Highway in the Wilderness

Discerning the Body (Eight Steps – Part 11)

Another quality that is needed to help us mature in Christ is brotherly love. The Apostle John wrote about the type of love that God expects from us. We must love God, not the world (1Jn. 2:15); we must not walk in sin (1Jn. 3:9); we must love others in the Body of Christ (1Jn. 3:14). In describing perfected love John says: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another…If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us” (1Jn. 4:11,12). We have heard all these things before but it is helpful to be reminded of them (2Pe. 1:12,13). As I mentioned in the last article, the Body of Christ has not yet reached the “fathers” level of maturity (1Jn. 2:13,14). In order for us to come to “a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), we must increase also in brotherly love.

Why do the scriptures encourage us to love the brethren and not just to love our neighbour? One reason is because the brethren are our closest neighbours. We must love in deed and in truth (1Jn. 3:18). The closer we are to people, the more we are affected by their imperfections as well as their love. Love matures in us as we love those who are not always perfect towards us. Growing in brotherly love will help us to develop the highest type of love, which is unconditional. It is much more difficult to love our enemies than to love the brethren. But, there are other reasons why we are exhorted to love the brethren.

God’s ultimate plan is to gather all things in heaven and on earth in unity in Christ (Eph. 1:10). Included in this is the plan to make for Himself a spiritual house, which is the Church. Having this understanding, we see a special need to help others fulfill God’s plan for their lives. In the early days of the Church, of the thousands that were converted on the day of Pentecost, many were Jews from all over the world. These, for certain, decided to delay their plans to return home in order to remain under the teaching of the apostles. The believers who resided in Jerusalem sold what they had and brought the proceeds to the Church so that all could remain together. The outpouring of the Spirit resulted in a change of focus from material things to spiritual things which expressed itself in unity and a love for the brethren.

As we gain an understanding of the Church, we realize that we cannot come to the fullness of what Christ has for each of us without the entire Body coming to maturity. The proper function of any member requires the proper function of the other members. Paul had a deep revelation of the Church. He said that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1Cor. 12:26). To be honest, I know this is true because it is in the scriptures, but I am only beginning to understand how it is true in practice. Even though I relate to God as an individual, I am still learning how to function corporately. I know in my mind that I must lose my independence, but how do I do that when it comes to fulfilling God’s purpose for my life? The process for maturing in this area requires that I discern the Body of Christ.

Just before Paul describes the functioning of the Body in 1Corinthians Chapter 12, he talks about the Lord’s Supper. In speaking of this he says something that is very difficult to understand: “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” (1Cor. 11:29,30) I know that many teachers believe this refers to having faith in Christ for healing. It is true that healing of our whole being is provided in His atoning sacrifice, but I do not believe that this is what Paul is referring to in these verses. Judgment has to do with sin so it must be that eating in an unworthy manner refers to participating in the Lord’s Supper without confessing known sins. What does this have to do with discerning the Lord’s body? First of all, it means that when I remember His death, I remember that I died with Him. I discern that I am now a member of His body. No sin is permitted to abide in His body, so when I remember my death with Him, I must confess sin and “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses me from all sin” (1Jn. 1:7). Also, I must discern that those with whom I am participating in the Lord’s Supper with are also members of His body. Just like I cannot come to the table of the Lord with sin in my heart, neither can they. Paul tells us that we should wait for one another (1Cor. 11:33) as we take communion. We wait for others to search their hearts as we must do. As part of our prayers, we forgive others so that we also will be forgiven (Mark 11:25,26).

The need for each member to obtain forgiveness is so important that the Lord says: “if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23,24) We do not need to go to them if they have sinned against us, but rather if we have sinned against them. It is not that our forgiveness from God depends on others, but rather that they will not be forgiven their own sins if they do not forgive us for our sins. The Lord forgives us when we ask, but He also cares so much for them that He wants us to help them forgive in order to avoid judgment. The Lord’s Supper is a precious time of communion but we must approach it in godly fear.

A great outpouring will come in these end times because the Church will come to understand and practice the discerning of the Lord’s body. A picture of this revival was given to the prophet Ezekiel. He saw a river flowing from the throne of God that started as a small stream but grew to be so wide and deep that it could not be crossed (Ezek. 47:1-12). This is the river of life that flows from the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, which is the Bride of Christ (Rev. 21-22). I asked the Lord how this river could grow as it went further away from the temple. The understanding I received is that, as individual believers, the living water flows from us (Jn. 7:38). As we come together in unity, however, the streams become a deep and wide river bringing healing to the nations. Individually we can be small steams but for the healing of the nations, we must lose our independence and become one deep river of life.

Godliness (Eight Steps – Part 10)

What is the highest level of spiritual maturity that we seek to attain? How do we know when we have reached it? Is it a state of sinless perfection? You can walk in victory over sin and the devil. This stage of maturity is not the highest, it represents the “young man” stage. At this level, you are able to overcome any “visible” scheme of the devil against your soul. It does not mean that you are without imperfections, it means that when a sin or wrong thought pattern is recognized, you immediately bring it into captivity to obey Christ. The Process of Transformation Diagram (Eight Steps Part 4) illustrates that as long as you walk in this natural life there will always be areas of your soul that need to be renewed. The young man stage is the level that the Body of Christ, in general, is currently seeking to achieve. The next three steps will help us to achieve the highest stage of spiritual maturity for us on this earth, which is the stage of “fathers” that the Apostle John referred to in his first epistle (1Jn. 2:12-14). Some are at this level, but the Body is not there yet. This is what we are moving towards. I will continue this teaching because it will serve as an understanding of where we are headed, and it will support those who are at that stage of growth. Even as I do this, I must emphasize again the need for you to continue to build a spiritual foundation to become an overcomer, which is the “young man” stage.

Godliness is the first of the last three qualities we need to obtain in “an increasing measure” (2Pe. 1:8 NIV). The word translated as “godliness” in the New Testament actually means “piety”, which is a devotion to God. Acquiring godliness is necessary in order to grow in the first five qualities, and it is necessary to help us obtain the last two qualities. We could say that love is the essence of maturity, faith is the means to obtain it, godliness is the framework, and the other qualities are essential components. What is godliness, then, if it is so important to maturity? It is a commitment to live in an obedient relationship with our Father and our Lord. Godliness is a devotion to God that is expressed in a relationship of love. It is how we abide in Christ and bear fruit.

This relationship of love is essential for our growth. To obtain it in an increasing measure means that we need some of it from the start but it will increase as we mature. There are different stages in the development of godliness. We need to set as a goal the highest level of relationship with the Lord, but we cannot obtain the fullness of this without growing through the different levels. Nearing the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus prepared His disciples for his death. He taught them the need to abide in Him as a branch abides in the vine (Jn. 15:1-17). He continued His instruction by telling them that they would face persecutions, but this abiding relationship would carry them through (Jn. 15:18-20). He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to help them walk in this abiding relationship (Jn. 15:26). At that time, Jesus told them that He would no longer call them servants, but friends (Jn. 15:15). In a similar manner, the Lord wants to relate to us as friends, but I do not think that we begin our walk with Him at this level.

The Bible says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10). Our devotion to God must begin in the fear of the Lord. At the start of our Christian life, it is normal for our fear of God to be a fear of punishment. We recognize the sin in our lives and we realize that the consequences of sin is death. As we come to trust in God’s love, this fear of punishment is removed (1Jn. 4:18). Then the fear of the Lord becomes more of a respect for God. In the beginning, we hesitate to call Jesus our “friend” because we are starting to know Him as our Lord and Master. When we realize that we are accepted by God because of His mercy, not because of our works, we respond by wanting to obey Him. We draw near to Him and He draws near to us. We grow in our knowledge of Him and our relationship matures. This is the increase of godliness in us.

Jesus started to call the disciples friends instead of servants because servants do not know what the master is doing (Jn. 15:15). As godliness increases in us, our devotion becomes a commitment to do what pleases Him, without Him having to ask. We seek to know what He is doing because we want to be where He is. The Lord once gave me a scripture to help change my obedience to that of a friend. I had been seeking to know His will but getting no answers. Finally, He showed me this passage in the book of Psalms: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Ps. 32:8.9 NIV) It came to my understanding that I was focussed on hearing and obeying commands, much like a horse is guided. Instead, He wanted me to receive the Word with understanding so that it would become a part of me. Even in the parable of the sower, He tells us that those who receive the word and bear fruit are those who receive it with understanding (Matt. 13:19,23). As a result, I moved from wanting to hear a prophetic word for guidance, to wanting to receive revelation knowledge. There is great value in receiving a prophetic word, but for me, it is for unlocking understanding. Sometimes, in reference to guidance, it is to provide a correction to my path, or it is necessary because the time has not yet come for God to give me the understanding.

It is important for us to begin our devotion to God as servants because even when we relate to Him as friends, we are still His servants. We are servants whom the Master treats as friends. There is another level of devotion that is higher than “friend”. The Apostle John demonstrated that level. He was described as the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn. 13:23; 19:26; 21:20). Mary, the sister of Lazarus, also demonstrated that level when she anointed Jesus before His death (Jn. 12:3-8). This level of devotion is expected of the Bride of Christ. We will increase in this measure of godliness when we obtain the next two qualities: brotherly kindness and love.

Understanding The Times

The days we are in are the “beginnings of sorrows” which precede the period of the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:8). They will bring many difficulties upon the earth. Even if you believe that Christians will be taken away before, or hidden during the Great Tribulation, you must understand that the Church must go through this time of tribulation. It is a deception to think that the Church will be taken away before any of this. These times of sorrows are necessary to move people to a point of decision. They will help to bring about the great end-time revival on the one hand, and on the other, the turning of many towards a false saviour, or man of lawlessness. As I write this, the world is just beginning to come out of the restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19. I can understand people’s desire for things to return to normal, and many are casting off caution, but what should be the attitude of Christians? If we take to heart the warning that this situation is, we will look beyond the temporal and seek to know the mind of the Lord from an eternal perspective.

We have entered the times for which Malachi declared: “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple…” (Mal. 3:1). Before the Lord comes “for” His Church, He will come “to” His Church. This will result in a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but also a time of refining for the Church (Mal. 3:2-5). The refining must come to the Church before wrath comes to the world. The refining will not necessarily be occurring at the same time as the revival, although there will be difficulties during the revival. Many will come to the Lord, but not all will come with the right motives. Only those who receive the Word in good soil will bear spiritual fruit. There are some who will receive the word with gladness, but “have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.” (Mk. 4:17) There are some also who will allow “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things” to choke the word so they will also fall away. I believe this is the great falling away that Paul said would occur before the revealing of the man of lawlessness (2Thess. 2:3). There must be a great ingathering before there is a great falling away. We do not want to be among those who fall away, but rather, we want to be among those who, “having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (Lu. 8:15)

This is the time to prepare for the Day of the Lord. The preparation I speak of is more spiritual than it is natural. There is wisdom in preparing a little in the natural, but it must not be in selfishness or unbelief. We must not be like the rich man who built barns to store food for the days ahead, but neglected his soul (Lu. 12:18). I think of Jesus feeding the multitudes. When the crowds were gathered to Him in desert places, He had compassion on them and multiplied what food they had. The same multiplication occurred when the widow was called upon to feed Elijah (1Ki. 17:8-16). Whatever we have must first be given to the Lord, as a seed of faith, which the Lord will multiply to feed those around us. If there is enough to share, then no multiplication is needed. Take for example the sharing of goods that occurred in the early church. Those who had goods sold them “and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” (Acts 2:45). Many of those converted on the day of Pentecost had travelled to Jerusalem from various areas across the world. Out of love, the local believers shared with them so they could stay longer in Jerusalem after the feast of Pentecost. Part of the Lord’s provision for believers is that those who have more should share with those have less (2Cor. 8:13-15). Even if we focus on natural preparations, who is to say that we will be able to use what we store? It may be in those days that our goods will be confiscated because we belong to Jesus. Or, it may be that we will have to flee to desert places, as Jesus told the disciples concerning the time of “the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). In preparing for those days, let us not worry about what we shall eat and drink and wear, but let us have faith and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matt. 6:25-34)

I see another parallel in the feeding of the multitudes for the end times. Not only is it an example of how the Lord will supernaturally care for the Church when we are not able to buy or sell, but it is also a symbol of how Christian communities will exist if we have to go into hiding. You may believe that Christians will be taken away before the Great Tribulation, but let us suppose for now, that the tribulations of the Church may include a time of persecution in which we will not be able to worship in churches. When we read of the feeding of four thousand in Mark Chapter 4, we find that Jesus instructed them to sit the people in groups of fifty and one hundred. I believe this represents cell groups and house churches. When we can have buildings to worship in, we should use them, but what if those are taken away? To prepare for those days, we should include small group ministry within our Christian communities. During the pandemic, congregations were not allowed to gather, so churches went online to minister to the people. What if the internet is taken away? Small group ministry is the best structure for the underground church.

The greatest preparation we should make for the end times is our devotion to the Lord. As we have been discussing in previous articles, we need to learn to overcome sin and the devil. Isaiah tells us that the Day of the Lord will be a time for the shaking of the earth in order to bring down everything that is proud and lofty (Is. 2:12, 19). We should humble ourselves and draw near to God (Jas. 4:8) with a noble and good heart (Lu. 8:15). With meekness, we should open our hearts to the word of God (Jas. 1:21), “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Tim. 3:16). This is not just reading our Bibles, this is listening to the Word that is spoken (rhema word), as we allow the Spirit to search our hearts and to feed us with what we need, according to His purpose.

A Heavenly Hope (Eight Steps – Part 9)

As we enter these last days, it is imperative that we complete our spiritual foundation and move on to maturity. There will be an increase in tribulations and in order to go through them victoriously, we must look beyond them. We must press on, as Paul stated, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ… That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on… I press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus… For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself.” (Phil. 3:8-15, 20-21) Early in my Christian walk, I was seeking the Lord about a vision for my ministry. This is the passage He led me to. The vision He wanted me to have was not about ministry, but about maturity and the hope of His return.

Do you notice something in this passage: “if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead”? Paul did not take it for granted that he would take part in the resurrection from the dead. This part of salvation is a hope; it is in the future. He goes on to tell the Philippians that many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ and their end will be destruction (Phil. 3:18-19). It is a deception to think that we can accept Christ and reap all the benefits of salvation, without obedience. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.” (1Cor. 6:9) Did Paul teach eternal security when he said: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14) If I am given a guarantee of something, I must hang on to it in order to reap its benefits. If I lose it, I have no benefits. The promise and the guarantee are God’s side of the covenant. The acceptance, by the obedience of faith, is our side of the covenant.

In the last article we talked about the need to develop perseverance. To successfully increase in perseverance, we need to have hope. These two work together to develop the character we need to overcome. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Ro. 5:3, 4) Hope speaks of something that we do not yet have. It is based on God’s promises. We walk in an assurance of faith that we will receive the things hoped for. Character gives us more hope because we find that as we are tested, we come through as overcomers. If Christ learned obedience through the things He suffered, so must we (Heb. 5:8). When we are tested, we find ourselves choosing Christ instead of the world. Usually our flesh is wounded, but our soul becomes more spiritual. We even find that we do not have to endure with our own strength: “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1Pe. 4:14) We should not fear tribulations because God is able to take us through them. The enemy will attack us with fear, but we must put on the helmet of hope to guard our minds (Eph. 6:17; 1Thess. 5:8).

One of the reasons for suffering is discipline, but there is another reason that Paul alluded to in this passage from Philippians: “according to the working by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself.” The writer of Hebrews says that we do not yet see all things under Christ. (Heb. 2:5-9) It is difficult sometimes to put into words what I see with my spirit. Let me try to explain it this way. When we accept Christ as our Saviour, we are baptized into His death and we receive a new life in Him. We are no longer our own. If Christ must rule until all His enemies are put under His feet, He must put all these enemies under His Body, which is the Church. There are principalities and powers that still rule over this world, which God could overthrow in an instant, but He knows that in doing so, countless souls would be lost with them. Christ is currently reconciling all things on earth and in heaven to Himself (Col. 1:20). My point is this: if we belong to Him, then should He not be able to involve us in this ministry of reconciliation? Of course this involves the preaching of the Gospel, but it also involves suffering for Him. This is what Paul meant when he said: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” (Col. 1:24) We must suffer to reach the souls that are still under his dominion.

The story of Job is difficult to understand because we always tend to interpret his sufferings as God wanting to deal with his character. I do not accept this interpretation because God told Satan that Job was “blameless and upright”. My understanding of Job’s experience is one of extending the kingdom of heaven. God saw someone on earth that He could depend upon to help gain a victory over the enemy. There are people, and possibly angels, who wonder at the goodness and power of God. He is working through the body of Christ “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). Job suffered a great deal for the sake of righteousness, but at the end he gained a new experience of the manifest presence of God, the influence of his message increased, and “God blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. (Job 42:12).

In closing, let me remind you of the promise of our Lord: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12) Let us put on the helmet of hope as we accept that through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

A Time of Preparation (Eight Steps – Part 8)

I recently heard a prophet of God declare that the Word of the Lord for 2020 is “Prepare!”, because starting in 2021 more difficult times will come, and the Church is not ready. I find it interesting that I started sharing articles on this website at the end of 2019 and my first article was entitled “Prepare the Way of the Lord”. As I posted articles, I was disappointed that too few people were reading them, but I could not stop writing. I felt that these messages were for the days ahead. As we move further into the year and into the next one, more believers will value holiness (without which we cannot see the Lord) (Heb. 12:14). As important as holiness is, however, I also want to tell you that there is more concerning spiritual maturity than victory over sin. In order to walk on the Highway of Holiness you need to first get on it, then you need to stay on it. The enemy uses many schemes to hinder our obedience to the Lord. Understanding his schemes is part of our preparation for the days ahead. If we are to become spiritual young men and be able to stand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13), we need to learn to overcome the wicked one (1Jn. 2:13,14).

In the first article of this series I shared about the eight qualities we need for spiritual success. In the second article (of this series) I discussed the stages of spiritual growth which help us to be diligent in acquiring these eight qualities (2Pe. 1:5-11). The next five articles were about securing our victory over sin, which represents the fourth quality, self-control. I say all this to encourage you to read those articles if you have not, and to read them again until you walk in victory. The fifth quality for us to obtain is perseverance, which is patient endurance. How do we obtain this quality? I think it starts with the right perspective: we need to prepare ourselves to endure. As we set our minds to endure, and we draw strength from God, the fruit of the Spirit called patience is established in us.

A few months after becoming a Christian, I had an encounter with someone I like to think of as my “angel”, although he was most likely human. I was walking the streets of Timmins, Ontario, while waiting to take a bus to my home town. As I crossed path with a man who was talking to himself, I thought surely he must be demon possessed. Sensing my fears, the enemy took that opportunity to torment me. The first thing I knew, the man started to follow me, all the time arguing with himself about why he had to change direction. When I arrived at the bus depot, I sat down on a bench. Then to my surprise, this man sat down on the same bench, still arguing about why he was there. The last thing I wanted was for him to board the bus and sit down beside me. I started to pray “Father in Heaven, deliver me from evil.” Almost immediately, a man on crutches came and sat down on the bench next to me. He seemed quite aware of the other man at the end of the bench. Somehow he knew what was going on so he asked if I was a believer. After explaining that I had recently accepted Jesus as my Saviour, he proceeded to encourage me. He told me that as Christians we should expect to be persecuted. He explained that like salmon, we had to keep swimming upstream. The reason he was on crutches, he said, was because someone had purposely hit him with an automobile because of his witness. As we talked, peace settle over me and the “troubled” man got up and left. I boarded the bus with no further hindrance, thinking “Wow! I must have been visited by an angel”. Whoever it was, I never forgot his message.

We are told in the book of Revelations how believers in the end times will overcome the devil: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the death.” (Rev. 12:11) We overcome the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10) by the blood of the Lamb as we gain victory over sin. The word of our testimony, or the testimony of Jesus, is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10), which is speaking by the inspiration of God (1Pe. 4:11). There is a third weapon listed here, but in my first years as a Christian I only heard about the first two. When I started to understand the message of the cross, I saw that “not loving our own lives” is also required for our victory. We need to live crucified to this world, and we need to walk in the Spirit by faith.

To be victorious later when great trials come, you need to be victorious now in the small trials. This is another reason why victory over sin is so important. How will you be able to stand against the enemy if selfishness is still in your heart? Before you know it, you may deny the Lord as you seek to protect yourself. Now is the time to develop the character that you will need when more challenging times come. You cannot put off preparing for the day of the Lord until things get worse. If you harden your heart now, you will be like the foolish maidens who were not ready when the Bridegroom came (Matt. 25:1-13). This hardness comes through the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13). You need to grow in the discernment of evil so that the “one who deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9) does not deceive you also. Paul said that before the man of sin is revealed, there will be a great falling away (2Thess. 2:3). Deception is a major assignment for the end times. Don’t let the enemy get you off the Highway of Holiness through deception.

Also, do not let him get you off the Way through discouragement. If he can’t deceive you, then he will try to stop you through persecution. Make up your mind right now to accept suffering for the sake of righteousness. It may mean that you get less money back on a claim because you refuse to lie. Or it may mean that you admit to doing something wrong, even if it brings negative consequences. The rewards of obedience will far outweigh the cost of suffering. Let me close with Peter’s exhortation to those who suffered before us: “In this (your salvation) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1Pe. 1:6,7)

Sanctifying the Spirit (Eight Steps – Part 7)

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the spirit? This topic is the source of many troubles in our lives because it is little understood. Is there a process for renewing the spirit that is different than the one for renewing the mind? The prophet David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). What did he mean? To explains this, I would like us to consider the three parts of man: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit of a person is recreated (born again) when that person accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour. As we walk with God in our new life, our soul is going through transformation. When the resurrection of the dead occurs, our body will be transformed. Sin is a power that abides in our human bodies, even after salvation. (Please refer to my article on The Process of Transformation for more about this.)

We can sin in the body and we can sin in the soul. Can we also sin in our spirit? Jesus told the disciples that our spirit is willing to obey God (Matt. 26:41), so the sin problem is not in our spirit, it is in our soul. I believe the psalmist was referring to the spirit of the mind, not the spirit of man, as Scripture says: “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23). Although it is possible for the newly created spirit of man to sin against God, it is not what normally occurs with Christians. Such a sin is called apostasy, which cannot be committed accidentally. For more information on this type of sin please read Matt. 12:31; 1Jn. 5:16-17 and Heb. 6:4-6.

Paul also was talking about the spirit of the mind when he said: “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2Co. 7:1). We could say that the spirit of the mind is an underlying attitude behind our thoughts. As we discussed in earlier articles, the Bible describes this as an argument (or thought structure), which is a stronghold of the enemy (2Co. 10:3-6). The power behind this attitude is a spirit. I am not talking about demon “possession”, but I am talking about their “influence”. There are different levels of demonic powers described in Ephesians 6:12 and they all attempt to influence mankind according to their sphere of authority. Depending on the type of power and how deeply rooted their influence is, the spirit may need casting out, or it may only need rebuking. Either way, we need to resist the enemy with the weapons of our warfare which are quite able to destroy these strongholds.

We need to know what we are fighting against in order to wage proper warfare. As Christians, we are not of this world but we walk in the world and that is what we fight against. There are three areas that sin works through because of the fall of man: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1Jn. 2:15). In Ephesians, Paul describes these as the desires of the flesh and the desires of the mind (Eph. 2:2-3). It is the latter that I wish to focus on in this article. The enemy has established various strongholds of beliefs in the world system. He has worked them into the wisdom of this world through the pride of man. Even ideologies that we consider “spiritual” are actually “desires of the mind”. They rise up against God, or against Christ, through whom alone we may obtain salvation. Some examples of these strongholds are communism, humanism, and world religions (including New Age religions). They find acceptance in the world because they offer something mankind needs or wants. The problem with the wisdom of the world is that it originates from the enemy, who is a deceiver. What he offers as help is really meant to destroy us.

What if we have unknowingly yielded to some of these deceptions? I think in particular of the eastern religions. The spirit of these has found its way into sports such as the martial arts, exercise programs such as yoga, and health treatment practices such as acupuncture. The prophet Isaiah, in describing the condition of the Jewish nation before the Babylonian deportation, said that “they are filled with eastern ways” (Is. 2:6). I fear that much of the Church has not been discerning this evil and it will have consequences. It has immediate consequences like limiting the grace of God in our lives, but it may also bring judgment. Peter was clear in stating that judgment must begin with the house of God (1Pe. 4:17). Judgment is part of God’s discipline. Paul said: “But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1Co. 11:32). The idea that judgment will not come to believers is a great deception. The blood of Jesus only covers sin that has been confessed. We can ask forgiveness for sins we are not aware of, but our behaviour will not change unless we repent. God will discipline us to change our behaviour.

May I speak personally? The spirit behind some of these eastern religions is the spirit of divination. I had a personal battle against this spirit during my first year as a Christian, which has led me to be very sensitive to its influences. As a teacher, I have also been very susceptible to the influences of sin through the pride of life. To be able to instruct others, I must gather a great deal of knowledge and understanding. I do not realize it when, at times, I begin to demonstrate an attitude of pride or arrogance. It is only through comments by others that I am prompted to take a closer look. As I write this article, I am under mandatory self isolation for having come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. I have read and meditated on Psalm 91 where it says that no plague shall come near my dwelling. Why is it then that I have been experiencing mild symptoms for a few days now? Am I fearful? No, just humbled. I am not the spiritual giant that I would like to be. Will I give in to this attack? No, I run into the shelter of the Most High. I call upon Him and cast my love upon Him, and He will deliver me! Even this morning in worship, as I was wondering about my need for healing and protection, I felt the Lord ask me what was more important to me, healing or holiness? Such questions cause me to refocus and recommit to the pursuit of righteousness above all physical needs.

So now I ask you my reader, what is more important to you? What do you focus your prayers upon? What do you apply your faith to? Do you hunger after righteousness or for things that you need in this life? I urge you therefore to claim His “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pe. 1:4).

Staying Focused (Eight Steps Part 6)

We began this series listing eight qualities needed for spiritual maturity. With the current pandemic situation gripping the world, we need to stay focused. It does not mean that we ignore the crisis, it means that we keep our eyes on the Lord. It is a trial and we must go through it as overcomers. The way to victory is through faith, as we stay focussed on our goal to be perfected in love.

In this article I don’t want to start a discussion on why this pandemic is going on. Good comes out of every situation, so I want to stay focussed on the good that will come out of it. James tells us that the testing or our faith produces patience, which helps us grow spiritually. (See James 1:2-6) James goes on to tell us that as we go through trials, we should seek wisdom from God. Wisdom is applied knowledge. It involves the renewing of our minds to the Word of God, the submission or our will to God’s will, and the expression of His life through us by the obedience of faith. With wisdom comes discernment and understanding. (See Prov. 2:1-11) We need to discern between good and evil in ourselves in order to come to maturity. (Heb. 5:14) We need understanding in order to maintain the victories that we are given. (See Ps. 32:8-9) We have a promise from God that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, he will flee from us. (Jas. 4:7)

So, how do I submit to God in a trial? I guard my heart so that no doubt or evil thought settles in. That includes any type of fear or selfishness. I seek to remain humble enough to know that some of these thoughts could find their way into my heart, so I pray “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24) Then, I incline my ear to wisdom, I apply my heart to understanding, and I cry out for discernment. (Prov. 2:1-3) If I do this, I will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Prov. 2:5)

What is the fear of the Lord? It is a reverence, a respect for who God is. He is all knowing, all powerful, and I cannot come near Him unless He permits me. The good news is that He has opened the way for me to obtain mercy and grace to help in my time of need. (Heb. 4:16) I can come boldly (not arrogantly) before Him by the blood of Jesus. (Heb. 10:19) The fear of the Lord also means that I recognize He is just and that I must give an account to Him for all my actions. (See Rom. 14:12; 1Co. 3:.13-15; 2Co. 5:10) To fear the Lord, therefore, is to hate evil. (Prov. 8:13) Every type of sin brings death so it is imperative that I recognize it and remove it at the root. The fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 9:10)

As stated above, discernment comes with wisdom. I need discernment because some problems are deeply rooted in wrong understanding and beliefs. There are strongholds of the enemy in my life that I may not be aware of. (2Co. 10:3-5) Since I don’t know the problem exists, I need to be placed in some type of circumstance that will cause it to rise up. If any behaviour occurs in me that is not in line with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), I recognize that as the works of the flesh. I need to repent for that behaviour, but in order to overcome it, I need to discern the root of the problem. I have been taught to look for the root in three main areas: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1Jn. 2:16) This is the nature of sin that came into all humans because of the fall of man. (Gen. 3:6) As I explained in the article on the Process of Transformation, my struggle is against “sin” which lives in my natural body. This force of sin operates through the parts of my soul that have not yet been transformed. I put to death the works of the flesh by faith with the help of the Holy Spirit. (Ro. 8:13)

Let me give you an example in my own life to illustrate this process. When I came to the Lord at the age of 20, I had a serious problem with the fear of man. One day, while walking through Queen’s Park in Toronto, I found a tract with The Lord’s Prayer printed on it. When I looked up, I could see in the distance a man sitting up against a building with his head down. It looked like he had a gun in his hand, and he appeared wounded. There was a strong impression in me to give this man the prayer card. Well, there was no way I could do that. As I continued to argue with the Lord, some police officers arrived and approached the man. He did not resist them. By this time there was no longer a threat of harm, but I still could not find the courage to go up and ask if I could give the man the prayer card. I continued on my way feeling like I had let the Lord down, and of course I had. I later repented of my failure but I did not want to fail again so I sought the Lord for deliverance from this fear. He led me through some healing of past hurts where this fear had found a foothold. Remembering those situations was part of the needed discernment. I had to forgive those who had offended me. I also had to repent of the decisions I had made to protect myself. The Lord showed me that this fear was rooted in the pride of life. I did not want to sin against the Lord but this behaviour was such a stronghold in me that I had to admit I did not know how to live without it. It was like a security for me. It is difficult to let something go if you think you need it. So, I asked the Lord how I could act in situations if I had no fear. He showed me through His Word, especially in Proverbs, that I needed to get wisdom. This is how I came to seek after wisdom with all my heart.

The trials I go through are never pleasant, but when I realize the fruit that can come out of them, I can be thankful in every circumstance. (1Thess. 5:18) I don’t thank God for something the devil does, but I thank God in the situation because He will help me through it. He is big enough to cause all things to work together for my good because I love Him and He has called me according to His purpose. (Ro. 8:28)

Dying Daily (Eight Steps – Part 5)

When I received Christ by faith, I was baptized into the death of our Lord, and my spirit was raised with Him to a new life. My old nature was crucified with Him, so I am no longer a slave to sin. By faith, I walk in victory. So, why then do I still sin?

In the last article, I explained the Process of Transformation. As my mind gets renewed, my soul becomes more spiritual. My life expresses more and more the life of Christ, Who lives in me. To walk in victory, it is very helpful for me to understand which part of me has already died, and which part still needs to die. Once something dies, it is dead and it need not die again. For Christians, the Bible does not talk about us dying, it speaks of natural death as “falling asleep”. We have been recreated as spirit beings with eternal life. I do not only have an eternal spirit, but also an eternal soul which is growing spiritually. When our body goes through natural death, we put off the temporary dwelling of our spirit and soul.

As long as I walk with the Lord, my soul is going through transformation. To stand in victory over the power of sin, I must believe what the scriptures say about the death of the old nature. How do I explain then the fact that there are thought patterns in me that look like they belong to the old nature? It is my renewed mind. The instructions, the experiences, the hereditary tendencies, they all remain in me. My nature has changed, but now my thinking must change. As Christians we are taught to bear our cross, to live crucified to this world and alive towards God. This means I must daily put to death the behaviours that are not according to the new nature the God has given me. In Colossians Chapter three, Paul says: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God….Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth” (Col. 3:2,3,5) The members he is referring to are behaviours like anger, malice, lying, etc.

Putting to death the old ways can be a challenge because some of those patterns are deeply rooted. As we discussed in a previous article, the process of transformation is a process of repentance and faith. Essential to this process is “accountability”. Forgiveness is freely given by grace, but there can be no forgiveness without confession and no change without repentance. I cannot cooperate with the Holy Spirit for transformation if I do not “own” the behaviour. I cannot blame others, the devil, or my old nature for my sins. It is as David confessed, “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight” (Ps. 51:4). I must repent for my sinful behaviour, and by faith take a stand that because I died with Christ, sin will not have dominion over me. (This is the power of the cross.) In true repentance then, I must die to the thoughts and desires of the flesh. I renounce these ungodly ways, and if there are any demonic strongholds, I cry out to God for deliverance. He is quite able to forgive me and to deliver me.

This dying process is not pleasant, and neither is it instantaneous. The sinful behaviour may be rooted in wrong thoughts and beliefs. The Spirit leads me through the dying process as I learn to discern between good and evil. If I try to rush the process, the problem may spring up again and cause more trouble. It is imperative that I remain on the altar as a “living sacrifice” (Ro. 12:1). Jesus said the grain must die and stay in the ground a while before it can bear fruit. This is the burial period before the resurrection

How do I know if the behaviour has been pulled out by the roots? I must repent, not just for the behaviour, but also for the wrong belief that it is rooted in (i.e. I must renew my thinking). Let me share with you an experience the Lord used to illustrate this process to me. As a young believer I was struggling with giving up smoking. When I finally became convinced that He wanted me to give it up, I asked Him for a help to overcome. It came through a scripture, “for it is good that the heart be established by grace and not by food” (Heb. 13:9). That scripture in context is talking about religion, but the way the Lord used it in my situation was to reveal the root cause of my habit. He showed me that I was depending on this drug to strengthen my heart. I smoked when I was nervous, especially while socializing. He showed me that this drug, which was pretending to be part of my character, was not really me. I was being deceived. He also showed me that if I looked to Him for grace, I would get real character, which would remain with me even when I went to heaven. I know that now to mean that Christ would be formed in me. Because I wanted this grace instead of food, I decided to fast for three day to get the victory. Every time I was tempted, I prayed for grace. More and more the presence of the Lord would fill me. I never wanted to go back to the old ways. After three days, the physical battle was won. The psychological aspects of the habit took a little longer to die to, but the process was the same.

It is not enough to die to the old ways, we must also rise up and walk in new ways by faith. If we do not replace the wrong thought with good thoughts, the wrong ones will return, or others will take their place. As we look to the Lord, He will give us His Word which is spirit and life.

Process of Transformation (Eight Steps – Part 4)

There is a continual battle in us between the flesh and the Spirit. Having victory over sin does not mean that this conflict ends. It means that we move from victory to victory. We take possession of the land that God has promised to give us. In the article “The Message of the Cross”, I emphasized the fact stated in Romans 8:13 that we must, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh. We are able to do this because we have been set free from the power of sin, through our death in Christ. In this article I will show you how to work with the Holy Spirit to possess your soul.

In Romans 12:2 the Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be conformed to this world but we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we can prove (demonstrate) what the will of God is. Transformation is a process of repentance and faith; it is not just about changing our thinking. Before repentance comes, there must be an awareness of wrong. This is usually rooted in a wrongful thought process and belief. Through instruction or negative experiences, we have come to believe something that leads us to wrong behaviour. We need the Holy Spirit to reveal this to us and then to help us overcome that behaviour. Sometimes this wrongful way of thinking has actually become a stronghold, but “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co. 10:4-5) The Word of God will bring instruction and reproof, allowing us to discern between good and evil. The blood of Jesus will free us from condemnation and the power of demonic forces, even though we have been guilty. Then, the grace of God will enable us to walk uprightly after we have chosen to repent and to believe God.

The diagram below will help to illustrate this process.

Salvation of Spirit, Soul and Body:

Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would sanctify them completely and preserve their whole spirit, soul and body (1Thess. 5:23). I like to think of spiritual maturity as the transformation of our soul. There is a part of us that has already been saved; this is our spirit. There is a part of us that has not yet been saved; this is our body. There is also a part of us that is in the process of being saved; that is our soul. We can represent these three parts of man as circles.

Newly Created Spirit:

When we accepted Christ as our Saviour, we became a new creation (2Co. 5:17). God gave us a new spirit, which we can think of as the New Man (Col. 3:9-10). The old spirit was crucified (Ro. 6:6) and we were born again with a new spirit. God now lives with our new spirit in the center of our being, our heart (1Co. 6:17).

Spiritual Soul:

Note that in this diagram, the spirit is separated from the soul by a solid line where transformation has not occurred, and by a broken line where transformation has occurred. It is difficult to separate between soul and spirit when the natures are the same (Heb. 4:12). God wants our soul to become spiritual; to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Sin is in the body:

The reason for the conflict in our soul is the presence of “sin” in our body (Ro. 7:17). The body is not evil in itself, but “sin” lives in our body because of the fall of man. We will receive a new body at the resurrection but in this life, we must overcome sin. I like the way the Lord explained this to Cain when his sacrifice had not been accepted: “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen. 4:7)

Spirit and Flesh Conflict:

In between the area of our soul that has been transformed, and the area that has not yet been transformed, there is the area of conflict. As long as we walk in this natural body, we will experience the flesh and spirit conflict. This is where we are taking possession of our soul with the help of the Holy Spirit (Ro. 8:13). After we overcome sin in one area, the Lord will move us to another area. The process becomes less difficult as we learn to yield to the work of God in our lives. As we possess more of our soul, the life of Christ is expressed through us more consistently (Col. 3.3).
As born again believers we can be carnally minded, which will produce death, or we can be spiritually minded, which will produce life (Ro. 8:6). ). The problem is that we do not always know when some of our thinking is carnal. This is the reason for trials. James 1:1-2 says that trials produce patience (perseverance) which will make us perfect (mature in character).
While we are experiencing conflict, we may not feel very spiritual. Our emotions may still be wounded and our will still captive to the wisdom of this world. But take heart, our flesh may be weak, but our spirit is willing to obey God (Matt. 26:41).
We will gain the victory as we repent and stand in faith that the power of sin is defeated over us. We reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Ro. 6:11). As we choose to walk in the Spirit, we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

As we go through this Process of Transformation, “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Co. 3:18)

The Message of the Cross (Eight Steps – Part 3)

To walk in victory as a Christian, you need to have established your faith on a good foundation. The message of the Cross is one of those foundational teachings. As you read this article and the next one, you will gain an understanding of this truth which will set you free from the power of any sin.

Let’s begin with Romans Chapter 6 where we read that we have victory over sin through death. “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (Ro. 6:6-7) When I first became a Christian, I read about the need to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro. 6:11) I was taught that victory would come by experiencing this state of “having reckoned myself dead to sin”. I understood it in the context of “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20a)

Around that time, while living in Toronto, Ontario, I attended meetings conducted by evangelists from a revival that was occurring in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. One of the ministers prayed with me that the Lord would crucify my flesh. I had a wonderful experience of surrender where I knew that I was dead and Christ was my life. I walked in this cloud of glory for a few days, until I faced a few spiritual situations which I did not know how to handle. Like Peter on the water, I looked at my circumstance and began to sink. Then the Lord showed me where my thinking was wrong. He showed me that even though I was crucified with Christ, I was still alive. Galatians 2:20 also says “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” All those teachings on “reckoning myself dead to sin” had not emphasized living by faith in Christ. I had to realize that even though I needed to die, I also needed to live. This may seem obvious to you, but to me at the time, everything was about learning to die and to let Christ live in me, not for me to live. Thus began my search to understand the walk of faith. How do we walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh? (Gal. 5:16)

We all have some form of understanding about living the crucified life, but it wasn’t until about fifteen years later that I was able to view it in the context of spirit, soul and body. Looking back over my experience in Toronto, I understand now that being dead to this world and alive to God is more than yielding my body to the Lord for Him to live through me. It is yielding my full being to Him. He does not want to bypass my soul to live in my body, but rather transform my soul so that my will is His will and my thoughts are His thoughts. My emotions and my actions, which come out of my thoughts and choices, are mine but they should reflect His will and His thoughts, which I must be conformed to.

So far I have not said anything new or profound, but we must agree on these basic principles before we consider the next one. While trying to put into words our victory over sin, the Spirit showed me in Colossians 3:9-10 that we have put off the Old Man and we have put on the New Man. This is past tense. Right away I turned to Ephesians 4:22-24. In that passage, the verb is present tense, like we need to continue putting off the Old Man and putting on the New Man. Scripture should not contradict itself, so I decided to look at the original text in my Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. In Colossians the English translation of the original Greek is “having put off” and “having put on”, just as has been translated in most English versions. In Ephesians, where the common translation is present tense, the Greek words are also past tense, “have put off” and “have put on”. The translators of the English New Testament should have used a past tense for Ephesians 4:22-24 just like they did for Colossians 3:9-10. If this is correct, it should be confirmed by other scriptures. Isn’t that what 2Corinthians 5:17 says? “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” Also, isn’t that what we read earlier in Romans 6:6 that “our old man was crucified.” If we want to overcome sin by faith, we need to know the truth that sets us free. The truth is that we died to sin when the Spirit baptized us into Christ. The old nature that was a slave to sin is no longer alive in us. Sin has no power or authority over us because the old nature that was subject to sin is now dead. We need to stand by faith on this truth.

So, if the Old Man truly is dead, why then do I still struggle with sin? The problem is in our soul: our mind, will and emotions which still need to be transformed. There is a force that we fight against, but Paul calls it “sin”, not the old man (see Romans Chapter 7). Our faith must rest in what Christ has done. We have died and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3) We continue to die daily, however, but it is not by crucifying again the old man. It is the process of continually putting to death the ways of the old nature. We die daily to the desires of the flesh, which are imbedded in the areas of our soul that have not yet been transformed. As Paul says in Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

This process of continually dying to the ways of the old nature is part of the Process of Transformation described in Romans 12:1-2. In my next article, I will continue to explain our victory over sin in the context of our spirit, soul and body. This understanding will help you to be an overcomer through faith in your identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.