2 Corinthians 3:17 says "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is freedom." In the American version the word freedom is replaced with liberty.
But what is this freedom that Paul speaks to the church at Corinth?
When I finished school and got my license for the first time, I felt amazingly free. Now for the first time I could travel wherever I wished and do whatever the law permitted as an 18 yr old. Yet this was short lived as my father quickly reminded me I my responsibility, that is to work, pay taxes and for my own way.
Sometimes as Christians we can feel this is the liberty that Jesus gives us in the Spirit. That is to do and live however we like without any responsibility. And whilst I don't wish to load anyone down with law, as Jesus completed and fulfilled all the requirements of the law. Freedom in Christ still comes with responsibility. Over and over we hear the words of Christ, go and sin no more, and the apostles, "Be holy, as I am holy says the Lord. "
Freedom brings with it the opportunity not just to be set free of sin, but also to be made holy by the process of sanctification. This is not a word we like to use today as the grace message seems to overwrite all responsibility to live holy lives.
Does this process in sanctification mean we will never make mistakes. Obviously not if we have the apostles as an example. But simply because we fail at times to be holy does not mean we should give up on holiness.
After a study I did some years ago about great revivals, I came to the conclusion that a movement of the Holy Spirit in this area of holiness preceded every great outburst of revival.
Therefore I pray that we who are alive in Christ in these lasts days will not only continue the good work that Jesus began in us, but allow his holy spirit to continue his sanctifying work in us to completion.
God bless you on your journey.
Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Sunday, 23 September 2018
1 Samuel 17 David uses five stones to kill Goliath
Recently, I have been meditating on this passage of scripture in 1 Samuel 17 and how David the shepherd boy kills the enemy of the Israelites with five stones that he takes from a brook. Whilst there are many view points on why David took five stones and not three or four, what I believe is more significant is that he removed the stones from a brook or if you like a stream.
Throughout scripture we find the blessing, presence and life of God symbolised as a flow of living water. The ultimate of which can be found in passages such as John 4 when Jesus declares to the Samaritan women that if she were to drink of "this water she would never thirst again", again Revelation speaks of the River which flows from God's own throne and as we read appears to provide life to the inhabitants of heaven and also bring healing through the leaves of it's trees which gain their source from the river.
Within our very bodies flows another kind of river, a river of blood which nourishes every part of our physical man, scripture again says that "life is in the blood" and it is the blood of Jesus that saves all of us from our sin! Therefore we can conclude from scripture that rivers, streams, brooks etc symbolically speak of life and blessing from God.
David stoops down into a brook and pulls out five stones, I have heard sermons that each stone was for Goliath and strong holds with which he came against the people of God. Again I have heard that each stones was for Goliath and his brothers, to not only destroy the obvious enemy but all associated enemies. These are all great words which have encouraged me over the years.
However, I believe the stones in that brook represented the obstacles that the enemy was using against the people of God to hinder or even stop the flow of God's power, blessing and life. By taking hold of these stones, not only was David removing from the brook potential obstacles but he used these obstacles to defeat his enemy!
In Genesis 50 as Joseph is being reconciled with his brothers, after they had sold him into slavery, he says "what the enemy means for evil, God means for good". What a powerful response Joseph conveys to his brothers despite all that he experienced. In essence, I believe this is what is happening with David as he stoops down into the brook. What the enemy is using to attack God's people with, obstacles and blockages of the flow of God's presence and blessing, David with God uses to attack his enemy and more importantly the enemy of God and His people.
I believe God's Spirit was prompting me to use what the enemy is using to attack me to throw back in the face of the very enemy that used it to hinder me. To take everything that hinders and blocks God's flow against the enemy that put it there in the first place and in doing so allow the flow of God's Spirit and river in my (our) life again.
I pray also that you can do the same as you press into God's Spirit and allow his presence to flow into you and out from you to others.
God Bless you on your journey!
Throughout scripture we find the blessing, presence and life of God symbolised as a flow of living water. The ultimate of which can be found in passages such as John 4 when Jesus declares to the Samaritan women that if she were to drink of "this water she would never thirst again", again Revelation speaks of the River which flows from God's own throne and as we read appears to provide life to the inhabitants of heaven and also bring healing through the leaves of it's trees which gain their source from the river.
Within our very bodies flows another kind of river, a river of blood which nourishes every part of our physical man, scripture again says that "life is in the blood" and it is the blood of Jesus that saves all of us from our sin! Therefore we can conclude from scripture that rivers, streams, brooks etc symbolically speak of life and blessing from God.
David stoops down into a brook and pulls out five stones, I have heard sermons that each stone was for Goliath and strong holds with which he came against the people of God. Again I have heard that each stones was for Goliath and his brothers, to not only destroy the obvious enemy but all associated enemies. These are all great words which have encouraged me over the years.
However, I believe the stones in that brook represented the obstacles that the enemy was using against the people of God to hinder or even stop the flow of God's power, blessing and life. By taking hold of these stones, not only was David removing from the brook potential obstacles but he used these obstacles to defeat his enemy!
In Genesis 50 as Joseph is being reconciled with his brothers, after they had sold him into slavery, he says "what the enemy means for evil, God means for good". What a powerful response Joseph conveys to his brothers despite all that he experienced. In essence, I believe this is what is happening with David as he stoops down into the brook. What the enemy is using to attack God's people with, obstacles and blockages of the flow of God's presence and blessing, David with God uses to attack his enemy and more importantly the enemy of God and His people.
I believe God's Spirit was prompting me to use what the enemy is using to attack me to throw back in the face of the very enemy that used it to hinder me. To take everything that hinders and blocks God's flow against the enemy that put it there in the first place and in doing so allow the flow of God's Spirit and river in my (our) life again.
I pray also that you can do the same as you press into God's Spirit and allow his presence to flow into you and out from you to others.
God Bless you on your journey!
Thursday, 30 August 2018
Psalm 110:1 Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet
Psalm 110:1 says The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my
right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."
I love this
Psalm as it conveys a powerful picture to understand the ease in which Christ
reigns! Growing up, my father had a large brown leather chair which was
reserved for him when he came home from work. I remember meeting him at the
door and being eager for him to be seated in HIS chair, not because this was
his special place in the home, though it was, but because I as his son was able
to place a footstool under his feet and watched as he lowered his aching feet
upon it. This was in many ways a highlight in my childhood as I was able to do
something for my hardworking father to aid him in his recovery.
Whenever I think of this Psalm 110 I think of my earthly father and this picture of him sitting back and relaxing. Somehow I feel this is the image that God wants to convey when we speak of this psalm. Not of my father, but the image of Christ sitting back, relaxing as His Father makes his enemies his footstool. Often when we are being attacked, especially in the natural, our normal response is to fight back. Scientist say that we have a flight or fight response whenever threaten, yet the image we have in this psalm conveys one of confidence and joy in knowing who we are and where we are positioned.
Ephesians 2:6 says "And God raised
us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus,..." If we have been raised with Christ, then it is also fair to say
that we have been seated in Him at God's right hand. Though there is much
symbolism in this scripture, when considering where Christ is seated at the
Father's right hand, it is the shear fact that we are IN HIM that brings the
greatest joy. Knowing that we don't have to strive and struggle against even
own enemies when are seated in Christ. That Jesus, has all the power over the enemy
and has defeated (past tense) his enemies as Colossions 2:15 says "..he
disarmed the rulers and authorities..". This enable us to relax in Him and
all that He has done, knowing that He holds the keys of hell and death and not
our enemies as they would sometimes imply.
Knowing we are hidden in Christ as
Colosions 3:3 says, and other verses such as Psalm 57:1 which speaks of being
in the shadow of his wings and Psalm 91:1 which is resting in the shadow of the
Almighty, we soon see how whatever life's trials may throw at us, when are in
Christ, he is fully aware of our circumstances. Indeed we could argue that
nothing can come our way without it first being seen or felt by Christ.
After all, we are his body and he is the head and in Him we live and move and have
our being.
Recently, through my trials, I have
experienced an overwhelming peace that came through understanding who I am in
Christ and where I am seated in Him. As we continue to meditate on this
powerful truth, I am certain that you will experience just how wide, how long,
how high and how deep God's love is for us all.
God Bless You
on your journey!
James
Sunday, 5 August 2018
All We Need Is Love
The Greatest Gift is Love, Godly
Character is Love
When we read
1Cor 12, it is easy to see why Christian get excited by the gifts of the
Spirit.
Who wouldn’t
want to see wisdom and knowledge and faith given to believers?
Likewise, healing, miracles and prophecy
should be a normal part of believers life.
Also, discernment, tongues and interpretation
of tongues are surely gifts for building up the body?
In my own
life I have seen God manifest these gifts in extraordinary ways, from creative miracles of eyes forming to
every person in the room I was speaking at slain
by the Holy Spirit.
Peter was
transformed on the day of Pentecost from
Simon to Peter after he was transformed by the Holy Spirit. Then Peter stepped forward…
Yet when we
read the context of these scriptures
we find that Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church isn’t the result of wanting
to praise them for their use of these gifts, but in fact was to correct them.
Paul wrote
to the Church in Corinth out as
result of bickering and quarrels and lawsuits amongst believers. Hardly a praise report.
As we look
through our denominational filters or slants, it is easy to focus on the things
which we want to hear and not the other things.
Romans 11:29 says “for the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance.”
But God’s Character is NOT!
It is easy
sometimes to overlook the discrepancies
of some for the good of the many. We know the fruit of these gifts at work
in the church did much good.
Yet it’s
also easy to seek the hand of God over
the face of God. That is God’s work over and above his presence in our
lives. As seen is the comparison of Mary
and Martha.
Martha was concerned with doing (her actions) whilst Mary understood the importance
of being (her presence).
God’s Generals is an amazing book which when I
received it on my 40th birthday I devoured every word as I tried to
understand what made these mighty men and woman of God the people they were.
The same can
be said of when we read Hebrews 11
which lists the men and woman of faith from the very beginning of time.
Yet when we
read both of these amazing accounts of God’s generals, we soon realise that despite their great exploits of faith is
their overwhelming humanity.
Hebrews 11 even lists a prostitute, Rahab, for her faith. How do we
reconcile the two?
In fact it
was through Rahab’s offspring that
we find King David (his father born
of Rahab).
Faith and gifts are similar.
The presences of the gifts of God do not
determine a person’s character. So whilst the gifts of God are irrevocable, the character of God is not.
Godly Character must precede the
gifts of God
I remember
growing up in my church and how eager I
was for the opportunity to minister in the gifts of the spirit. But also
the frustrations I had as my mentors
and leaders were always careful not to
expose me too soon.
They were waiting to God’s character in me to be
developed, and my eagerness and mostly often got in the way.
Eg: my prayer of 2014 to lose weight
Before God
was able to fix my poor eating habits
he had to deal with an inner my inner
pain and emotions. My overeating was a sign that I had over problems that
God wanted to deal with.
Within the church today we find many of the behaviours that were exhibited in the Corinthian church.
Jesus said
in Matthew 24, referring to the last
days, “the love of many shall grow cold”.
God is Love, Chapter 13 is the Love
Chapter!
After we
read on from chapter 12 of Corinthians we come to what we commonly call the love chapter. This is the small chapter 13 which we often recite at
weddings or engagement parties as two people choose to become one.
As we read chapter 13:4-7 we soon realise
that the characteristics of a loving relationship when combined often feel impossible to achieve. Perhaps
even to say that it is only God that can
love so perfectly, so permanently and so powerfully.
Truth is
when we are under pressure, or being
pressed by the trials of life, is
the true measure of who we are. That
is the true litmus test.
When this true character of a person is revealed,
it’s an opportunity for God to expose our weaknesses and develop our character.
It is these
characteristics of God’s love which is
revealed in chapter 13 and it is these which God desires to develop in you
and me.
Jesus’ Character was revealed in His
temptation in the Dessert.
I believe it
is no mistake that after the temptation
of Christ that we see Christ enter
into his formal ministry.
Christ very character was revealed in his responses to the devil’s temptation,
stating every time, ‘it is written’.
Showing that it was not about his own humanity but about the love the Father has
for humanity.
Not
neglecting that according to Jewish
tradition and culture that Jesus had been declared by the Father as His beloved son and was at the age of maturity.
Sometimes
when we listen to some scholars speak on the character of God as being different to the character of Christ.
God is often seen as some irate old man with a stick to punish
rather than the loving and compassionate
Christ.
There often appears a disparity between God the Father and God the Son, but why?
How is it that we can believe this disparity when Christ declares again and again ‘I only do what I see my Father doing’?
Christ' life was a reflection of the Father and this is seen in His love and compassion for those He encountered.
Eg the woman caught in adultery of John 8:3
whom the teachers of the law were ready to stone.
This is but one example of the compassion Jesus showed to those around him. This is the very heart of the Father to us His creation. Even from the beginning of time has His plan of redemption been unfolding as we read in the Garden of Eden when God provided a sacrifice for Adam and Eve for their sin.
We know the classic scriptures of John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 which speak of God's desire to redeem us from our sin and slavery. But do we truly recognise the Father's and not just the son's compassion for each of us. It is this compassion in laying down our lives and daily taking up our own cross that we are called to follow Christ. When those around us see this sacrificial love in our lives they will respond.
Conclusion
It is out of this character that God
develops that we are called to minister.
Not based on
what we do but who we are in Him. As sons and daughters of God, we are to
reflect God’s presence and character in all we do and say.
As Paul the
apostle wrote to the church in Philippi, my paraphrasing, I haven’t yet
perfected it, but I continue to push into the high calling I have in Christ Jesus,
heavenward to seeing all of His kingdom and benefits at work in my life.
May we all
in these last days remember that it was God’s love that changed our worlds and
it continues to be God’s love in us which will change the world and those around
us. Let us, in the power and grace of our Lord Jesus and the enduring help we
have in the Holy Spirit to press on to that high calling of love!
Monday, 2 July 2018
God's Character is Love
Throughout scripture, and especially in John's writings, we find the "God is Love" message over and over again. In fact from John 3:16, one of the most well known scriptures in the bible we read "for God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that who ever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." Often when defining this scripture, as we like to do in our western world, we equate love with God's sacrifice. Whilst there is no doubt God's love is seen as "He laid down His life for us", there is an underlying and deeper aspect of God's love that we often miss.
God's love is His character, in ALL that He does and says and imagine there is the resounding bell of Love. Those who study etymology will tell us that even in the first few scriptures of Genesis we have God's plan of redemption, not only for the Israelites, but all of mankind. God has always been working out His plan of love for us.
When we read the book of Hebrews and think of the great men and women of Faith found in chapter 11, it is easy to look at them with stars in our eyes and imagine them as some super apostles or pastors or leaders. Yet. they were not and even one of them listed for her faith, Rahab, was originally a prostitute in Jericho, hardly the pin up poster for righteousness.
We often think that faith comes out of a person's amazing abilities and exploits, yet we see that great men and women of faith are just normal people who believed God by His promises. So what then caused these men and women to respond this way? We know in scripture that it is not our righteousness that makes our way, but it is the righteousness of Christ and what He was able to do for us that makes the way. Revelations says it is the "blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony" that enable them to overcome..." A testimony is simply an eye witnesses account of what they saw and heard and experienced. A testimony in itself is not powerful anymore than watching on the sidelines your favourite team score a goal and cheering them on is.
The true power comes from what was achieved by the blood of Jesus when He took the sins of the whole world upon himself. Our righteousness is as "filthy rags" says scripture. In fact I recently heard that in Hebrew this statement literally means "excrement". Not very exciting to think what we do stinks. This resounds well when we consider what happens to Joshua when he is brought into the throne room of God and the first thing they do is remove his filthy robes and replace them with new ones (see Zech 3:5). What I find amazing about this scripture is that Joshua is permitted in God's presence with dirty rags, something I would have never imagined. Yet, this is the picture that all of us must remember when considering the things we do, we think are righteous allow us the right to God's presence and His love.
The truth is God's love and plans of redemption have always existed and always will until all has been fulfilled. What then does this say about the outworking of our own lives? It tells me, that whatever I try to do or be in my own strength will ultimately fail. But if I daily, die to myself and allow God's love to permeate every area of my life and follow the example of Jesus, then that which comes from me must be of God, who is love. Again, in 1Cor13, the love chapter, we read if we continue through to chapter 14, that the greatest of all gifts is "love", I find this no mistake, that chapter 13 and 14 follow on from chapter 12, the very chapter which list some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The question is if we truly desire this greater gift, is how do we get it? There is only one way and that is to have our focus on God and all that he exemplified in the life of Christ.
This brings me to think of Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all it's righteousness and all those other things shall come after it". Jesus summed up the law with two commandments, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit, and love your neighbour as yourself". How do we love God with all that is in us? All our heart (desire, love, longing), mind (thoughts, will), soul (emotions, feelings) and strength (power, purpose, might). To do this, we must FULLY have our focus on God and nothing else. Not on our fears or even strengths, not on the enemy of souls nor even on those who bless us, but wholly on the Lord.
One of the ten commandments says "you shall have no other gods before thee" and another, "you shall have no graven images before me...". I wonder, how many images, gods, do we allow to fill our thoughts and our focus each day?
God bless you on your journey!
James
God's love is His character, in ALL that He does and says and imagine there is the resounding bell of Love. Those who study etymology will tell us that even in the first few scriptures of Genesis we have God's plan of redemption, not only for the Israelites, but all of mankind. God has always been working out His plan of love for us.
When we read the book of Hebrews and think of the great men and women of Faith found in chapter 11, it is easy to look at them with stars in our eyes and imagine them as some super apostles or pastors or leaders. Yet. they were not and even one of them listed for her faith, Rahab, was originally a prostitute in Jericho, hardly the pin up poster for righteousness.
We often think that faith comes out of a person's amazing abilities and exploits, yet we see that great men and women of faith are just normal people who believed God by His promises. So what then caused these men and women to respond this way? We know in scripture that it is not our righteousness that makes our way, but it is the righteousness of Christ and what He was able to do for us that makes the way. Revelations says it is the "blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony" that enable them to overcome..." A testimony is simply an eye witnesses account of what they saw and heard and experienced. A testimony in itself is not powerful anymore than watching on the sidelines your favourite team score a goal and cheering them on is.
The true power comes from what was achieved by the blood of Jesus when He took the sins of the whole world upon himself. Our righteousness is as "filthy rags" says scripture. In fact I recently heard that in Hebrew this statement literally means "excrement". Not very exciting to think what we do stinks. This resounds well when we consider what happens to Joshua when he is brought into the throne room of God and the first thing they do is remove his filthy robes and replace them with new ones (see Zech 3:5). What I find amazing about this scripture is that Joshua is permitted in God's presence with dirty rags, something I would have never imagined. Yet, this is the picture that all of us must remember when considering the things we do, we think are righteous allow us the right to God's presence and His love.
The truth is God's love and plans of redemption have always existed and always will until all has been fulfilled. What then does this say about the outworking of our own lives? It tells me, that whatever I try to do or be in my own strength will ultimately fail. But if I daily, die to myself and allow God's love to permeate every area of my life and follow the example of Jesus, then that which comes from me must be of God, who is love. Again, in 1Cor13, the love chapter, we read if we continue through to chapter 14, that the greatest of all gifts is "love", I find this no mistake, that chapter 13 and 14 follow on from chapter 12, the very chapter which list some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The question is if we truly desire this greater gift, is how do we get it? There is only one way and that is to have our focus on God and all that he exemplified in the life of Christ.
This brings me to think of Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and all it's righteousness and all those other things shall come after it". Jesus summed up the law with two commandments, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit, and love your neighbour as yourself". How do we love God with all that is in us? All our heart (desire, love, longing), mind (thoughts, will), soul (emotions, feelings) and strength (power, purpose, might). To do this, we must FULLY have our focus on God and nothing else. Not on our fears or even strengths, not on the enemy of souls nor even on those who bless us, but wholly on the Lord.
One of the ten commandments says "you shall have no other gods before thee" and another, "you shall have no graven images before me...". I wonder, how many images, gods, do we allow to fill our thoughts and our focus each day?
God bless you on your journey!
James
Saturday, 30 June 2018
Thom Gardner-beloved highlights from ellel weekend
We are dust held together by the breath of God.
When we worship God we are simply returning to God what he breathed into us.
Light represents God's precense. We are meant to be light of the world. Reflecting God's precense.
We need to remove the false things, the expectations of others and return to the real person we are, not the artificial us.
Who are we, the person others want or the beloved of God. We need to remove the armour (saul) that others would place on us.
What is built from our lives depends not on our fears or even hopes others have put on us but on the word of God, that which is written. See our Jesus responded to the (if) testing of the devil.
We need to not listen to the chatter (lies) the enemy says to us.
The hebrew translation of filthy rags is excrement. See zechariah 3:5 he clothes us with the best robes and a turban of his promises.
To hear the river which runs deep we must be still and know that he is God. Psalm 46.
Love in hebrew is "longing for a home".
There are 4 layers of revelation in God's word. The literal, the general message, the hint and the mystery as per hebrew learning.
When Jesus said eat my flesh in hebrew it literally means to suckle at the breast as babies do, not some weird flesh feast.
Bethel is communion with God but ai represents confusion. Abram pitched his tent between the two and built an altar of sacrifice. The middle ground represents the reality.
We come to God like babies, just loved, not for what we have or do. God's nature is loved, and we are the beloved of God.
Focusing or being aware of God is to turn or give God our attention.
The cleft of the rock is a safe place. A place that we can be when that which destroy us passes by. A bit like a mother's womb.
Jesus became the mercy seat of God, and this is what Mary saw when the two angels stood at either end of where Jesus was laying in the tomb.
Psalm 91, a picture of the mercy seat is the shelter (shadow) of the most high. God in the most high can see everthing.
Being all powerful he can respond to our needs. God is a covenant keeping God who is creative (able).
Even when we can't see God he can see us. He sees and knows everything that is going on.
He is almighty, able to do everything. He has all the power and might.
God's personal name guarantees the covenant. It is his signature on the contract (covenant).
He is a creative God who knows the end from the beginning. He can do the miraculous.
The word for redemption in hebrew means to go full circle. Such as gilgo, whenever we read go such as golgotha is God's redemptive work.
When we worship God we are simply returning to God what he breathed into us.
Light represents God's precense. We are meant to be light of the world. Reflecting God's precense.
We need to remove the false things, the expectations of others and return to the real person we are, not the artificial us.
Who are we, the person others want or the beloved of God. We need to remove the armour (saul) that others would place on us.
What is built from our lives depends not on our fears or even hopes others have put on us but on the word of God, that which is written. See our Jesus responded to the (if) testing of the devil.
We need to not listen to the chatter (lies) the enemy says to us.
The hebrew translation of filthy rags is excrement. See zechariah 3:5 he clothes us with the best robes and a turban of his promises.
To hear the river which runs deep we must be still and know that he is God. Psalm 46.
Love in hebrew is "longing for a home".
There are 4 layers of revelation in God's word. The literal, the general message, the hint and the mystery as per hebrew learning.
When Jesus said eat my flesh in hebrew it literally means to suckle at the breast as babies do, not some weird flesh feast.
Bethel is communion with God but ai represents confusion. Abram pitched his tent between the two and built an altar of sacrifice. The middle ground represents the reality.
We come to God like babies, just loved, not for what we have or do. God's nature is loved, and we are the beloved of God.
Focusing or being aware of God is to turn or give God our attention.
The cleft of the rock is a safe place. A place that we can be when that which destroy us passes by. A bit like a mother's womb.
Jesus became the mercy seat of God, and this is what Mary saw when the two angels stood at either end of where Jesus was laying in the tomb.
Psalm 91, a picture of the mercy seat is the shelter (shadow) of the most high. God in the most high can see everthing.
Being all powerful he can respond to our needs. God is a covenant keeping God who is creative (able).
Even when we can't see God he can see us. He sees and knows everything that is going on.
He is almighty, able to do everything. He has all the power and might.
God's personal name guarantees the covenant. It is his signature on the contract (covenant).
He is a creative God who knows the end from the beginning. He can do the miraculous.
The word for redemption in hebrew means to go full circle. Such as gilgo, whenever we read go such as golgotha is God's redemptive work.
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
There is no Love in Fear
1John4:18 says "There is no love in fear, but perfect love casts out all fear."
When we read this text we understand that fear is the opposite of love, that when fear is present, love cannot be seen or felt or even for that matter be spoken of. Paul writing to the Romans in chapter 8:15 says that "you have not received a spirit of fear which leads to death, but a spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father" Therefore the work of the Holy Spirit in us is to bring us out of fear into everlasting and resurrected life in Christ as God's adopted sons and daughters.
Paul speaking to Timothy says "for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and sound mind." So when fear is absent in our lives, we should therefore be able to live out our lives in love, power and a sound mind.
I recently realised that I was reacting to fear in my life. This fear stemmed from my upbringing and a sense of rejection I felt when my parents divorced at nine. I remember growing up I had a fear of water, after nearly drowning on three different occasions. Yet when I was asked by my step father to join him in learning to scuba dive my fear of water vanished. This did not come easily and I remember the first time I had to do an open dive, that is into open water off the beach of Cronulla on the east coast of Australia. I remember vividly how I shook uncontrollably as I walked into the water off the beach into the dark unknown and realising what I felt was a watery grave.
Yet, despite my fear of water, I was able to fulfil my desire and overcome these insurmountable odds that I felt. Though I felt amazing almost immediately when I saw the fish and other beautiful aspects of this underwater world, it was not this which caused me to defeat my fear of water or drowning. But is was a fear of not being accepted by my stepfather which enable me to put to death this fear. Yet putting a fear of water to death only strengthened my fear of rejection and needing of acceptance.
So I traded one fear for another, yet neither of these fears lead to the freedom and desires that God has to release us His creation into perfect love. In realising my fear of rejection, I can now ask the Holy Spirit, the very spirit of Christ to work through this fear with His love and grace for my life.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I have learnt in recent years that I cannot trust my emotions and feelings. Indeed I feel that even the thoughts that I have must be measured against God's word and His promises for our lives. When we are under pressure, stressed or in the trials of life, it is then that we must truly examine our hearts, motives and every thought, knowing it is in these times that the works of the enemy, that is the devil, will be exposed in our lives.
Trials are truly, therefore, a real opportunity for God's everlasting fruit to be produced in our lives and the fruit of the enemy to be exposed and dealt with. What do we do with this bad fruit? We give it to God, we lay it down on the alter of our lives and allow God's Spirit to bring healing and restoration to our hearts. But it is in our willingness for righteousness to prevail and our desires for sanctification to complete it's work in us that makes this possible. As I am honest about the fruit of my life, only then can God's fruit be seen. When I am honest about my fears and allow God to expose them, only then can God's love be seen in me!
God Bless you on your journey with Christ and His Spirit
James
When we read this text we understand that fear is the opposite of love, that when fear is present, love cannot be seen or felt or even for that matter be spoken of. Paul writing to the Romans in chapter 8:15 says that "you have not received a spirit of fear which leads to death, but a spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father" Therefore the work of the Holy Spirit in us is to bring us out of fear into everlasting and resurrected life in Christ as God's adopted sons and daughters.
Paul speaking to Timothy says "for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and sound mind." So when fear is absent in our lives, we should therefore be able to live out our lives in love, power and a sound mind.
I recently realised that I was reacting to fear in my life. This fear stemmed from my upbringing and a sense of rejection I felt when my parents divorced at nine. I remember growing up I had a fear of water, after nearly drowning on three different occasions. Yet when I was asked by my step father to join him in learning to scuba dive my fear of water vanished. This did not come easily and I remember the first time I had to do an open dive, that is into open water off the beach of Cronulla on the east coast of Australia. I remember vividly how I shook uncontrollably as I walked into the water off the beach into the dark unknown and realising what I felt was a watery grave.
Yet, despite my fear of water, I was able to fulfil my desire and overcome these insurmountable odds that I felt. Though I felt amazing almost immediately when I saw the fish and other beautiful aspects of this underwater world, it was not this which caused me to defeat my fear of water or drowning. But is was a fear of not being accepted by my stepfather which enable me to put to death this fear. Yet putting a fear of water to death only strengthened my fear of rejection and needing of acceptance.
So I traded one fear for another, yet neither of these fears lead to the freedom and desires that God has to release us His creation into perfect love. In realising my fear of rejection, I can now ask the Holy Spirit, the very spirit of Christ to work through this fear with His love and grace for my life.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I have learnt in recent years that I cannot trust my emotions and feelings. Indeed I feel that even the thoughts that I have must be measured against God's word and His promises for our lives. When we are under pressure, stressed or in the trials of life, it is then that we must truly examine our hearts, motives and every thought, knowing it is in these times that the works of the enemy, that is the devil, will be exposed in our lives.
Trials are truly, therefore, a real opportunity for God's everlasting fruit to be produced in our lives and the fruit of the enemy to be exposed and dealt with. What do we do with this bad fruit? We give it to God, we lay it down on the alter of our lives and allow God's Spirit to bring healing and restoration to our hearts. But it is in our willingness for righteousness to prevail and our desires for sanctification to complete it's work in us that makes this possible. As I am honest about the fruit of my life, only then can God's fruit be seen. When I am honest about my fears and allow God to expose them, only then can God's love be seen in me!
God Bless you on your journey with Christ and His Spirit
James
Sunday, 17 June 2018
Faith, Hope & Love
Faith, hope and love is certainly a concept that most Christians will appreciate from the book of Corinthians written by the Apostle Paul. As a Christian of some 32 years, I would probably say that I understand this concept myself fairly well but am also aware that God by his Holy Spirit continues to download new understanding.
Recently, my wife discussed another concept from scripture which is not as clear cut as it does not come from one particular passage of scripture but is certainly an underlying concept throughout God's word. That concept is Love, Empathy & Freedom.
Whilst most will know that God is love and therefore true love can only ultimately come from God to us and therefore through us to those around us, it is also clear that true love stems from the understanding we have of how God manifests his love to us.
Throughout scripture God's love is written in the Greek as "agape" love, a love that is completely sacrificial and always has the recipient in mind. We often quote from the book of Romans, 5:8 which says "God demonstrates his love for us, that whilst we were still yet sinners Christ died for us." This scripture I believe brings amazing revelation that even though God had no guarantees of his love being reciprocated that he still carried out his plan of salvation for us.
It is difficult to imagine scenarios that we experience that reflect the emotion and feelings God has for us His creation. After all, we know through scripture that "nothing can separate us from the love of God". But there are certainly glimpses we have that help us to feel what God feels towards us, his beloved children. I as a father, have two beautiful teenage children and though there was always an expectation that they would one day spread their wings and explore the world for themselves, nothing can prepare us for when that begins, as it is with me right now.
Seeing my children grow and develop into amazing people and reflect for themselves the nature of God in makes me immensely proud of them. But not having them around as much as I would like is also immensely difficult. Yet this was expected and though it hard to except I also know this must take place and will do everything I can as a loving father to make this transition as joyous as possible for them.
What then, do we feel when those we don't expect leave us, when they feel they must for whatever reason and separate themselves from us? This might be a family member or a close friend, how do respond to this? This is exactly what Love, Empathy & Freedom is all about. For if we truly love as God loves, then we will also understand (empathise) how the other person feels, even when this might break our own hearts.
Whilst God extends his love to us, I know also that he truly understands how we feel, perhaps even better than ourselves. Though He calls us into relationship with him, he understands the limitations we might have within ourselves to express that relationships in precisely the way he desires. This can be seen in scripture like Romans & Corinthians which says that only God knows what's in the heart of man.
If God is love, and God truly understands (empathises) us, how does God give us freedom? Whilst man made religion will try to constrain us with expectations of how we must relate to God, God does not! He releases us in love to express in our own way the love we have for him. Though he calls, he is very patient and leaves us with the promise that "He will never leave us or forsake us" as we read in Matthew 28.
God's love is therefore permanent, powerful and perfect in all it's ways. It is this love that we truly need in our lives. As a human, living in this flesh, I accept that this is a difficult thing to grasp, yet also know that if I truly wish to express God's love through me to those around me is something that I must learn. Indeed something that we all must learn!
This might be summed up in the saying that "if we love someone, then let them go. If they love you, they will return".
God bless you on your journey of salvation,
James
Recently, my wife discussed another concept from scripture which is not as clear cut as it does not come from one particular passage of scripture but is certainly an underlying concept throughout God's word. That concept is Love, Empathy & Freedom.
Whilst most will know that God is love and therefore true love can only ultimately come from God to us and therefore through us to those around us, it is also clear that true love stems from the understanding we have of how God manifests his love to us.
Throughout scripture God's love is written in the Greek as "agape" love, a love that is completely sacrificial and always has the recipient in mind. We often quote from the book of Romans, 5:8 which says "God demonstrates his love for us, that whilst we were still yet sinners Christ died for us." This scripture I believe brings amazing revelation that even though God had no guarantees of his love being reciprocated that he still carried out his plan of salvation for us.
It is difficult to imagine scenarios that we experience that reflect the emotion and feelings God has for us His creation. After all, we know through scripture that "nothing can separate us from the love of God". But there are certainly glimpses we have that help us to feel what God feels towards us, his beloved children. I as a father, have two beautiful teenage children and though there was always an expectation that they would one day spread their wings and explore the world for themselves, nothing can prepare us for when that begins, as it is with me right now.
Seeing my children grow and develop into amazing people and reflect for themselves the nature of God in makes me immensely proud of them. But not having them around as much as I would like is also immensely difficult. Yet this was expected and though it hard to except I also know this must take place and will do everything I can as a loving father to make this transition as joyous as possible for them.
What then, do we feel when those we don't expect leave us, when they feel they must for whatever reason and separate themselves from us? This might be a family member or a close friend, how do respond to this? This is exactly what Love, Empathy & Freedom is all about. For if we truly love as God loves, then we will also understand (empathise) how the other person feels, even when this might break our own hearts.
Whilst God extends his love to us, I know also that he truly understands how we feel, perhaps even better than ourselves. Though He calls us into relationship with him, he understands the limitations we might have within ourselves to express that relationships in precisely the way he desires. This can be seen in scripture like Romans & Corinthians which says that only God knows what's in the heart of man.
If God is love, and God truly understands (empathises) us, how does God give us freedom? Whilst man made religion will try to constrain us with expectations of how we must relate to God, God does not! He releases us in love to express in our own way the love we have for him. Though he calls, he is very patient and leaves us with the promise that "He will never leave us or forsake us" as we read in Matthew 28.
God's love is therefore permanent, powerful and perfect in all it's ways. It is this love that we truly need in our lives. As a human, living in this flesh, I accept that this is a difficult thing to grasp, yet also know that if I truly wish to express God's love through me to those around me is something that I must learn. Indeed something that we all must learn!
This might be summed up in the saying that "if we love someone, then let them go. If they love you, they will return".
God bless you on your journey of salvation,
James
Wednesday, 30 May 2018
The Character & The Call of God
Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made man in His image and likeness. This verse has been disputed as to its true meaning, but as a bible believer and person who by faith has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, can only take as literal this scripture. This in no way is to say that I wish to limit this verse by my understanding but hope that by the Holy Spirit, the true depth of this scripture and others like it are revealed.
In saying this, I believe this scripture relates not merely to the outer aspects of man's image but to the inner and most importantly to the characteristics of our nature as sons and daughters of God. This scripture to me therefore speaks of being made in the character of God. It is therefore imperative that the character of a follower of Christ Jesus also reflect His character.
When we look to society and our present generation it is difficult to say that it reflects Christ's character. Though society wants us to believe we have evolved and therefore increased in knowledge and wisdom, the opposite I feel is more the truth. If standards and morals are a true reflection of a societies character than we must admit that man has drastically degraded over the past decades that I have walked the earth and from what I heard from my parents a great deal more since they were born. I feel every generation can say the same of the coming generations.
If then the character of a person should reflect who we are in Christ and in God, then what we do with our lives must also. This might be a chicken or egg saga, but if man was formed firstly from the image and likeness of God then we can say the character of man preceded that which man was called to do with his time on the earth.
This is reflected in Genesis when God saw all that He had made and said it was good. It was after this that God commanded Adam (man) to subdue the earth and multiply. God created man in His character and out of this character he was to subdue the earth and multiply.
Is this what we see in society today? I think not, as man pursues his goals and dreams without much if any consideration to his character and how he might do these things based on a character centred around God's own image and likeness.
Character must precede our call or works. As a pastor and leader within the Pentecostal church for many years, I often felt pressed into a performance based ministry. That is, I had to appear to have all the goods by how I talked and walked in my ministry. But recently have realised that this was not a true reflection of God's character. As pastors we had a jovial saying which was "fake it till you make it". Whilst I am fully aware that none of us are perfect, but are being made perfect by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must ensure our works, calling, actions are a reflection of the character of God within us and not merely a show of morality.
Whilst the gifts of God are irrevocable, the character of God must be worked in us everyday! Therefore if our gifts of the Holy Spirit are to reflect God's love for mankind we must everyday examine our motives and true character. This I believe is what Paul is referring to in Galatians 5 when speaking about the carnal nature of man versus the fruit of the Spirit. A person who is reflecting God's character will have the fruit of the Spirit evident in all he or she does. Jesus says in Matthew 7:15 that we will know them by their fruits.
What therefore comes first? The character of a Godly person must be seen before they are given positions of authority and leadership within the church and even in society. Who they are must precede what they do and everything they do must reflect this character. This is not to say that we should not love them when they fail but do as our heavenly Father does and gently restore them when they do fail as He does with all of us He loves!
God Bless
In saying this, I believe this scripture relates not merely to the outer aspects of man's image but to the inner and most importantly to the characteristics of our nature as sons and daughters of God. This scripture to me therefore speaks of being made in the character of God. It is therefore imperative that the character of a follower of Christ Jesus also reflect His character.
When we look to society and our present generation it is difficult to say that it reflects Christ's character. Though society wants us to believe we have evolved and therefore increased in knowledge and wisdom, the opposite I feel is more the truth. If standards and morals are a true reflection of a societies character than we must admit that man has drastically degraded over the past decades that I have walked the earth and from what I heard from my parents a great deal more since they were born. I feel every generation can say the same of the coming generations.
If then the character of a person should reflect who we are in Christ and in God, then what we do with our lives must also. This might be a chicken or egg saga, but if man was formed firstly from the image and likeness of God then we can say the character of man preceded that which man was called to do with his time on the earth.
This is reflected in Genesis when God saw all that He had made and said it was good. It was after this that God commanded Adam (man) to subdue the earth and multiply. God created man in His character and out of this character he was to subdue the earth and multiply.
Is this what we see in society today? I think not, as man pursues his goals and dreams without much if any consideration to his character and how he might do these things based on a character centred around God's own image and likeness.
Character must precede our call or works. As a pastor and leader within the Pentecostal church for many years, I often felt pressed into a performance based ministry. That is, I had to appear to have all the goods by how I talked and walked in my ministry. But recently have realised that this was not a true reflection of God's character. As pastors we had a jovial saying which was "fake it till you make it". Whilst I am fully aware that none of us are perfect, but are being made perfect by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must ensure our works, calling, actions are a reflection of the character of God within us and not merely a show of morality.
Whilst the gifts of God are irrevocable, the character of God must be worked in us everyday! Therefore if our gifts of the Holy Spirit are to reflect God's love for mankind we must everyday examine our motives and true character. This I believe is what Paul is referring to in Galatians 5 when speaking about the carnal nature of man versus the fruit of the Spirit. A person who is reflecting God's character will have the fruit of the Spirit evident in all he or she does. Jesus says in Matthew 7:15 that we will know them by their fruits.
What therefore comes first? The character of a Godly person must be seen before they are given positions of authority and leadership within the church and even in society. Who they are must precede what they do and everything they do must reflect this character. This is not to say that we should not love them when they fail but do as our heavenly Father does and gently restore them when they do fail as He does with all of us He loves!
God Bless
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
The Prodigal Son - The Position & Possessions of a Son of God (Luke 15:31)
The Position and
Possessions of a Son of God
Taken from John Sheasby's book "The Birthright"
Exercise: Think of
your heavenly Father
It’s probably fair to say that my image or understanding of
Father God was somewhat distorted by the images I had of my own Father. One who
was to be feared knowing that as soon as he came through the door each night
that our mother would immediately yell out our sins for the day so that our
earthly father could measure out his wrath upon us children. Growing up this
was the norm in our household and I became very good at placing blame upon
others for my own misgivings. Little did I know at the time that my mother
would do this to divert her own fears of our father and what he was capable of
doing when intoxicated?
Luke 15:31a the
Position of the Son
And he said to him, “Son,
you are always with me, and all that I have is yours”. In this verse Jesus
uses the noun “teknon” for the word son not the usual “huios” which spoke of
adopted sons.
‘Teknon emphasises
the son’s position not by behaviour but by birth right through the Father.
Our relationship with our heavenly Father is one not based on what we DO but who we ARE in him!
We are God’s children
not because of what WE have done but what HE has done for us! Whilst we
were still yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
We are born of
incorruptly seed (See 1Pet 1:23), not of human seed or blood but by God
(See John 1:12-13.
See John 3 Nicodemus
coming to Jesus by night...Jesus states we are born again by water and Spirit.
Vs.31 says “Son you
are always with me”. In the same way the Spirit is always with us as a seal
of the Father’s love and adoption of us. This position of intimacy is only for
his children, not strangers or hirelings or even neighbours.
See the parable of
the three loaves & the Baker in Luke 11:5-8.
The children of the baker know and feel the presence of
their father.
They know father is close and they can feel his warmth and
hear his voice. (Jesus said the sheep
know His voice in John 10:27)
The children need only whisper to ask of the father and the
father knows what they want because he is with them... (Matt 6:8).
The father is near to his children and they are dear
(precious) to him.
Jesus came into the
world to challenge and change our image of our heavenly Father. He did this by displaying the Fathers love in
his own life and ministry to others. He was accused of hanging out with
sinners, publican, prostitutes and tax collectors and in John 14:9 states “he
who has seen me has seen the Father.”
Luke 15:31 the
Possessions of the Son
“...and all that I have is yours.” The older son’s response
in grumbling about not have a skinny goat comes to light when really all along
he had full access to all that the Father has.
Mephibosheth
Jonathan’s Grandson Mephibosheth meaning from the mouth of
shame in Hebrew (2Sam9:7).
Mephibosheth was the heir of a covenant between Jonathan and
David due to their love for one another. Verse 7 speaks of restoration to
intimacy (presence) with the King
and his inheritance (possessions).
Just as the Father in Luke 15:31 states you are continually
with me and everything I have is yours. This
parallels so closely with the story of David and Mephibosheth.
Ziba (David’s servant) tried to usurp the land of
Mephibosheth and instead of declaring his rights as heir he relinquishes the land
to a servant. This happens over and over again as God’s children are usurped or
their rights by the devil.
The enemy comes but
to steal, kill and destroy... (John 10:10) “Resist him, steadfast in the faith
(1Pet 5:9)
Mephibosheth lived under the curse of his name believing he
was unworthy to take what the king had granted him, see 2Sam 19:30.
Everything that
Jesus had is now ours (See John 17:5-10)
What is it that he had? God words which are truth...
I Pet says we have “everything
pertaining to life and godliness” and Ephesians 3 says that we are “blessed in heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing”.
This includes heirs of eternal life (Matt 19:29); salvation
(Heb 1:14); promise (Heb 6:17); Kingdom (James 2:5); grace of life (1Pet 3:7);
blessing (1Pet3:9); all things (Rev21:7); authority (Matt 28:18).
The estate of the
King of Kings has been willed to us, we are heirs of all that belongs to the
Father and by birthright, and every spiritual blessing is ours.
Conclusion
Gal 4:7 “Therefore
you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ.”
Position is about intimacy
whilst possessions are all about our inheritance.
But we must appropriate that which has been imputed to us! This is not just a
blab it and grab it gospel, but we must exercise our faith knowing who we are
in Christ and all that He has done for us! “Hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering”. (Heb 10:23)
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Perfect Love drives out Fear - 1 John 4:18
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love."
I have recently been pondering this scripture, one that I have read many times over the years as a Christian. But it was only today that I realised in my own life I was operating in fear rather than in love in how I raised my children.
As a child, I was fearful of what my own father was capable of doing and often did when it was time to punish me and my siblings for our poor behaviour. This is in no way saying that correcting those who have done wrong is incorrect, we all need to know that we have wronged in life. My own father was often very good at explaining why we were being smacked or punished for our behaviour, yet this did not stop me from becoming fearful and in the same way making my own children fearful when they misbehaved.
Being married to a Swedish woman who I have always respected for her ability to do things in a softer and gentler way than myself, we often took on the Swedish way of disciplining our children. One such thing was to place our children on a "naughty chair or step" for a short period of time to reflect on their behaviour and to apologise afterwards. It was truly amazing just how effective this practise was. I however wasn't always as patient as my wife in using this discipline and on many occasion used the angry look in the car mirror to stare down my children when they misbehaved when driving to and fro. Whilst this practise did work, causing our children to at least curb their behaviour for a short while, what I believed it also did was instil in them a sense of fear towards me their father rather than a sense of love.
I loved my father but was always fearful of what would happen if I displeased him in some way. This developed a belief and attitude in my own life towards my heavenly Father that he too was always waiting to correct me or discipline me for my own wrong doings.
It has only in recent years that I have felt a renewed sense of my heavenly Fathers love for me that has changed my belief and attitudes towards him. God the Father (Pappa) loves me and though at times I may need correcting, all that He does is grounded and comes from His great love for me.
In 2 Corinthians 13:14 Paul closes with these words "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen." I believe this is one of the most comprehensive scriptures which describe the work and relationship that the Lord Jesus, our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit desires for all of God's creation.
I now know that I have a heavenly Father that truly loves me and in the same way desires me to love Him and all of those I come in contact. This of cause begins at home, with my own beautiful children and amazing wife. I now pray that my future relationships with my children and others is based in love rather than in punishment.
I pray you also have this revelations!
God Bless
I have recently been pondering this scripture, one that I have read many times over the years as a Christian. But it was only today that I realised in my own life I was operating in fear rather than in love in how I raised my children.
As a child, I was fearful of what my own father was capable of doing and often did when it was time to punish me and my siblings for our poor behaviour. This is in no way saying that correcting those who have done wrong is incorrect, we all need to know that we have wronged in life. My own father was often very good at explaining why we were being smacked or punished for our behaviour, yet this did not stop me from becoming fearful and in the same way making my own children fearful when they misbehaved.
Being married to a Swedish woman who I have always respected for her ability to do things in a softer and gentler way than myself, we often took on the Swedish way of disciplining our children. One such thing was to place our children on a "naughty chair or step" for a short period of time to reflect on their behaviour and to apologise afterwards. It was truly amazing just how effective this practise was. I however wasn't always as patient as my wife in using this discipline and on many occasion used the angry look in the car mirror to stare down my children when they misbehaved when driving to and fro. Whilst this practise did work, causing our children to at least curb their behaviour for a short while, what I believed it also did was instil in them a sense of fear towards me their father rather than a sense of love.
I loved my father but was always fearful of what would happen if I displeased him in some way. This developed a belief and attitude in my own life towards my heavenly Father that he too was always waiting to correct me or discipline me for my own wrong doings.
It has only in recent years that I have felt a renewed sense of my heavenly Fathers love for me that has changed my belief and attitudes towards him. God the Father (Pappa) loves me and though at times I may need correcting, all that He does is grounded and comes from His great love for me.
In 2 Corinthians 13:14 Paul closes with these words "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen." I believe this is one of the most comprehensive scriptures which describe the work and relationship that the Lord Jesus, our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit desires for all of God's creation.
I now know that I have a heavenly Father that truly loves me and in the same way desires me to love Him and all of those I come in contact. This of cause begins at home, with my own beautiful children and amazing wife. I now pray that my future relationships with my children and others is based in love rather than in punishment.
I pray you also have this revelations!
God Bless
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Romans 8:14 They who are led of the Spirit are the sons of God
Those who are Led by the Spirit are
the Sons of God
Taken from the book Birthright by
John Sheasby
Romans 8:14 – For
those who are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God.
Introduction
Throughout scripture we find many different verses which describe
the kind of people and therefore relationship that God desires with his
creation. From literally being called Creation, Son of Man; Servants; Children;
Child; Infants; Sons & Daughters; Friend; Temples of the Holy Spirit and
even The Church. All of which at various times are important to show the
progression in intimacy that our Heavenly Father wants with us.
When I first come to know the Lord at seventeen years of
age, just the privilege of knowing God existed was enough for me. But to later
understand that He also wanted to be a friend was not only foreign but also
immensely scary. To think that the God of the universe whom I had known as a
child as a angry old man with a stick that wanted to smack me for every wrong
doing made me quiver.
It’s probably fair to say that my image or understanding of
Father God was somewhat distorted by the images I had of my own Father. One who
was to be feared knowing that as soon as he came through the door each night
that our mother would immediately yell out our sins for the day so that our
earthly father could measure out his wrath upon us children. Growing up this
was the norm in our household and I became very good at placing blame upon
others for my own misgivings. Little did I know at the time that my mother
would do this to divert her own fears of our father and what he was capable of
doing when intoxicated?
A Spirit of
AdoptionMany of us, though born again bring into our relationship with our heavenly Father these kinds of distorted or disfigured views. The inner working of the Holy Spirit is an ongoing everyday work of God’s Spirit to bring us to that place and understanding of Sonship. Not just a concept or theory but an inner transformation from slavery which comes from the world into the outer workings of true Sons of God with all its privileges both in state and standing.
John 8:34-36 the
Motivation of the Servant
When we consider the very parable of the prodigal son, even
at this early stage there is one obvious difference with the returned son and
those who were servants in the household of the Father. They, the servants,
were only there to fulfil a role or job whilst the son was to abide forever.
This can also be seen in the differences from the old and the new testaments. Whilst the old was
a temporary solution to achieve the
redemption from sin for God’s people the way of the New Testament is all about permanency. The old was literally
redeeming slaves from their bondage whilst the new is all about the intimacy
and closeness God desires with those who are not just slaves but sons. The motivation of the son is Love, whilst
that of the servant is reward or payment
for services.
As sons however, we must also understand that God chastens those loves. He corrects
and prunes or lifts up those he loves so that they bear more fruit in their
lives. (See Hebrews 12:5-10)
Luke 15:29 the
Reward & Task Oriented Servant
When we hear the words of the older son in vs.29 we see
clearly his focus was not in love for the father but on the reward he felt he
should receive as servant or even a slave. The word the son uses for lamb in
this context means skinny goat, almost mocking the father.
Whilst the son’s
motivation was love, the servant’s
motivation is task oriented. Once his task is completed the servant expects
a reward or payment whilst the son know that everything he does benefits
himself in the long run as he will receive it as inheritance from his father in
due course. The son’s motivation in
doing his father’s will was motivated as a consequence of his relationship to
his father and not on the reward he would receive.
This reward focus
often comes from a distorted view of our own fathers. I saw God as someone
who wanted to punish me from my sins as this is exactly what my earthly father
did. This can also be seen in the example of Mary and Martha, one who wished to enjoy fellowship with Jesus as
opposed to the other who felt they needed to do things for him. (See Luke 10).
This parallels with the older sons words “All these years I’ve worked like a
slave for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your commands.”
John 15:15 Jesus said
“But no longer do I call you servants...but I have called you friends, for
all things I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” And it was Jesus’ successor who would
continue to lead us and walk us through this journey. (See John 14:17)
Romans 8:15 the
Living Quarters of the Servant
“But you received a
Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father””. As sons we remain in
the Father’s house whilst the servants go home. Everything that Jesus has is
ours and indeed scripture tells us that Jesus himself has gone to prepare a
place for us. We see this also in Jewish custom of the Ketubah or betrovel ceremony.
As sons of God and brothers to Jesus we have access to
everything within the Father’s household and even his kingdom (See 1Pet).
Vs.16 says “the
Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. Just as we cry out Abba father so too does
the Spirit of God join with us in unison.
Hebrews 2:10 “You are
not a servant but a son! You are a daughter!
Romans 9:16 the
Mercy of the Father
“It does not,
therefore depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy”.
The people of Israel like the older son pursued
righteousness under the law through works. Whilst the gentiles found Mercy like
the younger son.
Gal 3:2-3 says “Did
you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing?
The attitude of the older son similar to the Israelites
under the law can be seen in his questioning of the Father “...you didn’t even
give me a skinny goat...”.
God (Jesus) loved to
be around sinners (Luke15:2),
not because they were righteous but most probably because they knew they were
not righteous. Their attitude was one of gratitude whilst the Israelites and
more particularly the Pharisees had a
pious or self righteous attitude because of their works.
Jesus said “It is the
sick not the healthy that need a physician”. I think this could also be
translated it is the sick who know they need healing were as the self righteous
feel they are fine. Zaccheus was a
classical example of this, an outcast in society who when was accepted by
Christ was transformed into this giving and loving person.
Luke 15:2 &
20-24 the Acceptance of the Father
“And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This man
receives sinners and eats with them.”
The prodigal son came
to his senses, meaning he realised how stupid he had been, he repented and literally turned for home. But it was the Father who was looking out for the son all this time. See vs.20-24.
In the same way when Adam
and Eve sinned in the garden, it was they who hid themselves from God and
it was God who was looking for them.
See Gen 3:9.
God’s response to Adam and Eve was similar to that of the
Father in the prodigal son, “who told
you that you were naked?” The Father almost ignores the son’s opportunity
to repent orders the servants to get the party going. The Father expected the
son to do nothing, simply receive all he had for him.
The robe, the ring,
the sandals and the fattened calf all speak of the restoration of relationship
and covenantal blessings which came from it. None more powerful than the slaughtering
of the fattened calf which was kept for special occasions and when covenants
were made. See blood covenants!
Jesus loved sinners
and they loved him for it, but Jesus is the very reflection of the Father!
Luke 7:34 the Joy
of the Father
“The Son of man came feasting and you say..., “Here is a
lover of food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.””
Is this the picture
we have of the Father, not me, yet it is the very picture they Jesus gives. Is
it therefore Jesus who had it wrong or is it me with my distorted figure of the
Father? I think the latter, Jesus came to change this distorted figure I had
into the real picture of “in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy.”
The father even enjoys a good wending where there is good
wine despite what all us self righteous Christians might think. Jesus’ first
ever miracle of turning water to wine. (This is not advocating intoxication).
Jesus said that if
you have seen him, then you have seen the Father. See John 14:9
It was this very grumbling about Jesus by the Pharisees that
prompted the three parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. Yet after each parable we see a similar
response, rejoice with me for finding my lost sheep, coin and my son who
was dead but now is alive.
The older son could
not understand the Father joy or the reason to celebrate. He was trapped in his
own legalistic and slave mentality.
This can also be seen in the church of Laodicea of
revelation 3! Jesus said “...you...wretched,
miserable, poor, blind and naked.”
Even John the Baptist
was confused about Jesus, asking if he was truly the one?
Luke 15:31a the
Position of the Son
And he said to him, “Son,
you are always with me, and all that I have is yours”. In this verse Jesus
uses the noun “teknon” for the word son not the usual “huios” which spoke of
adopted sons. ‘This is to emphasis the
son’s position not by behaviour but by birth right through the Father.
We are God’s children
not because of what we have done but what he has done for us!
We are born of
incorruptly seed (See 1Pet 1:23), not of human seed or blood but by God
(See John 1:12-13.
Vs.31 says “Son you
are always with me”. In the same way the Spirit is always with us as a seal
of the Father’s love and adoption of us. This position of intimacy is only for
his children, not strangers or hirelings or even neighbours. See the parable of the three loaves in Luke
11:5.
Luke 15:31 the
Possessions of the Son
“...and all that I have is yours.” The older son’s response
in grumbling about not have a skinny goat comes to light when really all along
he had full access to all that the Father has.
I Pet says we have “everything
pertaining to life and godliness” and Ephesians 3 says that we are “blessed in heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing”.
This includes heirs of eternal life (Matt 19:29); salvation
(Heb 1:14); promise (Heb 6:17); Kingdom (James 2:5); grace of life (1Pet 3:7);
blessing (1Pet3:9); all things (Rev21:7).
The estate of the
King of Kings has been willed to us, we are heirs of all that belongs to the
Father and by birthright, and every spiritual blessing is ours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)