Tonight we did something new as a family. A little background: while I was working at church, it was evident ministry has the potential to siphon away quality time that should be spent with my wife and kids. There were times when I would be in the church building at least 6 days a week, hosting high school events and studies, meet with kids for discipleship on my off-day, and on and on the list would go. After about six months of seeing our family time dwindle down to nothing, we decided to create "Family Night," a night we would guard for quality family time. We might watch a movie, play board games, work a puzzle, I would read a book out loud, or bake a special treat. It was a huge success, and it was not long before the kids were looking forward to the next Family Night. Monday is our typical Family Night and it is not uncommon for Tuesday to also be Family Night because, as Abel sometimes claims, "Last night didn't seem like a real Family Night." Two Family Nights are great, especially when the kids are begging for them!
Today I had an idea that I am excited about, especially since we were able to put it in practice tonight. Since Wednesday night Bible study at church extends past my kid's bedtime and Laura usually attends the morning study, I've been thinking and praying about if I should attend (alone) the Men's Bible study on Wednesday evenings. All the sudden a thought crossed my mind: since my family is my first ministry, why not have "Bible Night" on Wednesdays? This would give my children a chance to be in the Word, a kind of kid's apologetics course. It would be an interactive time of flipping through scripture, learning to study the Bible, and reading it together. Praise the LORD, my kids lit up as they looked up verses, read them, and we had a great discussion.
When I entered into college, I realized instantly that the vast majority of my Sunday School lessons never answered the questions people ask outside of church. I was taught the who, what, when, and where, but rarely "why." Tonight our subject was, "Why is the Bible so important?" This is a question that neither of my kids answered immediately. Then one gave the pat answer: "Because it is the Word of God." I asked, "How do you know?" "Ummmmm...." I can't blame the boy. I never told him that the Bible is historically, scientifically, geographically, and prophetically true and proven. That's my fault, a fault by God's grace I hope to rectify. It is critical that our children be armed with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Teddy Roosevelt said that a working knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. It seems these days we are sword collectors, gathering up translation after translation, Bible computer programs, commentaries, and concordances. Just because a man collects Samurai swords doesn't mean he knows how to wield one! How terrible it would be to assume my children know how to use the Word of God because they have heard from the Word!
No one becomes an expert swordsman through buying swords, and no one becomes a man of purity, holiness, and righteousness by listening to another person tell him about God when he opens the Bible on Sunday for 30 minutes. When you went to school did you learn more: through lecture or lab? Which is more interesting: discussion or dissection? Instead of getting our hands dirty, thorough study of the Holy Bible will wash us clean with the "water of the Word." It does not cleanse us from sin (only the blood of Christ by grace through faith can do that!) but it does have a purifying effect upon our hearts and minds. When we store away God's Word in our hearts we will be less likely to sin. It is not just hearing, but through taking heed to God's Word that cleanses a young man's way. There is a way to dissect scripture through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is way more valuable and practical than cutting open a frog.
Teaching my kids to cut their own meat has been a long, tedious process. Just tonight the boys both struggled with using a knife and fork. Between straining, grunting, and food literally flying off the plate, it was amazing food ever made it to their mouths! But they have come a long way in a relatively short time. It is our duty, privilege, and job as parents to ensure our children have been trained to cut their own spiritual meat, to break their own spiritual bread, to pour their own spiritual drink. This cannot be accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit, and He will guide us into all truth. God is willing to bring us through that same slow process of maturity so we might lead others. The same Spirit who teaches us teaches our children if we are in Christ. I am responsible to feed my children food and the government has agencies which enforce this. How much more will God hold accountable those to whom He has committed precious children He created? Let us embrace this joyful endeavor. It is when we admit our ignorance that God supplies His wisdom and knowledge without measure. If God is for us, who can be against us?
20 January 2010
18 January 2010
The Greatest Blessing
There is a hymn which goes, "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God hath done!" This song gets it right. The blessings are not the end in themselves, but the gracious outflow of a loving Father and merciful Savior. Sometimes we look at blessings as "overtly beneficial things that make my life comfortable" because we are naturally self-centered. Blessing can be disguised with trial, failure, and loss. Often we do not realize how blessed we are until we lose what we have.
I am a big Charger fan and yesterday the Chargers lost a playoff game in terrible fashion. It's one thing to be whipped by solid play, but it is another thing entirely to give the game away through mistakes, penalties, sloppy play, and bad fundamentals. Laura and I were talking about sports and how a loss by a team can affect people's attitudes and outlooks. Movies, music, and sports among other things have the capacity to affect the way we feel and treat others. As I turned on the radio today a talk show host said "Today is a day of mourning..." because of the Charger's surprising collapse. A co-worker joked that his friend had to "be put on suicide watch" because how hard he took the loss. Yet even in loss there is great blessing. We gain an appreciation for what we have and what God has done. How critical it is to keep proper perspective!
I saw a home video of the horrible earthquake in Haiti. What was most intriguing to me about the clip was the sound. The screen shook, glass was heard breaking in the background, the lights suddenly went out, and for twenty seconds it sounded like a train passed through the apartment as bricks and rubble scattered. There was eerie silence for about five seconds and then panicked screams of women, men shouting, complete pandemonium of hysterical voices in pitch darkness. For all I know people screamed because of injury, perhaps a child was lost, a family member was crushed, or half of the house collapsed into the canyon below and possibly Grandpa and Grandma alive under tons of masonry and mud. It sounded just like hell, people screaming in oppressive blackness. I've caught a glimpse of the aftermath through pictures and it isn't pretty: dead and the dying, people crying, many wounded, and the widespread destruction. To be depressed because the team I support didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year seems almost a sin. Tears in San Diego were shed because the Chargers lost: were tears shed when the reports came out of Haiti?
The Chargers lost and the world did not end. A tragic earthquake occurred in Haiti and the world did not end. But the world will have an end, and we have only the days allotted us by our wonderful Creator. God has blessed us immensely in America, and He has blessed every single person in Haiti: He has given us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to save us from the power of the grave and grant us eternal life whether we die in our beds, during a plane crash, or by a heart attack. Let us pray for those who suffer that we might suffer with them. Ask God to enlarge your heart so you might feel compassion and love where only selfishness is currently found. Plead that God would reveal what is important in life. You know what is important? Life. Eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus died that we might live. He laid down His life so we might all have life through Him. There is no greater blessing than our God.
It took taking frigid showers in Tel Aviv, Israel to put a thankfulness in my heart whenever I have the benefit of a hot shower. It took lack to recognize a blessing I had taken for granted my whole life. We need these "perspective," re-focusing moments during our lives. Make sure your lens is fixed on what really matters.
I am a big Charger fan and yesterday the Chargers lost a playoff game in terrible fashion. It's one thing to be whipped by solid play, but it is another thing entirely to give the game away through mistakes, penalties, sloppy play, and bad fundamentals. Laura and I were talking about sports and how a loss by a team can affect people's attitudes and outlooks. Movies, music, and sports among other things have the capacity to affect the way we feel and treat others. As I turned on the radio today a talk show host said "Today is a day of mourning..." because of the Charger's surprising collapse. A co-worker joked that his friend had to "be put on suicide watch" because how hard he took the loss. Yet even in loss there is great blessing. We gain an appreciation for what we have and what God has done. How critical it is to keep proper perspective!
I saw a home video of the horrible earthquake in Haiti. What was most intriguing to me about the clip was the sound. The screen shook, glass was heard breaking in the background, the lights suddenly went out, and for twenty seconds it sounded like a train passed through the apartment as bricks and rubble scattered. There was eerie silence for about five seconds and then panicked screams of women, men shouting, complete pandemonium of hysterical voices in pitch darkness. For all I know people screamed because of injury, perhaps a child was lost, a family member was crushed, or half of the house collapsed into the canyon below and possibly Grandpa and Grandma alive under tons of masonry and mud. It sounded just like hell, people screaming in oppressive blackness. I've caught a glimpse of the aftermath through pictures and it isn't pretty: dead and the dying, people crying, many wounded, and the widespread destruction. To be depressed because the team I support didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year seems almost a sin. Tears in San Diego were shed because the Chargers lost: were tears shed when the reports came out of Haiti?
The Chargers lost and the world did not end. A tragic earthquake occurred in Haiti and the world did not end. But the world will have an end, and we have only the days allotted us by our wonderful Creator. God has blessed us immensely in America, and He has blessed every single person in Haiti: He has given us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to save us from the power of the grave and grant us eternal life whether we die in our beds, during a plane crash, or by a heart attack. Let us pray for those who suffer that we might suffer with them. Ask God to enlarge your heart so you might feel compassion and love where only selfishness is currently found. Plead that God would reveal what is important in life. You know what is important? Life. Eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus died that we might live. He laid down His life so we might all have life through Him. There is no greater blessing than our God.
It took taking frigid showers in Tel Aviv, Israel to put a thankfulness in my heart whenever I have the benefit of a hot shower. It took lack to recognize a blessing I had taken for granted my whole life. We need these "perspective," re-focusing moments during our lives. Make sure your lens is fixed on what really matters.
14 January 2010
Occasion of Temptation
During my reading the other day, a verse caught my attention. At the beginning of Christ's ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After responding to each temptation with the truth of scripture, Luke 4:13 says, "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." The word "opportune" stood out to me. The definition of this word in Hebrew is "an occasion, i.e. set or proper time, opportunity, (convenient, due) season." While Jesus walked the earth, He was in all points tempted and remained without sin. But the devil did not stay away. He would be back for another go because he is persistent as he is wicked.
Ephesians 4:27 says Christians must not give place to the devil. The word translated "place" in Greek means, "spot, location, occasion, or opportunity." I guarantee Jesus did not give any place to Satan, yet He was tempted by him. Because we live in a body of flesh, we have the tendency towards sin. Our capacity for sin is not reduced when we are born again. Although Jesus did not give the devil a reason to tempt Him, he still did. There were times when the Father allowed His Son to be tempted. Even though Jesus resisted every temptation, it did not mean temptation was permanently over. There would be more seasons of tempting, more opportunities for the deceiver to steal, kill, and destroy. As long as we walk this earth, we are engaged in an enormous spiritual battle. It is not a battle of "good against evil" but evil against God. The lies of Satan must be confronted with the truth of God's word.
Jesus was sinless yet remained on guard against satanic attacks. We can liken our defenses to that of armor. If battle was enjoined and you were without the helmet of salvation, the enemy would target you there through your thoughts or lust of the eyes. If you drifted off to sleep (spiritually speaking) through habitual sin and thus ignored putting on the breastplate of righteousness, Satan's fiery darts would be aimed with surgical precision at your heart. God will not only give us a means of defense and resistance, but a way of escape. Picking up in 1 Cor. 10:8-13 the Word says, "Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [9] nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [10] nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. [11] Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. [12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. [13] No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Let us be certain we give no opportunity for the devil, no invitation for attack through our negligence of spiritual purity and obedience. I was thinking: if you lived in a jungle where poisonous snakes were abundant, would you sleep with the door open? Let's say you settle down under the covers and you hear the sound of a glass shattering. You turn on the light to see a king cobra coiled on your nightstand. Would you be able to sleep? Most of us would scream or be paralyzed in fear! Sleep would be totally out of the question! Yet spiritually we have the capacity to leave the door open of our hearts, literally inviting evil to be a part of our lives. If we open the door, sin will come in! God spoke to Cain in Genesis 4:7: "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Turn on the light of the scripture and freeze the serpent in his tracks. Be merciless in wielding the Sword of the Spirit, for that old serpent is not fit to live. Once you have parted head from body with a swift stroke, don't be cocky. There's plenty more evil outside, and it's always trying to squeeze in. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, but sometimes even good preparation is not enough to keep temptation outside.
Because of Cain's fallen state, he could not rule over sin. Sin ruled over him, resulting not only in the murder of his brother Abel, but he remained without repentance. We can rule over sin and resist every temptation thrown our way by Satan himself, for "greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) In this world we will have tribulation, and we will have temptation as well. Whether you have opened the door voluntarily or God is allowing a season of temptation, be strong in the LORD and the power of His might. He has given you the spiritual armor of God that girded Christ. Make sure that it is not a poor fit like King Saul's armor on David. The Sword of the Spirit wielded through the power of the Holy Spirit is battle tested and true. Do not fear: if God has redeemed you from your sins, He has freed you from their grip. You have the all authority over sin through Christ. Confess, repent, and follow Him!
Allow me to leave you with one of my favorite passages of scripture: 2 Cor. 10:3-6 states, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, [5] casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, [6] and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
Ephesians 4:27 says Christians must not give place to the devil. The word translated "place" in Greek means, "spot, location, occasion, or opportunity." I guarantee Jesus did not give any place to Satan, yet He was tempted by him. Because we live in a body of flesh, we have the tendency towards sin. Our capacity for sin is not reduced when we are born again. Although Jesus did not give the devil a reason to tempt Him, he still did. There were times when the Father allowed His Son to be tempted. Even though Jesus resisted every temptation, it did not mean temptation was permanently over. There would be more seasons of tempting, more opportunities for the deceiver to steal, kill, and destroy. As long as we walk this earth, we are engaged in an enormous spiritual battle. It is not a battle of "good against evil" but evil against God. The lies of Satan must be confronted with the truth of God's word.
Jesus was sinless yet remained on guard against satanic attacks. We can liken our defenses to that of armor. If battle was enjoined and you were without the helmet of salvation, the enemy would target you there through your thoughts or lust of the eyes. If you drifted off to sleep (spiritually speaking) through habitual sin and thus ignored putting on the breastplate of righteousness, Satan's fiery darts would be aimed with surgical precision at your heart. God will not only give us a means of defense and resistance, but a way of escape. Picking up in 1 Cor. 10:8-13 the Word says, "Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [9] nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [10] nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. [11] Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. [12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. [13] No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Let us be certain we give no opportunity for the devil, no invitation for attack through our negligence of spiritual purity and obedience. I was thinking: if you lived in a jungle where poisonous snakes were abundant, would you sleep with the door open? Let's say you settle down under the covers and you hear the sound of a glass shattering. You turn on the light to see a king cobra coiled on your nightstand. Would you be able to sleep? Most of us would scream or be paralyzed in fear! Sleep would be totally out of the question! Yet spiritually we have the capacity to leave the door open of our hearts, literally inviting evil to be a part of our lives. If we open the door, sin will come in! God spoke to Cain in Genesis 4:7: "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Turn on the light of the scripture and freeze the serpent in his tracks. Be merciless in wielding the Sword of the Spirit, for that old serpent is not fit to live. Once you have parted head from body with a swift stroke, don't be cocky. There's plenty more evil outside, and it's always trying to squeeze in. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, but sometimes even good preparation is not enough to keep temptation outside.
Because of Cain's fallen state, he could not rule over sin. Sin ruled over him, resulting not only in the murder of his brother Abel, but he remained without repentance. We can rule over sin and resist every temptation thrown our way by Satan himself, for "greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) In this world we will have tribulation, and we will have temptation as well. Whether you have opened the door voluntarily or God is allowing a season of temptation, be strong in the LORD and the power of His might. He has given you the spiritual armor of God that girded Christ. Make sure that it is not a poor fit like King Saul's armor on David. The Sword of the Spirit wielded through the power of the Holy Spirit is battle tested and true. Do not fear: if God has redeemed you from your sins, He has freed you from their grip. You have the all authority over sin through Christ. Confess, repent, and follow Him!
Allow me to leave you with one of my favorite passages of scripture: 2 Cor. 10:3-6 states, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, [5] casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, [6] and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
11 January 2010
Who's Helping Who?
When I arrived on the jobsite this morning, I was surprised to see a co-worker pull up. I had been working by myself for a week so it was wonderful to have some help. Over the New Year's holiday the apprentice who had been working with me (commonly called a "helper") broke his collarbone in two places and made wrapping duct for him out of the question for six weeks. While I worked I wondered if I always rightly appreciate the help God provides through the Holy Spirit. If having a co-worker on the job fills me with gratitude, how much more thankfulness should I cultivate in my soul for the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within me!
Our natural view of "help" is strictly selfish. When a person is lost he screams "Help!" because he desires to find his way or be found. When a child is caught in a rip current she might cry for help to attract attention to be rescued. Receiving help from someone carries the idea that others are supposed to assist me to obtain my goals, protect, or enable me to do or receive what I want. The dreadful reality is this is exactly the definition of "help" we often desire from God. We are the center, and we ask God to help us stay healthy, meet our quotas, and achieve our purposes. God does not exist to cater to man: man exists to glorify God.
Jesus says this in John 14:26 in the New King James Version: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." This is one of the few instances in my opinion that the NKJV misses the mark, clouding God's name and misleads us to His attributes. The word translated "Helper" is "parakletos" in the Greek, meaning "an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter." The King James Version translates this title of the Holy Spirit as "Comforter." If I read the NKJV, I am likely to believe that the Holy Spirit will help me. Now does the Holy Spirit help us? Of course. But if we use the modern-day view of what "help" means, we might be led to believe the Holy Spirit exists for the purpose of helping us do things. This is incorrect. Apart from God, we can do nothing.
I would be wrong to think that I can do anything for God apart from the power and righteousness of God. Paul writes in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find." Paul writes this after he was born again and forgiven from his sins through the shed blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit had taken up residence in Paul's heart. But Paul's flesh would always tend toward iniquity even though an inner transformation had taken place. Paul did not just need a "little help" from God to be outwardly good and give him an edge. He was outwardly "good" as a Pharisee and was headed for Hell because he was dead in his transgressions and sins! The Holy Spirit is not like a co-worker who shows up to help us out of a tough spot. He has regenerated us by grace through faith in Christ. Because we learn of God's character and attributes through His names, the meaning from the original language should be preserved.
If we only see the Holy Spirit as a "Helper," there is a real danger of us becoming the focus. Now before anyone throws away their NKJV, here are a couple verses from the KJV that clearly say God is our helper: Psalm 54:4 says, "Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul." The Hebrew word for "helper" is "'azar," meaning "to surround, i.e. protect or aid." Hebrews 13:5-6 states, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." The Greek word is "boethos," meaning "a succorer, helper."
I believe Benjamin Franklin is credited with the modern cliche, "God helps those who help themselves." This is a humanistic and legalistic view. It can enforce a person's selfishness in thinking, "If I do this or do that, God will help me. In the end I will benefit and I desire to be the focus of all God's blessings, since He exists to help me. Why should I deny myself good standing so easily obtained?" Perhaps the original intent is to explain the dynamic of those who actively seek God and live for His glory and God blesses the works of their hands. There will always be lazy sluggards who blame God for their lack yet will do nothing themselves, waiting for money to fall from heaven into their hammocks as they lounge with a cold drink. Paul had a way of dealing with such bums: 2 Thes. 3:10 explains, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."
The Holy Spirit is our advocate, comforter, protector, and helper. He does not help us because of what we have done, but because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, love, mercy, and grace. God has opened our blind eyes, removed the curse of sin and death, and made us alive. Instead of saying that God helps me, it would almost be more accurate to say that Christians have the privilege to help God. It is like a small child painting a fence with his father. The little boy wears one of dad's old shirts to protect his clothes. The energetic lad dunks his whole brush in the paint, swiping it roughly across a few boards with a smile on his face. The paint applied to the fence runs in rivulets which puddle on the horizontal beams. After five minutes there is more paint on the boy than on the fence, the paint running off the brush down his arm to the elbow. Within minutes the boy is distracted and runs off somewhere. Dad smiles to himself and rolls out the puddles, fills in the holidays, and cleans up the brush and washed the paint drips from the patio. When mom comes out with some drinks the boy says proudly, "I painted the fence, didn't I Dad?" Dad reaches down and tousles the boy's hair and says, "You sure did, son." Did Dad need help? No. God doesn't need help either. But He lets us serve Him even though we are messy, make mistakes, are easily distracted, and are happy to take all the credit.
Without a father, the boy would never be alive. Without a heavenly Father, a loving Savior, and life-giving Holy Spirit I would be spiritually dead. I don't just need a little help from God: I can't do anything without Him! I wouldn't know where the paint brushes are, have the strength to open the pail of paint, or reach above three feet on the fence when it comes to spiritual matters. Pray that God would help you to see Him as He is! Thank you Jesus for allowing me to get dirty serving you!
Our natural view of "help" is strictly selfish. When a person is lost he screams "Help!" because he desires to find his way or be found. When a child is caught in a rip current she might cry for help to attract attention to be rescued. Receiving help from someone carries the idea that others are supposed to assist me to obtain my goals, protect, or enable me to do or receive what I want. The dreadful reality is this is exactly the definition of "help" we often desire from God. We are the center, and we ask God to help us stay healthy, meet our quotas, and achieve our purposes. God does not exist to cater to man: man exists to glorify God.
Jesus says this in John 14:26 in the New King James Version: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." This is one of the few instances in my opinion that the NKJV misses the mark, clouding God's name and misleads us to His attributes. The word translated "Helper" is "parakletos" in the Greek, meaning "an intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter." The King James Version translates this title of the Holy Spirit as "Comforter." If I read the NKJV, I am likely to believe that the Holy Spirit will help me. Now does the Holy Spirit help us? Of course. But if we use the modern-day view of what "help" means, we might be led to believe the Holy Spirit exists for the purpose of helping us do things. This is incorrect. Apart from God, we can do nothing.
I would be wrong to think that I can do anything for God apart from the power and righteousness of God. Paul writes in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find." Paul writes this after he was born again and forgiven from his sins through the shed blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit had taken up residence in Paul's heart. But Paul's flesh would always tend toward iniquity even though an inner transformation had taken place. Paul did not just need a "little help" from God to be outwardly good and give him an edge. He was outwardly "good" as a Pharisee and was headed for Hell because he was dead in his transgressions and sins! The Holy Spirit is not like a co-worker who shows up to help us out of a tough spot. He has regenerated us by grace through faith in Christ. Because we learn of God's character and attributes through His names, the meaning from the original language should be preserved.
If we only see the Holy Spirit as a "Helper," there is a real danger of us becoming the focus. Now before anyone throws away their NKJV, here are a couple verses from the KJV that clearly say God is our helper: Psalm 54:4 says, "Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul." The Hebrew word for "helper" is "'azar," meaning "to surround, i.e. protect or aid." Hebrews 13:5-6 states, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." The Greek word is "boethos," meaning "a succorer, helper."
I believe Benjamin Franklin is credited with the modern cliche, "God helps those who help themselves." This is a humanistic and legalistic view. It can enforce a person's selfishness in thinking, "If I do this or do that, God will help me. In the end I will benefit and I desire to be the focus of all God's blessings, since He exists to help me. Why should I deny myself good standing so easily obtained?" Perhaps the original intent is to explain the dynamic of those who actively seek God and live for His glory and God blesses the works of their hands. There will always be lazy sluggards who blame God for their lack yet will do nothing themselves, waiting for money to fall from heaven into their hammocks as they lounge with a cold drink. Paul had a way of dealing with such bums: 2 Thes. 3:10 explains, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."
The Holy Spirit is our advocate, comforter, protector, and helper. He does not help us because of what we have done, but because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, love, mercy, and grace. God has opened our blind eyes, removed the curse of sin and death, and made us alive. Instead of saying that God helps me, it would almost be more accurate to say that Christians have the privilege to help God. It is like a small child painting a fence with his father. The little boy wears one of dad's old shirts to protect his clothes. The energetic lad dunks his whole brush in the paint, swiping it roughly across a few boards with a smile on his face. The paint applied to the fence runs in rivulets which puddle on the horizontal beams. After five minutes there is more paint on the boy than on the fence, the paint running off the brush down his arm to the elbow. Within minutes the boy is distracted and runs off somewhere. Dad smiles to himself and rolls out the puddles, fills in the holidays, and cleans up the brush and washed the paint drips from the patio. When mom comes out with some drinks the boy says proudly, "I painted the fence, didn't I Dad?" Dad reaches down and tousles the boy's hair and says, "You sure did, son." Did Dad need help? No. God doesn't need help either. But He lets us serve Him even though we are messy, make mistakes, are easily distracted, and are happy to take all the credit.
Without a father, the boy would never be alive. Without a heavenly Father, a loving Savior, and life-giving Holy Spirit I would be spiritually dead. I don't just need a little help from God: I can't do anything without Him! I wouldn't know where the paint brushes are, have the strength to open the pail of paint, or reach above three feet on the fence when it comes to spiritual matters. Pray that God would help you to see Him as He is! Thank you Jesus for allowing me to get dirty serving you!
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