Smote by God

Believe it or not, reading the Bible is really fun.  Even if you are familiar with a passage and know what is coming, a person can never predict what God is going to say, what you will discover or how other parts of the Bible connect to amplify the meaning.  It is more interesting and useful than the latest installment of that show you are watching or new season of game you are playing.  The Bible is God's words of life, and blessed is the one who reads, studies, meditates and applies them personally by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Today I read Acts 12 in the KJV and the LORD opened my eyes to something I never noticed before.  Woven throughout scripture are many such passages, where a parallel is presented to compare and contrast.  The major feature of Hebrew poetry is the use of parallelism and prompts the reader to consider personal application to what is said.  The two verses that grabbed my attention concern Peter the apostle in prison awaiting death, and Herod who delivered a public address in royal apparel.  As Peter slept in prison chained to guards, the LORD sent an angel to deliver him.  Acts 12:7 says, "And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands."  He was told to put on his garment and followed the angel through doors that opened on their own accord until he was safely led to freedom.  At John Mark's house he was united with Christians who were praying for him, and spread the word of God's deliverance.

After Herod gave a speech in Caesarea, the people flattered him by shouting:  "It is the voice of a god and not of a man."  Acts 12:23 reads, "And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."  Suddenly the angel of the LORD smote Herod with worms that consumed him from within, and it was not long before he died.  Both Peter and Herod were smote by the angel of the LORD, and the contrast is profound.  At night when everyone was sleeping, a light shone in the darkness, Peter was struck by the angel on the side who raised him up; Herod stood in the public eye arrayed in fine apparel that was shone in the sun, and he was struck with worms inside that brought him to the grave and darkness.  Herod's sin was not the adulation of the people, but that he did not give God the glory--something Peter was quick to do.

Herod was forever silenced by God for his sin, and Acts 12:24 tells us:  "But the word of God grew and multiplied."  God has given people the capacity for speech, yet it is God's word that will grow and multiply.  Herod and his words were like chaff blown away by the wind, and the testimony of God's wisdom, deliverance of His people and the words of His life have continued and prevailed.  God's grace and our faith in him will determine the manner of how God strikes us:  to wake us from our slumber, stand us on our feet and provide light in the darkness--or bring judgment upon us as we are cast into darkness.  Praise the LORD in the darkest places the light of Jesus Christ and God's word can shine, and our hearts can be illuminated by the unfailing truth of scripture.  This illustration is sobering and encouraging at the same time, and it is our choice how we respond:  will we obey God and give Him glory in our freedom, or will we rob God of glory and lose the little we have?

Winning by Losing

In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a boy named Charlie and four other children found golden tickets which promised them a lifetime supply of chocolate.  Shortly after their find they individually were accosted by Albert Slugworth, owner of a rival chocolate business, who offered a great sum of money to the one who gave him an "everlasting gobstopper" so he could discover the secret formula.  During the tour of Wonka's factory, the four remaining children were offered everlasting gobstoppers--on the strict condition they kept the gobstopper to themselves--to which they all enthusiastically agreed.

As the tour progressed the children where whittled down to Charlie alone as they all disobeyed the warnings of Wonka which led to bizarre problems, like falling into a chocolate river, swelling up like a blueberry, tumbling down a chute, or shrinking to the size of an action figure.  Charlie and his grandpa were the only ones that managed to make it to the end, though they too had their share of problems.  They decided to try "fizzy lifting drinks" which violated the contract Charlie signed before the tour began.  The promise of a lifetime supply of chocolate was thus forfeited, and Wonka spared no fury in rebuking them for their transgression.

Grandpa was furious with Wonka, called him a crook and promised he would get back at him somehow.  Charlie, moved by a guilty conscience, returned the everlasting gobstopper.  When the candy was placed next to Wonka, it was like time stopped.  Moved by this good deed to refuse to sell Wonka's secrets for money to Slugworth, Wonka's demeanor changed completely.  The elaborate tour had all been a test Wonka had been hoping Charlie would win.  Though Charlie failed to keep to the contract he signed, he won.  His theft of fizzy lifting drinks was forgiven and he was swept up in a friendly embrace of the chocolate maker who finally found a child with the necessary quality of character to someday take over the company.

Charlie's interaction with Willy Wonka suggests by a good deed people can redeem themselves.  While this makes for a happy finish to the film, it misses the mark entirely concerning being accepted by God.  Like Charlie and his grandpa, we have all broken the Law of God and thus are sinners doomed by a curse that brings eternal death.  We are truly lost without hope.  No amount of good deeds can undo or make up for one sin we have committed.  Yet because of Who Jesus is and all He has accomplished by providing atonement for sinners, the way of forgiveness and salvation has been provided for us as a free gift.  Jesus has overcome sin and death, and by faith in Him we are accepted in the beloved for something far better than a lifetime supply of chocolate:  adoption into the family of God, made co-heirs with Christ and  will enjoy eternal life in God's glorious presence.  The only way we win eternal life is to lose our lives for Christ's sake.

Like Willy Wonka wanted Charlie to win and rejoiced in his success, God desires for all people to live in His presence and enjoy communion with Him forever.  Had Charlie kept the everlasting gobstopper for himself, I have no doubt he would have grown tired of the flavour and even the smell of it over time.  Praise the LORD salvation is a gift we will never tire of as we enjoy fellowship with God for eternity.  Titus 3:4-7 says, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."  Having received such love, grace and acceptance by God, we are assured a glorious future with our Father we can rejoice in presently--and can offer to others through the power of the Gospel.

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. :)