Tag: First Principles

First Principles Part Nine: Fear of the LORD

“FEAR NOT” IS THE most repeated command in the Bible, appearing at least 365 times. The topic of fear is addressed over 500 times. Yet, it is important to note that God never wants us to be afraid of His manifest presence. Angels who appear throughout Scripture always call out, “Fear not.” Moses said to the Israelites, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin” (Exo 20:20). Boyd Bailey writes, “The fear of God is not the only a remedy for sin, but it is a potent vaccine. Sin and the fear of God cannot coexist for long. The fear of God extinguishes sin’s combustible character. The fear of God repels sin and keeps it at bay.”1

A writer for the website GotQuestions.org writes, “Proverbs 1:7 says, ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.’ Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom.”2 True wisdom comes only from understanding that God is holy, just, and righteous. Moses wrote, “So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD your God and his decrees…” (Deut. 10:12-13a). Fear of God for the believer means acknowledging that God hates sin and fearing His righteous judgment. Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—’My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastised every child whom he accepts.'”

Moses said, “Take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—how you once stood before the LORD your God at Horeb when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people for me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me as long as they live on the earth…'” (Deut. 4:9-10) [italics mine].

Moses taught that fearing God should drive the Israelites to keep His commandments. Job, in the midst of his troubles, faithfully stated, “Truly, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). A footnote in The New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV regarding verse 28 says, “Surprisingly, it turns out, although wisdom is desirable and precious, and cannot be found in any place or bought for any price, there is no secret about its essence, It consists of the feart of the Lord, i.e., the emotion of fear in the presence of God, and of shunning evil—that is, a proper attitude both to religion and to ethics.” 3

Wayne Grudem writes, “God’s exercise of power over his creation is also called God’s sovereignty.”4 Grudem expounds on this attribute of God as “providence,” referring to the biblical reality of His pervasive control revealed throughout Scripture and made real by His own decree. Grudem says the word providence, although it does not appear in Scripture, is “…traditionally used to summarize God’s ongoing relationship to his creation.”5 Grudem further says providence “…teaches that though God is actively related to and involved in the creation at each moment, creation is distinct from him.”6

Martin Luther’s misunderstanding of Romans 1:17 caused him a crippling amount of fear and worry about putting on the righteousness of Christ. Justo L. Gonzalez tells us Luther had “an overpowering sense of his own sinfulness, and the more he sought to overcome it, the more he became aware of sin’s sway over him.”7 He spent hours examining his thoughts, afraid he might die with unconfessed sin, and would often repeatedly punish his body by self-flagellation and walking at night in the cold without a cassock, coat, or shoes. He wrote, “Only the Gospel reveals the righteousness before God, that is, who is righteous, or how a person becomes righteous before God, namely alone by faith… it is called the righteousness of God in contradistinction to man’s righteousness.”8 Isaiah wrote strong words about man’e attempt to be righteous: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” (Isa. 64:6).

To fear God is to have undying respect and reverence for Him knowing that He is totally righteous. God is full of mercy and truth, and he compensates and regards our faith and obedience. The fear of the Lord is like a disinfectant: it keeps us clean, pure, and righteous in His eyes (see Psa. 19:9). Also, the fear of the Lord is a refuge that delivers us from fear. Those who truly fear the Lord hate evil (see Prov. 19:23). Jesus told His disciples not to fear the scribes and Pharisees or those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both the soul and body (see Matt. 10:26, 28). As I began to walk more in line with these words, I stopped worrying about how or when I might die. This does not mean I live recklessly (as I did while still in bondage to booze and drugs). Simply, I do not fear what might become of me as a result of preaching the gospel.

Do I fear God? I do. Do I love Him? Yes! I long for His manifest presence in my life. It is my desire to live in holiness, bringing glory to Him in all my affairs. As we grow in spiritual maturity, our attitude changes; our worldview shifts. Paul said, “For me, living is Christ, and dying is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Having become a servant of Christ, Paul believed his life was no longer his own but was given over to Christ, making him indifferent to life or death. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ, protected by the love of the Father, we need not fear physical death. D.L. Moody, the world-famous theologian, breathed his last breath on this earth on December 22, 1899. Before he died, he said to his son, “If this is death, this is sweet.” To die is not death for a believer. Rather, it is a great and glorious transition from earthly life to an eternal existence with God in heaven.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theology

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references herein are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The NRSV, completed in 1989, follows a formal-equivalence principle that its translators identify with the words “as literal as possible, as free as necessary.” It is considered the best now available in English, especially for in-depth study (exegesis).

References
1 “What Does It Mean to Have the Fear of God?” GotQuestions.org, n.d., accessed Feb. 1, 2023, https://www.gotquestions.org/fear-God.html
2 Boyd Bailey, “What Keeps Us From Sinning?” wisdomhunters.com, Aug. 12, 2017, accessed Feb. 6, 2023, https://www.wisdomhunters.com/what-keeps-us-from-sinning/
3 The New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2018)763.
4 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 217.
5 Ibid., 315.
6 Ibid.
7 Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 23.
8 Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans [1516 AD] (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1976), 41

First Principles Part Eight: Praise

PRAISE IS A MIGHTY weapon and the sign of a healthy Christian. In fact, it facilitates access to God, enlarging our perception of Him. He must always be our focus regardless of the circumstances. Merriam-Webster defines praise as 1 a : an expression of approval : commendation; b : worship; 2a : value, merit.(1) Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes. 5:16-18). Praise and worship signify a profoundly relational act in which believers (individually and corporately) convey reverence and adoration to God. It is meant to move our focus from self to God. Praise and worship should be faithful expressions of a pervasive and implicit orientation or worldview where all of life is offered up in honor to God. Paul tells us, “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1).

Why Is it Important to Praise God?

Praise Lifts Our Spirit

Praising God lifts our spirits and allows us to soar as if on the wings of eagles. David wrote, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken” (Psa. 62:5-6). Praise is obviously a potent and restorative tool. Christ draws near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. When our spirit is wounded, we must turn to God in praise and worship, finding refuge and strength in Him. He understands our needs and weaknesses. Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes. 5:16-18). I am not talking about praising and giving alms to God for evil and sickness and death; instead, I am saying remain joyful no matter what is happening because it is through Him that we shall overcome. Never become bitter over life’s circumstances. Instead, continue to praise the Lord. It is important to tell God that we believe His Word regardless of the situation.

Praise Helps Us Experience God’s Presence

God is ever-present, yet we do not always “feel” Him close to us. This has to do with our attentiveness to God rather than God’s unavailability. We work at experiencing His “aliveness” through praise and worship. The more familiar we are with Him, the greater impact He has on us. Our awareness of God must be grounded in admiration, honor, reverence, fear, affection, and understanding. When we don’t feel God’s presence is when we need to praise Him the most. To understand God fully, we need to recognize that His drawing near to creation stems from his being distinct from creation but not far removed. He relates to this world not because of a deficiency in Him; rather, God draws near out of the abundance of who He is. His transcendence distinguishes Him from the created order and puts things in their right perspective.

There is a difference between saying “God is everywhere,” and saying “God is here.” A.W. Tozer writes, “To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the program.”(2) [italics mine] While in the wilderness, David cried out to God, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psa. 63:1-4). We must constantly run after God regardless of the circumstances.

Praise Enlarges our Understanding of God

We cannot help our inclination to grope for meaning and purpose in life. But asking God why does not always yield an answer. He does not necessarily inform us of the reason for everything that happens. Indeed, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Yet, He is not a complete mystery to us. We can know God—His will and attributes, the basis for His wrath, His plan for redemption and restoration—through studying the Word of God and seeking guidance and wisdom through the Holy Spirit. We can rest assured that His choices are never arbitrary, but are rooted in righteous judgment and unconditional love. When we choose to trust Him and praise Him in all circumstances, we enlarge our heart toward a deeper understanding.

Paul tells us to be filled with the Spirit of God, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with our heart (Gal. 5:18-19). He said to the church at Colossae, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). It is through praising God that we become a community of believers united in common understanding. We cannot enjoy complete salvation without first understanding the heart of the Father. God is God, and beside Him there is no other. We praise Him for what He did and we worship Him for who He is. The psalmist wrote, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm” (Psa. 47:7).

Praise Reveals Solutions We Cannot See

An offshoot of our constant search for reason in a situation is we often cannot see a way out. After all, “reason” and “wisdom” are not the same thing. Spirituality, which is another term for our ability to “see” God, is critical to peace. It grants us vision beyond mere human effort. Psalm 73:16-17 says, “But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” Praise changes relationships in ways we do not understand: it easily flows from the heart of one who has a relationship with God. Genuine praise is comprised of a rational and an emotional element. With our minds, we must understand who God is, as revealed in His Word. Jesus “…opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Matt. 24:45). Specifically, Jesus shared with the disciples the importance of His death and resurrection, the necessity of preaching Jesus to the Gentiles, and the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Moses wrote, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29). This helps us understand that we must “take it on faith” that God has His reasons for all that He allows, even if we cannot see them. God reveals more truth when we rightly worship and praise Him no matter the situation. The Bible contains countless examples of God sharing His will with us, but we cannot expect to be privy to His every thought or intention. We don’t get the privilege of receiving more truth until we respond rightly in faith to that with which God has already entrusted to us. I believe this is true because knowledge is not the goal; obedience is. In fact, God loves obedience more than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22).

Praise Helps Bring God’s Blessings to Heart

God is truly worthy of praise. Praise is faith being expressed toward Him. It is one of the languages of faith. It opens the door to God’s blessings, and it dissipates worry and fear. Praising and exalting Jesus keeps us stayed on Him. Isaiah wrote, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock” (Isa. 26:3-4). We praise God for His attributes—unconditional love, sovereignty, wisdom, power, greatness, goodness, compassion, faithfulness, holiness, His unchanging nature, and more. Singing praises unites our heart with our brain—the totality of our whole being, joining our mental, emotional, and physical self. Steve Siler writes, “I recently read a fascinating report stating that the heart rates of choir members actually come into sync when the are performing together… a wonderful metaphor for unity in the body of Christ.”(3)

Praise Enlists God’s Protection

We praise God in times of trouble, setting our eyes on the breakthrough. Praise from the heart brings God’s presence: a consuming fire that burns up the chaff. Praise and worship prepare the way of the Lord. Second Chronicles 20:22-23 says, “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.”

Luke wrote, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened” (Acts 16:25-26). Not even imprisonment kept these mighty men of God from praising Him. The writer of Hebrews said, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb. 13:15). Praise does not come naturally to the human mind. Our feelings often stop us from praise and worship. But Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Praise Breaks The Chains of Bondage and Sets Captives Free

It is through praise that we can break down every stronghold. God is the one who saves us. David wrote, “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psa. 18:1-3). In Exodus 15, the Israelites sang to the LORD, saying, “…for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea” (Exo. 15:1). They continued to praise Him, “Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy” (15:6). In this regard, we acknowledge with our lips that there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.T.S.

References
(1) Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/praise
(2) A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1948), 9.
(3) Steve Siler, “The Significance of Praise and Worship,” The Care and Counsel Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001), 794.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

First Principles Part Six: The Holy Spirit

WE INDEED HAVE VICTORY through the blood of Christ. First, we surrender our will and our life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is the one and only source for living a life free from the bondage of sin. Overcoming our sin nature requires living a life that does not thirst after the world. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are born-again and perfected by the Word of God. It is only through Jesus that we can be restored to favor and become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Because Christ overcame the flesh for us, we can walk in victory over sin. But this hinges on our willingness to crucify the flesh and start walking by the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Acts, Luke wanted to highlight the central significance of the Spirit of God in our conversion-initiation. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes one into a Christian (Acts 2:38-39). We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). At the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, as Peter was preaching the Holy Spirit descended upon the crowd and filled everyone. They were all filled with Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4). Today’s lesson will explore the vital and powerful ministry of the Spirit of God.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. The word spirit (Gr. pneuma) is the word used in ancient times to explain the presence of “divine power.” Under the Old Covenant, the Spirit of God operated on individuals and in situations, but He did not enter or indwell anyone. The story of Christianity has been unfolding since the beginning of all creation, and the thread of God’s plan for redemption is seen in all of Scripture. It was not until the fulfillment of that plan that the Holy Spirit could make a home in the hearts of believers. Although the term “Christian” first appeared at Antioch (Acts 11:26), Christianity officially began with the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 2:2-4; 17-18). Paul said, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul speaks of us becoming ministers of the New Covenant, noting we are made “…sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). We cry out, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). We have been given the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). This was one of the upper room promises delivered by Jesus before His crucifixion. Matthew Henry writes that the Holy Spirit is not given to the world, but only to those who are followers of Jesus. He writes, “This is the favour [sic] God bears to his chosen. As the source of holiness and happiness, the Holy Spirit will abide with every believer for ever.”(1)

Why Did the Holy Spirit Come?

To further understand who the Holy Spirit is, we turn to the Greek word paraklétos (παράκλητος) used by Christ (John 14:16). The NKJV and ESV translations use the word “helper,” which is on point with the true definition. A paraklétos comes alongside as one’s advocate, advisor-helper, and intercessor. It is a masculine noun that literally means, “called to one’s aid.” The American Standard Version, Darby Translation, King James Version, and New King James Version translate paraklétos as “comforter.” Eugene Peterson’s The Message uses the word “friend.” Most other translations use either “helper,” “advocate,” or “counselor,” all of which are consistent with the words spoken by Christ to the twelve disciples at the Last Supper.

“The Holy Ghost is the advocate in men’s hearts. Ah! I have known men reject a doctrine until the Holy Ghost began to illuminate them. We, who are the advocates of the truth, are often very poor pleaders; we spoil our cause by the words we use; but it is a mercy that the brief is in the hand of a special pleader, who will advocate successfully, and overcome the sinner’s opposition.”(2)

The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of God’s complete salvation (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14). He is the “first-fruits” of God’s final harvest of men (Rom. 8:23). He represents the first installment of the believer’s inheritance of the Kingdom of God (Rom. 8:15-17; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 15:42-50; Gal. 4:6-7; 5:16-18; 21:23; Eph. 1:13-14). Paul tells us the gift of the Spirit commences a lifelong process of sanctification that will not end until we have been brought completely under the Spirit’s direction (Rom. 8:11, 23; 1 Cor. 15:42-49; 2 Cor. 3:18, 5:1-5). The life that begins with the Spirit of God depends on the Spirit. Indeed, to receive the Holy Spirit is to begin the Christian life (Gal. 3:2-3). To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to become a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13)—a divine “seal” that established the bond between God and the believer. Paul identifies our justification by faith and the promise of the Spirit as “the blessings of Abraham” (Gal. 3:1-14). There is a great deal of eschatological tension between “walking by the Spirit” and “walking in the flesh.”

We are enabled by the Holy Spirit to do the works of Christ (Phil 4:13). Through the Spirit, God provides our every need of according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus that we might further the gospel (Phil. 4:19). Accordingly, we are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us (Gal. 3:20). God’s Spirit is grieved by bitterness, wrath, anger, speaking evil of others, malice. He is excited by kindness, tenderness, forgiveness, grace, and community. Rather than grieve the Holy Spirit, we must cooperate with Him in the interest of teaching and guiding one another in all truth. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to witness and to defend the reason for our faith. We receive Him by asking in faith. Our relationship with Him is strengthened by our confession. Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13).

The Spirit of Christ

We have restoration with the Father through the Holy Spirit. Out of the diversity of God’s Spirit we have unity of the church. Paul explains how the church becomes a community of believers which is carried forth by the Holy Spirit. Under the New Covenant, the Spirit is now seen as the Spirit of Jesus. “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom. 8:9). God has sent us the Spirit of His Son (Gal. 4:6). Paul told us that to live is Christ. He writes, “…for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance” (Phil. 1:19). We are talking about the Spirit that bears witness to Jesus (John 15:26; 16:13014; 1 Cor. 12:3). This same Spirit empowered Jesus Christ to carry out His earthly ministry. It is the Spirit of sonship that restores our relationship with the Father. Romans 8:15-17 says we are children of God, joint-heirs with Christ.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

References
(1) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Entire Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 1006.
(2) C.H. Spurgeon, A Sermon (No. 5) Delivered January 21, 1855, New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, UK.

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

First Principles Part Five: Living an Overcoming Life

LIVING AN OVERCOMING LIFE requires intentionality and an exercise of faith. It involves following hard after God. Specifically, it features yearning after Him in wonder; choosing a “resurrected” life in Christ. A.W. Tozer warns us that lack of holy desire leads to a stiff and wooden quality in our spirituality. “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”(1) The Christian church has unfortunately become a place of religious complexity, missing the stripped-down simplicity of first principles. Of paramount importance is the work of redemption, meant to undo the damage sin has done to our relationship with the Father. Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). It is only through Jesus that we can be restored to favor and become the adopted sons and daughters of the Father.

An overcoming life turns on full reconciliation; returning again to what Tozer calls conscious communion with God. Paul said, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before [the Father]” (Col. 1:21-22). Paul said we must “…continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Col. 1:23). I find this passage to be a necessary reminder that we are to remain “in the faith” regardless of life’s circumstances. We must avoid falling into such ruminations as, If God really loved me, why would he allow my son to die in a motorcycle accident?! Or, God must not be real after all; look at the troubles that keep coming my way year after year!

The first step we must take is surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—our one and only source for living a victorious life. Watchman Nee wrote about “…the excellent Christ who is in us as our victory.”(2) This is the very source of living an overcoming life. The apostle John made this very clear: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5). God only knows how many times I tried to quit drinking and getting high. I struggled with addiction to pornography for many years. My unbiblical relationship with money reflected my addiction to the trill of spending. Each of these strongholds had to be overcome through Christ. Until I did that, “stopping” eluded me. I could not “not.” (See my article of June 25, 2022, I Cannot “Not” Do.)

Nee believed overcoming involves living the life God has ordained for us. A life that does not thirst after the world. It includes walking apart from sin; indeed, reigning over sin. It is a holy, powerful, and victorious life that knows and follows the will of God and fellowships with Him without interruption. We begin with acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and build on the fundamental truth of His atoning death and resurrection through which we are redeemed and set free. We have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us. The life we now live in the body we live by faith in Jesus, who loves us and who gave himself for us (see Gal. 2:20). Complacency and indifference will get us nowhere. We must walk with Christ in victory and submit to guidance from the Holy Spirit. Tozer said, “This contentment with inadequate and imperfect progress in the life of holiness is, I repeat, a scandal in the church of the First-born.”(3)

Victory Through Christ

Victory is likely one of the most elusive qualities of life. Ask any number of people on the streets or at your church if they regularly experience victory in their lives and you will hear a range of responses: Nope! What is victory? Yes, I live a victorious life through Christ. Unfortunately, most responses will be in the negative. And if Christians struggle with a consistent victorious life, I can only imagine how difficult is the life of the unbeliever. As human beings, we strive for victory. Misguided desires to win or conquer will always take us down any number of dubious paths that lead only to more defeat. This is true because at some point we run out of the power and resources necessary to overcome on our own. No human power can rescue us from the bondage of our sin nature. Paul wrote, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

Please know that I am not an “expert” on living a victorious life. Until recently, I remained powerless over several bad habits, including binge spending. I lived in active addiction for forty years. I needed a “higher power” in order to overcome. Through Jesus we are able to take every thought captive. We can say no to habitual sin. Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit through Whom we receive power and guidance. We have confidence to take a day-by-day approach and not live in constant anxiety. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6-7). Consider the apostle John’s words, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14). There is, however, a valuable lesson I had to learn which was defeating me when I asked for a job or “more money.” James hits it right on the head: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). I had been wasting the resources I was already given. God would not give me more until I managed what I already had.

When we accept Christ as our Savior we are born-again and perfected by the Word of God. There is an amazing aggregate in this thought: the Bible (the Word of God) lays before us the thread of redemption from the moment of man’s fall in the Garden of Eden to the atoning and sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. But, more importantly, Jesus is the Word. He became flesh and dwelt among us. He was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus walked the earth as God’s will incarnate. As both fully God and fully man, He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane before being delivered up to be tried and executed and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). Because of His resurrection, He is alive. His Word is alive. His Word is eternal. His Word is powerful. The writer of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

The power in the Word of God is key to today’s first principles lesson. When we are in Christ, we become partakers of His power—a power that is creative and able of changing us to our very core. It is able to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. This is the bedrock of transformation. We are given access to the very abilities we need for taking every thought captive to Christ. Jesus calls us out of our graves and into His glorious life. We are transformed—the “old” becomes a new creation. Not a remodeling job. A new house, a temple for the Holy Spirit. This transformation is beyond human comprehension. Watchman Nee wrote, “You believe in the death of the Lord Jesus and you believe in the death of the thieves with Him. Now what about your own death? Your crucifixion is more intimate than theirs. They were crucified at the same time as the Lord but on different crosses, whereas you were crucified on the selfsame cross as He, for you were in Him when He died.”(4)

Indeed, a “Glorious Day.”

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

References
(1) A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1948), 13.
(2) Watchman Nee, The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Vol. 24, The Overcoming Life (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1993), v.
(3) A.W. Tozer, Man: The Dwelling Place of God (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1966), 37.
(4) Watchman Nee, “Romans 6,” Bible Faith Hope Love (n.d.), accessed July 5, 2002. URL: http://biblefaithhopelove.blogspot.com/2010/07/romans-6-watchman-nee.html

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

First Principles Part Four: What is Faith?

IT WOULD BE WRONG to say one kingdom principle is greater or more important than another, but I will say these first four we’ve been discussing are critical to beginning and strengthening our new life in Christ. It is important to identify and defeat the hindrances to living a balanced Christian lifestyle. Watchman Nee wrote, “Walking in the Way [of Christ] means to proceed gradually one step after another… to walk in the Way cannot be done in just one step.”(1) We must walk as Jesus walked. But we also need to grasp the nature of sin and admit the need for salvation. Further, we need to speak and to walk by the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Sin causes a hardness of the heart, which leads to an unwillingness to be open to truth. Sin shows up in pride, sensuality, fear, self-pity, selfishness, jealously, greed, sexual immorality; its harms are physical, moral, and spiritual.

It is critical that we understand temptation, covenant, sin, transgression, consequence, punishment, damnation, alienation from God, and the need for His manifest presence.

Ask one hundred people what “faith” means to them and you might get one hundred different answers. In fact, its been said that there are as many worldviews as there are people on the planet. Thankfully, relativism is wrong; truth is absolute. It does not exist in different degrees or meanings. Decidedly, there is only One Truth and One True God. Jesus is Truth. He is the Word and Will of the Father incarnate. Prior to turning Him over for crucifixion, Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). The proper question would have been Who is Truth?

What is Faith?

Faith is a word that is used universally but not always understood. We need to look to Scripture for the proper definition. The writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen ” (Heb. 11:1). In The Message//Remix, Eugene Peterson translates Hebrews 11:1-3 as follows: “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors [and] set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s Word; what we see was created by what we don’t see.”(2) Charles Spurgeon believes knowledge must come before faith. He says the meaning of “faith cometh by hearing” means we must first hear in order that we may know what is to be believed. A measure of knowledge is essential to faith; hence the importance of getting knowledge.(3)

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the light” (John 14:6). Jesus is the source of our faith because He is the son of God. He is the revealed will of the Father.

We are not born with a natural ability to believe in things we cannot see. Faith only operates in the realm of the invisible. Once God gives us a measure of faith, He holds us accountable and expects us to exercise and increase in that faith. After all, faith must always include action. Faith must not waver. (See LORD, I Believe. Help My Unbelief, June 7, 2022.) It is faith that connects us to the spiritual realm, linking us with God. The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines faith as, “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” More on point, it further defines faith as “belief and trust in and loyalty to God.” Strong faith comes from earnestly studying the Word of God (see Rom. 10:14-17). Assent to truth is an essential building block of faith; the ultimate foundation of revealed truth rests in the veracity of God. In Latin, veritas (from which we get the word veracity) means “the truth.” Greek philosophers used the word aletheia to identify truth, which they defined as “unconcealedness, disclosure, revealing, or unclosedness.” Aren’t transliterations fun?

How Do We Build Faith?

God gives us a measure of faith, called “prevenient grace,” which allows us to feel the emptiness in our unsaved nature (what some call the God-shaped hole in the soul) and convicts us of our sin. Admittedly, this initial discovery occurs at a very basic level, yet it is the catalyst for progressive spiritual growth. We build our faith in Christ by coming to know Him entirely. Through Jesus we see the heart and will of the Father. Our faith will naturally grow when we make a conscious effort to look for ways and reasons to trust God. Faith is made stronger through testing. We must pray fervently when trials arise, seeking God’s help. God will move on our behalf when we trust Him in all things.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

God told Abraham that Sarah would give him a son. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning this mighty promise from God. Instead, he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised (see Rom. 4:19-21). John wrote, “…this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

Growing the seeds of our faith requires five things. First, we need to start with good soil. We read In Hosea 10:12, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” Next, growing faith requires water. To ensure our seed of faith grows, we need to water and tend it daily. The Word of God is the equivalent of watering. Psalm 1:2-3 says our delight should be in the Word of the LORD, and we should meditate in it day and night. In Christ, we are like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, whose leaf does not wither. Third, our seeds of faith require fertilizer. I love the implications of this stage. Fertilizer usually comes from something that has died and decomposed. In this manner, only by dying to self can we grow in Christ. Fourth, it is critical that our seeds are exposed to sunlight. We plant and tend our seeds, but it is God who provides the increase. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He is the exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual truth is available to mankind. Fifth, like the farmer after the planting season, we need patience. We cannot rush the harvest. Paul said, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

Faith is a critical and comprehensive tenet of our Christian walk. Indeed, we cannot walk in the Way of Christ without faith. Satan uses a thousand and one ways to distract us, discourage us, and make us doubt there is a harvest coming. Through faith, we have assurance of the things we hope for and the conviction of things we cannot see. God gives us a measure of faith to get us started, but we are responsible for planting it in good soil, watering and tending it daily, allowing the old to die so the new can be rooted in us. We must then allow the light of God to bring life to our seeds. Having done all this, we persevere, remaining persistent, steadfast, and firm until the day of harvest.

In Part Five, I will discuss how to live an overcoming life, which involves exercising faith.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

References
(1) Watchman Nee, A Balanced Christian Life (New York, NY: Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc., 1981), 2-3.
(2) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 1775.
(3) Charles H. Spurgeon, “3 Components of Faith,” Hills Bible Church online (Sept. 7, 2009), accessed June 8, 2022. URL: https://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/doctrine/3-components-of-faith-c-h-spurgeon/