Mercy

 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:18). 

Mercy is a foundational principal in the Kingdom of God.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5:7).  To “love” mercy is more than just appreciating it.  It means we treasure it; we seek to understand it; and we seek to walk in it.  “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.” (Prov. 3:3,4).  The word “mercy” is used to express kindness as well as forgiveness.  The author of Hebrews described mercy as part of God’s grace (Heb. 4:16).  Grace is His mercy (forgiveness) and help which we do not deserve.  It is God’s unmerited favor.  To love mercy is to offer forgiveness and kindness to others even when they do not deserve it.  

Why is mercy so important?  “Judgment is without mercy to the one who shows no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Jas. 2:13).  God takes no pleasure in executing judgment, so He is patient and continues to work to call all men to repentance (2Pe. 3:9).  Judgment on evil will come, however, because it is necessary for the good of the righteous.  In His parable on forgiveness, Jesus compared the Father to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants (Matt. 18:21-35).  He had mercy on a servant but was angry when that same servant failed to have mercy on his fellow servant.  In response, the king delivered this servant to the torturers (jailer) as punishment for his debt.  “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (vs.35).  Forgiving others is not an option, and neither is it easy.  That is why Peter asked how many times we should forgive the same person (vs. 21).  We can do it with the help of the Lord, as we choose to forgive by faith.  “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17).

It is important to see in this parable that the punishment came because of debt.  When the servant failed to obtain mercy, he was delivered to punishment for his outstanding debt.  Unless we understand our guilt for sin, we will not value mercy.  The servant who failed to offer mercy to others did not appreciate mercy.  He did not understand undeserved kindness; instead, he thought he earned the forgiveness of debt by persuasive speech.  When we value the mercy of God, we respond with thankfulness and love.  “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Lu. 7:47). 

Even beyond our need to be forgiven, we should consider the other person’s need.  God is love and He wants His children to be like Him; to have His nature (2Pe. 1:4).  “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Lu. 6:36).  Understanding our need for mercy, and being thankful for the mercy received, we must respond with love to others.  We must realize that unless our brothers or sisters obtain mercy, they likewise will suffer punishment for their sins.  It is imperative that we help them receive the same grace.  This is the reason why Jesus said, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23,24).  The Lord wants our offering, but what is more important to Him is that we love others.  If we have sinned against someone, we can be forgiven by the Lord through repentance, but what about the person we offended?  If they are holding unforgiveness, they will not be able to obtain forgiveness for their own sins and as a result will suffer punishment.  The devil will continually accuse them before the throne of God (Rev. 12:10) until God releases them for punishment.  Jesus wants us to help them obtain mercy.

Before we go to them we need to have already done something.  Without this, we are not even in a right relationship with God, much less able to offer Him a gift. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25).  If our brother has something against us, it is very likely that we have something against them because there are two sides to any conflict.  Mercy is underserved so the other person does not have to say they are sorry before they are offered kindness and forgiveness.  Offering forgiveness unconditionally is not natural, but it is powerful when done by faith.  “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 18:18).  On many occasions, I have found that when I forgive from the heart, verbalizing it in the spirit, the person is released to repent and obtain forgiveness.  It is not that the person cannot repent without my forgiveness, but my act of faith helps them obtain grace. 

By now you must be wondering, “Why is it so difficult to offer God a gift?”  The reason is quite simple, the sacrifice acceptable to God is a surrendered life (Rom. 12:1).  When you are ready to go to your brother, you must go in humility.  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17).  Our own wounds blind us to our sins but when we have forgiven, we are more sensitive to the convictions of the Spirit.  “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.” (Matt. 5:25).  Having surrendered your life to God, you must give up defending yourself.

When we seek to “love” mercy, we make it our aim to walk in it.  It requires humility and faith.  “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:18,21).

Authority of Faith

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jer. 15:16)

When we come to know the Lord, we discover His words.  We discover them to be spirit and life (Jn. 6:63).  One of the passages in the Scriptures that has impacted my walk in a great way is about the faith of the centurion (Lu. 7:1-10).  What Jesus said about this man’s faith caught my attention: “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Vs. 9).  Like a seed, this word was planted in my heart and I meditated upon it to receive understanding. (Matt. 13:23).  Like a fruitful tree, it has grown in my life and has found expression in many ways.  In my last article, I described the practice of exercising authority in worship services.  In another article (Faith is Contagious), I described how we can exercise authority over nature.  Even when challenged by demonic forces, I have found the authority of the Lord rising from within me.  I have discovered that it does not depend on me, but it comes from the Spirit of God within me.

As much as I would love to impart to you the same understanding that I have received on the authority of faith, I also know that it must come to you by revelation.  If what I share in this article bears witness with your spirit, then I encourage you to meditate on it until you receive spiritual understanding.  You may have already heard the things I say, but you must be careful not to become dull of hearing.  The understanding must go deeper than your mind; it must be a matter of the heart.  Then from your heart will come the same kind of faith.  I am saying all this because great faith is not complicated.  It comes from the simple realization that all authority is from God (Rom. 1:1).  Then, if God has all authority, we as His creation must come under that authority.  It is one thing to assert this with our minds; it is quite something else to humble ourselves before Him in all circumstances.  What we know with our minds is not always expressed in our walk.  That is why we must grow in grace.  Even as I teach this important concept, I realize myself how much more of its truth must continue to grow in me.

What can we learn from the centurion about faith?  First, his faith was genuine, it had actions (Jas. 2:17).  The elders said of him, “he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue” (Vs. 5).  Like the centurion in Acts Chapter 10, he believed in God and believed the reports about Jesus (Vs. 3).  He must have heard about Jesus healing the sick and casting out devils.  Jesus had been to Capernaum before and the people had been astonished at His ministry, “For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Lu. 4:36).  God recognizes the faith of a person even before they hear the gospel, but when the message is preached, all are required to repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15).

Secondly, he understood delegated authority.  “I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. (Vs. 8).  When he said, “I also” he was confessing that Jesus had authority from God, just like he had authority from Rome.  He understood that this authority was administered by commands, which could be supported by force when necessary.  It does not take faith to recognize earthly authority, but the eyes of faith are required to recognize spiritual authority.  Believing that Jesus was from God, he had confidence to request healing on the behalf of his servant.

More important than having this understanding was his humility.  Even though he was a military officer, he did not think himself worthy to have Jesus enter his home.  How different his response was compared to Naaman, the Syrian commander, who was healed from leprosy in the days of Elisha (2Ki. 5:1-14).  Naaman went to the home of Elisha and was offended that the prophet did not even come out to meet him but sent word through a servant.  If it were not for the faith of his servants, and the mercy of God, Naaman would not have been healed.  The centurion, on the other hand, was not offended that God had chosen the Jews as His people.  He knew, that as a Gentile, he could not receive the Lord into his home without offending the people he wanted to serve.  Yet, he had enough faith to believe that the Lord was bigger than circumstances and that He could heal his servant by just speaking the word.

Because of his humility, the centurion understood how to be “under authority” while also being “in authority” (vs. 8).  He did not view authority as a source of personal power, but as an opportunity for service.  As a leader, he understood his responsibility before God for the good of those in his care.  As Paul explained, “For he (the person in authority) is God’s minister to you for good.” (Rom. 13:4).  When you view authority as a responsibility, you can apply your faith to obtain grace.  Solomon was the wisest ruler on earth because he did this.  When God asked what he should give him, Solomon did not ask anything for himself, but he asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule God’s people justly. (2Chron. 1:7-12).

Our position of authority in a family, church, employment, or community can be used as an opportunity for intercession.  Because the servant was in his care, the centurion had confidence to ask for healing on his behalf, without the servant having to ask himself.  In Naaman’s case, the servants could implore him to believe, but he had to do the asking.  The right of intercession depends upon our position.  What is so wonderful in the plan of God is that as Christians, we have been made “a royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe. 2:5).  We can intercede on the behalf of others as God’s priestly representatives under Christ our High Priest (1Tim. 2:1-4).  As New Testament priests, we can apply the blood of Jesus to people and circumstances.  The more we understand our spiritual authority, and the more we walk in love, the greater will be our intercession.

If the secret of great faith is to see ourselves as “under authority” while accepting whatever authority has been delegated to us, then we fulfill those responsibilities as faithful servants rather than rulers.  “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1Cor. 4:1,2).  Then in humility, we will grow as we do all things by faith in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17).

Welcoming Men to the Kingdom

One concern I have had for a long time is the lack of committed men in our churches.  I have often wondered if the problem has anything to do with the format of our worship services.  How do we communicate to men that there is a role for them in God’s Kingdom?  I am reminded of one Father’s Day service in a church we were visiting that brought this problem to the forefront.  To honour the men, the women were conducting the service that morning.  There was a tangible presence of the Lord in the praise and worship service.  The theme was “dancing with the Father”.  As a man, it is difficult for me to visualize myself dancing with the Lord as His Bride.  It is not difficult, however, to see myself as a carefree child dancing with my Father.  Being part of the Bride of Christ is very real to me, but I tend to focus more on the authority side of that relationship.  We are seated with Him in heavenly places and we will reign with him in the age to come. 

The song service went on for a long time.  After about twenty minutes, I was ready to move on to a different theme, but the lady leading the praise and worship was quite pleased to continue with the same.  A common mistake we make is to give others what we would like to receive, rather than what they would like.  How many husbands have thought to bless their wives with an expensive tool for the kitchen, only to discover that their wives do not see that as a suitable gift for Christmas or a birthday.  We grow in our relationships when we increase our understanding of each other.  As I was observing the service, I told the Lord in an apologetic manner that dancing was not really a “man” thing; instead, we like to build things.  Very clearly in my soul I heard Him say that He also liked to build things: He is building a house for God.  He was not disapproving of the dancing, only affirming that He also likes to do things that a man likes.  If we want more men to be involved in Church, we need to find ways to welcome them.  I have always enjoyed the presence of the Lord in praise and worship.  My way of getting into the worship is, as I have mentioned above, through the exercising of authority.  As I worship the Lord in His majesty, I see Him lifted up and His enemies scattered.  I imagine and sense the presence of His angels assisting us in establishing His kingdom on the earth.   I participate in the warfare aspect of prayer, praise, and worship.  It is not that I do not enjoy fellowshipping with the Lord, it is that my relationship is more active than passive.

As much as there is a responsibility for us to welcome men to our services, there is also a responsibility with men to participate.  Men must make the effort to seek the Lord and serve Him.  This includes the removal of any hindrances in their spiritual walk.  They must make straight paths for their feet (Heb. 12:13).  I was reminded recently of a problem that many men have but few will talk about it until they have a measure of control over it.  We all deal with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1Jn. 2:16).  One area that seems to be more of a stronghold for men, because of their natural make-up, is the lust of the flesh.  It was after finding out that someone I knew was part of a support group for sex addictions that I was motivated to start this blog.  I wanted to make available to others the insights the Lord had given me for victory over sin. 

Recently, another Christian man was sharing with me how his marriage struggles were related to the pornography problem he had a few years ago.  I am always surprised to find out that someone has been dealing with this sin while still active in Church.  If we only find out about these problems after God’s help has been obtained, how many are secretly struggling with it and are still weighted down with guilt?  I am not saying this to arouse suspicions, or to bring condemnation.  We can only help if we seek to understand.  We all struggle with sin in one form or another.  If someone struggles with something we do not struggle with, that does not necessarily make them weaker than us.  We should not compare ourselves to others (2Cor. 10:12).  The strongholds in our lives depend on many things like our experiences, our training, and even our heritage.  We cannot judge others, but we can seek discernment and exercise mercy.  Part of creating a welcoming environment is to offer help without condemnation.  We are not to tolerate sin, but rather help to restore those who are overtaken by it, being careful ourselves that we are not also tempted. (Gal. 6:1).  “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  (1Cor. 10:12).  The path that sin normally takes is through pride.  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18).  We maintain our victory by grace through faith, but if we get into pride, God will withhold His grace for us (Jas. 4:6).

There is a place in God’s Kingdom for everyone, male or female.  We are all members of Christ with a special function (Ro. 12:3,4).  It is important for us to realize that we have different gifts of grace.  We must serve with the gift we have received (1Pe. 4:10).  Our service to God is not limited to church services.  The Church is a living Body.  The first step in discovering our purpose is realizing that it is not for us, but for God.  Serving with our particular gift is our true worship and it only begins in surrender.  “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom. 12:1).  It is my goal in these messages to prepare the way of the Lord by removing hindrances for believers and encouraging them to follow the Way of the Lord.  We are all called to be “Repairers of the Breach”; to restore the ancient paths.  (See Isa. 58:12 and Jer. 18:15).  I encourage you to read some of the other articles in this web site to help you fulfill your purpose in God. If you are struggling with an unwanted habit, I would especially recommend the series on the Eight Steps to Maturity.

The Blessing of Peace

The first time I experienced the supernatural peace of the Lord was during the process of my conversion.  My road to salvation was not an ordinary journey from an evangelical perspective.  As a child raised in a Roman Catholic family, I had faith in God and even through my teenage years, as I lost faith in religion, I did not lose faith in God.  My obedience to Him, however, did fall away through those teenage years.  It was not until the age of 20 that I began an earnest search for truth which resulted in my conversion experience.  When I began to seek out truth, because of someone witnessing to me, I would always feel like my “subconscious” knew something that my conscious mind did not.  It was the need to discover and express this inner knowing that ignited a desire in me to want to write.  I did not know at the time that it was the Spirit of God drawing me to a knowledge of the truth.  It was in this spiritual condition that I first experienced the blessing of peace.

During my pursuit for truth, I decided to retreat into the forest for contemplation.  I borrowed my brother’s canoe and had him drop me off at the Poplar River so I could follow it to Lac Ouellette.  It was not until the first night in my tent that I realized how alone I was out there in the forest, armed only with an axe and a camera.  It is surprising how loud animal sounds in the forest can be when you close your eyes and try and sleep.  I still remember my anxiety, trying to distinguish those sounds, not certain if they were caused by a squirrel or a bear.  What else could I do but pray for protection?  It came immediately.  A sense of peace covered me like a blanket.  There is no better way to describe it.  It allowed me to calm down and fall asleep.  It also caused me to wake up spiritually.  There really was a God present to answer prayer!  It was not long after that I came to a place of surrender to Christ Jesus as my Lord.

The peace of the Lord is still very real to me.  It has been the means to my hearing the voice of God.  We cannot hear the Spirit of God in our spirit if our mind is anxious.  It has also allowed me to overcome the fears that have tried to cripple me.  There would never have been any character growth in me without this peace.  Realizing its value, I have been particularly aware of the mention of it in scriptures.  Have you ever noticed for example that many of the New Testament epistles begin or end with a blessing of “grace and peace”?  Even in the Old Testament we read that the blessing Aaron was instructed to pray over the people included this peace of the Lord.  “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.  Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”’ (Nu. 6:23-26).

In these turbulent times we need the peace of the Lord.  It is a source of health and strength because in rest you place your confidence in the Lord and your faith is activated.  “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isa. 30:15).  For my wife and I, this has also been a challenging but exciting time in our lives.  We are in the process of moving to another community as we transition from full-time secular employment to more time for family and ministry.  We are very busy with these changes and we look with anticipation to all that the Lord will do.  It is this peace of the Lord that we continually go back to as we encounter one concern or another.  It is in times of stress that we either get stronger or we get defeated.  For us, this has been a time of strength because we continue to rest in the Lord.  It is not because we are something in ourselves, but because the grace of the Lord is enabling us to rest.  When we look to the Lord, we find peace (Isa. 26:3).  In peace and trust we find our strength and our help which is from the Lord.

As believers, we can be witnesses of the grace and mercy of God because of the peace of God in our lives.  Many around us are living in fear or denial.  Peace is given freely to those who have returned to the Lord, but we must learn to rest in it.  “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col. 3:14).  The exhortation to be thankful is related to the ability to abide in peace.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 4:6,7).  So, peace will come through trusting God.  This type of trust is nurtured by devotion.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  (Isa. 26:3).

Because we love God and we place our trust in Him, we can expect to receive His protection. We know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).  We can meditate on His promises for deliverance.  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (Ps. 91:14-16).  Do not put set your eyes on circumstances that are subject to change, set your attention on the Lord.

Walking in the Spirit

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25)

If walking in the Spirit through faith is the key to a victorious Christian life, then what is the key to walking in the Spirit?  Obviously, it has to do with faith, but how is this faith to be applied?  The answer lies in the first part of the verse quoted above, “if we live by the Spirit”.  This life of the Spirit only begins when we believe unto salvation.  Then it is expressed in our natural life through our soul.  The process for walking is the same as for salvation.  “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6,7).  We must be established in the death of Christ to be established in His life.  This was Paul’s main aim in establishing people in the faith.  “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1Cor. 2:1,2).  You may be familiar with all these scriptures and if you are already walking continuously in victory, then you have no need to hear them again.  But, if like most of us, you sometimes stumble, then you will benefit from what I say here.  Even if you think you are standing strong, take heed lest you fall (1Cor. 10:12).

There is always a danger for Christians to begin in faith and then fall back to human effort.  This is the problem Paul was addressing in his letter to the Galatians.  “This only I want to learn from you:  Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law of by the hearing of faith?  Are you so foolish?  Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:2-3).  In the Early Church, we saw this problem manifested in the call for the circumcision of Gentiles.  In our days, it finds expression in religious legalism.  “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col. 2:23).  We must be careful not to confuse devotion with sacrifice, nor presumption with faith.  There is a need to bear our cross and follow the Lord, but it must not be attempted in the flesh.  It is an act of faith that begins in surrender.  I think always of the Lord’s surrender to the will of the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, before He took up His cross.  There is suffering that comes with surrender, but it is borne in grace through faith, not in human effort for grace.

It is in this context that Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; 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.” (Gal. 2:20).  It is very important that we continue in Christ the same way that we received Him.  By faith, we identified with Christ in His death and submitted to His rule over our lives.  By faith and submission, we continue to identify with His death and to live in Him.  Our death in Christ is a past event: “I have been crucified with Christ”.  To walk in victory over sin, it is imperative that we believe in this fact, as Paul clearly states in the sixth chapter of Romans.  But faith is also a present reality.  Although I died with Christ, I continue to die daily (1Cor. 15:31).  This is not because my old nature keeps coming back to life, but because my death and resurrection in Christ is in stages.  It occurred for my spirit when I first believed; then for my soul as I walk with Him; and finally, for my body at His appearing.  If His resurrected life come in stages, then so must His death.

To bear our cross and follow Jesus, then, has the two-fold meaning of having been crucified and being crucified.  We must stand by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross for victory over the power of sin.  We must also put to death the patterns of this world that still demand attention from our soul.  It is this process of daily putting to death the works of the flesh that I have described as the Process of Transformation (Rom. 12:1,2).  It is carried out by the Spirit through faith.  “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. (Rom. 8:13).  Have you ever wondered why some people can become so overtaken by an ungodly cause that they even give up their lives for it, yet Christians struggle with the thought of having to suffer for Christ?  The difference is in the root of our beings.  People can die physically for a cause if they do not have to give up their selfish nature.  Living for a cause invigorates that old nature.  Christians, on the other hand must die to self; they must allow the ax to be laid to the root of the tree of “self” (Lu. 3:8). 

The path to victory became clear to me when the Lord showed me that my old nature was crucified with Christ when I was born again.  There are not two natures in me.  “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…” (Col. 3:9,10).  Why then is there still a conflict in my soul if my old man is dead?  It comes from “sin” that still dwells in my body (Rom. 7:17).  Instead of always trying to put off the old man, I resist sin.  I take a stand in faith that the power of sin was broken because my old man was crucified in Christ (Rom. 6:6).  When I deny myself, I do not deny my old nature, but I deny selfishness.  I now live by faith in Christ.  Since I died and was born again, I now set my mind on things above and put to death those behaviors that are of this world (Col. 3:1-5).  My soul still has some thoughts that need renewing, some emotions that need healing, and some decisions that need renouncing.  These are changed by the renewing of the mind as I offer my members a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1,2).  The path to victory is through surrender and faith.

By the Spirit

Walking in the Spirit by faith is the key to a life of victory.  In my last article I mentioned that our spirit is willing to serve the Lord, even though our flesh may be weak (Matt. 26:41).  We must learn to walk as spirit beings in step with the Holy Spirit.  “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.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:13,14).  The walk of faith is a life of continual fellowship with, and obedience to, the Spirit of God.  It is essential that we receive all the help the Holy Spirit wants to give us in this life.  This requires humility but also correct understanding of spiritual things.  The devil has worked for centuries to build up strongholds that oppose the knowledge of God, but we can tear these down with the truth of the word of God (2Cor. 10:4,5).

Whether we realize it or not, there are passages of scripture that we read and interpret by our traditions.  These are not always in opposition to God, but when they are, they hold to a form of godliness but deny the power of it (2Tim. 3:5).  Let me give you an example of a traditional interpretation that you may have accepted.  In this occurrence, the misconception may not be very harmful, but if you recognize how easy it is to get wrong understandings by tradition, you may be more willing to accept any true teachings of the Holy Spirit that may be different than what you have been taught.

Have you heard sermons about the Holy Spirit coming down on 120 disciples in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost?  Why do we say they were in the upper room?  The Bible says they were “with one accord in one place” and a sound from heaven filled “the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1,2).  This sound was heard by the multitudes who came together to see what had occurred.  Did the disciples come down from the upper room to meet the crowds in the street?  Why were the crowds near that section of Jerusalem instead of in the temple on the day of Pentecost?  Is it not more likely that the disciples, being devout Jews, were meeting in the temple on this special day, as the multitude of devout men most likely were?  Where do we get the idea that all 120 disciples were hiding away in the upper room in prayer until the day of Pentecost.  The Scriptures only mentions the apostles, the women, Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers staying there (Acts 1:13,14).  We find out that there were 120 believers during that time, but it does not state that they were all living in the upper room.  How practical would that be?  This traditional interpretation may fit our image of a group of fearful disciples hiding away until they received the promise of the Holy Spirit, but is it scriptural?  Look how Luke describes this time in his Gospel.  “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.” (Lu. 24:51-53).  Luke says that they were “continually in the temple praising and blessing God”.  We have this understanding that the disciples were being sought out by the leaders of the Jews, so they had to remain in hiding but is that the case?  Having been disciples of Jesus was not a threat to the Jews until they began to preach about the resurrection.  They did not do that until the day of Pentecost.

What does all this have to do with walking in the Spirit?  There is a need in every believer’s life for the help of the Holy Spirit.  What if we hold to some religious traditions that limit that help?  I am a spirit being, with a soul, living in a physical body. I cannot walk in the Spirit without my soul and my body.  The Holy Spirit gives me the ability to walk in the spirit rather than in the flesh.  Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit; it grows in me as I walk with Him.  If the Holy Spirit has spiritual gifts to assist me in walking in the spirit, should I not seek to obtain them?  The Scriptures say: “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1Cor. 14:1).  In this epistle to the Corinthians, Paul is instructing the believers on the proper use of spiritual gifts for the edification of the church.  While doing that, he does not negate the use of the gifts for personal edification.  “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.  What is the conclusion then?  I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding.  I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding.” (1Cor. 14:14,15). 

If my spirit is willing to serve God but my flesh is weak, I want to do everything possible to let my spirit speak.  One practice I have developed is to let my spirit speak directly to God in prayer.  The ability to speak in an unknown tongue, which I received when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, makes this possible.  “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” (1Cor. 14:2).  When I pray in the spirit, I focus my mind on the Lord so that He will inspire my spirit to pray according to the will of God.  This is very important.  Praying in the spirit is most effective when I pray in faith under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  I can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray with my understanding, but I can also be inspired by the Holy Spirit in my spirit.  Actually, if I pray with my spirit and focus on the Lord as I do, then as I pray with my understanding, I find that I am interpreting what my spirit is praying.  Praying by faith in an unknown tongue helps me to walk in the Spirit (See Jude 20).

The Spirit is Willing

We hear a great deal about mental illness these days because of the isolation brought about by the measures used to control the spread of the corona virus.  As a Christian counsellor I have worked with some spirit-filled believers who had been diagnosed with one form of mental illness or another.  These forms of the illness can be managed with medication and counselling, but because they are physiological in nature, they need the healing power of Christ for complete victory.

There are other forms of what the medical field calls mental illness.  These have similar symptoms, but they are spiritual, mental, or emotional in nature, not physiological.  From a Christian perspective, I do not think of them as illnesses, but rather conditions of the soul.  We are all affected, in some measure, by these types of conditions.  As humans, we are created three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body (1Thess. 5:23).  Each of these parts has its own independent nature, but each is affected by the other.  Problems of the soul are not cases of the body affecting the soul, but vice versa.  Although medications can alleviate some of the symptoms, they can also hinder a person’s recovery because they mask the problem.  For troubles of the soul, what we need is to be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2).  This is the process of obeying the truth through the Spirit by faith (1Pe. 1:22).  It is a struggle that requires the “pulling down of 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.” (2Cor. 10:4,5).

Whether the soul is being affected by the body, or the body by the soul, the way of victory is in our spirit.  When we believe unto salvation, our spirit is renewed and comes into communion with the Spirit of God.  The life of God flows from our spirit to our soul and our body.  Although our body may have weaknesses, even hereditary ones, these need not rule our natural life.  These weaknesses can be an opportunity for the life of God to be manifest in our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:10,11).  Let me give you an example in my own life.  A few years ago, I started to wake up on occasion because I would stop breathing.  I needed to sit up in bed to begin breathing again but as soon as I tried falling asleep, it would happen again.  It seemed apparent at the time that this was an allergic reaction to something in the air, so I tried using allergy medication.  It worked to prevent these episodes, but I did not like the side effects.  With the understanding that this was a physical problem, I started instead to take the medicine of the word (Prov. 4:22).  I would rebuke allergies as a curse of the law (Deut. 28:15) and look to the Lord for His peace to rule in my heart (Col. 3:15).  I have never had to take that medication again, but I still on occasion need to fight this battle.  This happens if I have been exposed to a high concentration of dust, or if I have been under a great deal of mental or emotional stress.  For either situation, the answer is still the authority and peace of Christ.  When I let the peace of Christ rule in my heart, I allow the life of God to flow from my spirit to my soul and body.

The example I have given above can apply to any physical weakness.  We can receive complete healing for our bodies, or we can stand in victory over these weaknesses by the grace of God, as we wait for healing.  Standing in victory is very beneficial to our soul.  “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast of my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Cor. 12:9).

What about problems in our soul like anxieties or depression?  These will certainly affect our thinking and even our bodies.  The answer to our needs is still the grace of Christ, which is received by faith (Rom. 5:2).  The first step in overcoming these problems is to realize that we are walking in the flesh, not the spirit.  People do not readily want to receive that, but only the truth brings us freedom.  Examine the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians Chapter 5.  If you are not experiencing peace and joy, you are not walking in the Spirit by faith.  You may not be walking in outright sin, but you are not letting Christ be your life (Col. 3:1-3), which means you are giving in to the pride of life (self-preservation).  This may be the result of offenses or having been overcome by challenging situations in this world.  Do not give in to condemnation but rather look to Christ for salvation (deliverance, peace, and healing). 

After realizing that you are not walking in the Spirit, the next thing to realize is that your spirit is above your problems.  “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41).  See yourself as a spirit being in Christ.  “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:2).  Pray under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26,27).  Be ready to obey whatever the Spirit directs you to do.  Sometimes the cause of our walking out of step with the Spirit is pride as we have just discussed, but sometimes it is unconfessed sin.  It may also be unforgiveness.  Another cause of problems in the soul are lies from the enemy.  We must use the spiritual weapons to cast down these imaginations with the Word of God in prayer, confession, and worship. (2Cor. 10:3-5).

One way the enemy tries to keep us from the grace of God is to lie to us about the character of God.  We will not draw near to Him if we do not trust Him.  Instead of believing these lies, we should meditate and believe in the love that God has for us (1Jn. 4:9-19).  Even when we were sinners, He died for us (Rom. 5:8).  Remember that your spirit is willing to trust God, so even if your flesh is weak, look to God with your spirit.  Like the psalmist said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Ps. 42:5).

Understanding Discipline

I hate sin. I hate how it affects my relationship with others and with God.  But even more, I hate it because of “why” it affects my relationship with God.  It makes me different than Him when I want so much to be like Him.  God is love.  All He does is light and life.  Sin hides in darkness and its fruit is death.  A very important moment in my spiritual walk came when I realized that every sin I committed brought forth destruction.  How could I continue doing things that hurt others?  God wanted me to walk in love.  It was no longer just about obtaining mercy.  It was about becoming like Him.  The problem was that I was not always aware of what my sinful habits were. And even when I realized it, I was not immediately able to change.  “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 6:24).  The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord!  I have written more about our victory over sin in previous articles.  In this one, I want to discuss our need for discipline to help us obtain that victory.

The purpose of discipline is to help develop in us the fruit of the Spirit called self-control.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2Tim. 1:7).  The Greek word translated as “a sound mind” means “discipline” and is often translated “self-control”.  Developing this fruit is a process which occurs as we walk in the Spirit through the obedience of faith.  Until it becomes self-control, our Father trains us with His discipline, that we may partake of His holiness (Heb. 12:10).  We must submit to this discipline even though it is not pleasant.  “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:11).

I have made it my goal to respond quickly to God’s discipline because the longer I resist, the more unpleasant it becomes.  If I fail to recognize His rebuke in my spirit, it then comes through others or circumstances.  I prefer to discern it in my spirit, but that is not always the case.  I also want to receive it when it comes through people because Scripture says: “Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Prov. 9:8b,9).  I must hear and take heed to what is good.  If I do not receive correction as quickly as I should, please forgive me and be patient with me.  When we speak a word from God to others, He continues to speak even after we stop.  God may also continue His discipline by withdrawing from me and allowing me to bear the wages of my sins.  As much as I try to resist the devil in those situations, nothing works until I submit to God in humility and repentance (Jas. 4:6-10). 

Now if I persist in my error, for the sake of those whom I am hurting, you should involve others to help convince me of what is right.  This process, which we call church discipline, is explained in Matthew Chapter 18.  It is a practice that has too often been applied incorrectly because of our lack of spiritual maturity.  As the Church continues to mature in these last days, we must learn to apply this as God wants us to.  Otherwise, it will be as Paul said, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1Cor. 5:6).  If you read chapter five in the first epistle to the Corinthians, you will see that the Church is required, is such situations, to judge.  Oh, how difficult it is to understand this whole subject of judging others and ourselves!  The key principle is authority.  As individuals, we are not to judge the servant of another, but Jesus has delegated some of this to the Church (Matt. 18:17-19).

If we are to understand church discipline, we must know its nature and purpose.  Jesus warns against causing any of His children to sin.  When that happens, they become like lost sheep who are so precious to Him that we should leave the hundred to find the one that is lost.  It is in this context that Jesus instructs us on how to address a sinning brother.  There are two goals involved here.  First, we are trying to save the one that is lost.  But we are also trying to protect the rest of the flock.  It is balancing these two goals that makes church discipline difficult.  It requires balance because the one who offends is also one who is lost.  Jesus included both topics in the same discourse because we must see both sides concurrently. 

Let us apply this to my situation.  If after coming before the leaders of the church, I am still choosing to walk in error, then for the sake of the flock, I should be removed from the congregation.  There is time for working with someone in error, and there is a time for judgment.  When Jesus described the sinner as a slave to sin, He said: “a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.”  Jesus gave the woman Jezebel time to repent before casting her unto a sick bed (Rev. 2:20-22).  I pray that nothing like that would ever occur to me, but if it did, I would rather suffer the destruction of the body then cause others to fall away from my Lord.  Such a drastic measure is what the Lord meant when He said if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off (Matt. 18:8).  But, before you do that, let me ask for one more thing.  Turn away from me for only a time, while you pray that God would grant me the gift of repentance (2Tim. 2:25,26).  Now if God answers your prayer and I come to my senses, please do not be like the older brother who could not receive again his repentant brother (Lu. 15:32).  There is a time to judge and a time to be merciful.

“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas. 5:19,20). 

Judging Ourselves

How can we move past those personal issues which seem to always repeat themselves?  How can we stop going around in circles?  The Christian walk should not be one of occasional successes and repeated failures.  We should be able to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1).  As long as we live in these physical bodies we will struggle against sin, but we need not be overcome by it.  There are several keys to victory; they all lead to the death and life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  If we understand and follow these principles, we will develop our spiritual senses to discern between good and evil and with practice come to maturity (Heb. 5:14).  In this article, I will discuss one of the habits that affects too many of us, and we know it not.

Essentially, we obtain victory over sin through repentance and faith.  As we received Christ, we continue to walk in Him (Col. 2:6,7).  Repentance puts us on the right path, and faith gives us access to grace which is the power to walk in the Way.  It is not enough to have faith.  We need to use that faith in obedience to the commandment of love, because we will all be judged by this law, which is the law of liberty (Jas. 2:12).  We need mercy and grace.  The enemy knows this so he will do whatever he can to keep us from obtaining them.  Now, before we move on in this discussion, please pray that God will show you how it could apply to you.

There are things like unforgiveness or willfully sinning that will hinder our ability to obtain mercy and grace, but that is not what this article is about.  What I am referring to is certainly a sinful pattern, but it is not normally one we are aware of committing.  To obtain victory over it, we need to get discernment.  I have often said that the missing link to victory is discernment.  We cannot repent and believe if we do not know what to repent of.  For this reason, we need to hear the truth that will set us free (Jn. 8:32).  We also need to be convinced by the Holy Spirit that this is truth (Jn. 16:8).

The issue I speak of is “judging ourselves”.  In one sense, we are encouraged to judge ourselves.  Paul said: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” (1Cor. 11:31).  The meaning of the word “judge” here is “to discern” or “to examine”.  We should allow God to search our hearts for any “wicked ways” (Ps. 139:23,24).  But there is another way the word “judge” is used, which has to do with passing judgment.  “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court.  In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” (1Cor. 4:3,4).  For most of us, it is not “a small thing” to be judged by others.  It affects us more than we want it to.  We all know that God is our judge, not other people, so why does it still affect us?  The reason is because we judge others and we judge ourselves.  Jesus told us: “Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matt. 7:1,2).  The measure we should use is stated in the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7).  We should learn not to judge others, and we should learn to not judge ourselves.

One day I overheard one of my colleagues berating himself because of some mistake he had made.  I have even caught myself doing the same thing on occasion; maybe not as intensely, but certainly more than I ought to.  We only do such things because we want to stop making mistakes.  Coaches, teachers, or parents may have used similar words to motivate us, and we may even have done the same, but we need to renew our minds in this area. Let us not forget the scripture that says the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 2:20).  Being angry with others, or ourselves, is a reaction that comes out of judgment.  Rather than forgiving, we try first to punish because we want to change behaviour.  When we have authority over someone, we need to apply discipline to correct wrong behaviour, but we should not do that unless it falls within our sphere of delegated authority.  And even when we must apply discipline, it should not be with the anger of man.

So, what it comes down to is whether we have authority to judge ourselves or not.  Paul said that he would not judge himself because the Lord is his judge.  Maybe the best way to understand this concept is to read James’ instructions on not judging others with the emphasis on us because the underlying principle is the same.  “Do not speak evil of yourself, brethren.  He who speaks evil of himself and judges himself, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.  But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.  There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy.  Who are you to judge yourself?” (Jas.4:11,12.  Italics mine.)  We should be merciful to ourselves in the same way that we should be merciful to our brothers.  That does not leave us without guilt if we have sinned, but we will not change our behaviour by punishing ourselves.  Sorrow that leads to repentance is not condemnation.  It is a healthy response to the truth that sets us free.  We come to “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16).

If we come short of the grace of the God in this area, it is because we still think our own way is more effective.  But the practice is sinful, and it will produce a harvest of death.  It is sinful because it is rooted in pride.  We have the right to discern, but not to pass judgment.  Unless we become convinced of this, we will not give up the habit.  Is it better for us to receive mercy or punishment?  If we receive punishment every time we do something wrong, we will subconsciously avoid admitting wrong.  If, on the other hand, we give ourselves over to God as the Judge and we obtain mercy when we deserve punishment, we will yield to His goodness and it will lead us to repentance (Ro. 2:4).  There are times when He may need to discipline us, but as we come to know His love, we will find that His discipline is better than our judgment.  

Believe The Prophets

Sometimes we need to fail before we succeed, but if we refuse to acknowledge our mistakes, we are sure to repeat them.  The recent events in the States have shown us that there is still a great deal we need to learn about the prophetic.  Things did not turn out as so many declared they would.  Despite this, the essence of what I aim to say in this article is that we should not despise prophesying, but we should press on to get better at it.  Faith in God is the key to victory and prophetic words, when they are accurate, encourage our faith.  “Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (2Chron. 20:20).  The prophet is one of the ministry gifts Christ gave to the Church.  For us to move on to maturity, we need to grow in our ability to speak and to hear accurately.  Those who speak must do so with the inspiration that God provides (1Pe. 4:11), and those who hear must do so with the inner witness of the Spirit (1Jn. 2:27).  If we have delivered or believed incorrect prophetic words, we must bear our own responsibility.  We can only change what we have control over, which is our own behaviour.

Speaking prophetically is a manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.  In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul advised believers not to be ignorant of spiritual gifts.  These are manifestations of the Spirit for the common good (1Cor. 12:7).  We need to learn to use these gifts properly in order to be blessed and to be a blessing to others.  If we choose not to operate in the gifts, we are resisting the Spirit of God.  If we accept some of the gifts, but reject others, we are guilty of quenching the Spirit.  If we use the gifts improperly, we are grieving the Holy Spirt.  In our path to maturity, we should “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts” (1Cor. 14:1). 

So, where could the Church have gone wrong?  It could be that the prophecies were conditional.  If that is the case, then these conditions should have been communicated.  Let’s not be too quick at drawing this conclusion; there are other possibilities.  It could also be that the interpretation of a dream or vision was wrong.  Maybe what we can learn from this is that a dream or vision should not be shared until the interpretation is known.  Let’s compare it to a message given in an unknown tongue.  It is not a prophetic word unless the interpretation is also given.  Rather than sharing these experiences, we should reserve them for our communication with God.  As we pray in response to what we think the dream or vision means, we may obtain a clearer understanding.  If we share it in order to obtain the interpretation, we must be careful to only share it with those who have the ability to interpret and judge it, as the Scriptures advise for a message in an unknown tongue (1Cor. 14:27-29).  Without the interpretation, it should never be shared with the Church in general because with social media, it can take on a life of its own.  Even with what we believe to be the interpretation, let us be careful to only speak what we “know”, not what we “think”.  Like Paul said, “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1Cor. 13:9).  That does not mean that we should expect to be inaccurate.  No, it means that we should describe accurately only the portion of the picture we see, not add to it what we think the rest of the picture looks like.  God may show someone else another part of the picture, then together we will have confirmation and a greater understanding.

There is still another reason why we could have been wrong.  What if the source was not from God?  There are many reasons why this could be.  Sometimes we want to hear something so strongly because the problem is so great.  This opens us up to other voices, even our own imaginations.  The best time to hear the Lord is when we are at peace, focussing on Him, not on the problem.  And, sometimes our motives, even as ministers, can be wrong.  If we are in any way influenced by financial needs or public opinion, we are susceptible to the voices of evil.  The Lord is always willing to speak to His people, but His message is not always popular.  If there is any possibility that this is what happened, we must humbly allow the Lord to search our hearts and bring correction.  Even in New Testament days, some ministers went shipwreck in their faith because they forsook their consciences (1Tim. 2:19).

What is also very alarming is that multiple people got it wrong.  This indicates that there is a problem with the Church in general.  We need revival.  We need to be restored to the power and character of the New Testament Church before we can move on to our end-time purpose.  If we want the fruit of revival, we must pay the price of contrition (Ps. 51:17).  Which one of the messages to the churches in Asia would the Lord say to us today (Rev. 1:4)?  Are we those who have forgotten their first love (Rev. 2:4)?  Or, are we those who tolerate doctrines of demons (Rev. 2:14,15; 2:20)?  At the very least, we are asleep and need to wake up (Rev. 3:3)!  We are rich with knowledge but poor with good works (Rev. 3:17).  Is it any wonder that we do not see properly?  Unless we truly repent and allow the Lord to anoint our eyes, we will not see clearly (Rev. 3:18).

Our walls are broken down; we are without protection against the approaching enemy.  The word of the Lord through Ezekiel was: “You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.” (Ezek. 22:24).  Will the Lord say of us what He said about Israel before the destruction of Jerusalem?  “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezek. 22:30).  I believe there is still a remnant, like in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments.  We must be watchful and strengthen the things that remain (Rev. 3:2-4).  We must press in to overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony (which is the spirit of prophecy), and with a crucified life (Rev. 12:11; 19:10).