God's For-ness

The LORD blessed me with the opportunity to grow up in a family with a dad and mum who feared God and set an example of walking in love.  To some my parents seemed "strict" because they restricted us from freedoms others enjoyed and held us kids accountable to obey them, do chores together as a family and  provided ways to earn money through work rather being given an allowance.  If we wanted a toy, wristwatch or fishing reel, we needed to learn discipline to save up for it.  All my childhood, youth and adult life, by the grace of God I have enjoyed the love and support of my parents who cheered me on and supported me through all seasons of life.

My parents demonstrated their love for their children in practical ways:  carting me to and from baseball practice, paying for dental work, investing time and effort in our schooling, playing games with us and disciplining us when needed.  Whether I was pitching or at bat, I could hear encouragement coming from them.  Knowing they were for me built our relationship upon a foundation of love.  This made receiving correction, instruction and rebuke easier because there was never a doubt their words and actions were in my best interest.  They would be the first to say they were not perfect parents, but they were perfect for me and exactly who I needed by God's grace.

I agree with what Dallas Willard wrote:  "As firmness of footing is a condition of walking and secure movement, so assurance of others being for us is the condition of stable, healthy living...When the required type of "for-ness" is adequately present, human "circles of sufficiency" emerge...Ultimately, every human circle is doomed to dissolution if it is not caught up in the life of the only genuinely self-sufficient circle of sufficiency, that of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  For that circle is the only one that is truly and totally self-sufficient." (Willard, Dallas, et al. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Form, 2021. pages 185-186)  Knowing my parents were for me led me to know the God from whom all love, wisdom and grace comes from--Jesus Christ who made my parents the people they are.  Much heartbreak and disillusion comes when we put anyone in the place of honour only God deserves.  To elevate a spouse, child, pastor, church or cause as our primary source of sufficiency will end in our ruin.  When we realise the grace of God is sufficient for all, we are strengthened and enabled by God to endure.  Rather than destroying us, the painful process will refine us more into the image of our Saviour.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-32, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"  A privilege of the born-again Christian is knowing God is for us.  He has demonstrated His "for-ness" by coming in the person of Jesus Christ and suffering on the cross for our atonement, redemption and salvation.  God's love for us sinners was so glorious He gave His only begotten Son for our sakes and thus will not withhold any good of the kingdom of God from us.  Since God is for us presently we can experience rest by His grace, and He also has wondrous plans for our future with Jesus.  All trials, pains, fierce opposition of Satan and overwhelming feelings can be made as nothing because God is for us.  Knowing God is for us and nothing can separate us from His love, we can be strong in the LORD and rejoice in Him today as we trust Him.

Gift of the Holy Spirit

Simple questions can have complex answers.  The Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand, yet walking according to the truth of the Gospel every day is hard.  It is easy to become a Christian, and it is hard to be one at the same time.  Yet in all these difficulties we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ Who loves us.  The yoke of Jesus is easy and His burden is light, yet we can struggle to even stand because of our human weakness, to remain alert to resist the devil and to flee from temptation to sin.

We did not likely come to faith in Jesus at the first because He answered all our deep musings and theological queries:  we came to Him because He drew us to Himself by grace, opened our eyes to our sinfulness and that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world.  As helpless, lost and desperate people we trusted in Him, asked for forgiveness and salvation.  We might wonder, how can I know I am filled with the Holy Spirit?  The simple answer is the same way you know you are saved:  by Who Jesus is as revealed in scripture, what He has accomplished through His death and resurrection and our receiving of Him by faith as an undeserved, free gift.  Only those who are born again can see the kingdom of God, and by faith in Jesus is the Way we enter.

Being born again is a new spiritual birth by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Romans 8:9 says, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His."  If we do not have the Holy Spirit within us, we are not born again.  He is the One who spiritually regenerates us and guides us into all truth.  As a tree is known by its fruit, so we are known by the fruit of our lips that reveal the heart in truth.  Rather than the works of the flesh, the lives of born again followers of Jesus are adorned by the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-26 reads, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  The manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit is not passive or "just happens" but is combined with conscious choices to crucify the flesh with its sinful passions and desires:  a dying to self that chooses God's way rather than our own selfish, sinful way.

In Acts 8, many people of Samaria (likely Gentiles) came to faith in Jesus Christ through the word of God preached there.  There was great joy in that city from this revelation of Jesus Christ, accompanied by physical healing and deliverance from evil spirits.  Yet Luke pointed out they had not received the Holy Spirit (as the apostles and disciples had on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem) because they had only been baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.  Rather than baptising them in water again, the apostles Peter and John came and prayed for believers with laying on of hands, so they too might receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Simon's amazed reaction suggests there was evidence they in fact did receive the Holy Spirit, for he foolishly offered money for the power to do so himself.  The Bible lists many gifts of the Holy Spirit given according to His will so believers in Jesus can be His witnesses, edify the church and glorify God.  The scripture makes it clear there is a distinction between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with Him.

How can a person have confidence they have been born again and have received the Holy Spirit as the believers in Jerusalem and Samaria did?  Hint:  it isn't by speaking in tongues.  There is no formula for predicting wind patterns, and one cannot dictate the way the Holy Spirit must move.  Jesus said in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Having received the truth of God's word, we are to ask believing the Father will give the Holy Spirit to us in fullness.  As Peter said in Acts 2:38-39, "...Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  You have received Christ by faith, and we receive the Holy Spirit by faith as well.  Having presented ourselves as living sacrifices, obedient to do His will (Acts 5:32), by faith in Jesus we ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If you are a believer who is unsure you are filled with the Holy Spirit, today is the day to be filled!  R.A. Torrey's observations are true to my experience, for he said everyone filled with the Holy Spirit knows they are filled, when it happened and that it was not a gradual filling--for God gives the Holy Spirit beyond measure.  Many have stumbled on this point because they have sought an experience or gifting of their choosing rather than fully submitting themselves to the will of God and waiting on Him.  They have sought the gift of tongues or heightened spiritual status among their peers rather than seeking and presenting themselves to Jesus Christ.  They have been unwilling to repent of sin or crucify the passions of the flesh and thus avoided walking in the Spirit.  Simon the sorcerer wanted power for himself, and this same lure attracts many today.  Paul wrote in Galatians 5:25, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Let us prize the Giver over all His good gifts, choosing the most excellent way to walk in love towards all, having and being filled with the Holy Spirit. :)

Subjugation of Sin

To people who value their personal freedoms, the rise of a totalitarian government that oppresses and subjugates citizens is a genuine concern.  More movies than I can count present a societal hellscape with enough connection to reality to be chilling and frightful viewing that illustrate the dangers of unchecked power.  Whether it is annihilation of humanity through time-travelling cyborgs fueled by artificial intelligence ideology, government overreach by power-hungry people employing surveillance or harsh punishments or the use of unwitting human bodies to produce energy, the common threat is the subjugation of the human will--with any concept of God being strangely absent.

In many of these these science fiction and dystopian scenarios, the citizens are a blend of personalities:  those who have been conditioned to submit, those blinded and deceived to imagine the government acts for their best interest, some who will betray their fellow citizens for personal benefits, others who comply out of fear, people who are broken and hopeless shells because of suppression and punishment, and those who suddenly have their eyes open to injustice, decide to rebel and fight against it.  Often it comes down to the brave efforts of a small group of people who join together and risk their lives against incredible odds to be free.  This is usually the major conflict of the show or film to be resolved.  What is not detailed is what happens after the oppressive regime is overthrown and what sort of leaders those freedom fighters end up being--if they lead at all.  To think the brutality required to overthrow oppression will not lead to new oppression is likely wishful thinking.

Did you know every human being born into this world is systemically oppressed?  It goes far deeper than politics, government, economy and society:  it is oppression of a spiritual and personal nature.  The Bible teaches that every person is born a slave to sin that has corrupted them to the core and blinded them to the truth of God who created all things.  Spiritually speaking, people who live and walk and talk are dead in this world under Satan's sway.  They do not realise sin is actually a yoke of oppression that drags them body and soul to hell.  The sin a person drinks like water and revels in is more soul-destroying than the most totalitarian government.  To someone deceived by sin, the embrace of sin is freeing and provides the greatest amount of pleasure and human satisfaction possible, yet in reality its grip only tightens to suffocate and destroy forever.  Trying to rebel against the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes and the pride of life by the power of the flesh is always futile.

Contrary to Hollywood blockbusters, the only way to overcome the sinister, totalitarian oppression of sin over our entire being is not by man's will, savvy or power but by faith in Jesus Christ.  The Law of God reveals our sinful condition in truth and leads us by the hand to Jesus as the Light of the World, the Messiah we need to save us.  The only way of salvation and deliverance from this body of death we live in is by faith in Jesus who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and has sat down enthroned in eternal glory.  For all who have been born again by the power of the Gospel we ought to rebel against the lusts of the flesh, pride, selfishness and every wicked way.  Because Jesus has provided atonement by His death on Calvary, we can put to death the sins of the flesh:  on sin we ought to show no mercy.  At the same time we ought to extend grace to others realising even people who are willing pawns in a totalitarian government are not the enemy and never will be.  Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and Satan whom must all bow before Jesus Christ (Eph. 6).

Churches all over the world are places these rebels against sin gather in Christ name, however we are not called to rebellion:  we are called to unity and agreement with Jesus Christ and one another in love.  Our identity is not found in the evils we war against, the cesspools of sin Jesus has delivered us from, but as humble children of God who love Him and one another.  When we sin, we repent and strive to do what is good instead.  Rather than being loyal to a cause we are committed and loyal to Christ, even as a betrothed wife remains chaste for her husband.  Many causes may beckon us, and sin can rise up within our flesh with the aim to seduce our souls to join in an elicit embrace.  We look upon these with disdain because our eyes have been opened by Jesus who loves us.  We fix our eyes on Him, laying aside sin and every weight that holds us back from obedience.  By His grace we can run with endurance the race set before us, free from sin and fear and free to serve, minister and work for our LORD in whom we trust and rest.

Jesus said in John 8:33-36:  "...Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Man's great fear is to have his autonomy taken away, yet when we are in sin we cannot be free.  It is in submitting and surrendering to Jesus in faith we are freed from slavery to sin and adopted as children of God forever.  How wonderful it is to have the bonds of sin stripped away and to be embraced in the love of God, set free by His grace.  This isn't science fiction or some doomsday conspiracy but a joyous reality every Christian can know and rejoice in today.

Feeding On-Demand

"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

1 Peter 2:1-3

God designed the milk of a mother to supply all the nutritional needs of a newborn baby for health and growth.  Peter urged believers of all ages and levels of spiritual maturity to lay aside sin and to feed on God's word as a newborn baby drinks milk.

While there are obviously more than two camps when it comes to feeding babies, the most common and large groups seems to be scheduled or "on-demand" feeding.  Some adhere to a more strict schedule concerning feeding, while other mothers feed their baby whenever he or she seems hungry.  From what I was told, with me my mother adopted the "on-demand" feeding style and resulted in me growing very fat and happy.  The story goes my mum was rebuked by a pediatrician for "ruining my life" by allowing me to drink milk whenever and as much as I wanted.  It was a painful experience for someone who carried, nurtured and loved me from birth.

A baby without an appetite is a concern, as babies need to eat properly to develop and grow.  Spiritually speaking Peter told believers we ought never wean ourselves from the word of God but to desire it, to treasure the flavour of grace in the Bible.  Like a baby grows out of tiny clothes, we are to put aside sinful thoughts and behaviours that are unfitting for a child of God.  A baby finds comfort in using a dummy to satisfy the natural sucking reflex God created babies to have, yet there is no substitute for the pure word of God.  The scripture is never something we ought be weaned from because God has provided it for our growth.  We do not grow out of needing to ingest, contemplate and put into practice God's word.

Many believers adopt a scheduled spiritual feeding routine, limiting themselves to feeding during a Sunday sermon or a weekly study.  For these it should be no wonder if there is little spiritual growth:  imagine if a baby ate only once or twice a week!  God does not dole out wisdom on a weekly basis but feeds His children on-demand, giving us His word and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  Peter's exhortation implies believers have the choice to lay aside sin and to desire the pure milk of the word.  Physical growth for babies occur when they drink milk, and spiritual growth occurs when we receive and obey God's word.  A baby might spit up a lot of what they drink, and just reading the Bible more is not the cure for our spiritual ills.  But the growth of believers is directly tied to feeding on God's word, developing a taste and hunger for it, and obeying it.

Jesus fed all 5,000 men and their families with five loaves and two fish that sat down on the grass in groups as directed, and God will never turn away the spiritually famished because it is not Sunday.  If you are hungry, come to Him and feed on His word.  We ought not condition ourselves to be scheduled feeders when He feeds us on-demand.  We cannot eat too much of God's word; we cannot heed it too well.  Our error is to neglect God's word and seek answers, comfort or guidance from anyone or anything rather than God.  We are called to put away all sin that stunts our spiritual growth and desire the pure milk of God's word.  Demand cannot outstrip God's abundant supply, for we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.