Today’s scripture reveals a great secret of not only fruitfulness but
also of God being with us. Emmanuel is not real to many so-called
children of God because they are on their own. This is why they are
caught in many horrible acts, and terrible things attend to their daily
living. This scripture reveals the part we need to play for us to
experience God as the present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1).
He has promised not to leave nor forsake us. We must remember that the
Almighty God is forever faithful. Though the world may deny Him, He
cannot deny Himself. Though the world may be unfaithful, He remains
faithful to His words and even to His creation! What is our part in this
bargain? We must abide in Him. In other words, we must consistently
live our lives as Christians. We should never take a break from living
holy.
In light of this revealed truth, it is pertinent for all children of God
who want to enjoy the presence of Emmanuel, to abide in Him so that the
ever-willing Heavenly Father may be with them. How do we abide in Him?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 says:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
We must fear God and keep His commandments. Today, some people
overstretch the grace we enjoy in the New Testament. Mischievously, they
often say that we are no longer under the dispensation of the law,
hence they can now do whatever they like. They seem to be saying: “Let
us commit sin the more so that we can make maximum use of the available
grace!” They are ‘practical atheists’ who believe in God with their
mouths but fail to acknowledge Him and His Holiness. They do not see Him
as the Consuming Fire. Paul in Romans 6:15 asked:
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
When we experience God as “God with us”, this attracts multiple
blessings. One of these is the opportunity to pray and receive instant
answers to our prayers. Jesus in John 15:7 said:
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
Thus, let us abide in Him because He is willing to make His abode with us and give us comfort.
Memorise:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in
me.
John 15:4
Read:
John 15:4-8
Bible in one year:
Ruth 1-4
Proverbs 2:1-19
Prayer Point:
Father, help me to be consistent in my Christian living in Jesus’ Name.
Friday 26 September 2014
Wednesday 24 September 2014
OPEN HEAVENS: DEFEATIST VOICE
A backslider is known by his or her language. When you listen to the
vocabulary of someone who is no longer with God, you will know very
quickly that the fellow is a backslider. King Saul had become a
backslider when he met David and God had already rejected him. When the
problem of Goliath came, as big as he was, he could not stand before
Goliath (1 Samuel 10:23).
He felt that since he could not face Goliath, this would be true of
everyone else. He however received the shock of his life when David
showed up. For somebody reading this devotional, the Lord will make you a
standard where others have compromised, in Jesus’ Name. In Numbers 13:31-33,
we have the story of the ten spies. When they came back from the land
flowing with milk and honey, they said “The land is good; however, we
cannot take it because of the presence of giants there”. Backsliders
always think negatively. There are people who for example believe it is
possible to enjoy divine health all the days of one’s life. There are
some people who believe God cannot supply all of their needs without the
need to cut corners or play smart. Whenever you hear someone saying “We
cannot go forward, let us go back”, you should know you are listening
to a backslider. Whenever someone decides to change from doing good to
doing the opposite, the person has backslidden.
You must stay away from anything that can annoy God. The more you see His miracles in your life, the closer you must draw to Him. When you separate yourself from God, you will see how vulnerable you can be. You will not be a victim of situation and circumstances in Jesus’ Name. Caleb followed God fully and therefore he could say “We are able”. The song of the steadfast is always full of words like: “I can do it”, “It is possible”, “There is hope”, “I know with God on my side, there is no mountain I cannot climb”. When a man is in contact with God, he sees problems as stepping stones to testimonies. Everyone who is linked with God will be able to say as Paul said in Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Those who are close to God are always singing songs of victory in the face of trouble. They will prefer to go through fire than to bow to compromise, because they know they can’t burn.
Memorise:
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
Numbers 13:30
Read:
1 Samuel 17:33-39
Bible in one year:
Judges 20-21
Proverbs 1:20-33
Action Point:
Check in what areas of your life you have a defeatist attitude; arise and proclaim what the word of God says about it.
by Pastor E.A Adeboye
You must stay away from anything that can annoy God. The more you see His miracles in your life, the closer you must draw to Him. When you separate yourself from God, you will see how vulnerable you can be. You will not be a victim of situation and circumstances in Jesus’ Name. Caleb followed God fully and therefore he could say “We are able”. The song of the steadfast is always full of words like: “I can do it”, “It is possible”, “There is hope”, “I know with God on my side, there is no mountain I cannot climb”. When a man is in contact with God, he sees problems as stepping stones to testimonies. Everyone who is linked with God will be able to say as Paul said in Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Those who are close to God are always singing songs of victory in the face of trouble. They will prefer to go through fire than to bow to compromise, because they know they can’t burn.
Memorise:
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
Numbers 13:30
Read:
1 Samuel 17:33-39
Bible in one year:
Judges 20-21
Proverbs 1:20-33
Action Point:
Check in what areas of your life you have a defeatist attitude; arise and proclaim what the word of God says about it.
by Pastor E.A Adeboye
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Understanding God´s Heart
• God overlooks the years in which we were ignorant of His ways. But He is now calling us to turn around and obey Him (Acts 17:30).
• Obedience to God is as much of a burden as wings are to a bird (Mt.11:30, Isa.40:31).
• Jesus is our dictionary. When we want to know the spiritual meaning of a particular word in the New Testament, we must look it up in His life.
• The Spirit could come into men, only after Jesus was glorified (Jn.7:39), because no man’s heart could be clean, until Jesus had shed His blood.
• Grace begins with forgiving our sins. But it goes on from there to free us from sin’s power and to make us like Christ – progressively.
• A crow (fleshly Christian) will love dead carcasses, no matter how much he is educated. A dove (spiritual Christian) however, does not need to be taught or exhorted to avoid carcasses (Gen.8:7-9).
• Christians don't need significance, security, or success. They only need the Holy Spirit!
• God is looking for a pure sacrifice in every place in this world (Mal.1:11).
• Seeking appreciation from others when we pray in public, is like expressing your love to your husband in public, in order to be appreciated by others. Only "actors" (Greek: "hypocrites") do that (Matt.6:5)!
• A legalist who has been a Christian for many years is like an adult who still needs a nanny (Gal.3:24-26).
• When you prophesy, it must be according to the level of your faith (Rom.12:6), which is the level of your life (Rom.1:17).
• The ones who will have influence in Babylon are those who are determined never to defile themselves (Dan.1:8).
• A legalist who obeys God's commands and then judges others who don't do things exactly like he does them, is like one who cooks a delicious chicken curry and then throws a dead lizard into it.
• If you want to be great in God's kingdom: (1) Keep and teach even the least of God's commandments (Matt.5:19); and (2) humble yourself like a little child (Matt. 18:4). Then God will look upon you with favor (Isa.66:2).
• It is the easiest thing of all for God to bless someone. But it is the most difficult thing of all for Him to keep him humble after blessing him.
• God doesn't want "volunteers" to serve Him. He wants disciples who have forsaken everything (Jn.6:11,12)
• God is in the production business. He calls us to be only in the distribution business.
• Babylon is the "foolish man's" house -- hearing God's words and not doing them. "Great will be its fall" (Matt.7:26-27 and Rev.18:2).
• The mark of the antichrist can be taken on the forehead (publicly) or on the hand (secretly). But the mark of the Lamb can be taken only on the forehead (Rev.13:16 - 14:1).
• The only ones who can learn the new song are those who have been “redeemed from the earth” (Rev.14:3) -- those whose mind is set on things above and not on the earth.
• The reason for the lack of joy in the lives of many Christians is that they don't really hate sin (Heb.1:9). The more we hate sin, the more we will have “fullness of joy” (Psa.16:11).
• If you have only this one verse in the Bible with you, you can live your whole life by it: "Have the same attitude in you which was in Christ Jesus" (Phil.2:5).
• I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand or to stand up. I'm going to ask you to sit down and count the cost: Is it worth it to follow such a Lord? Are you going to continue your life of hypocrisy and pretense and religiosity and legalistic rules? Or are you going to throw it all away and say, "Lord Jesus, I want to follow You all the days of my life. I'm your disciple”?
• Two big differences between the world and the church are: (1) The people of the world have no reverence for God (Rom.3:18); and (2) the people of the world seek after their own interests (Phil.2:21).
• We must recognize that we were created primarily to bring pleasure to God and not to seek after pleasure ourselves (Rev.4:11).
• Trying to learn the wisdom of God without learning to reverence God first is like trying to learn Science or Geography without first learning to read (Pro.9:10).
• What the Bible says about Heaven and Hell is more reliable than what any man says about them (Lk.16:31).
• You cannot play the fool with God and get away with it, any more than you can play the fool with electricity and escape injury or death.
• You cannot worship God if you are not dressed in holiness (Psa.29:2).
• Even Jesus' prayers were heard only because of His reverence for God (Heb.5:7).
• Obedience to God is as much of a burden as wings are to a bird (Mt.11:30, Isa.40:31).
• Jesus is our dictionary. When we want to know the spiritual meaning of a particular word in the New Testament, we must look it up in His life.
• The Spirit could come into men, only after Jesus was glorified (Jn.7:39), because no man’s heart could be clean, until Jesus had shed His blood.
• Grace begins with forgiving our sins. But it goes on from there to free us from sin’s power and to make us like Christ – progressively.
• A crow (fleshly Christian) will love dead carcasses, no matter how much he is educated. A dove (spiritual Christian) however, does not need to be taught or exhorted to avoid carcasses (Gen.8:7-9).
• Christians don't need significance, security, or success. They only need the Holy Spirit!
• God is looking for a pure sacrifice in every place in this world (Mal.1:11).
• Seeking appreciation from others when we pray in public, is like expressing your love to your husband in public, in order to be appreciated by others. Only "actors" (Greek: "hypocrites") do that (Matt.6:5)!
• A legalist who has been a Christian for many years is like an adult who still needs a nanny (Gal.3:24-26).
• When you prophesy, it must be according to the level of your faith (Rom.12:6), which is the level of your life (Rom.1:17).
• The ones who will have influence in Babylon are those who are determined never to defile themselves (Dan.1:8).
• A legalist who obeys God's commands and then judges others who don't do things exactly like he does them, is like one who cooks a delicious chicken curry and then throws a dead lizard into it.
• If you want to be great in God's kingdom: (1) Keep and teach even the least of God's commandments (Matt.5:19); and (2) humble yourself like a little child (Matt. 18:4). Then God will look upon you with favor (Isa.66:2).
• It is the easiest thing of all for God to bless someone. But it is the most difficult thing of all for Him to keep him humble after blessing him.
• God doesn't want "volunteers" to serve Him. He wants disciples who have forsaken everything (Jn.6:11,12)
• God is in the production business. He calls us to be only in the distribution business.
• Babylon is the "foolish man's" house -- hearing God's words and not doing them. "Great will be its fall" (Matt.7:26-27 and Rev.18:2).
• The mark of the antichrist can be taken on the forehead (publicly) or on the hand (secretly). But the mark of the Lamb can be taken only on the forehead (Rev.13:16 - 14:1).
• The only ones who can learn the new song are those who have been “redeemed from the earth” (Rev.14:3) -- those whose mind is set on things above and not on the earth.
• The reason for the lack of joy in the lives of many Christians is that they don't really hate sin (Heb.1:9). The more we hate sin, the more we will have “fullness of joy” (Psa.16:11).
• If you have only this one verse in the Bible with you, you can live your whole life by it: "Have the same attitude in you which was in Christ Jesus" (Phil.2:5).
• I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand or to stand up. I'm going to ask you to sit down and count the cost: Is it worth it to follow such a Lord? Are you going to continue your life of hypocrisy and pretense and religiosity and legalistic rules? Or are you going to throw it all away and say, "Lord Jesus, I want to follow You all the days of my life. I'm your disciple”?
• Two big differences between the world and the church are: (1) The people of the world have no reverence for God (Rom.3:18); and (2) the people of the world seek after their own interests (Phil.2:21).
• We must recognize that we were created primarily to bring pleasure to God and not to seek after pleasure ourselves (Rev.4:11).
• Trying to learn the wisdom of God without learning to reverence God first is like trying to learn Science or Geography without first learning to read (Pro.9:10).
• What the Bible says about Heaven and Hell is more reliable than what any man says about them (Lk.16:31).
• You cannot play the fool with God and get away with it, any more than you can play the fool with electricity and escape injury or death.
• You cannot worship God if you are not dressed in holiness (Psa.29:2).
• Even Jesus' prayers were heard only because of His reverence for God (Heb.5:7).
Saturday 8 January 2011
Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace
"Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he's in trouble.....And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken" (Eccl. 4:9-12-TLB).
You may remember the story from Aesop's fables, where an old farmer taught an object lesson on unity to his three children, who were constantly quarreling among themselves. Taking a number of weak sticks, he showed them how the sticks could quite easily be broken individually, but when tied together, in a bundle, were almost impossible to break.
Even the children of this world realise that there is strength in unity and fellowship. "The locusts", the Bible says, "though small are unusually wise, for though they have no leader, they stay together in swarms (Prov. 30:27-TLB). Therein lies their safety and their power.
In the church of Jesus Christ, we need to relearn this lesson.
I am not referring to an organisational unity of Christians or of churches, formed by man, at the cost of compromise and the sacrifice of God's truth - such as in the modern day ecumenical movement. That type of unity is a farce and a counterfeit of the unity that Christ prayed for in His High-Priestly prayer (recorded in John 17).
The unity that the New Testament speaks of, is the unity of the members of Christ's Body with one another, under the Headship of Christ - an organic unity and not an organisational one. It excludes those who are outside of the Body of Christ, even if they have the label `Christian'. There can be no union between the living and the dead. Those made alive in Christ through the new birth can find their spiritual unity only with others who have been similarly regenerated by God. Christian unity is forged by the Holy Spirit Who alone makes us members of Christ's Body. The Bible exhorts us to "strive earnestly to guard the harmony and oneness produced by the Spirit" (Eph. 4:3-Amplified). Any unity formed by man is worthless.
Satan is a cunning foe and he realises that he cannot overcome a united Christian fellowship that lives under the authority of Christ and His Word. His strategy for warfare, is therefore, to begin by sowing discord, suspicion and misunderstanding among the members of a fellowship, so that he can paralyze them individually.
Jesus said that the powers of Hell would not be able to overcome His church. (Matt. 16:18). It is the church, the Body of Christ, that is promised victory in the battle against Satan. A believer standing in isolation from other believers may find himself defeated.
Satan attacked Christ constantly during Christ's life on earth, but was unable to prevail. Finally at the cross, Satan's power over man was taken away from him by Christ (Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15).
Today, Satan cannot attack the Risen Christ. His attacks are therefore directed at Christ's Body, the church. Victory over Satan is possible only as we stand united against him, as a Body under the Headship of our Lord.
In a fellowship of Christians, even if one member is not fulfilling his function, the power of the Body is, to that extent, weakened. Satan knowing this, seeks continually to isolate individual members of a group, or to divide the group (or church) into cliques. Either way, he succeeds in his aim.
This is why we must be constantly on our guard against the wiles of Satan, lest he weaken the links between us and other members of the Body of Christ.
You may remember the story from Aesop's fables, where an old farmer taught an object lesson on unity to his three children, who were constantly quarreling among themselves. Taking a number of weak sticks, he showed them how the sticks could quite easily be broken individually, but when tied together, in a bundle, were almost impossible to break.
Even the children of this world realise that there is strength in unity and fellowship. "The locusts", the Bible says, "though small are unusually wise, for though they have no leader, they stay together in swarms (Prov. 30:27-TLB). Therein lies their safety and their power.
In the church of Jesus Christ, we need to relearn this lesson.
I am not referring to an organisational unity of Christians or of churches, formed by man, at the cost of compromise and the sacrifice of God's truth - such as in the modern day ecumenical movement. That type of unity is a farce and a counterfeit of the unity that Christ prayed for in His High-Priestly prayer (recorded in John 17).
The unity that the New Testament speaks of, is the unity of the members of Christ's Body with one another, under the Headship of Christ - an organic unity and not an organisational one. It excludes those who are outside of the Body of Christ, even if they have the label `Christian'. There can be no union between the living and the dead. Those made alive in Christ through the new birth can find their spiritual unity only with others who have been similarly regenerated by God. Christian unity is forged by the Holy Spirit Who alone makes us members of Christ's Body. The Bible exhorts us to "strive earnestly to guard the harmony and oneness produced by the Spirit" (Eph. 4:3-Amplified). Any unity formed by man is worthless.
Satan is a cunning foe and he realises that he cannot overcome a united Christian fellowship that lives under the authority of Christ and His Word. His strategy for warfare, is therefore, to begin by sowing discord, suspicion and misunderstanding among the members of a fellowship, so that he can paralyze them individually.
Jesus said that the powers of Hell would not be able to overcome His church. (Matt. 16:18). It is the church, the Body of Christ, that is promised victory in the battle against Satan. A believer standing in isolation from other believers may find himself defeated.
Satan attacked Christ constantly during Christ's life on earth, but was unable to prevail. Finally at the cross, Satan's power over man was taken away from him by Christ (Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15).
Today, Satan cannot attack the Risen Christ. His attacks are therefore directed at Christ's Body, the church. Victory over Satan is possible only as we stand united against him, as a Body under the Headship of our Lord.
In a fellowship of Christians, even if one member is not fulfilling his function, the power of the Body is, to that extent, weakened. Satan knowing this, seeks continually to isolate individual members of a group, or to divide the group (or church) into cliques. Either way, he succeeds in his aim.
This is why we must be constantly on our guard against the wiles of Satan, lest he weaken the links between us and other members of the Body of Christ.
Wednesday 5 January 2011
Living by Faith (Continuation)
There are many paradoxes in the Christian life and here is the first one that we encounter when we are saved: We know that Jesus justifies us so thoroughly that we now stand before God just as if we had never sinned - for God promises never to remember our past sins against us (Heb.8:12). At the same time we are also told never to forget our past sins, lest we become blind and shortsighted (2 Pet.1:9)!!
So, on one hand we see that God does not remember our past sins and on the other hand we are told never to forget them!! How are we to live with this apparent contradiction?
Only by being MORE conscious of the fact that the blood of Jesus has cleansed away our past sins, than we are conscious of those sins themselves.
Read that last sentence once again, for this is one of the most important principles of the Christian life. If you believe it, this truth can liberate you.
There is no humility in feeling guilty about our past sins. That is unbelief, not humility, and is an insult to the blood of Christ. Such unbelief does not glorify God in any way. Paul called himself "the chief of sinners" even after being a Christian for 30 years (1 Tim.1:15). Yet at the same time he also said, "I am conscious of nothing against myself" (1 Cor.4:4). Both facts were true. This assurance is what gives us great confidence before God and great boldness against Satan's accusations and against the fears with which Satan tries to frighten us.
The most popular books in Christian bookshops today are those that deal with faith and the Holy Spirit. But most of these books lead Christians into a counterfeit faith and into counterfeit experiences. The "faith" that these books teach is faith to become wealthy and healthy - not to become holy and spiritual. Christians are told that they can get whatever they want from God, if only they can believe sufficiently. Such teaching is fundamentally opposed to the teaching and the practice of the first apostles and to that of godly missionaries (of the 19th and early 20th centuries) who sacrificed their lives for the promotion of the kingdom of God.
Genuine faith is that which enables us to overcome the world (1 Jn.5:4) - the world being "the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life" (1 Jn.2:16). As Jesus overcame this world, we too can overcome it. (See John 16:33 and Revelation 3:21). When we overcome the world, we will no longer be deceived by Satan telling us that the pleasures that come through health and wealth are superior to the pleasure that comes through fellowship with God.
God wants us to taste the pure pleasure of fellowship with Him. That alone can drive away the desire for other pleasures (Psa.16:11). Many are trying hard to overcome the attraction of sinful pleasures by human means. But only when we taste fellowship with God can we be truly set free. Faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit can set you free from every bondage that Satan ever put upon you.
Do you find yourself unwilling to give up some particular worldly pleasure that attracts you. Then cry out to the Lord, like Peter did when he was sinking in the sea, saying - "Lord save me". You will find that God gives you not only the desire to be free from sin, but also a hatred for it!! In the new covenant, it is God Who works in us both to desire and to do His will (Phil.2:13). What a wonderful gospel the new covenant is!!
The life of Jesus is not something that we can imitate. We must partake of it through the Holy Spirit. Most Christians do not experience this because they are not poor in spirit. That means that they do not live their lives with a constant awareness of their need of God. They are self-confident and independent. Jesus invited only the thirsty to come to Him and drink. To walk by faith we must be constantly thirsty (poor in spirit), always aware of our need of the Holy Spirit's power. There must be a constant cry in our hearts (even if unspoken) to be filled with the Spirit and to experience His power. Those who come to Jesus and drink, will find rivers of living water flowing out from their innermost beings (a life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit - Jn.7:37-38). Thus the weakest believer can experience the glory of this life of faith in the new covenant and become as strong as the strongest. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
So, on one hand we see that God does not remember our past sins and on the other hand we are told never to forget them!! How are we to live with this apparent contradiction?
Only by being MORE conscious of the fact that the blood of Jesus has cleansed away our past sins, than we are conscious of those sins themselves.
Read that last sentence once again, for this is one of the most important principles of the Christian life. If you believe it, this truth can liberate you.
There is no humility in feeling guilty about our past sins. That is unbelief, not humility, and is an insult to the blood of Christ. Such unbelief does not glorify God in any way. Paul called himself "the chief of sinners" even after being a Christian for 30 years (1 Tim.1:15). Yet at the same time he also said, "I am conscious of nothing against myself" (1 Cor.4:4). Both facts were true. This assurance is what gives us great confidence before God and great boldness against Satan's accusations and against the fears with which Satan tries to frighten us.
The most popular books in Christian bookshops today are those that deal with faith and the Holy Spirit. But most of these books lead Christians into a counterfeit faith and into counterfeit experiences. The "faith" that these books teach is faith to become wealthy and healthy - not to become holy and spiritual. Christians are told that they can get whatever they want from God, if only they can believe sufficiently. Such teaching is fundamentally opposed to the teaching and the practice of the first apostles and to that of godly missionaries (of the 19th and early 20th centuries) who sacrificed their lives for the promotion of the kingdom of God.
Genuine faith is that which enables us to overcome the world (1 Jn.5:4) - the world being "the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life" (1 Jn.2:16). As Jesus overcame this world, we too can overcome it. (See John 16:33 and Revelation 3:21). When we overcome the world, we will no longer be deceived by Satan telling us that the pleasures that come through health and wealth are superior to the pleasure that comes through fellowship with God.
God wants us to taste the pure pleasure of fellowship with Him. That alone can drive away the desire for other pleasures (Psa.16:11). Many are trying hard to overcome the attraction of sinful pleasures by human means. But only when we taste fellowship with God can we be truly set free. Faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit can set you free from every bondage that Satan ever put upon you.
Do you find yourself unwilling to give up some particular worldly pleasure that attracts you. Then cry out to the Lord, like Peter did when he was sinking in the sea, saying - "Lord save me". You will find that God gives you not only the desire to be free from sin, but also a hatred for it!! In the new covenant, it is God Who works in us both to desire and to do His will (Phil.2:13). What a wonderful gospel the new covenant is!!
The life of Jesus is not something that we can imitate. We must partake of it through the Holy Spirit. Most Christians do not experience this because they are not poor in spirit. That means that they do not live their lives with a constant awareness of their need of God. They are self-confident and independent. Jesus invited only the thirsty to come to Him and drink. To walk by faith we must be constantly thirsty (poor in spirit), always aware of our need of the Holy Spirit's power. There must be a constant cry in our hearts (even if unspoken) to be filled with the Spirit and to experience His power. Those who come to Jesus and drink, will find rivers of living water flowing out from their innermost beings (a life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit - Jn.7:37-38). Thus the weakest believer can experience the glory of this life of faith in the new covenant and become as strong as the strongest. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Living by Faith
Many Christians, through the ages, have sincerely sought after holiness and victory over sin by taking up their cross and denying themselves. But they have often found the Christian life to be a "hard grind" instead of the glorious life that the Bible describes. Their failure has been this that they never understood the life of faith under the new covenant. They sought to be holy by the principles of the old covenant and thus missed what God had for them.
2 Corinthians 3:6 tells us that the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit that brings life, whereas the old covenant was a ministry of the letter that brought death! And if we walk according to the letter of God's commandments - even in the new covenant - it will still bring death. Only if we live by faith and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, will we enter into the "life of Christ".
Since Jesus has now ascended on high and sent the Holy Spirit to this earth, our life can be far more glorious than that of any Old Testament saint. So if we find ourselves living under condemnation, depression and gloom today, it must be because we are still living by old covenant principles (2 Cor.3:9).
There were two things that Jesus emphasised frequently in His ministry - faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Adam missed this life of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit when he chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil instead of the tree of life (Gen.2:9). He chose to have the knowledge of good and evil resident within himself, instead of being dependent on God for it.
The tree of life represents the life of faith under the new covenant while the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents a life of self-effort under the old covenant. If Adam had chosen the tree of life he would have lived by faith - in constant dependence on God. Then the Holy Spirit would have given him Divine life. But instead, he chose to live in dependence on himself, independent of God. And so he died. All unbelievers live like this - without constant dependence on God. Unfortunately many believers live this way too.
All religions teach their followers to do good and to avoid evil. Christians who seek after holiness also do good and avoid evil. And in their pursuit of holiness, they usually end up making finer and finer distinctions between good and evil, through various rules and practices!! Yet most of them still never come to a genuinely holy life. Why? Because they seek it by works and not by faith.
For 1500 years God taught the Israelites through the Law, what was good and what was evil. But obedience to the good works commanded by the Law did not lead a single Israelite to partake of eternal life. Living by any set of rules and regulations - however high the standard - will never lead anyone to genuine godliness, even today.
True holiness is the life of God in the soul of man - and God has to give this to us as a gift. We can never attain to it. We must receive it by faith. Paul said that in the days when he was unaware of the Law's demands, he felt he was "alive". But when he understood the demands of the Law of God, he became so aware of the wrongs in his life that he felt "dead" (Rom.7:9)!! This is the experience of many who are born again too. They appear to be happy and "alive" as long as they hear only about the forgiveness of their sins. But as soon as they hear about victory over sin and obedience to God's commandments, they feel condemned and miserable and "dead".
But Paul did not stop with the old-covenant law - and neither should we. God showed Paul another law - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This was the law that finally set him free from sin ( Rom.8:2).
Many seek to be holy by doing good. Remember that Eve ate of the tree because it looked good!! She wasn't seeking to do something evil!! She ate the fruit, not because she wanted to become like the devil, but because she wanted to become like God - for that was what the devil had promised her (Gen.3:5). People who live according to the Law also make the same mistake today - thinking that they can be like God through external good works.
Much of the good that we see in the lives of many Christians comes, not from genuine holiness, but from a good upbringing. Many of these Christians are upright, but they don't have a passionate hunger after God. They spend their lives accumulating Bible knowledge, but without any revelation from God. As a result, their lives are not much different from the lives of some good unbelievers around them. All such believers have missed something vital that God wants them to have - the Divine nature.
God is not first of all trying to make us do good, but to make us trust in Him so that He can give us His nature. In His eyes, the righteous are not those who do good but those who live by faith (See Romans 4:5 and Habakkuk 2:4). In Habakkuk 2:4, God contrasts two groups of people - those who believe in the Lord and those who are proud. Those who are proud cannot live by faith. The reason many do not accept God's gifts freely, by simple faith, is because they are too proud to accept anything freely. They would rather earn their forgiveness and their holiness by doing something themselves.
Satan tells Christians even today (as he told Eve) that they don't need to depend on God to know the difference between good and evil. He tells them that they can know the difference through their conscience or by reading the Bible. But many unbelievers also live by their conscience - and live fairly decent lives. A Christian can live like that too - but he won't be righteous in God's eyes. Many believers begin their Christian life right - by trusting God alone for their justification. But then like the Galatian Christians, they seek to become perfect through their own efforts (Gal.3:3). They evaluate their spiritual worth by how much they have done for God or by the results they have seen in their ministry. And they feel satisfied. But when people asked Jesus how they could do the works of God, He did not tell them to do good works. He told them to believe in Him (Jn.6:28-29)! Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Zac Poonen
2 Corinthians 3:6 tells us that the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit that brings life, whereas the old covenant was a ministry of the letter that brought death! And if we walk according to the letter of God's commandments - even in the new covenant - it will still bring death. Only if we live by faith and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, will we enter into the "life of Christ".
Since Jesus has now ascended on high and sent the Holy Spirit to this earth, our life can be far more glorious than that of any Old Testament saint. So if we find ourselves living under condemnation, depression and gloom today, it must be because we are still living by old covenant principles (2 Cor.3:9).
There were two things that Jesus emphasised frequently in His ministry - faith in God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Adam missed this life of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit when he chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil instead of the tree of life (Gen.2:9). He chose to have the knowledge of good and evil resident within himself, instead of being dependent on God for it.
The tree of life represents the life of faith under the new covenant while the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents a life of self-effort under the old covenant. If Adam had chosen the tree of life he would have lived by faith - in constant dependence on God. Then the Holy Spirit would have given him Divine life. But instead, he chose to live in dependence on himself, independent of God. And so he died. All unbelievers live like this - without constant dependence on God. Unfortunately many believers live this way too.
All religions teach their followers to do good and to avoid evil. Christians who seek after holiness also do good and avoid evil. And in their pursuit of holiness, they usually end up making finer and finer distinctions between good and evil, through various rules and practices!! Yet most of them still never come to a genuinely holy life. Why? Because they seek it by works and not by faith.
For 1500 years God taught the Israelites through the Law, what was good and what was evil. But obedience to the good works commanded by the Law did not lead a single Israelite to partake of eternal life. Living by any set of rules and regulations - however high the standard - will never lead anyone to genuine godliness, even today.
True holiness is the life of God in the soul of man - and God has to give this to us as a gift. We can never attain to it. We must receive it by faith. Paul said that in the days when he was unaware of the Law's demands, he felt he was "alive". But when he understood the demands of the Law of God, he became so aware of the wrongs in his life that he felt "dead" (Rom.7:9)!! This is the experience of many who are born again too. They appear to be happy and "alive" as long as they hear only about the forgiveness of their sins. But as soon as they hear about victory over sin and obedience to God's commandments, they feel condemned and miserable and "dead".
But Paul did not stop with the old-covenant law - and neither should we. God showed Paul another law - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This was the law that finally set him free from sin ( Rom.8:2).
Many seek to be holy by doing good. Remember that Eve ate of the tree because it looked good!! She wasn't seeking to do something evil!! She ate the fruit, not because she wanted to become like the devil, but because she wanted to become like God - for that was what the devil had promised her (Gen.3:5). People who live according to the Law also make the same mistake today - thinking that they can be like God through external good works.
Much of the good that we see in the lives of many Christians comes, not from genuine holiness, but from a good upbringing. Many of these Christians are upright, but they don't have a passionate hunger after God. They spend their lives accumulating Bible knowledge, but without any revelation from God. As a result, their lives are not much different from the lives of some good unbelievers around them. All such believers have missed something vital that God wants them to have - the Divine nature.
God is not first of all trying to make us do good, but to make us trust in Him so that He can give us His nature. In His eyes, the righteous are not those who do good but those who live by faith (See Romans 4:5 and Habakkuk 2:4). In Habakkuk 2:4, God contrasts two groups of people - those who believe in the Lord and those who are proud. Those who are proud cannot live by faith. The reason many do not accept God's gifts freely, by simple faith, is because they are too proud to accept anything freely. They would rather earn their forgiveness and their holiness by doing something themselves.
Satan tells Christians even today (as he told Eve) that they don't need to depend on God to know the difference between good and evil. He tells them that they can know the difference through their conscience or by reading the Bible. But many unbelievers also live by their conscience - and live fairly decent lives. A Christian can live like that too - but he won't be righteous in God's eyes. Many believers begin their Christian life right - by trusting God alone for their justification. But then like the Galatian Christians, they seek to become perfect through their own efforts (Gal.3:3). They evaluate their spiritual worth by how much they have done for God or by the results they have seen in their ministry. And they feel satisfied. But when people asked Jesus how they could do the works of God, He did not tell them to do good works. He told them to believe in Him (Jn.6:28-29)! Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Zac Poonen
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