Posts
Hey everyone! I am going to put a series of posts from a cool conversation I got to have with someone in an evolution forum on facebook. Unfortuneatly before I could save his ends of the conversation, he deleted his posts. He was a pretty abrasive guy, but he ended up being quite kind in the end. Hopefully you can imagine some of the things he was objecting to based on my posts. I wanted to post this because I feel it is an important topic for someone to grapple with that doesn't think they utilize faith at all. This will be the first of 5 posts. I hope this is a blessing to someone out there.
Post # 1:
Given there are supposedly "no absolutes" in life, could it be that science has evolved? It takes faith to believe that the same foundations that we call science today, were the same foundations used millions and billions of years ago. How do we know we are getting correct information when we extrapolate backwards? We are assuming that it was the same, no? Because I have to use the word "assume", suggests the presence of faith. I propose this because I have been asked to prove God, and to show people He exists. My respectful counter question would be this, could you prove to me that the same science used to measure today, was the same science used billions of years ago? I know this sounds ridiculous, but I feel it is a fair question in light of questions asked of us (Christians) even though I don't believe my question to be fair in nature as the opposing question is not fair either.
The only goal of this post is to get people to see that faith is required for everything whether YOU BELIEVE it’s 10%, 5%, 90%, etc. That’s why we as a finite people are dependent on revelation. You as a human being can only go so far until you start having faith in the methods by which you drew your conclusions and then placing faith in what seems the results has to be. You can never say evolution is fact because the science we use today could be an evolved science that is totally throwing us off. Why? Because you and I weren't there. So in the end, people CHOOSE what they want to believe based upon the PROBABILITY of those things being accurate. But again, I am using the word probability, which everyone has to use, and it would take faith to believe in the probability of something, because probability is not certainty. Atheist and believer alike utilize faith in both of their practice (not saying everyone on here is an athiest, just appears most are that place their faith in evolution).
I just do not understand why the people that believe in evolution do not see that if they go that route, they have to assume science as we know it is an evolved science, you can't apply it to some things and not to others. And if our foundations for measurement have evolved, that means conclusions are so far off base that all the theory of evolution is an "intellectual illusion" designed only to give ego gratification to people that can talk about it.
My goal is not to offend but for us all to think, even though naturally this post will push buttons, but I cannot relay the point if I am not honest with what I have observed. If you are a person who believes in evolution, you have to believe the foundations for scientific measurements are the same today as they were millions of years ago, which suggests science to some people is a perfect entity, without evolutionary blemish. All that has happened is a "god" has been substituted. The Bible teaches of an all-knowing, all powerful "measurement" i.e. God, so what's the difference between a "perfect, all-knowing concept" vs the belief in a perfect, all-knowing entity? So make no mistake, belief in the theory of evolution takes just as much faith as anything else. Again, you may feel it is 1/2 of a percent, but to say it takes none is a frivolous thing to say because we were not there.
And remember, I am not saying I believe science has evolved, because I do not place my faith in evolutionary concepts, but to those that do you have to consider what is proposed here because the very nature of evolution suggests CHANGE. I just proposed the question to get the people that say it is fact to re-think what a fact really is...at the end of the day it takes faith. Given they both take faith, I am choosing a God revealed in scripture that loves me and has adequate probability of existing. And once I appropriated that (genuinely, not religiously) I have seen spiritual things that would blow your mind. The awesome thing about God is, when you begin to set your heart to truly understand, He will draw close to you and you will find Him. But there is a peculiar verse in scripture that says "He resists the prideful, but gives grace to the humble". That word resist means: "to stand against; to oppose". Once people have elevated their logic over God's revelation it is almost as if they will see what they want to see and nothing will be done to deter them. Don't be that person! At least open your heart to the possibility of a God that loves you and has a plan, because you have a god anyways, it is just very impersonal..its called "the perfect, never changing foundations for measurement entitled 'science as we know it'" (again, this is geared towards atheists, I understand there are groups of people that believe in both God and evolutionary concepts although it seems a bit incompatible)
If this has offended I apologize, but at least consider what was said, we do not have all the answers, we are dependent on revelation! I have faith, can anyone here admit they do too?
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
God's Definition of Conquering
3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the LORD for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a] of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
1 Samuel 7:3-11
This is a great read. There are so many principles we can get out of the Old Testament in correlation to the New. Samuel says to them, that if you are indeed turning to the Lord with your whole heart, get rid of the stuff that displeases Him; in essence - REPENT! Then Samuel goes onto say that if they serve God only, they would be delivered out of the hand of the Philistines.
That day, everyone gathered at a place called Mizpah to have Samuel pray over them. They confessed their sins to the Lord and then Samuel made petition for them and the LORD answered him. God that day struck the Philistines with confusion and then Israel went after them and defeated them - reclaiming the cities that the Philistines had taken from them.
I wanted to point out a few things that stood out to me. It is kind of a step-by-step process towards freedom from things that may be holding you back. First of all came repentence, second came confession, third came petition, and fourth came victory.
God encourages and enables us to repent - it is He who grants repentance. Our job is to respond by turning away and admitting to Him that we were indeed wrong. Through that, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Who does Samuel represent in this story? Our advocate Jesus! The perfect high priest. See, God is doing the same things He has always done, just through what Hebrews calls, "A new and better way." Meaning, a better way of doing the same thing in my opinion.
So after we do all of this, we get rid of what we know displeases God in our lives and we admit we were wrong; then our God thunders against our enemy who hammers into us. "Draw nigh to Me (through repentance) and I will draw nigh unto you." "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
I also want to note, that the battle truly begins when you come to God in repentance. Notice the Philistines began to fall upon Israel after they got rid of their "Baals and Ashteroths" and when they chose to meet at Mizpah and have Samuel petition for them. But after they overcame this situation through God's plan of deliverance for them, they were not only in proper standing with God but God allowed them to conquer their enemies and even reclaim their cities that they had lost to them.
Sometimes it seems like the battle really begins when we set our hearts to truly understand God and come to Him. Take heart from this story, and do not allow fear to dictate your follow through with God! We have seen how it correlates to the New Testament and our current covenant. If we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light...then His blood cleanses usfrom all unrighteousness. This doesn't mean there will not be a fight, because "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
Thanks everyone, and let's encourage one another to keep fighting!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
5 Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the LORD for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[a] of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
1 Samuel 7:3-11
This is a great read. There are so many principles we can get out of the Old Testament in correlation to the New. Samuel says to them, that if you are indeed turning to the Lord with your whole heart, get rid of the stuff that displeases Him; in essence - REPENT! Then Samuel goes onto say that if they serve God only, they would be delivered out of the hand of the Philistines.
That day, everyone gathered at a place called Mizpah to have Samuel pray over them. They confessed their sins to the Lord and then Samuel made petition for them and the LORD answered him. God that day struck the Philistines with confusion and then Israel went after them and defeated them - reclaiming the cities that the Philistines had taken from them.
I wanted to point out a few things that stood out to me. It is kind of a step-by-step process towards freedom from things that may be holding you back. First of all came repentence, second came confession, third came petition, and fourth came victory.
God encourages and enables us to repent - it is He who grants repentance. Our job is to respond by turning away and admitting to Him that we were indeed wrong. Through that, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Who does Samuel represent in this story? Our advocate Jesus! The perfect high priest. See, God is doing the same things He has always done, just through what Hebrews calls, "A new and better way." Meaning, a better way of doing the same thing in my opinion.
So after we do all of this, we get rid of what we know displeases God in our lives and we admit we were wrong; then our God thunders against our enemy who hammers into us. "Draw nigh to Me (through repentance) and I will draw nigh unto you." "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
I also want to note, that the battle truly begins when you come to God in repentance. Notice the Philistines began to fall upon Israel after they got rid of their "Baals and Ashteroths" and when they chose to meet at Mizpah and have Samuel petition for them. But after they overcame this situation through God's plan of deliverance for them, they were not only in proper standing with God but God allowed them to conquer their enemies and even reclaim their cities that they had lost to them.
Sometimes it seems like the battle really begins when we set our hearts to truly understand God and come to Him. Take heart from this story, and do not allow fear to dictate your follow through with God! We have seen how it correlates to the New Testament and our current covenant. If we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light...then His blood cleanses usfrom all unrighteousness. This doesn't mean there will not be a fight, because "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
Thanks everyone, and let's encourage one another to keep fighting!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Feeling Condemned?
I went through a lot of condemnation during a time in my life. For some of the things I did, God would have been totally just in saying forget this wicked servant. God in His longsuffering and patience forgave me and established me to the glory of His name and not mine, hallelujah.
Let me share with you a story. I had a man tell me after I was ministering the Word to him that he had been sinning and he wasn't sure if God would forgive him (he believed in Jesus already I might add). I told him that it was indeed God who granted repentance, and that if he had a broken heart and sincere desire to walk with the Lord, that meant God was granting him repentance, he just had to grab onto it because "faith without action is dead". He said that the scariest part about his sin - what bothered him the most- was that he didn't feel bad about what he had been doing. After he shared this with me, I recalled a time in my life when I said the exact same thing to a brother in Christ, but the answer to this flooded my mind in that very moment. The Holy Spirit was convicting him. Think about it. I looked at him and said, "so you feel bad because you don't feel bad?" he said, yeah! I said then that tells me something external is CONVICTING you that you need to change while there is time. Because that makes no earthly sense, to feel bad about not feeling bad. Praise God how committed He is to us when we aren't to Him.
Remember, Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy, "If perhaps God would grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth."
What I want to point out is that the way you know that you have been granted repentance, is by "being led to a knowledge of the truth." Once you realize, "You love me Father, and I have hurt you, and you alone (psalm 51)" and you respond in active obedience to Him by "if we confess our sins, He is faihful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our unrighteousness".
Action. Sit out time is over, the only way to battle condemnation is by fellowshipping with his bride and that takes an immense committment to Jesus.
Now I am not saying that what has been committed doesn't require an earthly penalty, as we do reap what we sow. But remember when Nathan the prophet came to King David and told him essentially that he had been forgiven eternally, just not consequentially here on earth. The sword never left David's home, but it did not mean there was no eternal forgivness for King David.
I have done things in the past, and I know I have reaped things. I have also been disciplined heavily by my loving Father. I prayed to God that He would allow me to repair the brokeness I have caused to certain people, and amazingly as time goes on, I have been able to be a light to the ones I was once a complete hypocrite to. Be eager to make right what has been wronged - and for the stuff out of your control - give it to God and let Him help you.
Let's not forget the contrite publican in Jesus' parable. He beat his chest and couldn't even look up and said, "Forgive me God, a sinner." Oh my, may the passion of what Jesus did for you flood your Spirit, and may you be changed by these things.
Let me share with you a story. I had a man tell me after I was ministering the Word to him that he had been sinning and he wasn't sure if God would forgive him (he believed in Jesus already I might add). I told him that it was indeed God who granted repentance, and that if he had a broken heart and sincere desire to walk with the Lord, that meant God was granting him repentance, he just had to grab onto it because "faith without action is dead". He said that the scariest part about his sin - what bothered him the most- was that he didn't feel bad about what he had been doing. After he shared this with me, I recalled a time in my life when I said the exact same thing to a brother in Christ, but the answer to this flooded my mind in that very moment. The Holy Spirit was convicting him. Think about it. I looked at him and said, "so you feel bad because you don't feel bad?" he said, yeah! I said then that tells me something external is CONVICTING you that you need to change while there is time. Because that makes no earthly sense, to feel bad about not feeling bad. Praise God how committed He is to us when we aren't to Him.
Remember, Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy, "If perhaps God would grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth."
What I want to point out is that the way you know that you have been granted repentance, is by "being led to a knowledge of the truth." Once you realize, "You love me Father, and I have hurt you, and you alone (psalm 51)" and you respond in active obedience to Him by "if we confess our sins, He is faihful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our unrighteousness".
Action. Sit out time is over, the only way to battle condemnation is by fellowshipping with his bride and that takes an immense committment to Jesus.
Now I am not saying that what has been committed doesn't require an earthly penalty, as we do reap what we sow. But remember when Nathan the prophet came to King David and told him essentially that he had been forgiven eternally, just not consequentially here on earth. The sword never left David's home, but it did not mean there was no eternal forgivness for King David.
I have done things in the past, and I know I have reaped things. I have also been disciplined heavily by my loving Father. I prayed to God that He would allow me to repair the brokeness I have caused to certain people, and amazingly as time goes on, I have been able to be a light to the ones I was once a complete hypocrite to. Be eager to make right what has been wronged - and for the stuff out of your control - give it to God and let Him help you.
Let's not forget the contrite publican in Jesus' parable. He beat his chest and couldn't even look up and said, "Forgive me God, a sinner." Oh my, may the passion of what Jesus did for you flood your Spirit, and may you be changed by these things.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Trials to Entrustments
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
Luke 22:31-34
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
Matthew 16:18
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His...."
2 Chronicles 16:9a
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?"
Luke 16:10-12
Life is a test. At times it can be a very hard test. If we do not go into situations with certain foundational truths, these tests can be very difficult and end up very unfruitful if not responded to correctly. I feel it is necessary to explain the importance of why we need to be tried. I believe it is all to see what we can ultimately be trusted with. Our foundational mentalities will determine whether we pass through the fires of trial and come out as refined gold; or whether we get midway through and run out the same way we came just charred and burned.
God has designed life in such a way. that, without resistance, I cannot grow. We see this principle in action on many different levels. Take weight lifting for instance, if I want to be "trusted" with lifting the big weights, I must pass a few resistance tests with smaller weights. Am I going to fail? Certainly! Will there be times that I do not feel like working out? Absolutely! But if I keep the end result in mind, it can give me some patient endurance. I believe we see the beginning of some serious resistance training with Peter in Luke 22 above. Have you ever wondered why in the world Jesus would give the enemy permission to test Peter? I believe there are a few reasons, but the one I would like to zero in on is what Jesus wanted to trust him with - His church. Remember when Jesus said "... thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I believe in order for Peter to be the rock of the church in the future, he first had to be the doormat of trial.
Let's think about this in weight-lifters terms again (which I am not BTW lol, just a good analogy I think). If I have not trained you or prepared you to lift a considerable amount of weight, I cannot trust you to bench 300 lbs; if you were to try to bench 300 lbs, you would probably come out injured without prior training with 100...150...200 etc. So if I could "trust" you to bench 250 a few times, I can eventually "trust" you to bench 260...then 270...then eventually 300lbs. Jesus knew what Peter was in for (the other disciples were tested greatly as well, I am just focusing on Peter). So because Jesus knew what Peter was going to have to endure eventually, He wanted to allow resistance training to begin when the enemy requested permission to try him to begin training him for the "bigger" stuff.
We see this "entrustment" principle in Luke 16:10-12 above. I understand the context is specifically about money, but, just as the context about "greater love hath no man than this, that a man would die for his friends" was refering to Jesus' death for the ones whom He loves; it is still a general principle that there is no greater love than dying for someone, no matter what context it is used in. Hence the reason I will use Luke 16:10-12 as a general principle. If God can trust us with a little, He can eventually trust us with much! This is the foundational principle we need to get through tests better. Once we truly realize that it is God that promotes me and not man, it makes taking the blows a little bit easier.
There are some of us that would love to do great things for the kingdom of God, but can we say we are passing the "little" tests God is giving us in the now? What about the attitude test (ouch)? The pride test (ouch)? The patience test (ouch)? The road rage test? (I hit a nerve there didn't I? :P) Have you been unhappy with your boss? Your marriage? Your children? Maybe the fault lies not with them, but with us refusing to pass these tests. God longs to give you more and more entrustments, but if you do not prove faithful in the small matters, how can you be faithful when the big ones come?
I was told about a show once called "Boiling Points" and I proceeded to look up some clips online. For those of you that have not heard of this show, it is about a man who tries his best to get under peoples skin for 20 minutes or so. If they do not blow up at this man or walk away from the situation, they are given (I believe) a $100 dollar bill. Now you would be correct in guessing that most of these people fail this $100 dollar test. This man who is "testing" these people will try to poke, prod, and stare these people to defeat. The issue with the people who fail is the foundational mentality by which they have entering into this test. They have no mental anchor as to why this is necessary, therefore they end up tanking from a lack of understanding of the 'why?'. In this analogy I believe the man doing the poking and prodding is Satan, and the camera would represent the Father. The camera is sitting back and watching to capture proof that they indeed passed this test.
Now let's take a step back and think again about why people fail (we all do at times). We have established that they fail because of a lack of knowledge as to the 'why?'. So using the "boiling points" analogy would you venture to say that if I pulled these people aside and said, "Look, I am going to harass you non-stop for the next 20 minutes. If you are able to weather this storm, I will give you $100 dollars at the end." I do not think one person would probably fail, in fact, the things this man will do to them will now seem humorous and/or not a big deal in light of what they know is coming. Isn't that what we are told as followers of Christ? Galatians 6:9 "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
So then, where is our advantage? We have been told that even the smallest of things is a test and that if we pass these tests and do not grow weary, at the proper time we will reap a HARVEST!. Now I am certain Paul could have been talking about (and probably was) eternal rewards, but could we apply this to the patient endurance needed to arrive at places God would desire us to arrive at in the present?
I am claiming no perfection to this teaching whatsoever, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. The other day something happened that bummed my wife and I out - kind of frustrating. As I was beginning to allow myself to get upset this thought passed through my mind, "Chris, God is testing your attitude." I looked at my wife and I said wait, God is testing our attitudes, and this seemed to put a smile on my face; because now the object of my joy was focused on passing a test to show myself approved unto the Father rather than the mere thought of something bad is happening to me! That is why our foundational mentality is so important in weathering the common blows of life. Do I believe I am going through it unto an eventual entrustment or do I have no such anchor of a thought, and with that drift any which way my attitude will take me?
I think Peter does a great job summing this principle up in 1 Peter 4:12, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." Sufferings of Christ, let's take a look at Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son (in reference to Jesus), He learned obedience from what He suffered". Why must we pass these tests? Because no servant is greater than his Master, again, context is persecution, but we know the enemy persecutes us trying to get us to fail the tests.
We should really encourage one another in the passing of tests. Call upon the name of the Lord daily. DO not try to tackle tests yourselves or you will surely fail. God has provided a way of escape (pass) from every temptation (tests) - 1 Corinthians 10:13. Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Will there be still moments you fail? Sure, we will all stumble along on our journey to "the complete man/woman"..."the mature man/woman". Passing the test may seem to be hard at first, but remember it will only get better through PRACTICE! Hebrews 5:14, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
One failure story real quick and a reason I am glad for the church in my life (in this case my wife). My wife and I have been reminding each other (in light of this teaching the past couple of weeks) that everything is a test. My wife and I were stuck in traffic the other day, and I started to get a little "mouthy" about the situation. I started complaining (as if it would actually help anything anyways) and was kind of grumbling. My wonderful wife looks at me and says "It's a test" with a smile on her face. I needed that reminder. You may say, "I think you are taking this testing thing too far with that story." If things like this are not the "little" tests, then what are? Do not underestimate God's sovereignty in positioning you to learn about His testing through something as simple as a traffic jam.
Remember, if He can trust you with little, HE CAN TRUST YOU WITH MUCH! So now when your boss asks you to do something you hate, you can put a smile on your face because you are doing it unto God and not unto men! (Colossians 3:23) When your spouse is snapping at you for no good reason, you can now be a facilitator of peace. When you get the news that medically, things may not be looking good for you; Take heart! God is testing in order to give you a greater inheritance!
Thanks brothers and sisters! Let's remind one another frequently of God's truth in this area! I hope this teaching was as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Luke 22:31-34
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
Matthew 16:18
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His...."
2 Chronicles 16:9a
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?"
Luke 16:10-12
Life is a test. At times it can be a very hard test. If we do not go into situations with certain foundational truths, these tests can be very difficult and end up very unfruitful if not responded to correctly. I feel it is necessary to explain the importance of why we need to be tried. I believe it is all to see what we can ultimately be trusted with. Our foundational mentalities will determine whether we pass through the fires of trial and come out as refined gold; or whether we get midway through and run out the same way we came just charred and burned.
God has designed life in such a way. that, without resistance, I cannot grow. We see this principle in action on many different levels. Take weight lifting for instance, if I want to be "trusted" with lifting the big weights, I must pass a few resistance tests with smaller weights. Am I going to fail? Certainly! Will there be times that I do not feel like working out? Absolutely! But if I keep the end result in mind, it can give me some patient endurance. I believe we see the beginning of some serious resistance training with Peter in Luke 22 above. Have you ever wondered why in the world Jesus would give the enemy permission to test Peter? I believe there are a few reasons, but the one I would like to zero in on is what Jesus wanted to trust him with - His church. Remember when Jesus said "... thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I believe in order for Peter to be the rock of the church in the future, he first had to be the doormat of trial.
Let's think about this in weight-lifters terms again (which I am not BTW lol, just a good analogy I think). If I have not trained you or prepared you to lift a considerable amount of weight, I cannot trust you to bench 300 lbs; if you were to try to bench 300 lbs, you would probably come out injured without prior training with 100...150...200 etc. So if I could "trust" you to bench 250 a few times, I can eventually "trust" you to bench 260...then 270...then eventually 300lbs. Jesus knew what Peter was in for (the other disciples were tested greatly as well, I am just focusing on Peter). So because Jesus knew what Peter was going to have to endure eventually, He wanted to allow resistance training to begin when the enemy requested permission to try him to begin training him for the "bigger" stuff.
We see this "entrustment" principle in Luke 16:10-12 above. I understand the context is specifically about money, but, just as the context about "greater love hath no man than this, that a man would die for his friends" was refering to Jesus' death for the ones whom He loves; it is still a general principle that there is no greater love than dying for someone, no matter what context it is used in. Hence the reason I will use Luke 16:10-12 as a general principle. If God can trust us with a little, He can eventually trust us with much! This is the foundational principle we need to get through tests better. Once we truly realize that it is God that promotes me and not man, it makes taking the blows a little bit easier.
There are some of us that would love to do great things for the kingdom of God, but can we say we are passing the "little" tests God is giving us in the now? What about the attitude test (ouch)? The pride test (ouch)? The patience test (ouch)? The road rage test? (I hit a nerve there didn't I? :P) Have you been unhappy with your boss? Your marriage? Your children? Maybe the fault lies not with them, but with us refusing to pass these tests. God longs to give you more and more entrustments, but if you do not prove faithful in the small matters, how can you be faithful when the big ones come?
I was told about a show once called "Boiling Points" and I proceeded to look up some clips online. For those of you that have not heard of this show, it is about a man who tries his best to get under peoples skin for 20 minutes or so. If they do not blow up at this man or walk away from the situation, they are given (I believe) a $100 dollar bill. Now you would be correct in guessing that most of these people fail this $100 dollar test. This man who is "testing" these people will try to poke, prod, and stare these people to defeat. The issue with the people who fail is the foundational mentality by which they have entering into this test. They have no mental anchor as to why this is necessary, therefore they end up tanking from a lack of understanding of the 'why?'. In this analogy I believe the man doing the poking and prodding is Satan, and the camera would represent the Father. The camera is sitting back and watching to capture proof that they indeed passed this test.
Now let's take a step back and think again about why people fail (we all do at times). We have established that they fail because of a lack of knowledge as to the 'why?'. So using the "boiling points" analogy would you venture to say that if I pulled these people aside and said, "Look, I am going to harass you non-stop for the next 20 minutes. If you are able to weather this storm, I will give you $100 dollars at the end." I do not think one person would probably fail, in fact, the things this man will do to them will now seem humorous and/or not a big deal in light of what they know is coming. Isn't that what we are told as followers of Christ? Galatians 6:9 "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
So then, where is our advantage? We have been told that even the smallest of things is a test and that if we pass these tests and do not grow weary, at the proper time we will reap a HARVEST!. Now I am certain Paul could have been talking about (and probably was) eternal rewards, but could we apply this to the patient endurance needed to arrive at places God would desire us to arrive at in the present?
I am claiming no perfection to this teaching whatsoever, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. The other day something happened that bummed my wife and I out - kind of frustrating. As I was beginning to allow myself to get upset this thought passed through my mind, "Chris, God is testing your attitude." I looked at my wife and I said wait, God is testing our attitudes, and this seemed to put a smile on my face; because now the object of my joy was focused on passing a test to show myself approved unto the Father rather than the mere thought of something bad is happening to me! That is why our foundational mentality is so important in weathering the common blows of life. Do I believe I am going through it unto an eventual entrustment or do I have no such anchor of a thought, and with that drift any which way my attitude will take me?
I think Peter does a great job summing this principle up in 1 Peter 4:12, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." Sufferings of Christ, let's take a look at Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son (in reference to Jesus), He learned obedience from what He suffered". Why must we pass these tests? Because no servant is greater than his Master, again, context is persecution, but we know the enemy persecutes us trying to get us to fail the tests.
We should really encourage one another in the passing of tests. Call upon the name of the Lord daily. DO not try to tackle tests yourselves or you will surely fail. God has provided a way of escape (pass) from every temptation (tests) - 1 Corinthians 10:13. Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Will there be still moments you fail? Sure, we will all stumble along on our journey to "the complete man/woman"..."the mature man/woman". Passing the test may seem to be hard at first, but remember it will only get better through PRACTICE! Hebrews 5:14, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
One failure story real quick and a reason I am glad for the church in my life (in this case my wife). My wife and I have been reminding each other (in light of this teaching the past couple of weeks) that everything is a test. My wife and I were stuck in traffic the other day, and I started to get a little "mouthy" about the situation. I started complaining (as if it would actually help anything anyways) and was kind of grumbling. My wonderful wife looks at me and says "It's a test" with a smile on her face. I needed that reminder. You may say, "I think you are taking this testing thing too far with that story." If things like this are not the "little" tests, then what are? Do not underestimate God's sovereignty in positioning you to learn about His testing through something as simple as a traffic jam.
Remember, if He can trust you with little, HE CAN TRUST YOU WITH MUCH! So now when your boss asks you to do something you hate, you can put a smile on your face because you are doing it unto God and not unto men! (Colossians 3:23) When your spouse is snapping at you for no good reason, you can now be a facilitator of peace. When you get the news that medically, things may not be looking good for you; Take heart! God is testing in order to give you a greater inheritance!
Thanks brothers and sisters! Let's remind one another frequently of God's truth in this area! I hope this teaching was as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Isn't That Work Salvation?
Hey all! I have felt the need to write about the difference between work salvation and active repentance before the Father for quite some time now. I feel some of our current Christian teaching has not adequately explained the difference to us. There is a lot to say about it and I am certain I do not have it all figured out- so please, be gracious to me! I feel some people use the verse "its not by works" (in regards to salvation) out of context, causing them to eventually drift in their faith - allowing themselves to be more liberal morally than the apostles ever intended because they are now penalizing true acts (or works) of repentance along with works of the law (ceremonial, i.e. circumcision, sacrifices, sprinkling of blood, works for the ministry etc.). I feel it is very important to explain the difference so we do not muddle unrepentant, unchecked sin and works of the law. I feel some people have inadvertantly blended the two, not taking the time to adequately study and research what they are saying. God demands repentance, and "deeds appropriate to repentance", which is far different from "works of the law" being able to save you.
I would like to begin this topic with two verses, both spoken by the same apostle. The first is Acts 26:20 which states, "but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, PERFORMING DEEDS APPROPRIATE TO REPENTANCE." The second I want to look at is Ephesians 2:8&9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." So we see here, the same man is saying to "perform deeds appropriate to repentance" and then saying "it is not by works so no man can boast".
So this is my take on what is being said (God allows us to use scripture to interpret scripture). Everything takes work (i.e. effort), now when Paul speaks of "saved not by works" I think this is what he is saying, "Do not think for one moment God looked down from His throne and saw that you were righteous (doing what the law required) enough to come and save". Now the other 'works' or "deeds appropriate for repentance" also takes work. These are the actions (works, deeds) that back up my confession (which also takes work - it is not automatic). God set up the system in such a way that faith without actions cannot save me. So, when I say I am sorry and I want Jesus to redeem me, I have to take active steps in showing Him true repentance (active faith in turning from my sin). This is not to be confused with "work salvation" which says, "I obeyed all the ceremonial law, and performed all the law would require me to perform and that is why God will save me" or "I went to church, sang the hymns, bagged groceries for the poor all in the name of Jesus and that is why He will save me". So it basically boils down to James chapter 2, "faith without obedience (action, works, deeds appropriate to repentance) is dead" If this does not make sence, hopefully the next verse will aid in this discussion.
Let's look at Matthew 7:22 & 23. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." I like the New Living Translations version on vs. 23, it states, "But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, YOU WHO BREAK GOD'S LAWS (emphasis mine).'
Ok, now we have these men before the Jesus on the day of judgement and they are trying to argue that their works of "righteousness" should give them entrance into His kingdom. Do you see this? "Did we not prophesy in your name? and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" See, they did all of the "right" things a.k.a. hoping their works would save them. But what does our Savior say? "Depart from me you workers of lawlessness" or "get away from me, you who break God's laws". Now what "laws" is Jesus refering to here? The violation of moral law! See, they were judged on their lack of works of repentance, in fact, they worked the opposite, they were workers of iniquity! They figured since they did a "wonderful" job for Jesus, they wouldn't have to come through the narrow way, true repentance from moral degredation. Remember, I can say I am sorry all I want, but until I produce action to back that repentance up it will be dead...nonexistent. I can do wonderful things for the ministry all I want, but it will not save me unless I place true faith (which will be backed by 'deeds appropriate to repentance') Remember James rebuke in 2:19&20? "You believe God is one (faith). You do well; the demons also believe (faith) and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works (deeds appropriate to repentance) is useless?"
So what does this look like practically? The person who has 'prayed the prayer', gone to church for years and continues the affair he fell into, is not producing 'deeds appropriate to repentance'. The same type of person (who has 'prayed the prayer') who leaves their family for no good reason and continues in ministry, is trying to be saved by their works, but because they work iniquity, they will not be ok. The person who knows it is not ok to be drunk, and is causing a disrupt in peoples faith but still doing ministry will not be ok. Better yet, let me let Jesus do the talking here.
Luke 12:41-46
41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Note a few things. First it is clear this was a message given to the disciples, if not all of the people based upon verse 41, "Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" Second, we see this wicked servant was still "serving" in the house of God, but he began to be a worker of iniquity. So we see our works can penalize us! Isn't it scary that our Lord Jesus used the word "assign". "Will assign him a place with the unbelievers", if that doesn't strike a good fear of God within a person, I do not know what will. Let's be careful how we live!
Maybe you are reading this and a good, healthy fear has come upon you. That is a good thing, that is the healthy fear of God. It is not too late to be truly repentant. Maybe you are a person who has never really understood that repentance takes work/action/deeds, to prove genuine. Maybe you are one who (not knowing better) took the easy way out and used arguments like "its not by works anyway" to defend your lawless actions. Maybe you have given God lipservice for years but you are living like hell during the week, and praising His name on Sunday. Take heart! He is gracious and forgiving once you "turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom"(James 9) I recommend reading "Joy and Gloom" in the devotional archive, but I will give a brief explanation. What James is saying is to partner my faith with action. Even though I feel like laughing, I will choose not to as an act of active faith...I will choose mourning over my sin instead. I may feel joyful, but I will voluntarily be saddened, faced with the knowledge I have offended the Lord. I will place my faith and actions together, making it an active repentance. James is saying the ball is in your court, it is your choice what you want to do with it. Then look at what will happen in James 4:10, after you have obeyed this call to "do deeds appropiate to repentance", "Humble yourselves (takes action) in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." OH PRAISE HIS NAME!! HALLELUJAH! He is so merciful and forgiving! See? He will lift you up! He will forgive you, but only with 'deeds appropriate to repentance'!
This has been such a confusing topic that even Bible critics allege Paul and James are not saying the same things when in reality they are. IN a quick nut shell, James' chapter 2 "works" are what Paul is talking about in Acts 26:20, and what John the Baptist is talking about in Matthew 3:8&9 which states, "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;"
I hope this teaching has helped explain the difference between work salvation, and deeds appropriate to repentance. I will probably write more about this later, as I may have done a poor job. But please, do not be a person who passively lumps legalistic observance of the law and true works of repentance together. Separate the difference and get a renewed fear of Him. Do not be a person who says, "I am not saved by works, so my deeds could not hinder me either!" You are (possibly on accident) blending two type of "works" that were never meant to be thought of the same. Remember, the men in Jesus' parable were judged by THEIR WORKS OF LAWLESSNESS. Please do not deceive yourselves.
If you have any questions or need my help, do not hesitate to contact me.
With Love,
Chris Goff
I would like to begin this topic with two verses, both spoken by the same apostle. The first is Acts 26:20 which states, "but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, PERFORMING DEEDS APPROPRIATE TO REPENTANCE." The second I want to look at is Ephesians 2:8&9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." So we see here, the same man is saying to "perform deeds appropriate to repentance" and then saying "it is not by works so no man can boast".
So this is my take on what is being said (God allows us to use scripture to interpret scripture). Everything takes work (i.e. effort), now when Paul speaks of "saved not by works" I think this is what he is saying, "Do not think for one moment God looked down from His throne and saw that you were righteous (doing what the law required) enough to come and save". Now the other 'works' or "deeds appropriate for repentance" also takes work. These are the actions (works, deeds) that back up my confession (which also takes work - it is not automatic). God set up the system in such a way that faith without actions cannot save me. So, when I say I am sorry and I want Jesus to redeem me, I have to take active steps in showing Him true repentance (active faith in turning from my sin). This is not to be confused with "work salvation" which says, "I obeyed all the ceremonial law, and performed all the law would require me to perform and that is why God will save me" or "I went to church, sang the hymns, bagged groceries for the poor all in the name of Jesus and that is why He will save me". So it basically boils down to James chapter 2, "faith without obedience (action, works, deeds appropriate to repentance) is dead" If this does not make sence, hopefully the next verse will aid in this discussion.
Let's look at Matthew 7:22 & 23. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." I like the New Living Translations version on vs. 23, it states, "But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, YOU WHO BREAK GOD'S LAWS (emphasis mine).'
Ok, now we have these men before the Jesus on the day of judgement and they are trying to argue that their works of "righteousness" should give them entrance into His kingdom. Do you see this? "Did we not prophesy in your name? and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" See, they did all of the "right" things a.k.a. hoping their works would save them. But what does our Savior say? "Depart from me you workers of lawlessness" or "get away from me, you who break God's laws". Now what "laws" is Jesus refering to here? The violation of moral law! See, they were judged on their lack of works of repentance, in fact, they worked the opposite, they were workers of iniquity! They figured since they did a "wonderful" job for Jesus, they wouldn't have to come through the narrow way, true repentance from moral degredation. Remember, I can say I am sorry all I want, but until I produce action to back that repentance up it will be dead...nonexistent. I can do wonderful things for the ministry all I want, but it will not save me unless I place true faith (which will be backed by 'deeds appropriate to repentance') Remember James rebuke in 2:19&20? "You believe God is one (faith). You do well; the demons also believe (faith) and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works (deeds appropriate to repentance) is useless?"
So what does this look like practically? The person who has 'prayed the prayer', gone to church for years and continues the affair he fell into, is not producing 'deeds appropriate to repentance'. The same type of person (who has 'prayed the prayer') who leaves their family for no good reason and continues in ministry, is trying to be saved by their works, but because they work iniquity, they will not be ok. The person who knows it is not ok to be drunk, and is causing a disrupt in peoples faith but still doing ministry will not be ok. Better yet, let me let Jesus do the talking here.
Luke 12:41-46
41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Note a few things. First it is clear this was a message given to the disciples, if not all of the people based upon verse 41, "Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" Second, we see this wicked servant was still "serving" in the house of God, but he began to be a worker of iniquity. So we see our works can penalize us! Isn't it scary that our Lord Jesus used the word "assign". "Will assign him a place with the unbelievers", if that doesn't strike a good fear of God within a person, I do not know what will. Let's be careful how we live!
Maybe you are reading this and a good, healthy fear has come upon you. That is a good thing, that is the healthy fear of God. It is not too late to be truly repentant. Maybe you are a person who has never really understood that repentance takes work/action/deeds, to prove genuine. Maybe you are one who (not knowing better) took the easy way out and used arguments like "its not by works anyway" to defend your lawless actions. Maybe you have given God lipservice for years but you are living like hell during the week, and praising His name on Sunday. Take heart! He is gracious and forgiving once you "turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom"(James 9) I recommend reading "Joy and Gloom" in the devotional archive, but I will give a brief explanation. What James is saying is to partner my faith with action. Even though I feel like laughing, I will choose not to as an act of active faith...I will choose mourning over my sin instead. I may feel joyful, but I will voluntarily be saddened, faced with the knowledge I have offended the Lord. I will place my faith and actions together, making it an active repentance. James is saying the ball is in your court, it is your choice what you want to do with it. Then look at what will happen in James 4:10, after you have obeyed this call to "do deeds appropiate to repentance", "Humble yourselves (takes action) in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." OH PRAISE HIS NAME!! HALLELUJAH! He is so merciful and forgiving! See? He will lift you up! He will forgive you, but only with 'deeds appropriate to repentance'!
This has been such a confusing topic that even Bible critics allege Paul and James are not saying the same things when in reality they are. IN a quick nut shell, James' chapter 2 "works" are what Paul is talking about in Acts 26:20, and what John the Baptist is talking about in Matthew 3:8&9 which states, "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;"
I hope this teaching has helped explain the difference between work salvation, and deeds appropriate to repentance. I will probably write more about this later, as I may have done a poor job. But please, do not be a person who passively lumps legalistic observance of the law and true works of repentance together. Separate the difference and get a renewed fear of Him. Do not be a person who says, "I am not saved by works, so my deeds could not hinder me either!" You are (possibly on accident) blending two type of "works" that were never meant to be thought of the same. Remember, the men in Jesus' parable were judged by THEIR WORKS OF LAWLESSNESS. Please do not deceive yourselves.
If you have any questions or need my help, do not hesitate to contact me.
With Love,
Chris Goff
Sunday, April 11, 2010
To Be Unforgiving Is To Hate?
Something came to me today that I think is a very important issue to press in on. The issue at hand is this - to hate is to be unforgiving and to be unforgiving is to hate. This might not sound profound to people, I am pretty sure we can all agree on the fact that if I am choosing not to forgive someone I am obviously holding onto something that they did to me that I will not release, which translates to hating that person. Hate is action just as love is action. The word "hate" means to "cherish animosity against". The manifestation of hate is unforgiveness, no? Let's look at 1John with this new information.
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." 1 John 2:9-11
So we see that unforgiveness is an act of hate, just as forgiveness is an act of love. SO I feel one could appropriately substitute the the phrase "does not forgive his brother" for the word "hate" and we would be within the bounds of scripture.
"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1 John 3:15
You have murdered them. You are more than likely murdering their character to others and they might as well be dead as far as you are concerned because you want nothing to do with them.
In Matthew 18 we have the parable of the unforgiving servant. To summarize (I recommend reading it) this servant begged his Master to give him more time to pay a debt, but the Master went ahead and forgave it totally. This servant then proceeds to choke another guy for not paying him the money he owed him. The word got back to the Master of that servant and the Master threw this man and his family in prison, handing them to their tormentors.
So why was what this servant did such a violation of the Master's standard? Because this servant was indirectly telling his Master that he was worthy of the Master's forgiveness but the man he was strangling was not worthy of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is the ultimate form of pride. You are saying with your actions that you were not that bad of a person; that you had the rights to forgiveness. So what does God do in response? He strips you of your forgiveness! So if unforgiveness is pride, we know that "He resists the prideful, but gives grace unto the humble." That word resist means "to stand against, oppose". And what a more full way for God to oppose an individual by not granting them the forgiveness they also desparately need.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:35
So this makes sense now. You are stooped in darkness if you refuse to forgive! 1 John 2:9-11 hit the nail on the head (refer above) But why are you in darkness? Because you are handed over to your tormentors, and what is more dark than giving the enemy a foothold in your life?
We need to transcend our narrow focus. If we choose not to forgive, we are not mature in our faith as this is the main, underlying value in our faith. If we do not forgive others (and yes, even if they didn't ask) we have a dim and arrogant view of our own sins in light of God's holiness. You are saying without saying that you were not that bad of a person.
So how do we overcome unforgiveness? By blitzing it with action! Faith without action is dead, right? So we see 1 John 1:7 states, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
Do you see this? He is basically saying this in a nutshell: "Put faith behind your actions through obedience even if you don't feel like it yet and then Jesus will swoop in with the supernatural feelings of genuine forgiveness." Allow me to explain myself. It says if I walk in the light as He is in the light ( which is to say, if I choose to do good as He chose to do good ) then, and ONLY THEN will Jesus' blood be appropriated to me to begin purifying me from my evil feelings towards an individual.
Remember the reaping and sowing principles we have discussed in earlier devotions? "Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, whatsoever a man sows, this will he also reap." Remember? If you sow to the Spirit you reap eternal life which is to know God better. If you sow to the flesh what do you have to reap? CORRUPTION!
So thats why hate and unforgiveness get worse and worse, becaus God is not mocked. Once we have knowledge from God, we are to act on that knowledge no matter how hard it is. The reason is so we can begin to receive healing from our broken feelings. The dictionary definition of forgiveness is "to cease to feel resentment against; pardon; to give up claim to requittal; to grant relief from payment." So until you are there (to forgiveness), you have not prayed through to forgiveness well enough and no, God does not understand why you hold onto your unforgiveness. I do not say that to be harsh but we have no Biblical excuses to remain hostile towards anybody! And I say this bluntly so no one walks away from this godly teaching moment giving themselves an excuse on why they have not forgiven someone yet.
Remember, faith without action is dead. He says through James, "Draw nigh unto me (you first) then I will draw near to you (Him second)." Let's not confuse this with our original calling to salvation, God always makes the first move, but this is in the context of a person already having saving knowledge.
So how do we draw nigh to God? By seeking Him in prayer and acting out our knowledge which translates to godly wisdom and active faith...the type of faith that gives me the ability to "Love those who curse me". Call the person you hate. Buy them a gift, something you would like to have yourself. Seek their forgiveness for the curses you have spoken against them. Pray for this person until you want them blessed! IT WORKS!! If you do not do this you are not saying no to me, you are saying a vehement no to God, because we are just facilitators of His wonderful truths. This opens amazing doors to potential salvation as well. LOVE THEM!! Not with your mouth but with your actions!! If you do this, God will honor your obedience and allow genuine, emotional healing from your wounds. You do not believe me? Seek it until it is found, you will see. But remember, sometimes broken feelings are still a result of God "handing us over to our tormentors" because we have refused to obey Him in this fundamental matter. Never forget that. If you do not have the emotional healing God desires for you, the fault lies not with God, but with your current application (or lack thereof) of His liberating truths. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" WHEN WE APPROPRIATE IT!
Here is a quote the Lord blessed me with today:
"When we act out our faith (i.e. obeying when its inconvenient), we tap into God's unlimited resources of grace for our own lives, the power to overcome (in changing how we feel towards something or someone). Without such resources we are subject to the enemy (tormentors Matthew 18:34) and we are powerless against his flaming arrows of bitterness and deceit."
So often times we want it backwards, we want the feeling to be obedient instead if disciplining ourselves to be obedient. God will not give you the "healing feeling" until you ACT on your FAITH!
Thanks for reading everyone! I pray this has blessed someone! Let's seek to know Him better so we can begin to receive healing, instead of stubbornly rebelling against His divine plan and only reaping feelings of greater hostility towards people who have wronged us, a.k.a. reaping corruption.
Love you brothers and sisters!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." 1 John 2:9-11
So we see that unforgiveness is an act of hate, just as forgiveness is an act of love. SO I feel one could appropriately substitute the the phrase "does not forgive his brother" for the word "hate" and we would be within the bounds of scripture.
"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1 John 3:15
You have murdered them. You are more than likely murdering their character to others and they might as well be dead as far as you are concerned because you want nothing to do with them.
In Matthew 18 we have the parable of the unforgiving servant. To summarize (I recommend reading it) this servant begged his Master to give him more time to pay a debt, but the Master went ahead and forgave it totally. This servant then proceeds to choke another guy for not paying him the money he owed him. The word got back to the Master of that servant and the Master threw this man and his family in prison, handing them to their tormentors.
So why was what this servant did such a violation of the Master's standard? Because this servant was indirectly telling his Master that he was worthy of the Master's forgiveness but the man he was strangling was not worthy of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is the ultimate form of pride. You are saying with your actions that you were not that bad of a person; that you had the rights to forgiveness. So what does God do in response? He strips you of your forgiveness! So if unforgiveness is pride, we know that "He resists the prideful, but gives grace unto the humble." That word resist means "to stand against, oppose". And what a more full way for God to oppose an individual by not granting them the forgiveness they also desparately need.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:35
So this makes sense now. You are stooped in darkness if you refuse to forgive! 1 John 2:9-11 hit the nail on the head (refer above) But why are you in darkness? Because you are handed over to your tormentors, and what is more dark than giving the enemy a foothold in your life?
We need to transcend our narrow focus. If we choose not to forgive, we are not mature in our faith as this is the main, underlying value in our faith. If we do not forgive others (and yes, even if they didn't ask) we have a dim and arrogant view of our own sins in light of God's holiness. You are saying without saying that you were not that bad of a person.
So how do we overcome unforgiveness? By blitzing it with action! Faith without action is dead, right? So we see 1 John 1:7 states, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
Do you see this? He is basically saying this in a nutshell: "Put faith behind your actions through obedience even if you don't feel like it yet and then Jesus will swoop in with the supernatural feelings of genuine forgiveness." Allow me to explain myself. It says if I walk in the light as He is in the light ( which is to say, if I choose to do good as He chose to do good ) then, and ONLY THEN will Jesus' blood be appropriated to me to begin purifying me from my evil feelings towards an individual.
Remember the reaping and sowing principles we have discussed in earlier devotions? "Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, whatsoever a man sows, this will he also reap." Remember? If you sow to the Spirit you reap eternal life which is to know God better. If you sow to the flesh what do you have to reap? CORRUPTION!
So thats why hate and unforgiveness get worse and worse, becaus God is not mocked. Once we have knowledge from God, we are to act on that knowledge no matter how hard it is. The reason is so we can begin to receive healing from our broken feelings. The dictionary definition of forgiveness is "to cease to feel resentment against; pardon; to give up claim to requittal; to grant relief from payment." So until you are there (to forgiveness), you have not prayed through to forgiveness well enough and no, God does not understand why you hold onto your unforgiveness. I do not say that to be harsh but we have no Biblical excuses to remain hostile towards anybody! And I say this bluntly so no one walks away from this godly teaching moment giving themselves an excuse on why they have not forgiven someone yet.
Remember, faith without action is dead. He says through James, "Draw nigh unto me (you first) then I will draw near to you (Him second)." Let's not confuse this with our original calling to salvation, God always makes the first move, but this is in the context of a person already having saving knowledge.
So how do we draw nigh to God? By seeking Him in prayer and acting out our knowledge which translates to godly wisdom and active faith...the type of faith that gives me the ability to "Love those who curse me". Call the person you hate. Buy them a gift, something you would like to have yourself. Seek their forgiveness for the curses you have spoken against them. Pray for this person until you want them blessed! IT WORKS!! If you do not do this you are not saying no to me, you are saying a vehement no to God, because we are just facilitators of His wonderful truths. This opens amazing doors to potential salvation as well. LOVE THEM!! Not with your mouth but with your actions!! If you do this, God will honor your obedience and allow genuine, emotional healing from your wounds. You do not believe me? Seek it until it is found, you will see. But remember, sometimes broken feelings are still a result of God "handing us over to our tormentors" because we have refused to obey Him in this fundamental matter. Never forget that. If you do not have the emotional healing God desires for you, the fault lies not with God, but with your current application (or lack thereof) of His liberating truths. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" WHEN WE APPROPRIATE IT!
Here is a quote the Lord blessed me with today:
"When we act out our faith (i.e. obeying when its inconvenient), we tap into God's unlimited resources of grace for our own lives, the power to overcome (in changing how we feel towards something or someone). Without such resources we are subject to the enemy (tormentors Matthew 18:34) and we are powerless against his flaming arrows of bitterness and deceit."
So often times we want it backwards, we want the feeling to be obedient instead if disciplining ourselves to be obedient. God will not give you the "healing feeling" until you ACT on your FAITH!
Thanks for reading everyone! I pray this has blessed someone! Let's seek to know Him better so we can begin to receive healing, instead of stubbornly rebelling against His divine plan and only reaping feelings of greater hostility towards people who have wronged us, a.k.a. reaping corruption.
Love you brothers and sisters!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Encouraging Quotes
Hey everyone! For this blog I wanted to use some quotes of Amy Carmichael that really has been a blessing the past couple of days. What an amazing woman of God. These quotes are from a book of hers called "If".
These quotes were both inspiring and convicting for me. I love the phrase "Calvary love" which is a.k.a. selfless love. It truly takes us partnering with the Holy Spirit to develop a selfless love. I think that is the litmus test of a true disciple of Christ because it is the main indicator of God's Spirit genuinely working in one's life.
I hope this was a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
"If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of calvary love."
"If I have not compassion on my fellowservant, even as my Lord had pity on me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?" Then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I can easily discuss the shortcomings and sins of any; if I can speak in a casual way even of a childs misdoings, then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I have not the patience of my Saviour with souls who grow slowly; if I know little of travail (a sharp and painful thing) till Christ be fully formed in them, then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I cast up a confessed, repented, and forsaken sin against another, and allow my rememberance of that sin to color my thinking and feed my suspicions, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I can hurt another by speaking faithfully without much preparation of spirit, and without hurting myself far more than I hurt that other, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the others highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I want to be known as the doer of something that has proved the right thing, or as the one who suggested that it should be done, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given a moment's room there; if the cup of spiritual flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"That which I know not, teach thou me, O lord, my God."
These quotes were both inspiring and convicting for me. I love the phrase "Calvary love" which is a.k.a. selfless love. It truly takes us partnering with the Holy Spirit to develop a selfless love. I think that is the litmus test of a true disciple of Christ because it is the main indicator of God's Spirit genuinely working in one's life.
I hope this was a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
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