the Pharisees, the religious crowd, and describing them: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” TO BE WITHOUT CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR AND MASTER OF ONE’S LIFE IS TO BE OWNED, DECEIVED, ENSLAVED, AND BOUND UP AS ONE OF HIS PERSONAL SLAVES!
And there is no doubt that deliverance of the captives is preaching the Gospel of Christ and His forgiveness and His freedom from bondage! Didn’t Jesus say in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”? But there is a demonic realm where their “presence”, yes, requires “casting out the spirits that have taken up “residence” that doesn’t belong to them!
In Matthew 8:16-17 we read, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’”
I am personally so amazed as I read Matthew 8:28-34 because, especially in American churches, “church members” have a problem when you read the scriptural text or especially if in their presence you begin to take authority over the “powers of darkness”, which IS a ministry disciples are called to! Look at the passage! When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way…
And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him saying,…
“If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “GO.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and perished in the water…
Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.” Why? Because they were comfortable with their demon spirits and uncomfortable with Jesus! And you will know when someone is truly uninformed of the regions of darkness and the devil around them – be patient with those who need love and grace to mature them in the ministry I’m talking about!
In 2 Timothy 2:25-26 Paul said: “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” Did you see it, understand it, even wrestle with it, but there are the “snares or traps of the devil,” and certainly God’s Word illumines us that there are those “taken captive [by the devil] to do his will”!
Deliverance ministry IS a part of “fighting the good fight of faith”! Why did Jesus suffer and die on the Cross? Oh, we know He took us and our sins with Him, dying to set us free from the law of sin and death, but there was more! In Hebrews 2:14-15 we read, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
In Isaiah 42:6-7 God speaks! “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”
I want you to read and reflect often over the next few months on Luke 4:31-37 as Jesus ministered “deliverance”: Then He [Jesus] went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority…
Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!”…
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.…
And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.” The interesting part of this? Every disciple of Christ has been given the same authority over the demon powers of Hell including the devil himself – he’s no match for YOU “IN CHRIST”!! In Luke 10:17 we read, Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
I close this chapter with words from Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of Jesus may be glorified in YOU…” Yes, in deliverance ministries!!
CHAPTER TEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS SACRED JUDGMENT!”
Do you remember Julia Ward Howe’s famous “Battle Hymn of the Republic”? A verse says, “He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat, He is sifting out the hearts of men before His Judgment Seat.” You do understand that anyone who enlightens others about the “Judgment Day” before Holy God receives no appreciation from the rebellious and unbelieving – they want your mouth shut or they just label you “brain-dead”!
An old Methodist Hymn has these words in one verse: “Are you ready? Are you ready? Ready for the Judgment Day? When the saints and the sinners Shall be parted right and left – Are you ready for the Judgment Day?” You do understand that “The Greatness of His Sacred Judgment” is right, certain, defining, exposing, as every human being stands before His Judgment Throne, and He opens one of two doors for you: One into Heaven, the Other into Hell! And “there’s no turning back!”
And, Thank God, it IS the Holy God who sits on the Judgment Seat and not “fallen men” or even “faithless preachers” or “futile disciples or believers who don’t even know their own hearts”! In Psalms 19:9-11 King David tells us: “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. MOREOVER by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
Did you notice that for some at the Judgment Seat “there is great reward,” but Jesus said of others in Matthew 25:46, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment…but the righteous into eternal life.” What a difference! “Great reward – great punishment!” What’s YOUR choice?
It was Thomas Carlyle who once wrote: “Foolish men imagine that because judgment for an evil thing is delayed, there is no justice, but only accident here below. Judgment for an evil thing is many times delayed some day or two, some century or two, but it is sure as life, it is sure as death!”
What was the Lord Jesus’ passion all about? Was it ‘correction of men’ or ‘conversion of men’, was it ridicule of fallen men or the desire to see them re-born? Was His heart broken because He saw and understood clearly man’s separation from Holy God or also did the Lord and Savior discern in “religious people” a counterfeit of outward allegiance apart from the true affection and desire to please and honor God with one’s life of repentance and faith? But whether it’s ‘out-and-out unbelievers’ or ‘religious compromisers’ there will be a judgment day for both! Do you remember Paul describing Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10? “…for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world…”
And those who are so in love with their “present world”, remaining aloof and separated from the call of God on their lives, the “Day of the Lord” is coming! In I Thessalonians 5:1-11 Paul wrote: “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night…
For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ Then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief…
You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night…
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him…
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
Notice, the “Day of the Lord” comes as a thief in the night – and unbelieving men are surprised because they never suspected it or prepared and protected themselves from the deceitful ‘thief’ of all ages – the devil! “No problem for us concerning eternal judgment – we are at “peace” in our little world!” And those who are of the ‘world scene’ totally unconcerned about standing before God at His Judgment Seat say, “Peace and safety for us,” but then the sudden judgment of God falls on them! Darkness, drunkenness, deceit, despair, discouragement, denial of the need of any God has captured their minds, their hearts, and their wills, totally unaware they are in bondage to Satan himself!
Oh, but then notice Verse 9 of I Thessalonians 5 when Paul says, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And without Christ as Lord and Savior and Master and Redeemer of their lives, men turn away from God to await His “WRATH”! And Job 5:2 says, “For wrath kills a foolish man…”
In Romans 1:16-32 Paul awakens the “careless” who live trying to satisfy their old sin natures, never knowing they will be JUDGED BY GOD HIMSELF! Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek…
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ 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 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. For this reason “God gave them up” to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature….
Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, 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.”
From this very passage, I pray you seriously consider God’s “righteous case” against every person transgressing against Him! His “wrath” is revealed – and Godlessness, not atheism alone, but one living as if God did not exist for them, desiring to live under no authority but their own, living independent lives absent of Holy God who loved them, made them, lost them, and even paid the price of divine intervention! They “suppress the truth in unrighteousness”! They had no desire to “glorify God” in their lives, becoming futile in their thoughts, “and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
What did God do? “God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves!” They bought the devil’s ‘Lie’: “you can sin and not die!” Have you ever researched “God gave them over to a debased mind”? They made an eternal choice alienated from God but promoting and pumping their own fleshly sin nature! And what does Revelation 21:8 tell us? “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death.” And if you did not know it, the “second Death” is the death that will not die!
Psalm 97:2b clearly tells us: “…”Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Justice IS God’s judgment, and God’s eternal righteousness is certainly exalted in and through His Judgment! He “rules” from His throne, and nothing is hidden from His eyes! Isaiah the prophet said in Isaiah 5:16, “But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.”
Oh, but misinformed “believers” are quick to say how glad they are that God judges the unrighteous and unfaithful, and then, all of a sudden, they see from the Word that God’s “righteous Judgment” begins with His own people! In I Peter 4:17-18 His anointed Word tells us, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of God? Now, “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
Proverbs 19:29 is so very, very clear and to the point. It says, “Judgments are prepared for scoffers…!” And one begins to reason with his/her human faculties: “I thought judgment before God was for sinners – but ‘scoffers’? Where does that leave me?” And if YOU are a scoffer, get ready because soon you’ll stand before God’s throne to give an account of your scoffing attitude! Peter told us in 2 Peter 3:3 that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts!” If you’ve never been around “scoffers”, when you do come around them, you’ll find men who absolutely “reverence self” above God which is about as close as one can be to religious activities that portray no allegiance to God Himself – their ‘religion’ is devotion to their fallen sin natures and their godless minds!
God’s Greatness? The Greatness of His Sacred Judgment? But it’s not just “out-and-out sinners,” the “religious who’ve never been re-born”, or the scoffers and the skeptics – is it possible that the compromising counterfeiters of consecration publicly espouse their marriage to Christ while inwardly there is unreserved devotion and alliance with one’s old sin nature?
Are you familiar with “pretense” and those who live under that banner of ‘flesh allegiance’? In Psalm 81: 11-15 we read, “But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. [Don’t miss the next verse!!] The haters of the Lord “would pretend obedience to Him, but their fate would endure forever.” Pretenders, pretending obedience when in the heart and mind they are yielded to fleshly indulgences while masked with an imitation appearance and face a “Sacred Judgment”!
In Deuteronomy 7:9-10 hear Moses! “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He REPAYS those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.” Just how serious do you think that sounds?
Just how serious are you about pleasing and honoring the Lord and Savior through your yielded walk in all areas of your life? Have you witnessed “law-abiding” citizens who at the same time are love-abandoned husbands and fathers but they feel justified by civic duty but a marriage vow and parental responsibility take a back-seat in exalting Him through the most important areas of their lives outside of full surrender and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? Does athleticism give one a ‘privilege’ of sexual immorality, or ‘movie-stars’ or TV personalities open doors to hearty rebellion to God, or rich men who justify “financial success” as an open door to violate the Law of God without penalty? I believe we just read, “God repays”!!
Though John was clear that “Jesus must increase [in His control of my life] and I must decrease,” worldly men have reversed that truth and maintained it! It’s called rebellion, disobedience, independence, ‘my right’, and fallen men will continue to increase their fallen sin nature control and fail to see Jesus dying on the Cross to set them free from bondage, until YOU expose them to divine truth of their need of reconciliation to Holy God through Christ Jesus alone!
But even as Jesus had been crucified, yes, hanging on the Cross, you see a picture of what goes on today in our modern world of many people who blaspheme Jesus, curse Jesus, and give their approval of His death on the Cross! Matthew 27:40 says, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross,” not believing God’s sacrifice was necessary! Verses 42-43 says, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God,’” AND HE WAS, HE IS, HE FOREVER WILL BE! He didn’t come down from the Cross because He willingly was laying down His life to free US from sin and death!
Holy God, yes, exercised “sacred judgment” against our sin and death, giving alienated, separated men and women the blessing of being freed from the bondage of total depravity, with Jesus Himself taking on His “new identity” for us of sons and daughters of Father-God as our Substitute on the Cross! Oh, yes, Jesus “trusted” Father-God knowing resurrection would come on the Father’s time-table! And it did! Sacred Judgment was the Savior’s death – sacred judgment was necessary that we could be freed from the law of sin and death! But some don’t believe, refuse to repent, and go on and on creating new “religions,” remedies, and go about establishing their own restoration through some form of spiritual sanity but remaining in chains, bondages, and behind bars!
Aren’t you personally aware that fallen men are so degraded by the sin of rebellion and unbelief, even brought into those spiritual chains by their ‘faith’ and ‘trust’ in what fallen men tell them and show them, so dishonoring God’s eternal intention, rather than resting in, receiving, and reverencing God’s Holy Word?
Oh, it’s true: “Jesus delighted in and trusted God the Father who would, yes, raise Him from the dead!” But “the soldiers of Rome, the scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the day, the angry Jews, the ill-informed general populace,” stood at the Cross as He died ‘for them’, cursing Him, denying His faithful promise of redemption and forgiveness, choosing Hell rather than Heaven, the devil rather than the Savior, choosing their fleshly intuitions and religious upbringing rather than the true Savior and Lord! And judgment comes, and it’s holy and sacred, and certain!
My prayer? My concern? A watchman comes and sounds the true alarm or he comes and excuses, dilutes, covers over the Biblical warning with “sweetness” that is unbelief! In Ezekial 33:6-8 we read: “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”
“Sacred Judgment?” Listen to Spurgeon’s convicting comments:[Spurgeon’s Sermons, Memorial Library, Vol.15, p.351], “As long as a man quarrels with justice he cannot be at peace with mercy. We must accept God as king, even though He bears not the sword in vain, or else He will never put up that sword in its sheath. Condemn yourself, and God will acquit you. Come penitently and submissively, and the just God will be a Savior unto you.” And a few paragraphs down Spurgeon said: “The wounds of Christ are the windows of the heart of God.”
Yes, justice and righteousness flow side by side; yes, the Cross with all the sufferings of Christ Jesus reveal the very heart of God substituting His Son for the guilt of our sin, then setting us free from the law of sin and death – Jesus judged for my sin and yours, Jesus suffered my sentence and yours, Jesus bled and died and rose again that we might not face eternal judgment and punishment but receive by faith eternal salvation and presence forever in God’s Heaven!
I’m telling you with all I can muster up: Redemptive faith in God’s finished work at the Cross is to be reverenced and received by us all, not rebelled against or reviled! ‘Self-reliance’ is false trust that leads to sacred judgment that leads to eternal separation from Holy God! Why not “Come Home” to the One who loves you and proved it at Calvary’s Cross?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS EXPOSURE OF LIMITED LIVES OR ETERNAL DESTINIES!”
There is such an interesting and dynamic word from Jesus in John 14:29 that should arouse your personal hunger to know what our Lord was up to just like His inner circle of disciples were, though often they slept while He prayed and conversed with Father-God. The Word says: “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.”
God will speak directly! God will speak through His appointed, anointed representatives! God will speak loudly and clearly through life’s storms! God will speak directly through His Resurrected Son and Savior! God will speak through His pastors, His people, His chosen life-circumstances! Yes, God will even speak to you through His silence!
I don’t know how you might interpret it but Moses gives us an interesting unveiling in Numbers 32:23 when he said to Israel, “…and be sure your sin will find you out.” He may be vocal or He may be silent, but “be sure your sin will find you out!”
If God may speak to us through His silence, how do you relate to John 11:6 where Jesus had just learned of Lazarus’ sickness as Mary and Martha informed Him with Jesus responding that it was not sickness unto death but for the glory of God “that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Verse 4. But the amazing truth here? Verse 6 says, So, when He [Jesus] heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” And can’t you hear it, “Why don’t You hurry, Jesus; Lazarus is dying!?!” And Lazarus died! And Jesus told Martha, “Your brother will rise again.”
Isn’t it amazing to you that most of us, even as believers, are “here and now” folks! “Get it done, NOW!” But, as we mature in our faith-walk, we begin to learn that true faith in discipleship relates to the Sovereignty of God, and answers to our dilemmas are without question a matter of trust in His timing!
I can’t get away from John as we begin this chapter together. We know he was “a man sent from God,” and we know “this man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.”
“Well who are you? Are you the Christ?” And John said that he was only a voice in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. Then comes an amazing word to John. John 1:29 tells us, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
I pray you sense what is going on here, a limited revelation and then a full unveiling, a limited understanding and then a full disclosure, a limited idea and then full understanding of divine intent! Do we EVER even sense in the spiritual family the reality of birth and messy diapers, childhood and growth, teen-agers and tests, young adults and ‘hit or miss,’ ‘right or wrong,’ with the ‘in-crowd’ or God alone, exams with failures or successes, testing the waters of the world or, yes, ministry endeavors, simply career changes or divine destinies?
There’s two verses in Jeremiah 4 that really opens the door to this chapter. Jeremiah 4:1-2 says, “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives.’ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory.”
Abominations gone – no stress! Oaths of allegiance – new day! Abandonment of past rebellion – now present and eternal blessing! But you have a better understanding of what life has truly been about since its inception? What is this chapter about? “The Greatness of His Exposure of Limited Lives or Eternal Destinies”?
No light – full darkness! No freedom – full bondage! No awareness of sin in me – full blindness of one’s need of God! No brokenness of who I am – no healing or possibility of God’s eternal intention! No love of God in me – no knowledge of sin enslaving me! No spirit-life – no spiritual victory overcoming the old man! No “Bethlehem” – no possibility of divine life and eternal hope! No renunciation of the “flesh” or old sin nature – no forgiveness, no reconciliation, no unveiling of that divine intent!
“God’s Exposure of Limited Lives or Eternal Destinies?” In Psalm 25: 12-15 David renders for every man the plea for divine forgiveness and deliverance with the promise of blessing. In these verses David wrote: “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.”
But what if your eyes are never toward the Lord? What if there is absolutely never any fear of God in one’s life? What if “purpose of God,” “intent of God,” “eternal plan of God” for all humans is hidden away and they have no understanding of really who they are or what ‘life’ is all about? You do realize that ‘darkened understanding’ of eternal intent is missing from most lives, most nations, most homes and families – for too many it’s just “do the best you can” – and God is missing from them.
Oh, but then, there are those encountering divine purpose but resistant to the cost or demands of true discipleship. In Luke 9:57-62 we read, Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Are you familiar with, “Yes, Lord, but…?” The risk of the reach is what it is, a risk of the reach! But man’s “common sense” faculty overrules faith and abandonment of all that one has known or rested in before he/she met Christ! Now, In Luke 14:33 Jesus tells us, “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
“Limited Lives?” You’ve heard it! “Born again?” “Dead in sin?” “Live selflessly?” “Honor God?” “A slave of sin?” “A prisoner of the devil?” “Dominated by demons?” “A captive of the world-spirit domination?” “Deflected from devotion to self and fully surrendered to Christ the Savior and Lord?” “It may be ‘my hour’ dominated, controlled, enslaved by the power or powers of darkness, but it is “MY HOUR”! “Compromise is a safe alternative in a dangerous world – who wants to lose their position, their high salary, and their future position with the company?” “Spiritual shallowness is a safe path in a cruel world!” “I’m sorry, but I’m consumed by self-concern, self-promotion, and self-protection. I don’t have time to think about any God or any others – I have my own little kingdom and my own little house of fleshly faith.” “Oh, those Christians may be re-born like they talk about, but I’m naturally illumined to my own fleshly destiny!”
Do you remember Jesus saying in Mark 1:17, “Follow Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men,” but if one has alternatives to self-abandonment, how does Jesus’ invitation capture one’s mind and heart when earthly affinities rule the day? If one has been “squeezed or pressed into the world’s mold,” how does one come to victory in his/her walk? And Paul says there is an option: rather than being “conformed to this world ‘mold,’” one can be “transformed” by the renewing of one’s mind through Christ!
What did Paul write in Ephesians 4:17-24? “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, [Do you see selective friendship with fallen self and an alienated world?], having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;…
Who, being past feeling, having given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus; that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts,…
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
And, “God’s Greatness”? He EXPOSES the LIMITED LIFE! He SHOWS the SINNER the ERROR OF HIS WAYS! He REVEALS the LEWDNESS, the UNCLEANNESS, the GREEDINESS, revealing a new, living, eternal, God-like way of life in Christ Jesus!
“Follow Me!” It should be enough said, but we know that there is so much more beyond our exposure to our limited life in the “flesh”! Following Jesus IS our exposure also to our “Eternal Destinies”!
In Ezra 4 the enemies or adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that these men were considering rebuilding the temple of the Lord that had been destroyed. Verses 4-5 tells us, “Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose…” [I’m not saying they were right to seek to rebuild the temple – what I’m interested in right here is you aware for yourself that as ‘the true temple’ of God you will find opposition to build up the residence of His Holy Presence IN YOUR LIFE!].
“Eternal Destiny?” What did Paul tell us in Philippians 1:21? “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” But sadly many have never heard that “the wages of sin is death,” never heard there’s an open door of life in and through Christ, never heard there is ‘eternal purpose’, ‘eternal privilege’, and ‘eternal presence’ in you through repentance toward God and faith in Christ’s finished work at the Cross!
But the truth? Through His shed blood at the Cross, and my old man crucified with Him, plus Jesus resurrected from the dead, then convicted, convinced, converted in and through the Holy Spirit, in Christ we are those “destined to reign in this life, no longer subjects and slaves of the old sin nature, but true recipients of resurrection, eternal, Spirit-filled life!”
God’s purpose for you in Christ? The “Eternal Destiny” of reigning with Him in the here and now! In Romans 5:17 we read, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more, those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness WILL REIGN IN LIFE through the ONE, JESUS CHRIST!” We know that “as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness TO ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We WERE lost sheep, lost to God’s eternal purpose and plan, lost to holiness, lost to the blessed state and position of the spiritual sons and daughters of Father-God, but through Christ there is re-birth, reconciliation, true redemption, and, yes, “joint-heirs” in Christ, raised up by faith to be seated with Him in the heavenly places NOW, not when we die and “go to heaven someday”! We are Christ’s sheep now because He bought us with a price, He’s the owner, because He laid down His life for His sheep.
“Eternal Destiny”? It’s no longer independence, self-rule, self-determination, the satisfying of the old sin nature – but full and willing surrender to the very Sovereign rule and purpose of God and a yielding to the supremacy of Jesus – it’s no longer ‘what I want’ but what He wills! It’s not what makes ME feel good, but what pleases Father-God! Jesus faced the Cross for us, and in His human capacity He said to the Father, “If possible, let this cup [of suffering] pass from Me, nevertheless not My will but Your will be done!” And Jesus went to the Cross willingly!
In Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost For His Highest” [p.228], I read a strong paragraph that really spoke to me about our “eternal destiny”. He wrote: “The Lord does not give me rules, He makes His standard very clear, and if my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without any hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone else [or something else!] in competition with Him, viz., myself. Jesus Christ will not help me to obey Him, I must obey Him; and when I do obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. [Glory to God alone!]. My personal life may be crowded with small petty incidents, altogether unnoticeable and mean; but if I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God, and when I stand face to face with God I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When once God’s Redemption comes to the point of obedience in a human soul, it always creates. If I obey Jesus Christ, the Redemption of God will rush through me to other lives, because behind the deed of obedience is the Reality of Almighty God.”
Oh, yes! Chambers said in a previous paragraph: “’IF any man will be My disciple, let him deny himself,’ let him give up his right to himself to Me!” Do you think this is why Jesus said in Luke 14:27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple”?
“Eternal Destiny”? It may be instantaneous, it may be progressive, but it certainly is ultimate! But, yes, it does begin with one’s recognition of surrender to Jesus’ Lordship, it continues with His mandate of undivided devotion, of costly commitment, with those disciples who have counted the cost, and willingly made a full and awesome surrender to be blessed and led by the King of kings and Lord of lords!
With Paul, “the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” With John, we no longer “love the world or the things of the world” – our heart is captured by Christ, and our will to do the will of God forever, whatever the price! It’s no longer being “conformed to the world, but being transformed by the renewing of the mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God!”
“Eternal Destiny”? In I Peter 1:13-15 is the unveiling of God’s mandate: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” THAT’S GOD SAYING BE HOLY BECAUSE HE IS HOLY, but you think ‘compromise’ is OK?
And don’t you find it so amazing that Jesus, Emmanuel, “God in flesh”, comes, and He does so to reveal the Servant-heart of God? Didn’t He say, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give My life a ransom for many”? And He took a towel and basin, washing, and drying the disciples’ feet! Holiness is the reflection of God and the unveiling of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE DOES!
It was Sherwood Eddy who once said, “Christianity is not believing the impossible, but doing the incredible.” And Paul said what? “I take the sentence of death unto myself that the resurrection life of Christ may be manifested in me and through me!”
Eternal destiny is willing surrender, like Jesus, to the will and way of God! Spurgeon once said: “Do not imagine that any man will go to heaven kicking and struggling all the way against the hand that draws him. [And] Do not conceive that any man will be plunged in the bath of the Savior’s blood while he is striving to run away from the Savior.” And certainly there are many who hear, and then, run away from Jesus! Why? An unwillingness to take the Cross unto their selfish, unbelieving, rebellious, independent way of life – to them, their way is better than God’s Way of death to self with resurrection life to follow!
Eternal destiny is also not simply one’s knowledge of what he/she ought to do, but a willingness to fulfill it daily in one’s spiritual pilgrimage. In John 13:17 Jesus clearly said: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” The brother of Jesus, James, said in James 1:21-25 tells us, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls…
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;…
For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Eternal destiny IS the daily discipline of leaning not to one’s own understanding but the daily surrendering to the will of God! “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening; Your servant wants to know Your Way in this day…no turning away but fully desiring the destiny You’ve planned for me in this given hour!”
In John 12:27-28 , yes, Jesus was wrestling concerning His coming days. He said to the Father, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’”
And YOU may be troubled concerning your own eternal destiny! Rush to the throne of God right now! Fall on your face before Holy God, before Jesus, before the Holy Spirit!! Cry out to the loving, merciful, caring Godhead! But make sure the destiny of YOUR life and YOUR walk is to glorify the Name above all names! Rest yourself, yes, at the Throne of God, fully surrendered to follow His leadership.
I have no doubts about God’s intention for the destiny of your life of service to honor Him, and no doubts about the supernatural gifts He will give to you and all true disciples, and no doubts that He can take YOU alone and shake and shape and subdue an entire world to His glory – but the question is, “Are YOU fully surrendered, fully yielded to the good, acceptable, perfect will of God for your life and witness? For you, has it been a “limited life” or do you walk in faith in YOUR “eternal destiny”?
Albert Simpson and James H. Burke, in the 19th Century wrote the hymn: “Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” Receive it! “Oh, how sweet the glorious message, Simple faith may claim; Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. Still He loves to save the sinful, Heal the sick and the lame; Cheer the mourner, still the tempest; Glory to His name!…
He who was the friend of sinners, Seeks you, lost one, now; Sinner, come, and at His footstool Penitently bow. He who said, “I’ll not condemn you, Go and sin no more;” Speaks to you that word of pardon, as in days of yore…
Often on earth He healed the sufferer By His mighty hand; Still our sicknesses and sorrows Go at His command. He who gave His healing virtue, To a woman’s touch; To the faith that claims His fullness, Still will give as much…
As of old He walked to Emmaeus, With them to abide; So through all life’s way He walks, Ever near our side. Soon again we shall behold Him, Hasten, Lord, the day! But it will still be “this same Jesus,” As He went away…
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same, All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His name. Glory to His name, Glory to His name; All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His name!”
Jesus went to the Cross in our behalf! Jesus suffered that we might be free from the law of sin and death! Jesus died that we might live! But we’re not sure His invitation is an open door to suffering, trouble, abuse, death, so we enter the fullness of resurrection glory?
It was Joseph Hall who said: “If the sun of God’s countenance shine upon me, I may well be content to be wet with the rain of affliction.” Eternal Destiny? For you and me? Trouble, yet triumphant! Suffering, yet sealed! Imprisoned, yet eternally free! Threatened, yet safe in the arms of Jesus! Tempted, yet delivered from evil! Emptied by the world, yet filled by God with Holy Presence and faithful provision! Denied as ‘legit’, but affirmed as sons and daughters by God! “Save yourself,” the world says – Jesus says, “Lose yourself for My sake and the Gospel!”
A limited life or a laid-down life, a self-centered existence or an eternally destined display of Holy Presence, a self-preserved life or a sacrificial offering on God’s altar, fleshly ‘filthy rags’ or the implanted righteousness of God, a recipient of earth’s greatest riches or a recipient of God’s heavenly treasures, good works or so great a salvation, a sharer of man-made religion or the joint-heir in Christ of an eternal, personal relationship with Holy God, fleshly proud or faithfully broken and emptied by God Himself to be filled with eternal destiny and eternal privilege and eternal true wealth and riches?
“God’s Exposure of Limited Lives or Blessed With Eternal Destiny?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS CONVICTION AND THE GREATNESS OF HIS CONVERSIONS?”
If “the wages of sin is death,” where does that leave ‘fallen mankind’ spiritually? If sin separates us from Holy God, what possibility or event reconciles us? If our sinfulness puts us in bondage under Satan’s domination, is there any eternal hope at all of being freed from his slavery-hold on our lives? If the wickedness of man is so great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually, are we left alone by God in suffering the consequences of our sin?
I’m so thankful that Genesis 6:8 tells us, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” I’m so thankful there is “grace greater than all our sin”. I’m so thankful that God’s love was not blackened out by your sin and mine. When God said to Noah in Genesis 6:13, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” And God told Noah to “Build an ark.” Grace and mercy extended, yes, greater than the total sinfulness of all mankind!
Fallen mankind is up and out for himself alone! Fallen mankind is satisfied with his rebellion against God since he’s about feeding his inner desolations and trying to find agreement with the devil himself! Fallen mankind usually is pleased with himself if his fallen sin nature gives him even a second of sensual satisfaction and pleasure – deadening himself to the desire of God to make an eternal difference in his life, like a deadening dose of medication before serious surgery!!
But, please understand – I’m not only talking about “out and out sinners,” shameful to themselves and everybody around them – “lost-ness,” “separation from God,” “independent of eternal purpose and blessing”, folks at home in the dark side of life, unclean, unholy, and ‘at peace’ with themselves in their unrighteous acts and deeds, perverts, slaves to the old sin nature! I’m as concerned about those blessed in their worldly successes and achievements but completely blind to the love and intent of God for their lives!
“I’m my own boss – I don’t need God!” “I’m satisfied with my achievements, no re-birth is needed for me!” You know them: folks with a strong self-assertiveness, folks with ‘natural gifts and talents,’ and feel “I can make it on my own!” And they’ll push your witness away!
In “My Utmost For His Highest” Oswald Chambers wrote: [p.256], “It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural standpoint that keep us back from God’s best. To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us debate with the sordid and evil and wrong, but we do debate with the good. It is the good that hates the best, and the higher up you get in the scale of the natural virtues, the more intense is the opposition to Jesus Christ. ‘They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh’ – it is going to cost the natural in you in everything, not something.” Amen and Amen!!
Alienation from God is because of allegiance to ‘self’, allegiance and even distorted love to one’s old sin nature, allegiance to fleshly natures in tune with the world, the sinner, and the devil himself, and allegiance to one’s own determination of what’s good or evil, not needing God or His Word to guide one’s life! They, for the most part, are completely and totally uninformed of God’s love, grace, and mercy! Their allegiance is, sadly, to their own personal prejudices, more than likely having never heard of “Amazing Grace”!
And apart from exposure there are those who journey through life without knowing of the love, mercy, grace, hope that only God can give them! God releases that concentration of illumination of a heart, mind, will separated from Him in need of Calvary’s love! Yes, the very Holy Spirit of God knocks on the heart’s door and mind, revealing one’s independence from God and one’s need of reconciliation to God!
You’ll remember Jesus, prior to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, that He told His disciples, in John 16:7-8, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, HE WILL CONVICT THE WORLD of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…”
Jesus alerts us that the Holy Spirit comes to arouse within us our awareness of our need of Christ as Savior and Lord, to reveal to us the advantage of His absence so the Spirit will come, and the eternal appointment by God Himself of the Spirit to guide us daily into all truth and glorify Christ through our surrender to the Spirit’s leadership!
I absolutely love what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 15:26! “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, HE WILL TESTIFY OF ME!”
Conviction, illumination, guidance, helps, empowerments, anointings, gifts, and a divine, eternal commission to touch our world with grace and mercy! In Matthew 9:36 the word tells us that “when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd;” but then Jesus said to His disciples in verses 37-38, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
And in the very next chapter Jesus sent out the twelve as His appointed anointed because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” But you’re personally not sure that “the presence of God and His kingdom” is capable of ‘conviction’ in unbelievers’ lives? Do you remember the woman “caught in adultery” by the scribes and Pharisees in John 8:3? Oh, and then in verses 7-9, we read: So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who hear it, ‘being convicted by their [own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.”
It’s very true that sometimes “the religious” are the furthest away from an awareness of their sin and need of the Savior and Lord! In Romans 2:17-24 we read: “Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, [that’s religious Jews boasting their acceptance by God because they were saying, “Look at us! We keep the Law !”, when every day that passed they were “law-breakers”!] and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law…
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of YOU”!! What an awesome, convicting, life-changing word of human exposure!
Do you comprehend, yes, “spiritual leprosy” which is declared deathly by Holy God? Do you truly know that YOUR “fleshly righteousness” is nothing more than “filthy rags”? I pray you give the Holy Spirit an open door to your mind, your heart that is blackened by your sin, and your will controlled by worldly influences, fleshly deathliness, and demonic, devilish denials of the love and mercy of God for YOU!
In Hebrews 10:26-31 we read powerful words that ought to put every sinner on his/her face before Holy God! It says: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries…
Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?…
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Do you even realize that YOUR sins do have consequences? Oh, we know “the wages of sin is death,” but do we fully understand alienation, separation, and the consequences of eternal death in Hell that never dies? Spurgeon said, “God is angry with the sinner every day. Men do not fly to God till fear puts wings upon their feet. Take away the dread of the wrath to come, and you have removed the great impulse which makes men seek for mercy. Men will not meet God till they see the angel with the drawn sword…Conviction of sin wrought by the Spirit of God is more powerful than argument…To feel that God must punish sin, that God will by no means clear the guilty, is the best thing to drive a man Godward.” [Spurgeon’s Sermons, Memorial Library, Vol.15,p.347].
Hear the wise man of Proverbs! Proverbs 28:13, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Conviction! The beloved John wrote in I John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” John said later, “the darkness has blinded his eyes,” and as a result multitudes live apart from conviction! But sin IS sin, wrong is wrong, unrighteousness is unrighteousness, living darkened to the redemption of God in Christ Jesus is choosing darkness over Light! I John 2:2 says, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” And, yes, Jesus went to the Cross shedding His own blood and dying knowing not all the whole world would receive His gift of mercy and love!
But the second vital truth of this chapter? WHEN THERE IS THE RECEPTION OF GOD’S GIFT OF CONVICTION, THE DOOR IS OPENED TO DIVINE CONVERSION! It is absolutely imperative that you come to an understanding of, and the actual experience of, “conversion,” or “Born-again,” or “second birth,” or “Divine transformation”! When Jesus said, “You must be born again,” He wasn’t preaching an untruth but eternal wisdom and an absolute historical event if one desires to have a relationship with Holy God!
In Acts 15:1-11 Peter quashed all criticism of ill-informed people about true salvation. And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question…
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them…
But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe…
So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?…
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” If I’m not mistaken, I believe God’s Word tells us salvation comes through repentance toward God and faith in the finished work of Christ at the Cross! 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells me, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Christ Jesus, Promised Messiah, Lamb of God, Resurrected King of kings and Lord of lords!].”
And God’s eternal desire and plan? Galatians 1:15-16 says, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to REVEAL HIS SON IN ME…” I truly love the writings of Oswald Chambers! In his book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.207], he wrote: “If Jesus Christ is to regenerate me, what is the problem He is up against? I have a heredity I had no say in; I am not holy, nor likely to be; and if All Jesus Christ can do is to tell me I must be holy, His teaching plants despair. But if Jesus Christ is a Regenerator, One Who can put into me His own heredity of holiness, then I begin to see what He is driving at when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the hereditary disposition that was in Himself, and all the standards He gives are based on that disposition: “His teaching is for the life He puts in.” The moral transaction on my part is agreement with God’s verdict on sin in the Cross of Jesus Christ.” AMEN!!
Don’t you find David and the psalms so rich in redemptive truth? In Psalm 34:1-7 King David wrote the following inspired by God’s love and mercy: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad…
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles…The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
Notice, David sought the Lord because the truth is God sought David! God heard his repentant cries, God delivered him from all his fears, God changed his inner and outer countenance, God saved him out of all his troubles, God invaded and surrounded him with His holy presence, and set him free!
Psalm 32:1-5 intensifies one’s understanding of the grace and mercy of God! The hymn of David relates to the joy of forgiveness! “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit…
When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. [But] I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
“You, God, forgave the iniquity of my sin”? The beloved John was so blessed to personally walk with Jesus in those years of our Lord’s public ministry before His crucifixion! John was the one who leaned on Jesus as they shared the Lord’s Supper. John wrote in I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And when it comes to God’s forgiveness, our sins and sin natures are, yes, buried in the very sea of His forgetfulness! In Isaiah 43:25 the prophet shares a vital word from God: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” Did God say, “blotting out your transgressions for My own sake”? I’m awed because sin alienates, and God was/is eternally committed to pay the price of sin and guilt and separation that He might be able to draw YOU TO HIMSELF!!”Nothing between my soul and the Savior! Your sin and guilt has been washed away by the blood of the Lamb of God!! Glory!!
I want to remind you of a verse from Romans 15:29 that should guide you every day in your own spiritual pilgrimage. Paul said: “But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.” And he said also in verse 32 that he prayed faithfully “that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.” And it’s true – we all need “times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.”
Birthed an alien – blessed by the blood of Christ and graciously declared a citizen of the Kingdom of God in the here and now! Birthed a sinner – blessed as a saint of the family of God! Birthed a rebel – born again to be an ambassador! Birthed an arrogant slave of Satan – washed in Jesus’ blood to be God’s appointed, anointed servant of others! Remember, Jesus Himself said, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve and give My life as a ransom for many!” Revelation 14:13 tells us, Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
“Conversion”? “Blessed in the Lord!” The blessings in the Lord surely include your victory over Satan and the powers of darkness! The devil IS your enemy, but through Christ Jesus we overcome him and his armed forces of deceit, doubt, discouragement, disillusionment, even disgrace! Revelation 12:9-11 says, So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him…
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ has come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
“Conversion”? Do you truly believe that God Himself has found an atoning sacrifice for you? Do you truly believe God is gracious and has found a ‘ransom’ for your soul? Do you truly believe that God has given you a Light to reveal the Way to His heavenly throne and eternal presence? Job 33:30 says, God worked, “to bring back his [your] soul from the Pit, that he [you] may be enlightened with the light of life.” And the Light of the world? His name is Jesus!
Oh, I pray you see, sense, surrender, confess, agree that it was you for whom Christ died! In Ephesians 2:13-18 Paul tells us: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enemy. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”
And it comes down now to the valley of decision! “Choose you this day whom you will serve!” Will it be the devil, will it be the unsaved world, will it be an enslaved self, or will it be Jesus, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, Master, Savior of the world? Please hear me!! “Christ in you” IS THE HOPE OF GLORY! “Conversion”! God’s eternal grace, mercy, and love!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME!”
In I Chronicles 16:23-29 is such a motivational word in inspiring God’s people to glorify Him, realizing most of fallen mankind will never give Him the time of day! It says: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. ‘DECLARE HIS GLORY AMONG THE NATIONS’ [the Gentiles}, His wonders among all peoples…
For the Lord IS GREAT AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place…
Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”
Do you realize, whether in the Christian world or the world of religions, yes, worldwide, that King David understood “Truth”, that “all the gods of the peoples are idols,” false representations of the True and Living God, and that the “True God” is “great and greatly to be praised”? Are YOU one through whom God is assured your life and spiritual walk will be a life of praise and thanksgiving, and of Him, because YOU know He is great and greatly to be praised?
Humanity can be easily divided between rebellious wills before God or surrendered wills whose sole purpose in life is to honor and glorify His Holy Name! There are those who have no awareness that God Alone is the King of glory, deserving of all praise and adoration and honor. It was Isaiah who said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” But there are those utterly naked in the brain who have no inclination of the greatness of the glory of God!
Moses was not one of those but he became a servant of the Lord whose passion was: Exodus, 33:18, “Please, show me Your glory.” We know that earlier, in verse 11, that “the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
Moses said in Verse 12, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’” What an amazing revelation! Does God know YOU by name, and are you one also who has found grace in God’s sight?
Moses received assurance that God’s Presence was with Moses and His people, and as a result, in Verse 18, Moses said to the Lord, “Please, show me Your glory.” And we know through the Word that God told Moses to “stand on the rock,” and verses 22-23 tell us: “So it shall be, while ‘My glory’ passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
Oh, there’s coming a day when ALL will see God Himself face to face, but not now! In I Timothy 6:13-16 Paul told Timothy: “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession of Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, WHOM NO MAN HAS SEEN OR CAN SEE, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”
Didn’t Jesus Himself say in John 6:46, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.” Don’t you find Jesus’ statement awe-inspiring? “No one has seen the Father, but the Son sent by the Father!” Oh, but then in Matthew 11:27 Jesus opens the door to one’s “seeing God”! He said: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, AND the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Question!! “Are you the one to whom the Son wills to reveal God to you?” Because of Jesus, will YOU behold God’s glory? [I will assure you that it’s not human ‘flesh and blood’ that will view the glory of God, but redeemed, re-born, regenerated sons and daughters of faith alone!]
But Moses was adamant, intense, determined!! “Show me Your glory!!” How would you frame that question as you talk with Father-God? What would You ask of Him related to His presence? In Exodus 33:15 Moses said, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here…Verse 16, For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
Did you receive it? “Grace and Holy Presence!” “Conversation and Holy Presence!” “Separate from the world yet sent by God into the world with Holy Presence the distinguishing mark of God’s people!” In Psalm 25:14 David said, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” “Fear God?” That’s reverential awe! That’s awareness of the Holy God who rules and reigns in righteousness! That’s understanding that God has, God is, and God will maintain His Kingdom rule forever and ever – and men of faith are like Moses and David, holding on, and they won’t let go! David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”
“Please, Lord God, show me Your glory.” And God’s response? Oh, my!! Exodus 33:19 says, Then He [God] said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” God’s Greatness? His graciousness and His goodness! God’s Greatness? His eternal compassion! God’s Greatness? His wisdom in nailing our natural abilities and natural virtues and natural confidences in ourselves to the Cross with Christ so that our hope is in Jesus only!
In fact, didn’t Paul tell us in Colossians 1:27, “… Christ in you, the hope of glory”? Follow carefully Oswald Chambers’ writing in “My Utmost For His Highest.” [p.271]. “The sign that God is at work in us is that He corrupts confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but remnants of what God created man to be. We will cling to the natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us into contact with the life of Jesus Christ, which can never be described in terms of the natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people in the service of God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them, depending on what they have by the accident of heredity. God does not build up our natural virtues and transfigure them, because our natural virtues can never come anywhere near what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every bit of our bodily life into harmony with the new life which God has put in us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.”
“God’s Greatness?” “Show me Your glory?” “I will make all My goodness pass before you!” In Exodus 34:5-9 the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Moses there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.”
“God’s Greatness?” But you missed, overlooked, or were distracted by the ‘flesh’, and failed to sense the Spirit of God unveiling His “goodness” to you? Just reflect upon the marvelous world our God has created! What does Psalm 19:1 say to remind us of God’s everlasting and amazing glory? “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Have you never stood in awe at the awesomeness of God’s creative genius and eternal beauty of all He called into existence?
It was Francis of Assisi and arranger Ralph Vaughn Williams who gave us the hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” It says: “All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing Alleluia! Alleluia! You burning sun with golden beam, You silver moon with softer gleam! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!…
You rushing wind that is so strong, You clouds that sail in heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! You rising morn, in praise rejoice, You lights of evening, find a voice! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!…
Dear mother earth, who day by day, Unfolds blessings on our way, O praise Him! Alleluia! The flowers and fruits that in you grow, Let them His glory also show! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!…
Let all things their Creator bless, And worship in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! O praise Him, O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Have YOU ever considered the awesomeness and blessed reality of human birth? You don’t sense any goodness of God in your earthly existence? You’ve never even thanked God for the privilege of fleshly life? And, of course, spiritual purpose and destiny has not been one of your considerations of thanksgiving and praise?
Oh, but then, Jeremiah 7:13 comes to us all, and for some, it is a stinging indictment! God said, “I called you, but you did not answer.” In Jeremiah 11:7-10 the Lord said to the prophet: “For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear; but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’” And the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” And the end result? Calamity awaits! Why? Because God still calls – and some refuse to answer! God still calls – and obedience is aborted! God still calls – and men follow the dictates of a fallen heart!
“God’s Greatness?” Out of the mind and the very heart of God we potentially see redemptive, renewing, reconciling, restoring of God’s eternal intention for men of repentance and faith! In Romans 5:1-11 we read, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God…[Ck. I Corinthians 1:26-31!].
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us…
For when we were still without strength [spiritually helpless], in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die…
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been “justified by His blood,” we shall be [being] saved from wrath through Him…
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
God demonstrating His love for you? God revealing His abiding love by the death of His Son? God unveiling and revealing “the reconciliation”? God , though we were enemies, saves “us” through the death of His Son? And you’re unsure of His “greatness”? Do you remember the angels crying out before Isaiah? Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” But you haven’t seen or even sensed it? The 24 elders in Revelation 4:11 had cast their crowns before our Lord’s throne, and they said: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
As the 24 elders, have YOU declared your allegiance, your devotion, your surrender to the God of greatness and given Him the glory due His Name? In Revelation 3:19-22, receive Jesus’ holy words! “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Justification: “just as if I’d never sinned”! Sanctification: “set apart to the glory and honor of His name”! Glorification: “the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”! Aren’t you aware of “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”? [Ephesians 1:19]. And as “The Potter of Eternal Making”, Sovereign God washes us, cleanses us, shapes us, forms us into the very image and likeness of our Lord and Savior! Yes, “great things He has done, and great things He continues to do” in us and through us for the very honor of His Holy Name!
In fact, I Corinthians 1:6 says, “even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.” Confirmed by a heart-change, confirmed by the richness of forgiveness, confirmed by Holy Spirit presence and power, confirmed by the holy gifts poured out on all true believers, confirmed by the endearing fellowship of the saints, confirmed by God Himself in entrusting the eternal Gospel to be shared through you, confirmed by Paul’s words to the Corinthians and us! I Corinthians 1:4-9 tells us:
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were ENRICHED in everything by Him in all utterance and knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, SO THAT YOU COME SHORT IN NO GIFT, eagerly waiting for the revelation [or unveiling] of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Yes, Christ in me!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATNESS OF HIS GUIDANCE!”
In your spiritual journey of faith have you come to the place of spiritual maturity that your desire is to be guided by God in the steps of your faith? The Song of Moses, in Exodus 15, Verses 11-13, tells us, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; YOU HAVE GUIDED THEM IN YOUR STRENGTH TO YOUR HOLY HABITATION.”
“Guided them, guided them in Your strength, and guided them to Your holy habitation?” Yet, the majority of Israel turned against God, becoming religious by their own efforts, denying Holy Presence and Holy purpose and Holy power, even denying the faith of Abraham! Moses finished his song in Exodus 15:18, “The Lord shall reign forever and ever,” but sadly most of Israel denied the greatness of God insisting they were capable of pleasing God by “what we do”, not through the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross or even through the guidance of His Holy Word!
In John 8:37-47 and then Verses 48-59 Jesus confronted those who were so unwilling to be guided by Emmanuel, “God With Us”! Jesus said: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. [Caution! Are YOU giving God the rightful place of His blessed Word in your heart and mind?]…
I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this…You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father – God.’…
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it…
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” Oh, what an indictment, what an exposure of religious fraud, what an unveiling of darkened hearts and minds, yet, the religious elite of the day! And we can’t stop right there!
Look at John 8:48-59! Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; for there is One who seeks and judges. Most Assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”…
Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets: and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?’…
Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word…
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
“…and so passed by?” Is it spiritually possible that He has passed by YOU because YOU are more aligned with the unbelieving crowd there are you with Jesus Himself?
Have you comprehended that Jesus is your guide, not only into God’s Holy Presence, but your “Guide” into oneness with Him who is our “open door” into the throne room of Holy God where eternal guidance becomes our daily portion of the eternal faithfulness to guide our every step?
In Psalm 48:14 the Word tells us: “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.” And in “the walk of faith,” are we those who deeply know the faithfulness of God in even directing our paths, our every step? In Philippians 1:20 Moffatt translated this verse in the following manner: Paul speaking, “My eager desire and hope being that I may never be ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honor to Christ in my own person by fearless courage.”
And “doing honor to Christ” is never by self-determination, but by full surrender to the good, acceptable, perfect will of God! Why does “will I” or “won’t I” ever surface if Jesus is Lord of one’s life? In Psalm 25:12 David said, “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.” Awesome surrender to the Lord to guide us, a Holy Example of the yielded walk to the glory of God, and then in Psalm 25:21 David said, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.” You understand that all true disciples are “saints”, individuals who are “set apart” to the honor and glory and eternal purposes of Holy God – true disciples devoted to our Lord’s Resurrection Life, His Divine Will, His Heavenly thoughts and intents, His passionate desire to please the Father in all things that give Him praise and adoration! And more times than not it requires “fearless courage”!
“Guided by God?” You are aware of how easy it is to jump in where angels fear to tread because we convince ourselves at times, “This is the will of God for me,” when God is not in our fleshly choice at all, and we reap what WE sowed, and God isn’t blessed, Jesus isn’t honored, and the Spirit knows He’s been shunned! How often have you sensed in others at times that their spiritual ‘activities’ are through the strength of personal imposition without the Holy Spirit, bringing recognition to themselves but no glory or honor to Christ alone? I’m sure this is why Oswald Chambers once said, “Beware of making a fetish of consistency to your convictions instead of being devoted to God.” Sometimes our interpretation of being “guided by God” is one’s fanatical attempts at honoring Christ by simply pumping the best of ‘fallen flesh’! “Wait on the Lord and the leadership of the Holy Spirit” is to be true in every disciple’s life. “I being in the way, the Lord led me…”! What a blessing, what an anointing, what an eternal demonstration of a life determined to be “guided by God”!
But I sense an even exciting pilgrimage, a glorious journey of faith, a walk of wonder, faith, and amazement, when I realize like Sarai, Abram’s wife, that God is “the God who sees me”! God’s Greatness? His gaze is on the humblest of the humble – and from that awareness one begins a journey of faith and obedience that touches their world with love, grace, and mercy! That’s Genesis 16:13! You’ll remember that right before His Ascension, in John 21:21, Peter asked Jesus about the disciple whom Jesus loved, John, following, “Lord, what about this man?”, and Jesus said in Verse 22, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Are you aware that there are amateurish spiritual evaluators completely unaware of the Lord’s intention for their walk who measure others by their own ineptness? They really do not know “the God who sees me” like Sarah and, really, are failing to “follow Me!” There must be in every disciple’s life that plateau where every disciple, “guided by God,” comes to the place like Paul, when he said to the church at Corinth, I Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
“Guided by God?” “Guided by the Resurrected Christ?” “Guided by the Abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit?” And what is the nature and character of Christ all about? In Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus identifies those who are led by Him! “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Oswald Chambers had just revealed I Corinthians 10:31, “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” and then commented: [“My Utmost For His Highest,” p.238], “The tendency is to look for the marvelous in our experience; we mistake the sense of the heroic for being heroes. It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us. If we do not want mediaeval haloes, we want something that will make people say – What a wonderful man of prayer he is! What a pious devoted woman she is! If you are rightly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the sublime height where no one ever thinks of noticing you, all that is noticed is that the power of God comes through you all the time.”
“Guided by God?” What did Paul tell us in I Corinthians 1:26-31? I pray you SEE your calling! “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;…
And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence…
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.’”
I don’t know who wrote the following words but they are amazing and so on target concerning the guidance of God: “Within Your circling power I stand; On every side I see Your hand: Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.” Hallelujah!
In Christ Jesus, we are no longer ‘natural men’ but truly “men of the Spirit” having been born by the Spirit into eternal, everlasting life! Paul told the Corinthians that “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.. But we have the mind of Christ!” Flesh never has, never will honor God! But through the gifts of the Spirit upon our “re-birth”, born-again men and women, by the Holy Spirit, magnify His Sovereign Grace, are kept in a humble place, and glorify the eternal place of God in homes, families, lives, churches, schools, businesses, and wherever desperate people reside! And HOW do we know?
In Luke 1:77-79 Zacharias prophesied of the coming ministry of John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that this child would go before the Lord to prepare His ways: “To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring [Promised Messiah] from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the WAY OF PEACE.”
Do I dare tell you that, yes, guided by Jesus means we walk in the Way of Peace even in the midst of life’s “great storms”? In John 14: 25-27 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Oswald Chambers hit another “World Series” grand-slam to win the spiritual world series when he said: [“My Utmost For His Highest,” p.175], “Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive “the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus.” Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind on Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security.”
Just how dangerous do you find “self-guidance” either in yourself or others? Do you remember Jesus saying in Luke 6:39, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” Are you aware of “the woes” and “the throes” and “the ‘pity-me’ mentality” that never looks UP to the Savior but only within, living with despair, disappointment, and the deathly state of unbelief? If you don’t know: Jesus is even undisturbed about your own evaluation of yourself – He says, “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST!” Labor and are heavy-laden? Let’s call that “soul-trouble” because it is such a common expression of the denial of God’s help and His Holy Presence – people choose to shut Him out and ‘go it alone’!
Follow Psalm 107:1-9! “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south…
They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses…
And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
I love Richard Baxter’s statement in “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest”: “Despair of ever being saved, ‘except you be born again,’ or of seeing God ‘without holiness,’ or of having part in Christ except you ‘love Him above father, mother, or your own life.’ This kind of despair is one of the first steps to Heaven.” Are YOU in YOUR heavenly walk with Christ?
“Guided by God?” Understanding that your “flesh” is your old sin nature, rest in Romans 8:12-14! “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Paul prayed for the Ephesian church and us when in Ephesians 3:14-19 he said, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.”
You do know that earlier in Ephesians 1:19 that Paul seriously wanted every true believer to know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” – but you thought it was your “best effort”? Luke detailed for every believer the available “Acts of God” when in Acts 1:8 he told us, “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.”
There is “salvation in and through Christ” AND there is the anointing and in-filling of God’s power in, by, and through the abiding presence of His Holy Spirit! In John 15:26 Jesus gave a promise to all disciples: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, to empower us and honor the Son and Savior through our lives, is absolutely essential to your daily walk as a follower of Christ Jesus! The Spirit IS eternally pre-existent, eternally present, eternally powerful, even eternally blessing us to live in the fullness of God’s eternal Presence, and eternally equipping us as Jesus’ disciples, to touch our world with grace and mercy! He guides “us” as true believers to guide others to saving grace!
Hear me! I Corinthians 6:19! “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” How I pray that you as a true believer are a disciple led and guided by the Holy Spirit, that you know and understand sensitiveness, yieldingness, and full surrender to Him who so desires to honor Christ THROUGH YOU AND ME! Read 2 Thessalonians 3:5!!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? THE GREATER WITNESS OF GOD’S ETERNAL LIFE!”
The brother of Jesus, James, asked a question and answered it in James 4:14 when he said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” And, of course, the greater question for some is, “After you die, is that it? Is it over, never knowing anything beyond the grave?” It is true that the body as we have known it ceases to exist, but that is not the end! There IS body, soul, and spirit – and though “the body” dies there is the reality of one day “raised from the dead” becoming the recipient of a new, eternal body joined with the soul and spirit!
The “greater witness” is the witness of God’s eternal life! In Romans 5:1-2 Paul tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” And “rejoicing in hope of the glory of God” is a life humbled before God in personal brokenness because of sin, but raised up by Him through repentance toward God and faith in the finished work of the Cross to “new life” that reflects, yes, the servant spirit of Jesus Himself!
In Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus called the mother of Zebedee and her sons into His presence and said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”…
And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus came why? “To serve, and to give His life a ransom for many!” But disciples have a different path? I believe Jesus said, Matthew 16:24-25, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Examine YOUR denial of self, consider if you take the Cross daily to yourself, and reflect upon the path you’ve chosen – is it “the sentence of your death daily to the old man and walking in His resurrection life, power, and hope?”
One of the Laws of God says “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” but I must ask, “Is there the reality of some bearing false witness against God Himself, against Christ Jesus, or against the Holy Spirit?” In Isaiah 3:8-9 the prophet has a word from Holy God: “For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.”
Do you understand how men determine for themselves what their witness is before men and God? But in Proverbs 6:19, about things the Lord hates, it says: “A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” The author of Proverbs, in Proverbs 12:17, also says: “He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.” That’s one who says one thing but practices another! That’s one who professes “genuine bills” but passes along the “counterfeit”! That’s one professing love of God while he/she pumps the ‘flesh’! It’s why Proverbs 14:5 tells us, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies,” even with the understanding that “all liars go to Hell!”
Do you understand “true witnesses” saving lives from the Pit of destruction while “false witnesses” help keeping the doors to Hell open wide? No doubt this is why in Proverbs 20:27 the author tells us, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” And that “spirit” is either holy or unholy, yielded to God or rebellious to God, surrendered to Holy Sovereignty or defiant in every thought of God, surrendered to or commissioned against His good, acceptable, or perfect will.
The “greater witness”? Would you dare even consider that men will, at times, acknowledge a love for God, but only mean by that that they have a sense of affection for spiritual things including God? Is it possible that people interpret love by what they experience in human relationships but have never sensed, seen, or heard about “God who so loved the world”, void of the magnitude, the extent, the sacrifice of His own Son on a cruel Cross to pay the price of the guilt of man’s sin against Holy God? He did that – but they limit “love” to their natural tendencies which includes ‘warm feelings,’ apart from surrendered allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords!
The “greater witness”? In Hebrews 11:24-27 we read of young Moses who found the greater reward beyond Pharoah’s decrees in the “greater riches of Christ”! “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”
Doesn’t that arouse tremendous insight in you that, yes, Moses understood the ‘greater reward’ of his acceptance of the “greater riches of Christ”? You do understand that apart from the Lord Jesus Christ the richest man in the world financially is in reality “poverty-stricken”!
The “greater witness”? Just how common does one find opposition to the “true faith”, even at home, on the job, in schools or universities? David faced it on almost a continual basis! In Psalm 18:4-6 he wrote: “The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.”
Psalm 18:16-19 David wrote: “He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” Yes, there may be dark nights of your soul, but joy comes in the morning!
And God is no respecter of persons – if He delighted in King David, He delights in YOU! Verse 50 says, “Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants FOREVERMORE.” Are you a part of the “Forevermore Family of Faith”?
The “greater witness”? In Psalm 119:165 our Lord’s eternal revelation tells us, “Great peace have those who love Your law [that’s His Holy Word!], and nothing causes them to stumble.” God’s path, the path of Jesus, the path of the Holy Spirit IS the path of ‘great peace’, and not even trouble, testing, or our trials will cause us to walk away or hide when the “stumblers” try to bring on our fall or spiritual failures!
Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” What an awesome unveiling for every disciple of our Lord and Savior! And I wonder how many ‘professing parents’ live with the covenant of peace concerning their children!?! In Isaiah 54:13 the prophetic word tells us, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, ‘and great’ shall be the peace of your children.”
Remember, it’s Jesus who says, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” But the prophet Jeremiah had to confront even the religious crowd when in Jeremiah 6:14 the Lord spoke up, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, Peace!’ when there is no peace.”
It was J.M. Price years ago who said, “An effective organization for world peace will be established not through political diplomats around a peace table, but through Christian teachers in all lands, teaching citizens in Sunday School and public school the sacredness of human life.”
Jeremiah clearly understood and was heart-broken that his people, though professing allegiance to God, had fallen away from allegiance and service for Him. You know that Jeremiah, under the anointing of the Spirit of God, wrote “Lamentations”. I entitled his writing as “The Funeral of Israel – God’s People.” And then, in Lamentations 3:19-27, he wrote:
“Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS. The Lord is my portion, says the soul. ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.”
In Oswald Chambers’ book “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.260], he wrote: “Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from a sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is no simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity is born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision brings a reaction of simplicity.” And that’s waiting on the presence and promptings of Jesus only!
The “greater witness”? I was so struck recently in the heart as I was reading Malachi about the compromising walk of God’s ‘priests’ who ‘served’ Israel (?). Malachi 1:6 says, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’”
Our Lord and Savior never compromised the word or will of God for His life but willingly chose the Cross and laid down His life for us! In the walk of true discipleship there is a ‘choice’ and Jesus made it for us! In fact, in John 15:16 Jesus said, “You did not choose ME, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Chosen by Jesus! Set apart for the glory of God through Christ Jesus! Called to be His servant unto others! Instructed to take the sentence of death daily that the Resurrection Life of Christ will be manifested through us! And because He has chosen us, He tells us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” Tell me about your “hope chest” in the heart that you gave to Christ! Yes, there is “trouble”, but also the “truth of His peace,” and “eternal triumph and victory in and through Christ forever!
Have YOU seen “the great Light”? Do YOU know of “the great reward”? Have you appropriated “the great calm” in the midst of your life’s storms? Are you resting in your “great faith” that is the gift of God? Do you expect “great signs and wonders” through Christ? Do you anticipate “the glory cloud” surrounding you? Has His “great calm” surrounded you as the storms came your way? What about His “tidings of great joy”? Are you aware of “a great and effective door that has opened for you”? What about “great boldness” because Jesus is your Lord and Savior? There is the “great God” and we await His great appearance! There is the “great cloud of witnesses”, and You are to be a part of that! Oh, hear me, we have such a treasure trove of “great and precious promises” given to us by Christ!
The “greater witness”? “Christ in us the hope of glory!” Amen? Look at I Corinthians 1:18-20! “But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us – by me, Silvanus, and Timothy – was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Edward Perronet, in the 1700’s wrote the following words to one of our greatest hymns: “All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, and Crown Him Lord of all; Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all!”
Yes, Jesus IS Lord or He’s not Lord at all – for you! And through His church? Ephesians 3:10-11 tells us, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church, to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…”
I’m awed every time I read Colossians 2:10 when Paul said, “And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” One with Christ! Complete in Christ! Sharing the reign and authority in and through Him whom God sent to change our world – and in Christ we’re a part of His mission! Do you live as a “finished product” from God’s point of view? Do YOU look unto Jesus “the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Oh, I pray you realize who you are “in Christ” and where you’re presently seated as one who is more than conqueror through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us!! In Ephesians 4:7-8 Paul teaches us, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.’”
And then Paul told us, in verses 11-16, amazing truths of “Christ-Identity” for every child of faith! “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrines, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
The “greater witness”? Do you see it? “…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which EVERY PART DOES ITS SHARE, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
I have no doubt this is why the Holy Spirit inspired Hebrews 10:24-25! “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I’m telling you, “Body Life” is sacrificial living for the honor of Christ through the local church fellowship!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS UNACCEPTANCE OF OUR INCOMPLETENESS!”
You do understand that the goal and philosophy of “self-actualization” always falls short of God’s ultimate intention for, yes, a blood-bought life purchased on the Cross through Jesus’ shed blood. The very nature of ‘flesh impulse’ always features ‘flesh-foolishness’ that some decide for themselves as being willful development of their own personal brilliance!
But man’s best never comes close to God’s acceptance because fallen mankind wants self-vindication, not mercy and grace! Aren’t you familiar in your own journey apart from Christ with the emptiness, with the vast void, with, yes, a hunger for something more, but you weren’t sure what it was until by “proclamation of divine Truth,” by the witness of life change in family, friends, classmates, or by the Spirit of divine conviction, or by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, you began a ‘spiritual journey’ that still goes on today?
You may have accepted your incompleteness as an avenue you cannot avoid, but the one thing you need to hear in this moment is Jesus’ WORD in Matthew 10:39 that tells us, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who finds his life for My sake will find it.” Was Jesus sent by the Father to make the difference in your life eternally? In Revelation 13:8 we read, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the dragon, the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of our world.” But the Book of Life of the Lamb is real because of “God’s Greatness”! Why? Because God refused to leave fallen humanity as they are: “incomplete apart from Him”!
What did Jesus also say in Matthew 10:32-39? “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven…
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me…
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” These are awesome words of confrontation by Jesus to a world that sees it’s self as in no need of God, no need of mercy and grace, no need of a substitutionary sacrifice by Christ – can’t you hear them? “We’re man enough to take care of ourselves – we are able!” And most of fallen mankind goes about attempting to establish their own fleshly kingdoms in their own way, own time, own energy with no consideration of God establishing His kingdom rule within them!
Do you remember Adam and Eve’s “fall” away from God in Genesis 3 and what they did when they knew that they were “naked” before Holy God? Genesis 3:7 says, they “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” The very next verse says that they “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God” as if any man believes God doesn’t see him or knows him at any moment! I call this the establishment of man’s “Fig-leaf Religions” – went on then, goes on now!
But, in the midst of mankind’s “falling away”, Holy God wants ALL to have a clear understanding of the “why”! The beloved John tells us in I John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the [boastful] pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
It was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in her “Rhyme of the Duchess May,” who wrote: “And I smiled to think God’s greatness flowed around our incompleteness, – Round our restlessness, His rest.” But it’s so true!
Yes, I understand that some hear me speak of “incompleteness” and think I’ve compromised the Truth, but, sorry, “incompleteness” IS “bondage”, and I see both as identical in “falling short of the glory of God” – and all of that because we’re sinners needing to be saved and delivered and freed through His precious blood! I know this is why Paul said in Romans 8:21 that “the creation [including the created!] will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” And that’s by “repentance toward God and faith in the finished work of Christ”!
This is why Paul wrote in Romans 6:16-18, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” A slave to the old sin nature or a willing slave to the righteousness of God?
It was John Greenleaf Whittier who wrote in “What of the Day?” the following: “If but the least and the frailest, let me be Evermore numbered with the truly free Who find God’s service perfect liberty!” For you, is it ‘perilous bondage’ or perfect liberty? Is it human frailty or divine freedom? Is it the chains of one’s old sin nature or a consecrated life to the glory of Christ?
Of course, you understand, you’ve witnessed it, and possibly experienced it in your own ‘religious’ walk – that is the best efforts of human pretension! In Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.216], he wrote: “The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, [Luke 17:20-21], “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives in the shop window. It is the innermost of the innermost that reveals the power of the life.” [That’s “Christ in you the hope of glory!”]
It is of such eternal purpose that Jesus was sent by the Father to expose religious deception, fleshly deception, and self-effort deception, summing all that as worthy only of the Cross in order that the ‘crucified life’ could come into God’s desire of Resurrection Life, Resurrection Power, and Resurrection Hope, through His Son and our Savior and Lord! Consider your own spiritual journey as to whether it is “in the Light” or still consumed by eternal darkness and separation from the One who loves you far, far more than you love yourself! Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 50:10, “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.” Trust and reliance or trying and never resting in the finished work of Christ at the Cross?
When one lives a life of no saving faith, their life has no explanation of God! In Luke 18:1-8 study what Jesus had to say about “the persistent widow”! Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust said. ‘And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’”
It was Thomas Adams who said: “Self-righteousness is the devil’s masterpiece to make us think well of ourselves.” Consider what goes on around in the midst of a ‘fallen world’ with people who are spiritually blinded because of their own deception! There is a dark world of faithlessness while at the same time our Lord’s “Kingdom of Light” truly exists and will never be darkened! There is a world of man’s ‘grit’ while at the same time there is the “Kingdom of grace”! There is a world of man’s fleshly efforts substituted for God’s spiritual power! Weak flesh or strong Spirit! Self-esteem or Holy Presence! Fleshly pride or divine strength! Robert Browning wrote in “The Inn Album”, “Better have failed in the high aim, as I, Than vulgarly in the low aim succeed As, God be thanked! I do not.”
I’m telling you, our world of deceit is filled with multitudes who truly believe their success in life is by their own efforts with no God putting His two cents in which reveals their lives have no goal of honoring or blessing their Creator! Most men clamor for the shouts, clapping hands, and praises of men, without any desire to know what God even thinks!
In “Proper Studies”, [Harper & Row Publishers, p.318], by Aldous Huxley, he wrote: “Success –‘the bitch-goddess,’ Success,” in William James’s phrase – demands strange sacrifices from those who worship her.” It was written anonymously but is so on target with the theme of this chapter: “That which we should value in ourselves and in one another is the dignity of God’s image and the great price at which we were bought.”
“God’s Greatness? His Unacceptance of Our Incompleteness!” Have you not witnessed all around you the debacle of tired people who go from one extreme to another in the attempt to satisfy an inner hunger that only God Himself can fill? And there’s no greater awareness of that than Israel as God sought to lead them to the “Land of Promise”! In Deuteronomy 8:2-3,11-20, we read a history of men who fall into the same pattern over and over:
Verse 2-3, “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”
And then in verses 11-20 gracious God confronts people all over the world, saying, “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest – when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;…
And when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;…
Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end – Then in your heart you say, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day…
Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so shall you perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.”
Did you notice “the nations which the Lord destroys before you,” realizing God’s judgment comes, not only on Israel, but all nations who forget the Lord God! But in Daniel 9:8-11a, we read Daniel’s broken heart because of the sins of Israel! “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You…
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey His voice…”
Is there any ‘shame of face’ in America today? Does ‘rebellion’ speak loudly across our nation today? Has God’s Holy Word been denied by governmental leaders, school leaders and teachers, and by “average citizens” who believe God has no place in their cities, states, or nation? Is there open hostility and transgression of God’s Holy Law? Has there been fleshly efforts to silence Him, departing from Him so as not to obey His voice? Do you sense any ‘shame of face’ in America? But Holy God doesn’t give up, fall away, or wash His hands of rebellious people – He keeps on loving and forgiving and reaching out to touch the fallen world with grace and mercy!
Psalm 147:3 is such an anointed word for what I’m dealing with in this chapter. It speaks of God! “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Isaiah had a prophetic word concerning the Coming Messiah. He wrote: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;…
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
In “Spurgeon’s Sermons,” [Memorial Library, Vol.2, p.19], Spurgeon preached, “We very speedily care for bodily diseases; they are too painful to let us slumber in silence: and they soon urge us to seek a physician or a surgeon for our healing. Oh, if we were as much alive to the more serious wounds of our inner man; if we were as deeply sensible of spiritual injuries, how earnestly should we cry to ‘the Beloved Physician,’ and how soon should we prove His power to save. Stabbed in the most vital part by the hand of our original parent, and from head to foot disabled by our own sin, we yet remain insensible as steel, careless and unmoved, because, though our wounds are known they are not felt. We should count that soldier foolish, who would be more anxious to repair a broken helmet than an injured limb. Are not we even more to be condemned, when we give precedence to the perishing fabric of the body, and neglect the immortal soul?”
And what about you? What about the ‘self-serving spirit’ that dominates your every- day life? What about your friend that you know who lives before you and all those around him as a proud, self-indulgent sinner without one grain of shame or guilt? And what about the proud, religious, vain, self-righteous man who is convinced he’s never been in bondage to any known sin, never violated any law of God, never deceived by Satan or any demon, but lives his daily life in bondage to the lusts of the flesh, and professes allegiance to God’s Holy Word but practically has never seen God’s Word as his daily bread!
The ‘self-serving spirit’? How much of it is “fleshly” and how much of it is demonic? You need to understand, if you don’t, that ‘self-indulgence’ is right out of the Pit of Hell itself! When the ‘serpent’ told Eve “You will not surely die”, he opened wide the gates of demonic activity and sent them on their mission of deception!
I know that in Malachi 2 that the Lord was dealing with problems between husbands and wives and said in verse 16 that He hates “divorce” which covers one’s garment with violence, but then the Lord of hosts said in the same verse, “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” And you must wonder if the ‘self-serving spirit’, professing marriage to Christ Jesus, erupts revealing a believer dealing treacherously with his profession of faith and possessing a spirit of divorce from Christ!
A ‘self-serving spirit’ is, yes, a divided mind that professes faith but holds on to the old sin nature and style of life that brings shame to the very name of Christ! In Matthew 12:25 Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” That, my friends, is a word of warning from the very lips of Jesus! But do you understand through your own maturing process of faith as spiritual battles are being fought that, if you’re not allowing King Jesus to rule your life, then indulgence, falling away, distraction from faith in God Himself, the very “cares of the world” around you, and confidence in one’s own talents, gifts, abilities, with compromising intent, puts Jesus on the ‘sideline’ as you call your own plays – and YOUR ‘game of life and faith’ is lost!
But, what IF you’re walk of faith is with no confidence in yourself but full confidence in the presence and power of the Christ within you? What did Paul say in Galatians 6:14? “But God forbid that I should glory or boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Verse 15, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.” Do YOU boast in the Cross? Do you GLORY in the Cross? Do YOU bear in your body the very brand marks of Christ alone? Do you personally know without a doubt your life being a testimony of a “new creation”? If God makes “all things new”, have you allowed Him sovereign presence in you to bring about your life as a testimony of His greatness, His grace, and His mighty power, reflecting His Life, His glory, and His abiding presence through you?
In Hebrews 13:20-21 we read, “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
As Jesus was raised from the dead, so every true believer has been raised from the dead and commissioned by Christ, not in or with an anointing of a ‘self-serving’ spirit, but anointed by the Holy Spirit to honor Christ through us and touch the lost, the spiritually dead, with the Risen Christ’s message of “saved by grace”!
“God’s Greatness? His Unacceptance of Our Incompleteness!” Didn’t Paul tell us in Ephesians 1:4-6 that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Christ Jesus to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Oh, what an awesome word! God chose us, convicted us, changed us, and has covered us in His love and amazing grace according to the good pleasure of His will! Glory!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS AWARENESS OF ALL THINGS NAKED AND OPENED!”
The author of Hebrews really opens a door that, no doubt, creates a controversy for some because they have no desire to know the God who knows all things – that makes, for some, their blood to boil! In Hebrews 3:12-19 we read, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:…
“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?…
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
OH, and then, in Hebrews 4:13 we read, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” How do you respond and react to the biblical truth that you just read that “all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”?
The Random House Collegiate Dictionary defines “omniscient” as “having complete or infinite knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.” And the Holy Word told us about God’s open eyes to your innermost life, thoughts, dreams, desires, activities, and, yes, your sins and sinful nature! I would say to you as I begin this chapter that I would be a total fraud if I neglected scripture that calls us all to account for what we do, what we say, what we think – “Don’t worry, don’t fret – even if God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart you’re OK because you believe in Jesus!” Oh, really?
In the New King James version of the Bible I have used published by Thomas Nelson Inc. in 1994, Hebrews 6 is entitled “The Peril of Not Progressing”, which challenges “believers” to leave the elementary principles of Christ, and “let us go on to perfection” or maturity.
But ponder carefully under the Spirit-anointing as you read Hebrews 6:4-8! “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,…
If they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”
Did we just read together, “if they fall away”? Did we also read “disobedience” closes the door to His eternal “rest”? And did we also read that “disobedience” and/or “unbelief” is basically rotten fruit from the same tree?
Isaiah 5 is about “God’s Disappointing Vineyard”! It’s God Himself speaking about the “tree” He expected to bring forth “good grapes”, but those trees brought forth “wild grapes” – and He was not pleased! What happened and is still happening today? Isaiah 5:6 says, God speaking: “I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”
And then in Isaiah 5:13-14 God says, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure; their glory and their multitude and their pomp, and he who is jubilant shall descend into it.”
Is there New Testament agreement with what we read in Isaiah? What did Jesus say? Matthew 13:41-43 tells us: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sin in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Righteous or unrighteous? Fruitful or unfruitful? Pretense or Presence? The Real or a Cheap imitation? Radiant with Eternal Light or Rusted with Old Man Sinfulness? Eyes Fixed on Jesus or Blindness of Heart alienated from the very Life of God? Glorifying Christ or Shaming His Name? “In Christ” or one who unveils the antichrist? Authority anointed or authority usurped? New Heart or Heart Emptied of Divine Intent? Atoned or Attempting? Intellectual Agreement With Heart Behavior Reflecting Christ or Intellectual Agreement but Heart-Defiance of every revealed Truth of God’s Word?
In Ephesians 5:8-14 Paul teaches us by the Holy Spirit: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. WALK as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose [reprove] them. For it is “shameful” even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”
That is one amazing Word that ‘should’ awaken the spiritually dead! But far too many are willfully committed to “sleeping” away their lives by indifference to the Holy Word of God! Are you aware, awakened, alert to the “unfruitful works of darkness”? What did Paul say to the church at Corinth? [2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1], “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?…
And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’…
Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.’…
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Yes, there is to be the daily discipline of ‘cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit’, or one finds himself/herself stripped and naked before Holy God before whom we must give an account!
Is there the human, fleshly possibility of “turning away” from Him who has spoken both from Heaven and earth? Is there the human, fleshly possibility of closed ears, closed eyes, and defiant wills to the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for one’s life? Read carefully and prayerfully Hebrews 12:25-29! “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. [Is Jesus still speaking today?]. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, MUCH MORE SHALL WE NOT ESCAPE if WE TURN AWAY FROM HIM WHO SPEAKS FROM HEAVEN, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now THIS, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
As I was reading through Hebrews over and over as I sought to build this chapter, I was amazed as I read Hebrews 2:1! “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, LEST WE DRIFT AWAY,” and how does one ‘escape’ if he/she “neglects [in their life, in their walk] so great a salvation”? What happens if one drifts away from Christ, from His presence, even from the very spirit and intent of our Lord’s life?
Let me give you a sad but awakening account of one who proved to be an unfaithful, unforgiving servant! It’s found in Matthew 18:21-35! And it ought to scare “Hell” right out of you! Follow carefully: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven…
Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. [Ten thousand talents? That’s about $18 million dollars!!]. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made…
The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt…
But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii [that’s about $18!]; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt…
So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?…
And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each one of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
There are two distinct things Jesus tells us about the one who owed $18 million dollars refusing to forgive the one who owed him only $18!! One, He turned him over to the torturers, and Two, He reinstituted the debt! If you have a problem here, check out James 2:26 where the brother of Jesus said, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Jesus told us about a “foolish servant”, James told us that ‘faith without works is dead also,” and digest what Peter tells us in I Peter 1:13-17! “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as OBEDIENT CHILDREN, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;…
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…” That’s ‘fear of God’, not fleshly fears because of one’s weakness or because of one’s fleshly enemies!
There’s no doubt that fleshly fears can be so debilitating and you find people so distraught at times because ‘superstition’ is more acceptable than even biblical faith. But biblical faith does produce holy reverence and, yes, a holy fear of God Himself that keeps one from ‘falling away’ or even ‘excusing’ their sin that led them astray. No fear – then no true faith! Biblical fear is not a flight FROM God but a holy trust in Him!
Also are we as a modern-day society so removed from faith in God that when trouble comes our way we wonder if there is anyone around us who could help us in our time of trouble, never considering that God cares for us? There are people all around every community overwhelmed at times with doubts and fears, distresses that so disturb them, people despairing about having to face another day of heart-breaking trouble, and, yes, some even destitute wondering where the next meal will come from! Dark hours descend upon them in hopeless clouds and they wonder, “Does anybody really care?”
In Psalm 142 David had been in the cave. Out of that dark experience he wrote, Verse 4, “Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul.” End of story, Right? Listen to verses 5-7! “I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me.”
And God did! God has! God will! In I Peter 5:6-7 Peter tells us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares FOR YOU.” Glory! The God on His Throne is the God who knows you, cares for you, loves you, and calls you by your name! Jesus knows you, cares for you, loves you, and calls you by your name! The Holy Spirit knows you, cares for you, loves you, and calls you by your name!
I’m sorry if I offend you if I say that I don’t read Luke 21:25-28 as a far-off, future event in ‘so-called’ “end-times”! It says, Jesus Himself speaking, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken…
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen [TO YOU and AROUND YOU!], look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
But as I bring this chapter to a close, I want you to look at Jeremiah 34:18-20 concerning the covenant cutting of the calf! “And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it – the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf – I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.”
And some will say, “Old Testament – not relevant for New Testament followers!” Oh, really? What about Luke 12:40-46? Jesus speaks: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has….
But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” “Appoint him his portion with unbelievers”? Fictitious rhetoric or Faithful Revelation?
Then, in I Thessalonians 4:1-8, Paul also wrote: “Finally, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;…
For this is the will of God: your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;…
That no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
Are “all things” naked and opened in your life to the God who sees and knows all things about you, or have YOU falsely believed they are or can be hidden from Him? In I Peter 4:17 Peter wrote: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Is it possible that “believers in Christ,” “church attenders,” can ‘profess allegiance’ to church membership without ever denying themselves, denying dying daily to themselves, and living only to the glory and praise of Christ alone? You’ll have to admit: “It’s possible!” “His Greatness? HIS AWARENESS OF ALL THINGS NAKED AND OPENED!”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS TREASURES IN EARTHEN VESSELS!”
It’s so very clear what Paul was talking about in I Corinthians 4:7 when he wrote, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” “Us” are the people of redemptive faith who have “rested” their faith in “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,” and that light had shined on them.
The Great Commission had come to Paul and his followers: I Corinthians 4:5, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. Verse 6, For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Just a few questions for your consideration as I begin this chapter: What if one is financially rich but faithlessly ruined? What if one is fabulously jeweled but far from Christ? What if one is of the wealthy elite but is worthless to Emmanuel? What if one is considered ‘filthy-rich-astute’ but faithfully rebels against the true riches in Christ?
In Matthew 9:36 Jesus had been going about the cities and villages teaching and preaching, and the Word says, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” And the Mark passage, Mark 6:34, says basically the same thing, adding, “So He began to teach them many things.”
And there’s no doubt! Jesus began to pour into them “His Treasures In Earthen Vessels”! What about today? What about right now, as you read – what do you know about God’s treasures in earthen vessels? In Exodus 19, the third month after the children of Israel had left Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. In Exodus 19:4-6 God spoke to Moses: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
Don’t you find God’s words about His people as absolutely awesome? “I bore YOU on eagles’ wings…I brought YOU to Myself…If YOU obey and keep My covenant, YOU shall be a special treasure to Me above all people…YOU shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”!
Almighty God, Loving Father, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent Holy God looks upon you and me, and says to us: “I brought YOU to Myself!” He broke our bondage, He called us to Himself, He liberated and lifted us out of the spiritual chains of devilish imprisonment, He bore us on eagles’ wings, and declared to us: “YOU are a special treasure to Me above all people – and I, Holy God, declare YOU, in My name, to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation!”
I call that “precious privilege” and praise the Name above every name that He sees us as a “treasured possession”! Of course, you understand – He “bought us” with a holy payment – I Peter 1:18-19, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” And what also amazes me is that Peter tells us in Verse 20, “He [Jesus Christ, THE Lamb of God!!] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest [revealed, unveiled] in these last times for you.”
In I Corinthians 5:7 Paul declared, “For indeed Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us!” You do know John 3:16! “For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him [trusts in, relies upon, adheres to] should not perish but have everlasting life.” By grace through faith a repentant heart becomes a recipient of that amazing grace, becomes an extender of the eternal rule and reign of Christ in the ‘kingdom of God’ on earth, and proclaims through their lips, lives, and walks His amazing love!
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God,” and because He blessed us, HE declared us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation!
“Treasures in earthen vessels”? What did Paul tell the Ephesian church and us in Ephesians 2:19-22? “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
How do you personally respond to the divine revelation that YOU and your family of faith “are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”? Peter told us that apart from Christ we were not a people “but are now ‘the people of God,’ who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy”! [I Peter 2:10].
Apart from Christ we were a part of the ‘fatal fallen,’ but in Christ become a part of the eternal family of faith! And He calls us “His Treasure”! We were afflicted, but Christ “atoned” for us, we knew the depths of depravity but Christ raised us up to the heights of glory, we were, yes, captives of a cankerous sin sickness, but Christ healed us by His shed blood, we knew an insatiable appetite for selfish, fleshly, demonic activity but Christ Jesus broke those demon spirits that held us in chains and set us free, we knew what self-centered ambition was all about but through His death, burial, and resurrection, we learned of God-honoring submission, we knew of the hellish depression of body, soul, and spirit but Christ gave us resurrection life, resurrection power, and resurrection hope!
Then, DO YOU TAKE THE TREASURE OF HIS HOLY WORD INTO YOUR HEART AND LIFE? In Psalm 119:14 the psalmist tells us as He spoke to God Almighty, “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” In fact, the poorest man in the world financially who is “rich” in God’s Holy Word is without a doubt one of the wealthiest men on the face of the earth!
In Psalm 119:72 the man of true faith said, “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.” Bu you would trade your Bible for the world’s gold and silver?
Not Jeremiah, prophet of God! He said in Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words, God, were found, and I ate them. And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” The Holy Word of God is by divine plan, purpose, power, and grants privilege to every hungry reader and feeder! Revelation through the Word is God unveiling “light” where moral darkness has sought to hide His loving face, granting every seeking heart on earth, concerning desire to know God, to perceive Him through the supernatural light of the living Word!
It was George Macdonald who once wrote: “God hides nothing. His very work from the beginning is “revelation” – a casting aside of veil after veil, a showing unto men of truth after truth. On and on from fact divine he advances, until at length in His Son Jesus He unveils His very face.”
No wonder the author of Psalm 119 was a blessed man! What did he write for us? Psalm 119:105, “Your word, God, is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” He said in Verse 101, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.” He said in Verse 92, “Unless Your law [word, revelation] had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.”
But, in Christ, we are not perishing people in our afflictions but men and women who clearly and convincedly understand that “Man does not live by [physical] bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Yet many eat three square meals a day at their kitchen tables but never or very seldom feed on the meat and milk of God’s Holy Word!
Sir Isaac Newton once wrote: “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” And, I wonder, how many have ignored the spiritual ocean depths never looking for “the pearls of great price”!
Could that be because we have not received or allowed the ministry of the Holy Spirit Jesus promised to every true believer? John 16:13 says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth”! Are YOU yielded to the Holy Spirit to guide YOUR life into His eternal truths?
The author of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 11:6 our daily challenge: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Oswald Chambers commented powerfully and informatively on Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself,” saying in his book, “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.257], “Individuality is the husk of the personal life. Individuality is all elbows, it separates and isolates. It is the characteristic of the child and rightly so; but if we mistake individuality for the personal life, we will remain isolated. The shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering for the protection of the personal life; but individuality must go in order that the personal life may come out and be brought into fellowship with God. Individuality counterfeits personality as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself; individuality debases human nature for itself.” [Do you think this might be why Paul said that he died daily, that he took the sentence of death to himself that the resurrection life of Christ might be manifested in his mortal flesh?].
“His Treasure In Earthen Vessels?” God’s desire for your earthly life to be His dwelling place? God’s Holy Word to be safe and secure in YOU like His heavenly bank’s ‘safety deposit box’? But there is something so vital that you must see from Isaiah 33:6 that tells us, “The fear of the Lord is His treasure.” But there is such a vast difference between the “holy fear of God” which I truly believe to be reverential awe, holy trust, and a personal desire and longing to please and honor Him through YOUR earthly life, walk, and ministry as a true disciple!
But, Isaiah 33:14-17 amplifies the distinction between a fleshly ‘fear of God’ and a “holy fear of God” – follow the Word carefully, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites; Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly [not with a forked tongue!], he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodsheds, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; he will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water shall be sure. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see the land that is very far off.”
Did you see it and sense it? “Sinners are afraid of the coming judgment, but desire to continue in their rebellion with exemption,” “fearfulness captures the ‘play-actors’ but not to the extent of repentance and saving faith,” “devouring fires and everlasting burnings catch their attention but a heart of surrender is not in their vocabulary”! But true believers? He/she understands righteousness engrafted and uprightness implanted through Jesus’ grace and mercy! Personal gain through oppression? No, thank you! Bribery? “Not me!” Broken over bloodshed and evil events? YES! A 1000 times, Yes! Living in, through, and for the high places? “What exalts my Lord and Savior! I choose to “rest” in the Rock that is higher than I and to live by eating His “bread” and drinking His “Living Water”!”
What did Paul say to the church at Colossae? Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him [in Christ Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Paul wrote in Colossians 3:3, “For you died [crucified with Christ], and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” His “treasure” in earthen vessels? That’s your life in and through Christ Jesus! Complete in the resurrection Life of Christ! God’s choice for the earthly dwelling of His Son? The “treasure” of your redeemed, reborn life! In YOU dwells “the hope of glory”!
“God’s Greatness? His Treasure in Earthen Vessels!” But when it comes to extending our Lord’s life, expressing His love, and proving His power, have we seen through His will, His plan, and His desire for every single life? I want you to come to John 15:9-17 to see His view of heavenly treasures in earthly friendships! It says: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. [And that’s the question, right now, for every professing believer!}. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full…
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for His friends. You are My friends IF you do whatever I command you…
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Would you call what we just read as “true self-surrender in behalf of others”? Would you call “true sacrifice” the reality of ‘self-surrender’ for the sake of others? Would you call “true friendship” delighting to do the will of God in behalf of others even if it means choosing the Cross? And all around us is a needy world! The question is, “Have I laid down my life for their redemption as Jesus did for ours two thousand years ago?
“God’s Greatness? His Treasure in Earthen Vessels”! In I Timothy 1:15 Paul makes an awesome declaration inspired by the Holy Spirit: “This is a familiar saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
His treasure in earthern vessels exists because of God’s great love for the world and for every individual and every nation on the face of the earth! “God so loved the world…”, but you believe that’s changed, you believe man has so progressed he has no need of God and God could care less where man is redeemed or not? Give me a break! It hasn’t changed, it will never change, until God arises to say, “Gentlemen, it’s closing time,” and then the end will come!
Again, Oswald Chambers wrote: [“My Utmost For God’s Highest,” p.220], “How are we going to get the life that has no lust, no self-interest, no sensitiveness to pokes, the love that is not provoked, that thinks no evil, that is always kind? The only way is by allowing not a bit of the old life to be left, but only simple trust in God, such trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only Himself. Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him? When once we see God at work, we will never bother our heads about things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in Heaven Whom the world cannot see.”
I would ask you, Are your eyes firmly fixed upon the Christ of the Empty Tomb and upon God who is seated on His throne in heaven? YES!! We’ve denied ungodliness and worldly lusts, and our gaze is fixed upon “Jesus Only”!! John was inspired to write in I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
And, we are no longer of the world, but the will and the ways of God alone! God has become our heritage, our history, our help, and our heaven on earth! Why we would look to a dying world for help that is helpless, hopeless, and hellish? Give me Jesus Only!!
I like what Theodore T. Munger once wrote: “The unrest of this weary world is its unvoiced cry after God.” It was Thomas a Kempis who said, “Man draws nearer to God as he withdraws from the consolation of this world. How swiftly passes the glory of the world.” If there ever was any! No, I believe I’ll rest in the glory of God alone!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“GOD’S GREATNESS? GREAT MEN, GREAT DESIGNS, GREAT HOPE, GREAT CHANGES!”
It was Samuel Taylor Coleridge who wrote “The Good Great Man.” In it he said: “Greatness and goodness are not means but ends! Has he not always treasures, always friends, the good great man? Three treasures, Love and Light, and Calm Thoughts, regular as infant’s breath; And three firm friends, more sure than day and night. Himself, his Maker, and the Angel Death!”
And I’m sure if a man is not friend to himself he becomes a dreaded enemy, and if his Maker is not his Friend he’s a lost and wandering stranger on this earth, and if he’s not a friend to the Angel called Death, Hell embraces him gladly! It was Daniel Webster who once wrote: “A solemn and religious regard to spiritual and eternal things is an indispensable element of all true greatness.”
It was David in I Chronicles 29:11-12 who said, “Yours, O Lord is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
The one major characteristic that should be as a “glory-cloud” over and around all greatness is generous gratitude to Holy God flowing out of a heart and mind that is fully aware that it comes from God to the ‘great man’ like receiving God’s love, grace, and mercy! Jeremy Taylor said this: “God is pleased with no music below so much as with the thanksgiving songs of relieved widows and supported orphans; of rejoicing, comforted, and thankful persons.”
Greatness apart from God is the fabrication of a ‘fallen mind’ that refuses to give God even an inch in a man’s life! And I believe it’s because a fallen man chooses selfishly to live independently from God Himself enthroning himself as the ‘true divinity’! In Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus said, But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him become your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Are you aware of how “gifted” some people are, but because they don’t know, have refused to recognize their giftings as from God, or are so interested in magnifying their ‘good flesh’, that they expend their possession of heavenly gifts for personal glory, never acknowledging what their ‘bent’ is to the glory of God alone?
But John Greenleaf Whittier in “What of the Day?” really hit the “grand-slam” home run when he wrote, “If but the least and the frailest, let me be Evermore numbered with the truly free Who find God’s service perfect liberty!”
“Servants”? “God’s Greatness”? Servants for most of modern mankind is society’s insignificant but the Savior’s eternal initiative. Servants, for a modern society, are mankind’s down and out, but they are the Master’s up and in! Many will say that servants are humanity’s hellish while the Savior says they’re heavenly. Servants, slaves? The world says they are the wilted army when in reality they are the Savior’s anointed. The fallen world looks upon servants as the world’s weakest when in reality He who is called Wonderful says they are His wonders. Servants? They were sinners in their natural state, but by the grace and mercy of God they were declared saints, and they sing like it, soar like it, and sail on the stormy seas as if their seas were His throne!
What did God say through Isaiah? Isaiah 66:4 says, God speaking, “So I will choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.” Our Lord and Savior was very clear when in John 15:16 He said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
I pray that you sense and seize and settle upon the redemptive truth that “GOD’S GREATNESS IS SEEN FIRST IN GREAT MEN”! I am always awed every time I read Genesis 12 where God Almighty spoke to Abram as Verse one tells us: Now the Lord had said to Abram…! That’s Eternal, Immortal, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, and He speaks to one who dwelt in “the place of the dead,” whose life-span up until this holy encounter was in a “parched,” “burned up,” “dried up” existence, and hears God speaking about eternal purpose and a divine plan:
Genesis 12:1-3, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Eternally blessed great men? They are those who hear and respond to the voice of Almighty God! They are those who understand God’s able-ness! They are those who say “Yes” to God’s bidding! They are those who “depart” from fleshly existence to “eternal, divine” spiritual reality and purpose! They are those who know “age” is not the consideration but “availability” to what God asks! I don’t think the age of Abram was mentioned as an accident – 75 years of age – but as an aspiration, inspiration, encouragement, that “nation building” comes from Holy God through available vessels who hear His voice and obediently respond – at any age!
“Great men” of eternal significance? They are those men “found by Christ Himself”! In John 1:43-51 I pray that you are personally aware that Jesus is still seeking, searching, and settling in on men He believes will obediently respond to His divine invitation!
“The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and HE FOUND PHILIP and said to him ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’…
And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’…
Nathanael answered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”
“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you…”? And you’re unsure of sovereign awareness of your every move? Does the conversion of Saul of Tarsus strike an awakening chord in your own heart that maybe, just maybe, eternal God has a heavenly plan for your life? Jesus confronted Saul on the Damascus Road, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul responded, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” And, yes, church and mission history unfolds!
At Damascus there was a certain disciple named Ananias that the Lord instructed to go and minister to Saul. Ananias was reluctant! “Lord, I’ve heard how much harm he has done to the saints in Jerusalem.” But God instructed Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” But you haven’t sensed His outstretched arms toward YOU to draw YOU to Himself so that He might send YOU out to touch your world with His grace, mercy, and love?
What did Paul say as he stood in the midst of the Areopagus in Athens? Acts 17:26-28? “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…”
Isn’t it absolutely amazing to you that even as Paul tells us that “in Him we live and move and have our being”, we know it’s not us seeking God but God being relentless in “knocking on our heart’s door”?
Isn’t that what Titus 2:11-13 tells us? “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus…” WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY GRACE, we are BEING SANCTIFIED BY GRACE, and we are GLORIFIED BY GRACE – all the work of Holy God as we repent and yield our lives under His Sovereign control!
“Great Men?” They are “grace beneficiaries” – “For by grace we are saved through faith…!” They are “grace blessed” – Paul said in I Corinthians 15:10, “… “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain…” They are “grace built” – in Romans 5:17, Paul said, “…much more, those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ,” and then added in Verse 21, “so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Did the last part of the last verse we just read say that “grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”? That’s “grace beyond”!! And it’s ALL for the “great men” of faith and trust and obedience who walk through their world as a living witness of the Resurrection Life of Jesus Christ! They are, yes, the “salt” and the “light” of their worlds!
“Great men of eternal significance?” We just saw great men because of them being men who received grace and walked in it, but also note they were intended by God Himself to be “men of great designs”! I speak of “bondservants” who willingly “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” [Titus 2:10].
What does Titus 2:11-13 tell us about men of great designs? “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
“Men of great designs”? Men who choose to be ‘bondservants’? Men walking in the grace and empowerment of Almighty God, revealing not ‘flesh’, but revealing the Spirit of God? Men choosing to deny enslavement to ungodliness and worldly lusts? Men revealing by their walks a yieldedness to sober, righteous, godly living in a present evil age? Men who’d rather be washed in the blood of the Lamb than sprinkled with the dirty raindrops of worldly affections?
“Men of great designs”? And, it’s for certain, I’m not talking about a “holier than you are mentality”, but lives ‘born-again’ into kingdom living, kingdom mentality, and the kingdom Spirit, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb, marked by “fruit of the Spirit”, and empowered by resurrection presence and eternal intent, revealing Jesus in us in our daily walks! This is why Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14-15, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”
“Men of great designs”? Paul closed out his Galatian letter saying in Galatians 6:17, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” And that wasn’t ‘branding marks” but a bruised body by intended intimidations! Why, how, did he endure it all, then brutalized in beatings that brought on his death?
BECAUSE “GOD’S GREATNESS” IS WITNESSED IN GREAT MEN INFUSED WITH GREAT HOPE! In Galatians 5:5 Paul tells us, “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
In Romans 15:13 Paul identifies the “Living God” as the “God of hope”! “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Do you truly believe that “you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”? That’s God’s WORD of divine revelation! Do you recognize for yourself that what the Word tells us about Paul and the Spirit is just as available to you as it was to him? Look at Romans 5:17-19! Paul said: “Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient – in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
It was Jenkin Lloyd-Jones who once said: “You cannot put a great hope into a small soul.” But if you are a ‘small soul’ with only a tiny grain of hope in Almighty God, the God I serve is able to take my tiny grain of hope and enlarge it into huge faith of Jesus’ power and ability to bring my hope into miracle, saving grace! It was the great Methodist preacher, Charles Allen, who said before his death, “When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.” So very, very true!
“GOD’S GREATNESS? IT’S VISIBLE IN GREAT MEN WHO ALLOW GOD TO MAKE GREAT CHANGES IN THEM!” What did Paul tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17? “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Sinners who in Christ become “new creations” no longer are ‘sinners saved by grace’ but are those declared “saints,” men and women set apart for the honor of Christ alone! Yes, they ARE “new creations” with new life, new hopes, new dreams and aspirations, new destinies, new strength, new purposes, and because of Jesus only, God causes us to always triumph in and through Him alone!
This is why in Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul wrote: “Therefore be imitators of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Have you appropriated the Master’s mandate for every man of true faith and allegiance? In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 Paul challenges us: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and ‘through us’ diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
Fanny Crosby and William Doane wrote the old hymn entitled “Rescue the Perishing.” It says:
“Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, Lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.
Tho’ they are slighting Him, Still He is waiting, Waiting the penitent child to receive; Plead with them earnestly, Plead with them gently, He will forgive if they only believe.
Down in the human heart, Crushed by the tempter, Feelings like buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, Wakened by kindness, Chords that are broken will vibrate once more.
Rescue the perishing, Duty demands it, Strength for your labor the Lord will provide; Back to the narrow way, Patiently win them, Tell the poor wanderer a Savior had died.
Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.” Amen?
CHAPTER TWENTY
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS PROMISE OF PERFECT PEACE THROUGH A STAYED MIND!”
If you are familiar at all with God’s Holy Word, then you know where this chapter title comes from. It’s from Isaiah 26:3 as the prophet wrote: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you.” For the ‘seekers’ it’s good to know that God not only watches over us but that HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US IN PERFECT PEACE AS OUR MINDS ARE STAYED ON HIM!
And I’m sure you noticed that God keeps a man in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Him because he “trusts” in Him! That is such a vital point for a man to settle in himself – he “trusts” in God alone, not himself, not his degrees, not his bank account, not his ‘market appearance,’ not his own visions, dreams, and personal expectations! It’s “God Alone!”
But understanding ‘human potential’ apart from God, it’s easy to understand why some sink swiftly and quickly in the sands of self-estimation! The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 58:3-5, identifies the false ‘fasting’ efforts of men who sought God’s acceptance by their human efforts: “Why have we fasted,” they say, “and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?” In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your labourers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?”
And, of course, as then, even now, men by ‘self-effort’ seek to determine their own terms of being reconciled to Holy God! The very depths of depravity are so deep that men’s shallowness of faith and understanding keep them from launching out into the deep waters of divine understanding, yes, overcome by their own cankerous sickness of self-confidence, spiritual slothfulness, and personal depression of the spirits, that to come to the Holy Word requires an abandonment of self-trust that they just cannot, in most cases, give up or abandon!
I’m sure you’ll remember Peter preaching to Cornelius’ household in Acts 10. Verses 34-38 tell us, Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Oppression by the devil himself is NOT the peace of Christ although the devil does imitate and seek to falsify the ‘peace that passes all understanding.’ Unfaithfulness to the ‘peace of Christ’ is a declaration of war against God Himself, even though godless men never see themselves as enemies of God, and especially as they are out promoting their own brand of false peace!
Don’t you find it so amazing that people without Christ as Lord and Savior are “captives” of the powers of darkness and do not understand their “bondage” to the very forces of evil and Hell itself? Satanic strife, demonic evil, fleshly injustice, hellish control, yes, prisoners of an eternal conflict between the devil and unsaved, unredeemed humanity, will continue until Jesus stands to say, “Gentlemen, it’s closing time!” Or, until YOU personally repent and put your trust in His finished work at the Cross! I know this is why we read in Job 22:21, “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.” But I believe I’d rather say, “Be at peace with Holy God, and blessing upon blessing will be your inheritance!”
But you understand, there is a “false peace” that rules most of fallen humanity! It occurs in individual lives, marriages, families, businesses, nations – with men settling for that which does not, cannot, will not reconcile fallen MEN TO Holy God! They do call it ‘peace’ although it is so temporary! More often than not, it is not only ‘real war’ against God Himself but a tragic war against what is right, what is pure, what is holy, what is true love, what is “blessedness”! There are those who speak of “loving”, but what they speak of is loving the dishonorable, loving the sinful, loving the inequitable, loving the unfair, yes, and loving what God hates!
There is no ‘peace’ when men are at war with God Himself! And, practically, what justification is there in fallen men to be at war with God? But multitudes have made war with God without declaration but through intent! It is a willful choice of fallen mankind to be at war with God and seek to silence Him, and they do so without any explanation of justification!
Eternal peace is not a reason to declare war on Holy God, but men, through the blackness of their own hearts, justify opposing anything and everything that has to do with God’s love, mercy, and grace! Is there cruelty in the Cross or mercy and grace? If you set yourself personally against God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s grace, do you truly believe in your own “false peace,” that it is valid enough to satisfy the judgment of Holy God against you?
Several lines I wrote as I contemplated men of the “false hope”:
“When Jesus comes the second time, at His presence will men begin to shake? Is the very earth itself afraid of His coming, and even mountain-tops about to break?…
And what of men whose faith in life is in themselves, upon what or whom will they rely, if daily their whole life has been to deny, the glory of His “laid-down Life”, and put to death earthly strife…?
If you glory in yourself, if you glory in your shame, if you glory in your will for self to make a name, then what transpires as your ‘world’ goes up in flames, and you have no defense for a shameful name?”
In I Thessalonians 5:1-6 Paul wrote: “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
Are you fully aware of the ‘Peace and safety” message that is nothing more than personal choice of sudden destruction? Romans 3:17-18 tells us, “And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Are you fully aware that “false peace” is not peace at all? You do know that there are many, many false witnesses professing fleshly peace that is nothing more than exchanging truth for the lie, believing they can sin and not die!
In Isaiah 59:8-9 the prophet looked around to the people of his day and wrote the following: “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; we look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!”
Do you remember the prophet Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 6:10? “To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it.” [Does it not break your heart to know that Jesus told us, “Man does not live by physical bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” but most ignore, deny, or seek to refute His Holy Word?]. In Jeremiah 6:14 the prophet then tells us, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace! When there is no peace!’” And, then, in Jeremiah 7:4, God spoke through the prophet with a warning, “Do not trust in these lying words…”, even telling us in Verse 13 that “I [God] called you, but you did not answer…!”
I can only pray that somehow YOU are convicted by what you’ve just read through the prophets’ anointed words and you see and sense the prophetic challenges for people in perilous conditions when they ignore God’s Holy Word! It’s like Moses looking upon his people “dancing” before and around their “golden calves”! The very hour of American spiritual history is one of rebellion to the very words of Holy God! ‘Abomination’ is a strange word to most Americans today as they walk unashamedly before Holy God without even knowing how to blush!
There is no ‘true peace’ for those who are not valiant for the truth on the earth! It’s becoming more and more a stronger trend as God tells us, “Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” [Jeremiah 9:6].
Oh, but then Jesus came! Emmanuel was birthed by the Virgin Mary! The brother of Jesus, James, informs us of “new days” dawning in man’s spiritual history and relationship to Holy God and the needy world around them. James wrote, James 1:18-25, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures…
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath o0f man does not produce the righteousness of God…
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was…
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Have we come to a day like Paul told Timothy? 2 Timothy 4:2-4 tells us, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
Do you remember Pharoah’s response to Moses? “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” That statement is as real for many today as it was several thousands of years ago! Men are still defiant to the revealed Word of God! And the truth is that many determine their status in life to be as omnipotent as God Himself as they “rule” their own hearts, plans, earthly intentions and aspirations, not knowing the flood-wall is already collapsing upon and around them – and they can’t swim on their own! “Red Seas” become eternal death sentences and dark clouds abound around and over the rebellious to God’s Holy Word!
But in Isaiah 55:6-13 we read of awesome promises! “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon…For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord…
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,…
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and BE LED OUT WITH PEACE; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands…
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
No doubt this is why John wrote to the beloved Gaius in 3 John 2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” He then said in Verse 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in faith.” Walking in faith is walking in obedience to the King of kings and Lord of lords! Do YOU “go out with joy, and are YOU led out with peace”?
It was George Eliot who once said: “I could not live in peace if I put the shadow of a willful sin between myself and God.” Just how true is that for you? If Jesus says, “My peace I give to you,” have you received the perfect peace that passes all understanding?
Perfect peace is absolute confidence in the author and finisher of our faith whose name is Jesus and who says to us individually and corporately, “My peace I give to you.” The gift of peace is not earned, it is not a merit of good behavior, it is not a slogan, but is His perfect presence in your heart, your life, your mind, sealed by the very blood of the Lamb of God! “My peace I give to you!”
Oswald Chambers, in his “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.175], gives us tremendous insight into the peace Jesus gives to every disciple who walks in faith and obedience. He said: “Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undistrubedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security.”
This is not the day nor the hour for a false security! This is the time for the Prince of Peace to have His rightful place in YOU as He blesses you with His perfect peace! Tell me about YOUR spiritual mind – are YOU ruled by His Life and His Peace? Romans 8:6 tells us, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace,” the life of Jesus and His peace that passes all understanding! AMEN?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS ASCRIBED GREATNESS!”
In the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:3 Moses wrote: “For I proclaim the name of the Lord; Ascribe greatness to our God.” The word ‘ascribe’ is a word meaning “to credit or assign, as to a cause or source…” And Moses gave credit where credit was due because certainly greatness is not of man but is of Holy God alone!
I do believe that man can, will, does receive the description of greatness because he leans not to his own understanding but in all his ways acknowledges Holy God as the source of any greatness in him. Do YOU see the greatness in earthly men as the beneficent gifts of heavenly God? It’s God through man who accomplishes eternal good even if man selfishly turns inward for the credit!
Again, in the Song of Moses, Exodus 15, Verse 7, Moses wrote, “And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You.” The greatness of excellence? Genesis 49:3 speaks of “the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power [or authority!].” And I hope you remember that Jesus said of Himself that “I did not come to be served but to serve and to give My life as a ransom for many.” But you’ve witnessed those who came claiming biblical authority and were nothing more than heavy-handed dictators!
Isn’t it amazing to you as you search out the lives that God chose to use to foster His kingdom-rule among men? Consider the “bulrush-basket and the child of destiny” or the “burning bush” and a “man of promise”! Consider that Holy God illustrates His divine will and purpose through a “shepherd’s rod”! Does it surprise you that God used a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead His people? In Exodus 15 again Moses tells us of God’s greatness: Verses 11-13, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.” And do you have any doubts about His eternal rule? Exodus 15:18 says, “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
And, of course, we must ask, “Who is it God Almighty chooses to reign over and to reign with?” Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” [Tell me about YOUR attitude toward the Holy One, God Almighty!].
It was E. Paul Hovey who wrote: “The word ‘Comforter’ as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some vigorous term. Literally, it means ‘with strength.’ Jesus promised His followers that “The Strengthener” would be with them forever. This promise is no lullaby for the faint-hearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living.” What an awesome word! Are you personally living out, living in, and living through God’s “ascribed greatness”?
In Numbers 14:19-24 Moses called upon God to “pardon” the iniquity of “this people.” He prayed, asking God “according to the greatness of Your mercy” to pardon them. Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord – because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”
And the interesting, incisive statement God made in Numbers 14:33? “And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, ‘and bear the brunt of your infidelity’, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.” Without any hesitation that statement should awaken complacency and indifference in every single soul and send them to the throne of God in true repentance and faith! One will either ‘bear the brunt of [their] infidelity’ OR ‘bear the blessing of a truly repentant heart’!
So, as we look at this chapter together, we find people then and now and come to a “crossroads” of life choices: the brunt of infidelity or the blessing of a truly repentant heart! And the prophet Jeremiah heard Holy God writing in Jeremiah 4:1-2, “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’ in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; the nations shall ‘bless themselves in Him’, and in Him they shall glory.”
“If you will return…!” The choice is every man’s to either return to God or map out his own personal rebellion to Holy God! In his “My Utmost For His Highest,” Oswald Chambers wrote : [p.269], “The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will of God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before God. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there.”
But, of course, you do realize that far too many men “ascribe greatness” to themselves and have no desire to surrender their allegiance to the “ascribed greatness of God Himself”! Do you remember Jeremiah’s words to Baruch in Jeremiah 45:5? “And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” If you understand, “I must decrease – He must increase,” then you KNOW what Jeremiah was saying to Baruch, and to you and me!
“The brunt of infidelity or the blessing of a truly repentant heart?” A seeking after what the world offers us or what Holy God has implanted before us in the fields of our lives? “Fleshly greatness” or the ascribed greatness of God Himself? Chambers said again in his “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.85], “There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want, but only what He gives.” Let’s take a few moments to examine what we find in Scripture concerning ascribing greatness to Holy God!
You understand that the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day and time-period were men who could speak of “serving” but never did, rather they ruled over others with an ‘iron-like fist’ seeking domination over, not ministry to others! Jesus said in Matthew 23:3, “…but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” So Jesus challenged the multitudes in Matthew 23:11-12, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Our Lord and Savior really exposed the religious crowd who had and still have no intent of adopting our Lord’s ‘servant spirit’ – in Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
“Greatness” is never a man-made strength or ability. “Greatness” is the release of divine intent through an available vessel. “Greatness” is not the best of human effort but the granting of holy privilege whether one credits God or not! “Greatness” IS the unfeigned release of the very gifts of God to touch a needy world with His love, grace, and mercy, and does not, never has, never will be because of the fleshly goodness of men but truly is the very “fruit of the Spirit” of God Himself through an available vessel.
This is why Paul was so inspired by the Holy Spirit to write to us Ephesians 1:15-21, “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and ‘what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,’ according TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
Do you receive that for yourself, your walk, your ministry, your calling? “according TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER…!!” God’s ministry of authority, power, anointing, and greatness is not with one who carries a “Big Stick” but one who walks with a laid-down life caring for others more than one cares for himself! And our Lord’s own power and authority? He chose to be the “servant of all”! Which leads us to another thought and truth about our Lord’s ministry!
In John 15:13 Jesus tells us: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Of course, it was true of Jesus, and the call on our lives as His disciples is that the demonstration of our life of love in Him is the laying down of our lives in ministry and service to others!
Can you even fathom a professing believing husband that does not, will not lay down his life for his wife and children? What about a wife and mother for her husband and her children? Do “bosses” lay down their lives for their employees or employees professing Christ but aren’t sure their faith is to be that practical that their faith in Christ is demonstrated in how they relate to their bosses or customers in “laid-down lives” for the honor of Jesus Christ?
Does the Lord Jesus truly ask us to lay down our lives for the sake of others in honoring Him through us? And did He highlight, emphasize, magnify true service honoring Him as the “greater love” ministry? “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends”! If God is not love, then the world we all live in is empty and, yes, void of true life! But if God IS love, and He is, His call to follow Him is the calling of a life of true, genuine, sacrificial, merciful, greater love! Chambers said: “Salvation is easy because it cost God so much, but the manifestation of it in my life is difficult.” Yes, it’s the choice of the Cross every day in a man’s life that the life of God’s love may be practically expressed through him/her!
“God so loved the world…,” but that has nothing to do with us? True salvation doesn’t not bank on us affirming our way in the world with our intentions, but affirming and aligning ourselves to the way of Christ which was the way of the Cross! In Matthew 16:24 -25 Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life [for himself] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Are you in “the lost” or “the found department”?
Aren’t you thankful for the Spirit-anointed word Paul gave us in Romans 8:37-39? “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Undaunted obedience through the true believer is because of the undaunted love and radiance of Christ Jesus as He sacrificed His life through the Father’s amazing love on the Cross! His love is our liberation; His love is our lifting out of the graves of sin and selfishness! His love pays the penalty and sets the captives free! His love takes us to the Cross with Himself – and being crucified with Christ, by Resurrection power and eternal love, He raises us up with Him to be seated with Christ in the heavenly places!
Charles Wesley and John Zundel wrote the following hymn entitled “Love Divine!” It says: “Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven, to earth come down; Fix in us Your humble dwelling; All Your faithful mercies crown. Jesus, You are all compassion, Pure, unbounded love You are; Visit us with Your salvation; Enter every trembling heart.”
Thank God for His amazing love seen so clearly through Christ and the Cross. But there’s another “great witness” I want you to see. Come to I John 5:7-13 where John tells us: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water [or the Word], and the blood; and these three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” AMEN?
There is another vital point in the Word I want to share with you about God’s “ascribed greatness.” It’s found in Lamentations 3:22-24 Jeremiah wrote: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; ‘Great is Your Faithfulness.’ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” What a declaration!! “GREAT IS GOD’S FAITHFULNESS!!”
God’s faithfulness is not a possibility but an eternal reality! It was Isaiah in his prophetic word who wrote: [Isaiah 25:1], “O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name. For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”
God in His faithfulness has done wonderful things? In Psalm 98:3 the singer sang a song of praise: “He [God] has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Yes, “great IS God’s faithfulness!”
The God of the Holy Word is the God of covenant blessing! Yes, in and through His “blood covenant” by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus! In Hosea 2:19-20 God said, “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice; in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me ‘in faithfulness,’ and you shall know the Lord.”
I don’t see this “betrothal” as a common activity between Holy God and fallen men, but the eternal expression of Holy Love as God sacrificed His only begotten Son to reconcile us to Himself through the Cross! This is why Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and to us Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Forgiveness, reconciliation, new birth, by human effort? How blasphemous! No! It is because of God’s faithfulness at the Cross to bring us back to Himself through the shed blood of the Lamb of God, through the faithfulness of His blood atonement through His Son and our Savior!
And I tell you, without hesitation: No conviction – No conversion! Didn’t John tell us in John 16:8-11, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
I want to close this chapter with one more essential, necessary, and life-changing word about “God’s Ascribed Greatness”!! And that is the “greatness of His final judgment”! In Revelation 21:6-8 God spoke through John to us all! And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” And if you didn’t know, you need to know: the second death is the death that will not die!
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“GOD’S GREATNESS? HIS CONFRONTATION WITH SINNERS AND ADMITTANCE OF TRUE REPENTERS!”
Matthew 21:28-32 is a powerful revelation of Holy God as it reveals His call to “all sons” to go to God’s vineyard and “work”! As I read this passage over and over, I had to ask myself, “Does God extend a call to every created man, woman, and child, to be obedient to Him and go work in His vineyard?” And I came to the conclusion that God still calls ALL to follow Him, putting their hands to His plow, and not looking back!
I came across a statement by Augustine that really opened my eyes more to an understanding of what Jesus related to us concerning one who obeyed Him and one who didn’t. Augustine said: “Before God can deliver us we must undeceive ourselves.” Are you undeceived or deceived?
The Scripture of this chapter tells us: “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ‘Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said to Him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you ‘in the way of righteousness,’ and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”
Do you clearly understand how easy it is to hear a command of Christ, nod ‘Yes’, and then walk away to fulfill one’s own destiny and not the Lord’s? Do you clearly understand how easy it is to acknowledge allegiance to the claims of Christ over one’s life, but then to choose forgetfulness of His holy claims over one’s life? Tell me of your allegiance to His claims over your life or your own markings of enslavement to self and your old sin nature! Whose side have you truly aligned yourself with? Do you personally know of Heaven’s blessings or Hell’s bondage? And remember, I’m speaking of eternal allegiance!
In Luke 14:25-27 Dr. Luke is telling us about leaving all to follow Christ! He wrote: Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Did we see one who said “Yes” but didn’t go and one who initially said “No’ but then went after Jesus? I pray you clearly understand the consequences of ultimately saying “No’ to Christ or understanding clearly the blessings of finally saying “Yes” to the King of kings and Lord of lords!
“God’s Greatness”? He understands the necessity of willing men to lay down their lives for the honor of Christ alone! The very passion of true Christianity is a man willingly signing away all rights to his own life in order to be the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ! God’s greatness? He so loved the world, lost as it was and is, in order to redeem it by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb and by willing servants who take up His message of love, grace, and mercy, to touch their world with the salvation, healing, and deliverance that comes through Christ alone!
In I Peter 4:12-14 Peter challenges us! “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
There are those who face ‘no suffering’ because they’ve chosen not to be ONE with Christ Himself. But if one suffers for the honor of Christ, it’s not to make one ashamed of his allegiance, but is the opportunity of glorifying God Himself! And “God’s Greatness”? He confronts, convicts, and tries to convince them there is no hope for them to be blessed apart from Jesus Himself! One either glorifies Christ through his life of faith and obedience or one denies Him and by his life choice blasphemes the very name of Christ Jesus!
Let’s look first in this chapter concerning ‘God’s Greatness’ that relates to His confrontation with ‘sinners’! And remember, as we begin, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son!!” The world? A world of sinners and unbelievers, a world of men and women defiant of Holy God? A world of men and women, and, yes, boys and girls marked with the identifying ownership of the devil and the powers of darkness – men and women, boys and girls, branded with the identifying brand-marks of slavery to God’s enemies!
Are you aware of your own ‘Gethsemane’ as the devil comes time after time after time to lead you astray from the love of God, to lead you astray to fulfill the devil’s worldly intent through you as you give in to his temptations, to blind you to God’s ultimate intention for your life through the very destiny of the Son and Savior of the world, to enslave you rather than free you, to blind you spiritually rather than to open your eyes to God’s eternal plan for your life?
In Matthew 25:41-46 Jesus gives us a saddening picture of those who rebel against God’s heart and His desire to make an eternal difference in one’s life. Jesus said, Then He, God, will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and You did not visit Me.” Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Do you understand practical disobedience? “He may ask it, but I don’t have to obey it!” “He may require this or that, but since I am so spiritual and understand a man’s attempt at salvation through works, don’t ask me to do anything Jesus says I ought to do!” “He [God] may ‘honey-coat’ biblical authority, but I believe I do have a choice as to whether I have to do it or not!”
But beyond practical disobedience, though at first hesitant, there are those who do decide to put their hands to the plow of God’s eternal mission and begin to plow straight lines in the fields one is assigned! There IS a power of holy grace far beyond the devil’s deceptions! Thoughtless men, defiant men, rebellious men to the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, may spend years in rebellion, refusing the plow of divine service – but then, by grace through faith, a man changes his mind and begins to follow the King of kings and Lord of lords!
One son said “yes” to the father’s bidding, but then refused to go and serve the will of the father! The “yes” son who refused to do the will of the father is so identical to those in the world today who are in love with the world or the things in the world – the lust of the flesh [or lust of the old fallen sin nature], the lust of the eyes, and the pride of fleshly living, is not of Father-God but is of the world! But the disobedient son is one strongly conformed to the world around him, strongly influenced by the powers of darkness, and “squeezed” or “pressed into the mold of the fallen world”, and he’s in love with “that” – not God!
Do you understand truly the fallen sin nature of all men? Do you understand “the old man which ‘grows’ corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” the old man, First Adam, that walks as all fallen men in the futility of their minds, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness? [Ephesians 4:17-19]. This is the majority of our fallen world of unbelieving men who are gripped in the mud, the dirt, the filth, the quagmire of sin and death, bound in the bondage of sin and death, finite in one’s fleshly aspirations and sinful desires, and unaware that though now separated from Holy God, God proved His love for him by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the Cross – and WE MUST TELL THEM!
“Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” But you understand that there is a mass of people who deny their guilt before Holy God, are perfectly at peace with their lost estate, see no sickness in the disease of sin that ravages them body, soul, and spirit, and certainly feel comfortable in their opposition to the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross two thousand years ago – it wasn’t for them He died! I cannot think of a sadder truth than the fact that many do not see themselves as alienated from God because of their sin natures, they do not see Christ Jesus as their only hope of eternal life-change, and they are satisfied living without Christ Jesus! Spurgeon once said, “beware of being gospel-hardened,” yes, even one who would listen to Jesus and His Word, but never repent!
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” Galatians 3:23, “But the Scripture has confined all under sin…” Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh [one’s old sin nature] you will die…” Romans 6:17, “..you were slaves of sin…” Galatians 5:1, “…entangled with a yoke of bondage…” Galatians 6:1, “…overtaken in any trespass…” Ephesians 2:12, “…that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Colossians 2:8, “Beware…lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 3:5-6, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.”
Knowing Jesus Christ Himself personally, aren’t you shocked still by those so spiritually blinded and spiritually deafened to the very voice of Christ Himself? “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
One said, “I’m willing,” but he didn’t go after Christ, while one said, “I’m not coming,” but he changed his heart and mind and followed hard after the Lord Jesus!
You do know, you’re fully aware, that one will remain as he’s always been apart from the “new birth” because there is no repentance, no turning, no surrender, no yielding to the King of kings and Lord of lords – he/she is ‘satisfied’, clothed in that old sin nature with no desire to honor or trust God for eternal salvation! But then there is that one, convicted, convinced, and consecrates himself/herself to the honor of Christ alone!
Beloved John wrote in I John 5:4-5, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes [trusts in, relies upon, adheres to] that Jesus is the Son of God.”
And I tell you, the son who at first refused and then decided to do the Father’s will, is, thank God, like so many today who take up Christ’s mantle and goes out in His Name to uplift, honor, and sing the praises of the True Savior of the world! They are so like Ira B. Wilson and George S. Schuler who wrote the old hymn, “Make Me A Blessing”:
“Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad…
Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, Tell of His power to forgive; Others will trust Him if only you prove true, every moment you live…
Give as ‘twas given to you in your need, Love as the Master loved you; Be to the helpless a helper indeed, Unto your mission be true…
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing, Out of my life may Jesus shine; Make me a blessing, O Saviour, I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today.”
I don’t know of a greater prayer hymn than that for today! We live in a world of needy people who need to know “The Greatness of God” and what the Lord God is able to do to make the difference in their lives eternally! Jesus is “The Answer” for their lives today!
The call of redeemed humanity today is the call to spiritual bravery and bold, fresh, eternal love for those who need to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God!
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in “Aurora Leigh,” [Bk.IV, l.498], wrote: “We all have known…Good popes who brought all good to jeopardy, Good Christians who sat still in easy chairs, And damned the general world for standing up.” But what does the general world stand up for if it doesn’t know, trust in, rely upon the Redeemer? And isn’t it time for “Good Christians” to obey the Lord and touch the world He loves with His Redeeming love, mercy, and grace?
It was George Eliot who wrote: “It is vain thought to flee from the work that God appoints us, for the sake of finding a greater blessing, instead of seeking it where alone it is to be found – in loving obedience.”
So… “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel!” “Go, and touch the lost world with His redemptive mercy!” “Yes, tell the world that you’re a Christian, a true disciple of Christ, His servant to a perishing world around us!”
I want to close this chapter with a word from Deuteronomy 4:30-31, “When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”
CONCLUSION
IF I said to you, “These 22 chapters have been an interesting journey in examining “God’s Greatness,” would you agree? For me, as I wrote, I kept asking myself over and over, “Have I even touched the hem of His heavenly garment?”
It has been an amazing journey that has stretched me greatly. Arthur Campbell Ainger wrote in “God is Working His Purpose Out” that: “God is working His purpose out as year succeeds to year,…
God is working His purpose out and the time is drawing near; Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,…
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.”
The psalmist wrote in Psalm 24:10, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” Are you aware that YOU EXIST for the purpose of glorifying God on earth as He is glorified in Heaven?
Oswald Chambers wrote in “My Utmost For His Highest,” [p.265], after quoting John 6:44, Jesus speaking, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draws him.” He then wrote: “When God draws me, the issue of my will comes in at once – will I react on the revelation which God gives – will I come to Him? Discussion on spiritual matters is an impertinence. Never discuss with anyone when God speaks. Belief is not an intellectual act; belief is a moral act whereby I deliberately commit myself. Will I dump myself down absolutely on God and transact on what He says? If I will, I shall find I am based on Reality that is as sure as God’s throne.” AMEN AND AMEN!