Monthly Archives: October 2020

14 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF GENEROSITY

Christian Life, ,

14 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF GENEROSITY

We’ve already done a whole study on the kingdom power of righteousness, zeroing in on the protection Jesus’s righteousness gives us against the devil’s wiles.

Now we will go into more detail about our response to our standing in righteousness – generosity.

The Old Testament has much to say about generosity; in fact, “generosity” and “righteousness” are used interchangeably in many passages. For example:

“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.”Psalms 37:25-26 NIV

The Hebrew word for righteousness is “tsadaq”; if you add an “ah” to the end of “tsadaq”, you get “tsadaqah” which means “righteousness revealed” and is often translated as “generosity”. Through our generosity, we show the righteousness that is in us.

Generosity begins with an attitude… gratitude towards God for His immense generosity towards us.

“Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 NIV

Any generosity we show to others is or should be rooted in God’s generosity towards us. We sometimes give out of guilt or compulsion but our true motive should be a response to what God has done for us.

I found this verse in the Old Testament which shows us how much God values our expressions of gratitude.

“Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honours me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalms 50:23 NLT

God’s generosity towards us is centred in the person of His Son and comes to us through His attitude of mercy and grace. His generosity is much more than just money and material things. His generosity lies behind everything He has done and still does for us and is rooted in His love. In fact, God takes care of all our needs because He is our Father.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Matthew 6:7-8 NLT

God’s generosity towards us covers all His dealings with us and goes right back to His original intention to have a family of sons and daughters who live together with Him in love and harmony.

Since His human family became dysfunctional through sin, God’s mercy and grace through the sacrifice of His Son have enhanced the revelation of the greatness of His generosity towards us.

Money and greed hold unrighteous people in the world system in absolute slavery. In fact, Paul hit the nail on the head when he wrote..

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil….” 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

How true this is and how well we know it from the plight our own country is in right now! Even the most humanitarian of professions, medicine, is, in the end, driven by money.

Jesus used a Hebrew grammatical construction (called a chiasm) to explain the root cause of our attitude towards money.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” Matthew 6:24 NLT

This chiasmic construction focuses on the central statement, not that no one can serve two masters but that “you will hate the one and love the other” and that “you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” In other words, you will serve the one you love, be it God or money.

Since we have been made a new creation through the power of the gospel, we have a new love and a new motive for being generous.

However, money, or more accurately, mammon – the god (demonic power) of money, is so powerful that it can easily drag believers back under its sway if we don’t cling to the right attitude towards God and His mercy towards us.

“And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

Although our generosity towards others must be much wider than just about money, since Jesus spoke more about money than any other subject, money plays a big part in the way we express our generosity towards others.

Firstly, let me explain that stealing in Hebrew thought was much more than taking what didn’t belong to you. It included withholding from others what you could give to help them.

In the end, it all comes down to the value we put on God’s mercy shown towards us in the gift of His Son.

This thought leads us to another… have we lost our first love?

The love of money is very subtle. It creeps in gradually when our attention is drawn to it either through poverty or wealth. If we don’t have enough, we crave more to survive. If we have enough, we want more to buy more things. Whatever our circumstances, money will rule us if it is the object of our attention.

How can we avoid being trapped by the love of money so that we do not become hoarders rather than givers?

  1. Of course, the first and best way to break the power of stinginess is to be a giver. The more we share our resources, the more we reap the benefits of generosity.

However, to be a generous giver, we need a motivation to give more powerful than the love of money.

  1. If money has taken over your thinking, it’s time to repent and return to your first love. What do I mean by “your first love”?

Perhaps you have been taught that first love is the wild, extravagant love you had for Jesus when you first believed. You just couldn’t get enough of Him. However, as time went on, your enthusiasm cooled and now you feel guilty because you just haven’t been able to recover that feeling.

The Bible gives us a different perspective on “first love”. If our love for Jesus is rooted in and has to find its motivation in ourselves, it is bound to fail. We are naturally fickle and fallible.

However, there is a source of love that will never fail.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins… We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:10, 19 NIV

Our love for God and others must be rooted in God’s love for us which He showed us by sending His Son to be the sacrifice for our sin.

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLT

The solution is simple. We become like the thing we give attention to. The more we think about money, the more we will crave it. The more we focus on God’s love in Jesus, the more we will love Him and learn to be givers like He is.

Once we have money in its correct perspective – our servant, not our master – we will discover that generosity with our resources is a powerful kingdom tool for living under God’s rule in an ungodly world system.

How do we multiply our resources to meet our own needs and the needs of others?

The world’s economic system functions on buying and selling, profit and loss, and the accumulation of wealth through the addition of interest. Money has to work to make more money. So, the world’s focus is on making money and the motive is greed.

The kingdom’s economic system is different and very simple.

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6:38 NLT

In the course of His many instructions about money, Jesus told us how to manage our money in such a way that we will always have enough and to spare.

  1. We must first settle the issue of ownership. Who owns the money we earn? God does! We, and everything we have, belong to Him.

“… You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price….” 1 Cor. 6:19-20 NLT

  1. Since we are stewards, not owners of what we have, God has the right to tell us how to use our money and possessions.

God has promised to take care of our material needs on one condition:

“So, don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:31-33 NLT

“Live righteously…” What does that mean? We have already learned that, to live righteously means to be generous in all our dealings with people. This includes our attitudes and behaviour as well as our resources.

How do we do that? By God’s grace!!

He tells us to put our money into the “bank of heaven” by giving to those in need.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

By sharing with others, we invest in a heavenly asset-management programme which has returns far beyond the meagre percentages worldly systems offer. God underwrites His promises which are infinite and limitless with the ownership of the universe.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.” Psalms 50:12 NLT

He does not work by percentages or profit but by His own nature. God is a giver beyond anything we can imagine.

“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 NLT

In order to access His available resources, we need to change our focus. We are most often times need-conscious. We are concerned and pray about needs. Jesus said, “Don’t do that.” “So, don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ Matthew 6:31 NLT

Instead, focus on His kingdom. Take care of His business, and He will take care of yours. When we have a need, our concern should not be, “What can I do to make more money?” but “What can I do to show God’s love to someone else?”

This is a faith transaction that produces a miracle. God supplies our need by creating a current. When we give, we make space for more to flow back to us. This is how it works.

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”  And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others…. “

“For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-12 NLT

What is God’s purpose in this divine economic system?

1. He is changing you and recreating in you the image of Jesus, His Son, as a member of His family.

“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT

2.He is meeting the needs of others through you.

“Right now, have plenty and can help those who are in need….”

3. He is meeting your needs through others.

“… Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.” 2 Corinthians 8:14 NLT 

4. He is being thanked, praised and glorified.

“As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT

Paul shows us, from his own experience, how this principle works in practice.

“As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then travelled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.

I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. Philippians 4:15-20 NLT

There are some rich pickings in Paul’s response to the generosity of the Philippian church.

  1. Paul does not specifically thank them for being generous. Was he being ungrateful? No, he was commenting on their generosity because they were the only ones among the churches that showed their obedience to their faith in Jesus. He was expressing his gratitude that they were demonstrating the fruit of the gospel in their gifts to him.
  1. He was more focused on the enrichment they would experience than his own financial gain.

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts of the Apostles 20:35 NLT

Paul’s attitude exposes the remnants of selfishness that are still in us. We tend to get more excited about our own enrichment rather than the blessing on the giver.

  1. Paul elevated the grace of giving to an act of worship.

“… They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God…”

  1. Paul shows us how generosity creates the current that takes care of our needs.

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

We must be careful not to take this promise out of context. Paul confirms what Jesus taught, that God’s generosity towards us, in this matter of our needs, is His response to our generosity towards others in need.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”Matthew 6:33 NLT

  1. Paul concludes with the motivation for everything we do in life, including the way we view and treat others.

“Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.”

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17 NLT

Once again, we come back to God’s original purpose – to have a family of sons and daughters who live together in love and harmony in the family of God. Through our attitudes and actions of generosity prompted by love, we are being renewed and restored to the image of Jesus.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

13 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF WISDOM

Christian Life, ,

13 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF WISDOM

WISDOM ACCORDING TO THE OLD COVENANT

The next topic we will explore is the kingdom power of wisdom which is an intricate study with many facets.

From the beginning, God wanted a family of sons and daughters who would live together with Him in love and harmony in a beautiful and perfect environment. His verdict on everything He created was “very good”.

All was perfect for a while until sin entered the world through His first son and marred His plan. Instead of love, peace and harmony, Adam’s decision to be his own god brought chaos into the world and produced a dysfunctional family of enemies alienated from God and one another through selfishness and greed.

God set in motion a remedy which would reverse the effects of Adam’s rebellion on the whole human family and eventually restore His creation to its original state. This intricate plan was the product of divine wisdom to get mankind back to living with Him as a loving and harmonious family.

He chose a couple to start a family and a nation  that would be the prototype of His restored relationship with mankind. He made a covenant with them, the legal framework within which He would be free to have fellowship with them.

This covenant showed them God’s holiness, righteousness and truth. If they kept His covenant, He would bless and prosper them; if not, He would banish them from their inheritance, the land He gave them, His blessing and His presence.

In the Old Covenant, righteousness, or doing the right thing was tied to obedience to the law. The children of Israel, in the main, failed to keep the covenant, rebelled and were exiled to Babylon for 70 years.

However, Job, who lived in the time of the Patriarchs, is an example of a person whom God judged to be righteous because of what he did. Job believed the philosophy of his day that God’s blessing was the reward for living a righteous life. Yet God put him through a severe test.

Job, in the intensity of his suffering, searched for the meaning of what he was enduring. He never mentioned the devil in his quest for understanding. Instead, he saw God as responsible for his pain but could make no sense of his suffering since he considered himself to be righteous. Why was he being punished for what he had not done?

“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?  No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living…  Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?  God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,… And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Job 28:12-13, 20, 23, 28 NIV

It is wise to live according to God’s requirements because right living makes for a harmonious family.

Solomon reached the same conclusion at the end of his quest for the meaning of life…

“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 NIV

This was God’s prescribed way for people to return to His original plan for His human family. If people lived in the fear of the Lord, they would live the right way by doing what God required. However, Israel’s failure to live by God’s law reveals two things about human nature:

  1. Since we are born with a sinful nature, no amount of right living now cancels out the sins of our past.
  1. It is impossible for a sinful person to live a righteous life.

Let’s examine “the fear of the Lord” in the context of the Old Covenant.

What is the fear of the Lord? This is also a huge subject. My definition of the fear of the Lord is very simple. TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY.

Wisdom and folly are often contrasted in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Proverbs. It is wise to do the right thing because it works. It is folly to do the wrong thing because it does not work, i.e. it does or does not satisfy God’s requirement for a righteous life.

The significance of folly is that the fool does the wrong thing out of rebellion, not ignorance. Although he knows what is right, he doesn’t do it, and it ends in disaster.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.  The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.  All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalms 14:1-3 NIV

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.” Romans 1:21-22 NLT

In the Old Covenant, therefore, God set the standard for wisdom… to live in the fear of the Lord… but showed us how impossible it us for human beings to live up to His standard because  our old nature is in rebellion and at enmity against God….

THE POWER OF WISDOM IN THE NEW COVENANT

God’s revelation of His holy requirements in the Old Covenant was a preparation for His wisdom to be revealed in all its glory in the New Covenant.

Proverbs 8 gives us a hint in poetic language, that God’s wisdom was personified in someone called Wisdom who was with Him from the beginning, was involved in the creation of the universe, and was in joyful fellowship with Him.

“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech…. I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. Proverbs 8:12-13, 20 NLT

“I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,  when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,  when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 

Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,  rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.  Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.  For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord .” Proverbs 8:27-31, 34-35 NIV

John, in his gospel, clarifies this thought that it was Jesus, THE WORD, who was with God in the beginning and was the agent of creation. God spoke and the Word did what God said.

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”John 1:1-3 NLT

When we join together what Proverbs 8 says about Wisdom and what John says about the Word, we have the beginning of God’s amazing plan to recover and restore what was ruined at the Fall.

God’s plan was to do the right thing by sending His Son to earth as a human being to live a perfectly righteous life and die as a sacrifice and substitute for all sinners, and it worked!

“So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14 NLT

To ensure that there would be no mistake about the identity and character of the one He would send, God, through His prophets, painted a word picture of His Redeemer in the Old Covenant writings.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord —  and he will delight in the fear of the Lord… ” Isaiah 11:1-3 NIV

“Though the Lord is very great and lives in heaven, he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness. In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.” Isaiah 33:5-6 NLT

So, Jesus is all of God’s wisdom in one person.

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 NLT

“God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit, God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT

Jesus did everything necessary, through His perfect life, sacrificial death and powerful resurrection, to reconcile us to the Father, restore us to God’s family, recreate us in His image and set us apart from sin to God.

“I want them (all believers) to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3 NLT

How can we apply this wisdom to our daily struggles so that we participate in God’s plan rather than unwittingly fight against it?

James gives us a clue.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.

Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:2-8 NLT

Let me paraphrase.

When we face trials and tests, God is putting into action His plan to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:28-29). He wants sons, not brats, in His family, those who submit to His discipline and training. When we don’t understand what’s going on, instead of floundering in our faith and resisting God’s discipline (Heb. 12:8-11) we can ask God for wisdom to respond and act in the right way so that we learn from and not waste our hardships.

So, the wisdom God revealed in Jesus and shows us how to live is a powerful kingdom tool to help us navigate and gain the most out of our struggles and hardships. In this way, we learn to co-operate with rather than fight against the ups and downs of life. We are learning to be sons and daughters in God’s forever family.

“If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Hebrews 12:8-11 NLT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

12 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF DECLARATION

Christian Life, ,

12 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF DECLARATION

A few weeks ago, I listened to a message by Ken Legg entitled “Drawing water from the Wells of salvation”. He used the story of Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well to illustrate another of the powers of the kingdom that God has put at our disposal.

Jesus offered the woman the living water which would be an eternal spring in her if she believed in Him.  She responded by saying…

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?” John 4:11 NLT

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13-14 NLT

We have in us a well of living water that needs to be released. Ken used a beautiful passage in Isaiah 12 to show us how to draw water from this eternal well.

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.  Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.  Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:3-6

Our mouths are the opening to the well. By declaring who God is and what He has done, we pour out the living water that quenches our thirst and the thirst of others who hear that word.

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Psalms 34:1-3 KJV

In many of the Psalms, the psalmists, and especially David, used declaration to encourage themselves and as a weapon against their enemies.  We need to learn from them how to use declaration effectively as a powerful kingdom tool on our journey towards wholeness.

Before we talk about what declaration does, I must give you a word of warning. There is a trend in certain streams of the church to use declaration as an attempt to manipulate God into doing what He has not said He would do.

Prophecies abound today about what God is going to do, which have very little or no confirmation in Scripture. There is one prophecy in particular about the role of Africa in global revival that is based on a prophecy in Isaiah taken completely out of context.

“In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!” Isaiah 19:25 NLT

This prophecy is about Egypt, not about Africa or South Africa and yet it is taken to apply to Africa as a whole.

In a recent issue of “Gateway”, a digital Christian news magazine, a so-called “prophetess” called the church to make declarations about what God will do in Africa based on these prophecies. She gave almost a page of declarations that we are supposed to make that have no parallel in Scripture.

I commented online in response that this form of declaration is not a Biblical practice, especially in the New Covenant.

A well-known South African believer in certain circles responded in agreement and pointed out that the declarations in Scripture focus on the nature and works of God and not on what we want Him to do.

So, I ask you to be careful to stay within the boundaries of Biblical teaching and practice and not to follow the fine-sounding ideas of those who, in ignorance, lead us away from the truth.

Now let’s examine Isa. 12. In it, we have the way to draw from the well of living water in us. All of these methods come out of our mouths and accomplish very specific purposes.

Isa. 12:4-6 gives us three ways in which we can draw water from the eternal well inside us.

  1. SAY

“In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4 NIV

Since our mouths are the mirror of our hearts, we need, first of all, to fill our hearts with the Word and then to speak God’s praise as a witness to who He is and what He has done.

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalms 91:2 NIV

We often use our mouths to confirm the lies we believe instead of declaring the truth about God and ourselves. Declaration is a powerful weapon in times of confusion and chaos to bring us back to the truth of God’s presence and control.

  1. SING

“Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Isaiah 12:5 NIV

Satan effectively uses music and song to spread and entrench his lies, especially in the hearts of children and young people. Through human agents, he blares out his deception into the ears of the young from morning until night and they obediently act on the evil he spreads.

Unfortunately, much of the music in the church today is a copy of the world’s style. The focus has shifted from glorifying God to pumping up our experience.

The Bible’s stance is “Sing to the Lord…” Our well should overflow with praise to Him because our lives are all about Him, not us.

  1. SHOUT

“Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:6 NIV

Shouting God’s praise is the same kind of expression of enthusiasm and exuberance that sport-mad people display when their favourite team has won. If we truly believe that we are on the winning side, we will shout for joy to display our confidence in Jesus’ victory which is ours, as well.

We may not all be noisy and demonstrative, but we can all declare, in one way or another, that our God is great and we can trust in Him.

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord ’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” Psalms 34:1-3 NLT

  1. Declaration is the revelation of what is in our hearts.

God has promised us that, in the New Covenant, He would write His word on our hearts.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.  It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ” declares the Lord .  “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord . “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord ,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord . “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV

Our hearts should be so full of the Word that God’s Word, and not the words of unbelief, come out in times of stress and crisis.

Paul put it this way:

“But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:” Romans 10:6-8 NIV

  1. Declaration is the verbal expression of faith.

When we declare God’s Word in our human experiences, we are proclaiming our confidence in what God has promised rather than in the uncertainty and insecurity of what is happening in the present.

  1. Declaration encourages us to keep trusting God in times of trouble.

We have a good example in the story of David and his men when the Amalekites raided Ziklag, David’s home town, and took all their wives and children.

“When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So, David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:4-6 NIV

  1. Declaration steadies us in times of emotional distress.

It is wise never to make major decisions when you are in emotional turmoil. Once again, David’s response in trouble is an excellent example of how to handle out-of-control emotions.

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.” Psalms 4:4-5 NLT

“O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you…. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.” Psalms 5:1-2, 11-12 NLT

These are only two examples of David’s way of handling his emotions in times of deep trouble. He spent many years of his young adulthood fleeing from Saul’s murderous hatred but he remained faithful to God and chose to trust Him instead of living in panic.

  1. Declaration protects us from the devil’s lies.

Jesus used the power of declaration to ward off Satan’s frontal attack in the wilderness.

“During that time, the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:3-4 NLT

Declaring God’s Word during times of temptation and testing takes our attention away from the weakness of our flesh by focusing on God and puts us in touch with the power of His Word.

Jesus also used declaration to silence His enemies and the voice of the Accuser through them. How often we fall prey to criticism and condemnation because we fail to counter the attack by not declaring the truth.

“The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”…

“Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” John 8:58 NLT

Note that Jesus’ declaration about Himself was based on what the Father had to say about Him.

“Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be.  I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” John 8:25-26 NLT

  1. Declaration releases a fountain of joy.

When our hearts are overjoyed with the goodness of God, our mouths release that joy by declaring who He is and what He has done.

I think that Ex. 15 is one of the best examples in Scripture of the release of the fountain from their mouths when God finally delivered the children of Israel from the Egyptians.

“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him! The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has hurled into the sea. The finest of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea… ” Exodus 15:1-4 NLT

  1. Declaration brings victory in impossible situations.

The children of Israel had a declaration that they used effectively in many situations throughout the Old Testament.

The best example is found in the story of Jehoshaphat who was confronted with a huge challenge. A coalition of three enemy Armies was on its way to attack Judah.

“After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi)…

Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered in Judah to begin fasting….

Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord . He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them….

O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”…

Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendour.

This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So, when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.” 2 Chronicles 20:1-3, 5-7, 10, 12, 20-24 NLT

  1. Human beings are not the only ones who declare God’s glory.

Science has discovered that many of the stars make sounds in the heavens. How amazing that they have a voice that glorifies their Creator!

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.’ Psalms 19:1-4 NLT

As Jesus received the people’s praise on the eve of His crucifixion, the Pharisees vehemently objected. Jesus assured them that, if the people did not praise Him, His inanimate creation would take up the chorus.

“As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” Luke 19:36-40 NLT

We have a powerful weapon at our disposal, the power of declaration, to silence the enemy and release faith and the assurance of eternal life in a world that is completely against us.

“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” John 7:37-38 NLT

How do we release the water of life that is in us?

But the righteousness that is by faith says:…“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: Romans 10:6, 8 NIV

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Christian Life, ,

11 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“How can righteousness be a power?” you may ask.

Righteousness is both a powerful motivation to do the right thing and a shield against the accusation and condemnation the devil uses to muddy our fellowship with God.

We have already considered righteousness as our permanent standing with God because we have been justified by faith in Jesus.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1 NLT

When we commit sin, Satan attacks on two fronts. He accuses us… “Now look what you’ve done!” and he condemns us, “Now you’ve blown it! You’re finished. God won’t have anything more to do with you.”

Jesus said that, when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convince the believer of righteousness.

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.  Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.” John 16:7-11 NLT

The Holy Spirit convicts (or convinces) on three fronts. He convinces unbelievers of sin; He convinces believers of righteousness; He convinces the devil of judgment.

Can you see how important it is to us that the Holy Spirit tells us how good we are and not how bad we are? There is no value in kicking us down when we are down already. A far more powerful motivation to move away from sin is to remind us of who we are in Christ.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

When we came to faith in Jesus, we became a new creation. Everything that belonged to the old life was gone. God gave us a new beginning. Sin is no longer a way of life since we have been given a new nature, the nature of Jesus.

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” 1 John 3:9 NIV

However, this does not mean that we will never sin again. We still have remnants of our old nature which trip us up from time to time. Sin does not alienate us from God. It spoils our fellowship with Him. When we take responsibility for our sin and agree with God that we have done is wrong, He forgives and restores our peace.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9 NIV

God’s remedy for sin is the same for the believer as for those who repent and believe in Jesus for salvation.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 NIV

Sin does not cancel our righteous standing with God. It spoils our fellowship with Him in the same way as a child who does naughty things does not cease to be a son or daughter but cannot face the parent because he/she feels guilty.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7 NIV

Paul included righteousness in his arsenal of protective armour against the devil’s attempts to drive a wedge between us and God.

“Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…”Ephesians 6:11, 14 NIV

Why did Paul see righteousness as a breastplate?

The Roman soldier’s breastplate covered his chest, protecting the most vital of his internal organs, his heart and lungs. We can live without some of our internal organs but not without heart and lungs.

The heart symbolises everything within us that makes us who we are and how we function. When we received Christ Jesus into our hearts, they became His throne and dwelling place. He came to indwell us by His Spirit, imparting to us His own righteousness so that we are no longer alienated from the Father.

The Holy Spirit, reminding us of our righteousness in Christ, draws us back from sin and motivates us to live out what is already at work in us. He empowers us to become who we are, sons and daughters of the living God.

Righteousness, then, is the heart of our relationship and fellowship with God. However, the power of righteousness only becomes effective to protect us from the accusation and condemnation of the devil when we activate it by trusting God’s Word that we are righteous.

By faith, we apply the truth of our righteousness when we are tempted to do wrong either by intention or neglect. When we have sinned, our righteousness in Jesus draws us back into fellowship with Him through confession and forgiveness.

It is through this power that we protect and maintain our fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit who permanently lives in us.

Righteousness in us is like two sides of a coin. God has given us the righteousness of His Son which puts us in right standing with Him. We respond by living out in our lives the righteousness He has given us. This is the lifestyle of righteous, walking in the Word in the power of the Spirit.

How do we know how to respond and act in righteousness in our everyday lives? God has given us the answer in His Word.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalms 119:105 NLT

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:14 NLT

Once again, the Spirit and the Word together are absolutely central to our walk in righteousness in an evil world. We display the righteousness of Jesus in us by living according to the correction and instruction of the Word through the Spirit who administers God’s grace to us.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

10 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

Christian Life, ,

10 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 NIV

Paul’s declaration puts the gospel in the centre of all the kingdom powers at our disposal to overcome the world. Everything we have in Jesus Christ is made available to us because of the gospel.

Two words in Paul’s statement above form the foundation of this good news that reverse everything that came on mankind because of Adam. These two concepts are righteousness and faith.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

The gospel is about God’s righteousness. He did everything right to restore us to Himself. It’s also about our righteousness without which we have no access to Him.

“For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26 NLT

Since God did the right thing by punishing a righteous man on behalf of the unrighteous, He is able to forgive our sin, declare us “not guilty” and give us the righteousness that allows us to approach Him without fear or guilt.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV

FAITH

Faith in what God has done through Jesus to reconcile us to Himself is the only way we can receive the gift of forgiveness and the righteousness He freely offers us. Faith receives what God supplies.

Anything we try to add to this free gift immediately cancels the gift and puts us under obligation to please God by our own righteousness. However, since God has already declared our rightoueness inadequate to satisfy His perfect standard, if we try to go it alone, the only alternative is to face His wrath and judgment.

“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” Isaiah 64:6 NLT

Can you understand, then, how powerful the gospel of Jesus’s death and resurrection is to change our lives and our destiny?  Nothing else can do what faith in the blood of Jesus has done.

The problem arises when we try to add, subtract or change the gospel to make it more palatable to ourselves or other people. Satan will do everything he can to distort the gospel and rob it of its power. Anything that takes away from the cross and the death and resurrection of Jesus weakens the gospel and makes it ineffective to save people from their sin.

It makes sense, then, that Jesus entrusted His message to the men who would receive the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Through the Spirit who would lead them into all truth, they would accurately interpret His death and resurrection and open the kingdom to those who believe.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be  loosed in heaven.”  From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Matthew 16:19, 21 NIV

The keys Jesus was to give them were the truths about His sacrifice that would set believers free from the bondage of wrong beliefs (loosed on earth) by binding on them the truths of the gospel (bound on earth).

Before we examine some of the issues that detract from the centrality of the cross, let’s look at the gospel message Paul preached.

“Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 NLT

What did Paul battle in his defenSe if the gospel?

  1. Another gospel

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Gal. 1:8-9 NIV

In Paul’s day, some of the Jewish believers, especially the Jewish religious leaders, were trying to convince Gentile believers that, to be Christians, they had to become Jews first by being circumcised and obeying the Law, . Paul called this a substitute gospel.

The result, for Paul, was frightening.

“Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.” Galatians 5:2, 4 NLT

Jesus plus anything else cancels grace.

  1. Foolishness to the unbeliever

Outside of grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel makes no sense to the unbeliever. It takes the power of God’s Spirit and the faith He gives, to receive the message about Jesus in its simplicity.

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 NLT

  1. Unbelief keeps people in darkness

Unbelievers are held captive to the devil by the lies they believe. Only through the work of the Spirit can they recognise the truth of the gospel.

“If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God… For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6 NLT

  1. Clever preaching and eloquence that robs the cross of its power

The power of the gospel lies in the simplicity of truth, not in the eloquence of the preacher.

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NIV

“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.  For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 NLT

  1. Some preach out of impure motives

This is a relevant issue today. In Paul’s day, some preached the gospel to increase Paul’s suffering.

“It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.” Philippians 1:15-17 NLT

Paul’s motive, on the other hand, was to bring people to know Christ through the power of the gospel.

“We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.” 2 Corinthians 4:2 NLT

  1. Some preach for personal profit

Money is a powerful motive for people in the ministry today. Preachers are some of the wealthiest people on earth. Their excuse is that money is their reward for what they do. They extort money from vulnerable believers through guilt by preaching the “faith” message.

They drive huge charity programmes with other people’s money while they live lavish lifestyles on the money that they get from people  by promising great return on their “seed”.

Paul’s response is simple.

“You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT

  1. Some use a variety of methods

All kinds of methods are used to create a ” seeker friendly” environment instead of trusting God’s way of reaching unbelievers.

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.” 1 Cor. 1:21 NLT

How, then, will anyone ever come to salvation through faith in Jesus and the message about His death and resurrection? Why does God not need our help to get anyone saved?

“But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”

In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”…

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:6-11, 13 NLT

For the Apostle Paul, the power of the cross was the centrality of his message and his life.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”Galatians 6:14 NIV

This is the simple message that looses us from every yoke that is based on lies and binds us to the yoke of Jesus which sets us free from sin and empowers us to live in His kingdom as true sons and daughters of God.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.