Category: Worship

True Power

Posted on by scott

8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

The Holy Spirit & Jesus

In His humanity, there seems to have been a “dependency” of Jesus upon the Holy Spirit.  From the very beginning, this dependency was evident.  It was a result of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin Mary that enabled her to conceive the Christ Child (Luke 1:35).  When He was baptized by His cousin John the Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove as the Father proclaimed His pleasure (Luke 3:22).

It was the Holy Spirit that guided Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1), and after being tempted Jesus began His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14).   Jesus, Himself, testified that it was a result of being anointed by the Holy Spirit that He was to preach to the poor.  Likewise, it was the Spirit that sent Jesus to heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18).

After casting out a demon, Jesus announced His miraculous work was done through the Holy Spirit (Mat. 12:28).  It was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus offered Himself without blemish to God as a sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 9:14).  After His death, it was the power of the Holy Spirit that resurrected Jesus (Romans 8:11).

From His conception to His resurrection, we see a vital relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit & The Church

If Jesus as God in the flesh “needed” the Holy Spirit, how much more do we?  Consider these words of Charles Spurgeon.  “If there is this day any power of God in the Church of God, it is because the Holy Spirit is in the midst of her!  If she is able to work any spiritual miracles, it is through the might of His indwelling; if there is any light in her instruction; if there is any life in her ministry; if there is any glory gotten to God; if there is any good worked among the sons of men, it is entirely because the Holy Spirit is still with her!  The entire weight of influence of the church as a whole, and every Christian in particular, comes from the abiding presence of the sacred Paraclete!” (emphasis mine)

Charles Spurgeon had no disillusionment about his or the church’s dependency upon the Holy Spirit.  Nor did Christ.  Hence His promise of asking the Father to send us the Spirit to help us and be with us forever (John 14:15-17).

Do you recognize your need of the Holy Spirit?  As you go through each day how cognizant are you of your dependency upon the Holy Spirit?  Consider for a moment the last sentence quoted from Charles Spurgeon.  “The entire weight of influence of the church as a whole, and every Christian in particular, comes from the abiding presence of the sacred Paraclete!”  This quote makes me wonder, to what degree is the church as a whole and we as individual Christians influential “lightweights” because of our disconnect from the Holy Spirit?  Or, to what degree is our influence limited by our lack of recognition of our dependency upon the Holy Spirit?

Power Pleas

So often when we think of the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to see it manifested in mighty supernatural displays.  These sincere desires may be manifested in urgent pleas for the Spirit’s power to be unleashed.

Perhaps we pray for a second Pentecost complete with the sound of a mighty wind and tongues of flames.  Maybe we pray for miraculous healings where the blind receive their sight or cripples are made whole.

It is possible that we desire the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest itself in the exorcism of demons; real or imagined.  And if Lazarus could be raised from the dead perhaps we can witness the same miracle today.

As intriguing and exciting as such occurrences might be, what if the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed not when we plead for it but rather when we submit to Him?

Submitters Wanted

I believe that if we want to experience the true power of the Holy Spirit, we need to learn the importance of submission.  As we have discussed previously, we need to rid our minds of the notion that the Holy Spirit is a commodity.  Some mysterious and mighty power that we seek to use for our desires and according to our whims.  That is not how Jesus viewed Him.

When Jesus walked the earth He emphasized the fact that He did not do His own will but the will of the Father.  In so doing He taught us the importance of submission and surrender to our all wise and all loving Father.  Our Father who has sent the Holy Spirit to live within us.  The same Spirit that empowered Jesus.  The same Spirit that Jesus submitted to.

Like our Savior, we need to submit to the Holy Spirit.  We need to surrender ourselves to Him.  We have been bought at a price.  As R. A. Torrey has said, “Christian life is not to be lived in the realm of natural temperament but in the realm of the Spirit.  And Christian work is not to be done in the power of natural endowment but in the power of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit eagerly desires to do His whole work for each of us.  He will do for us everything we will let Him do.”

True Power

While it is exciting to ponder the truth that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave resides within us, I wonder how that power is most effectively displayed in the life of Believers.  While performing supernatural miracles sounds exciting, I am not convinced it is the best way to advance the Kingdom of God.  It may draw a crowd, but in time they will become bored and return to their routines.

In our last devotion we looked at a couple of passages which referred to the love of the Spirit (Rom. 15:30) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14).  As I have thought about these passages I have become convinced that they may hold the key to the greatest “power” of the Holy Spirit.

If you look closely at today’s passage, Jesus says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and then He states that we will be His witnesses.  What if we, as the church, truly lived in and exemplified the love of the Spirit?  How contagious would our lives and church services be if we truly participated in and displayed the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

Is there a greater power than the love of God (1 Cor. 13)?  Is there a higher calling than intimate fellowship with our Creator?  We live in a dark and desperate world that is divided by hatred.  No amount of “Christians” living in the “realm of natural temperament” while pleading for the power of the Spirit is going to effectively witness to them.  The church has gone down that path far too long.

Weighty Influence

As Spurgeon has reminded us, the entire weight of the influence of the church comes from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus has already prayed for Him.  The Father has already sent Him.  Now it is up to us to surrender to Him and enjoy His fellowship and allow His love to flow through us.

There is no greater power.

There is no greater witness.

Do you want to experience the power of the Holy Spirit?

“They will never get possession of the power they seek until they come to recognize that there is not some divine power for them to get hold of and use in their blindness and ignorance, but that there is a Person, infinitely wise as well as infinitely mighty, who is willing to take possession of them and use them according to His own perfect will.”  R.A. Torrey

Love & Fellowship

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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

Meetings

I don’t know about you but I am no fan of meetings.  I know they have their place (at least theoretically), but most of the time I would rather be anyplace but in one.

Maybe it is just me but it seems like keeping focused in a meeting is next to impossible.  Even with an agenda it often feels like every meeting is deja vu all over again.  The same topics are brought up (even if not on the agenda), the same complaints are expressed (always without solicitation), and the same actions are taken.  None.

OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating (just a little), since the Continental Congress did produce the Declaration of Independence as a result of their meetings, but personally I often found them as productive as flogging a dead horse.  No matter how much flogging is done, the outcome is determined.  In other words, if nothing is going to change why waste the time?

Time for Change

Whether or not you agree with my assessment of the value of meetings, I hope you will agree with me on one thing.  For most of us that call ourselves Evangelical, our way of thinking about the Person of the Holy Spirit needs to change.  Rather than flogging a dead horse, I believe it is time for a paradigm shift for many of us when it comes to our thought (or lack thereof) regarding the Holy Spirit.

Everything we as individuals and collectively as a Church hope to accomplish in this fallen world can only happen by the enablement of the Holy Spirit.  Without Him our wisdom is folly and our strength is a stumbling block.

We need to come to grips with the fact that we are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit.  But before we get to the work of the Holy Spirit, I want to spend one last study with you about our need for a vital, living relationship with Him.

Thrice Loved

As Christians we often talk about the love of God the Father quoting John 3:16 as our favorite proof text.  In the same manner we like to take comfort in the love of Christ that manifested itself in His sacrifice of His own life for us while we were His enemies (John 15:13, Eph. 5:2).  In contrast, how often do we talk about the love of the Holy Spirit?  Don’t we owe our salvation to the love of the Holy Spirit as much as we do to the love of the Father or Son?

Listen to Paul’s words to the Romans.

30 “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf” – Romans 15:30

Have you ever seriously pondered the love of the Spirit?  Scholars are not in complete agreement as to whether Paul is referring in this passage to the Spirit’s love towards Believers or the love He instills in us, but regardless of how you may interpret this passage the fact remains:  As a child of God you are loved by the Holy Spirit.

Further, Paul tells us that it is through the Holy Spirit that God’s love is poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5), and Love is the foremost fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Believer (Gal. 5:22).  The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of divine love.  A love that is relentless.

Heaven’s Hound

In 1893, Francis Thompson published a poem entitled, The Hound of Heaven.  Using an analogy of a hound hunting a hare, Thompson illustrated the persistence of God chasing after a fleeing soul.  No matter how fast or far the hare may run, or the efforts he may take to hide, the hound never gives up on his pursuit.  Divine grace will not be thwarted.

When you were running away from God blinded by your sins, do you know who was pursuing you?  The Holy Spirit.  Time was irrelevant in His pursuit.  Days and months and years passed but the Holy Spirit never gave up on you.  Despite the sinful paths you ran down, the Holy Spirit kept up the pursuit regardless of the grief your sinned caused Him.  Like a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24) He would not give up on you.

When you came to the end of yourself, it was the Holy Spirit that revealed your true condition.  It was the love of the Spirit that opened your spiritual eyes to expose you as a sinner.  It was the Person of the Holy Spirit that enabled you to place your faith in Christ.  If not for the love of the Spirit manifested in His patient relentless pursuit, you would still be condemned for an eternity in Hell.

Let me ask you again.  How often do you consider the love of the Spirit?  Perhaps we would all be wise to meditate on it and then thank the Holy Spirit for His love and what He has done for us.

Sweet Fellowship

As humbling as it is to consider what the Holy Spirit has done in regards to our salvation, there is more to consider.  Listen to what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14

When was the last time you heard a sermon on the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?  Do you know what it is like to have daily communion with the Spirit that dwells within you?  It is the privilege of having eternal life.

Forgive me for repeating myself.  I don’t like flogging a dead horse.  But as I have so often said, it is imperative for our lives as individual Christians and collectively as a Church that we have a proper understanding of the Person of the Holy Spirit.  He is not just a commodity.  He is much more than a power.  He is God living within us loving us with a perfect divine love and desiring fellowship with us.  Every moment of every day.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all love us with an everlasting love.  They decided to make man in their image.  Each of them had a role in our salvation.  All of them want their love reciprocated.  Don’t waste your time, surrender it to the Spirit and enjoy His fellowship.  It is why He tirelessly pursued you.

I’m putting the whip down.  Meeting adjourned!

Truth & Comfort

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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

Dead Divinity?

I have often looked at the state of the church and the lives of individual Christians, myself included, and questioned the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit.  If the Holy Spirit was unleashed at Pentecost, which He was, and He indwells individual Believers, which He does, how can things be the way they are?

Why does the church seem so ineffective at stemming the tide of an increasingly evil world?  Why has the church lost her focus?  Instead of reaching the lost we seem to be more concerned with satisfying the saints.  Even if we have to entertain them to “keep” them.

At an individual level, how can so many people who claim to be followers of Christ have such “messed up” lives?  What does the victorious Christian life look like?  What does it mean to be an Overcomer?  Which leads me to wonder, while atheists have boasted of killing God, has the church “killed” the Holy Spirit?

Mom’s Request

To my recently deceased mother, the Holy Spirit wasn’t dead.  Far from it.  During the last few months of her life, she would often ask me to pray to the Holy Spirit on her behalf.  Not knowing what precipitated these requests they made me a little uncomfortable.

My mother was on the brink of eternity, so according to my way of thinking she should have been focusing on Jesus and His redeeming work.  But maybe my way of thinking needed a little re-thinking.  Perhaps it was my theology and not mom’s request that was the source of my “discomfort”.

Maybe my theology needed more “life”!

Life Source

It is easy to approach Christianity from an academic viewpoint, gathering facts as if they were ammunition for future discussion or debate.  But Christianity isn’t about cold facts, it is about a living vital relationship with an all-powerful living God.

To me, the most plausible explanation for our plight as individuals and as the Church, is that we are far removed from the living vital relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit as the Father intended it.  Again, myself included.

If so, there is no better time than the current to repent and surrender ourselves to our Paraclete.  But I am convinced we won’t do so until we understand  Him and trust Him as a person.

Confide

With whom do you share your most intimate thoughts?  A parent?  A sibling?  How about a friend or spouse (in case your spouse isn’t your friend)?  How about your dreams and aspirations or troubles and fears?  To whom do you turn for guidance and direction?

When the disciples needed someone to confide in they turned to Jesus.  He could calm their troubled hearts and buoy their despondent souls unlike anyone else.  When they were weak, they rested in His strength.  When the darkness would oppress them, He was a constant source of light.

No matter what the situation, the disciples always knew they could go to Jesus.  And He never let them down.  He couldn’t.

In the person of the Holy Spirit, we have a Friend just as dear to us as Jesus was to His disciples.  But how often do we confide in Him?

In your time of need, turn to your Friend.  When you want someone to share your cares and concerns with, go to the Holy Spirit.  He is already more intimately familiar with you than any parent, friend or spouse ever could be.  And He loves you more than any human ever could.

Trust

Perhaps when we realize that the Holy Spirit already knows our most intimate thoughts, highest aspirations and deepest sorrows, we will begin to “trust” Him as we should.  Consider this quote from R. A. Torrey.

“The Holy Spirit is not a blind, impersonal influence or power that comes into our lives to illuminate, sanctify, and empower us.  No, He is immeasurably more than that.  He is a holy person who comes to dwell in our hearts, One who sees clearly every act we perform, every word we speak, every thought we entertain, even the most fleeting fancy that is allowed to pass through our minds.  If there is anything in act or word or deed that is impure, unholy, unkind, selfish, mean, petty or untrue, this infinitely Holy One is deeply grieved by it.”

We do not need to accept the status quo.  I am confident God has much loftier plans for us.  Instead of grieving the Holy Spirit with our sin (especially ignorance, apathy, and neglect), what if we were to confide in Him and in an attitude of surrender allow Him to sanctify us?  After all, He is the Holy Spirit and being God His work is efficacious.

Truth

I don’t want to give the impression that the Holy Spirit is simply a “shoulder to cry on”.  On the contrary, as we looked at in the last devotion, He is our greatest hope for comfort.  But He is not going to comfort us “as we are”, but rather by conforming us.  While our sorrows and sufferings are a consequence of sin, the Holy Spirit comforts us with Truth.

When Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit in today’s text, one of the ways He refers to Him is the Spirit of truth.  When we confide in and surrender to the Holy Spirit He will bring us comfort through the Word.  Although we may desire to be made comfortable in our sin, the Holy Spirit must first “hurt” us before He can heal us.  He must be true to His character.  Holy.  This is where trust is so important.

Before we can expect consolation, we must obey the Holy Spirit as He convicts us of sin and reveals Truth.  Truth that He wields to purify us and bring us peace.  With the Word of God, the Holy Spirit can reveal to us eternal truths thereby transforming our ignorance into wisdom.  As He reminds us of the teachings of Christ our fears will give way to boldness.  Certainly, as He illuminates the inerrant Word to us conviction of sin will occur (John 16:8).  Hopefully shaking us of our complacency.

For many, if not most of us it is past time to “reconnect” with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to bring “life” to our theology and comfort to our souls.  Until we do, we won’t be an effective witness to the world.

Revive All

God is not glorified by an anemic church.  Nor is He honored by “messed up” Christians.  While we may grieve the Holy Spirit, He is not dead.  Instead, all too often it is us who seem to be on life support.  But why?

As I have already stated, it is time to turn to the Holy Spirit.  He dwells within you.  He is always available.  The Spirit of truth wants to guide you and comfort you with the Word of God.  He wants to conform you to the image of Christ.  What could be more comforting?  What could be better evidence of the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit?

I may never know what motivated my mother to turn to the Holy Spirit as her certain death was approaching, but there is a truth to be gleaned from her request.  By God’s design, the Holy Spirit is our source of eternal life (John 3:3-6).   Sometimes we need to have the delusions of the world removed from our spiritual eyes to remind us of just how dependent we are upon the Holy Spirit.  No matter what stage of life we are at, the Holy Spirit is our source of comfort.

Thanks for the reminder mom.

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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

Simon Magus

What comes to your mind when you think of the Holy Spirit?  I believe that too often for most it is perhaps a thought that parallels that of Simon Magus.  If you are not familiar with him he is infamously recorded in Acts chapter eight.

Simon Magus was a man from Samaria.  But he was no “ordinary” man, however we might define that.  He said of himself that he was “somebody great” (Acts 8:9).  Simon practiced magic and seemed to have quite a large gathering who was greatly impressed by him.

10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic” (Acts 810-11).

But in the midst of Simon’s admirers, God’s true power, the Gospel, showed up.  Philip came to Samaria proclaiming the Gospel and many believed him as he taught about the “kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (v. 12).  Among those who professed belief and were baptized was none other than Simon Magus.

Simon Exposed

After his baptism, we are told that Simon “continued with Philip” (v. 13).  As Simon continued to spend time with Philip, he had the privilege of seeing Philip perform signs and miracles and he was amazed.  Being a magician Simon undoubtedly recognized a great difference between Philip’s miracles and his own slight of hand magic, but what was Philip’s secret?

When the news of what was happening in Samaria reached the Apostles in Jerusalem, they decided to send down Peter and John.  Upon arrival, Peter and John prayed for the new converts and laid their hands on them.  When they did so the new converts “received the Holy Spirit” (v. 17).  At which time Simon was exposed.

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” – vs. 18-19

To Simon Magus, the Holy Spirit and the ability to disseminate Him represented power.  With such power imagine the fame and wealth that someone like Simon could obtain!  For Simon, the Holy Spirit was something he evaluated on a commercial basis that would be subject to his will.

Peter, in very strong language, reprimands Simon for his worship of money, which is ultimately where Simon’s devotion lay.  Certainly, while Simon was being rebuked, the Holy Spirit was grieved.

Him

Look closely at the passage quoted above from the Gospel of John.  When Jesus promises His disciples the Holy Spirit He uses the pronouns whom, him, and he.  When Jesus departed to go back to the Father, He wasn’t simply going to replace himself with a power, but rather with a person.  A member of the Trinity who is as much a person as the Father and the Son are.

It is of utmost importance that we recognize the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person. Without the intimate knowledge of the personhood of the Holy Spirit, any study of His works or appeals for His power is meaningless.  If we want to have a “fair” and “balanced” understanding of the Holy Spirit, we must begin with the fact that HE is a person.

When we refer to the personhood of the Holy Spirit, we are not referring to bodily substance, but rather we mean that the Holy Spirit has personality characteristics.  Although the Holy Spirit may not have arms, legs, hands, etc., the Bible does ascribe to the Holy Spirit such things as knowledge, will, love, etc.

It is the person of the Holy Spirit that is our Paraclete.  The Person called alongside us.  The Person who lives inside us.

Heaven Help Us

As we looked at in our last study, mankind is in need of help.  We looked at the creation of Adam from the dust and the fact that Eve was formed from a rib from his side.  Eve was made to complete Adam, but as we saw, there are spiritual needs that only God can meet.  We need a Paraclete from Heaven.

Adam and Eve could walk side by side down the streets of New York City.  Despite being surrounded by millions of people in a short vicinity, Adam could be the “loneliest” man alive.  The strange faces around him and even the familiar face of his wife at his side may be desperately insufficient to remove his loneliness.  But Adam’s despair may have company.

As she walks by Adam’s side, Eve may be battling the demons of depression.  Rather than being an escape from her torment, the busyness of her environment may only serve as a fuel for her internal torment.  Why, she might ask, with all of the resources such a populated city might possess, can she not find any relief from her suffering?

Jesus foresaw such suffering.  Jesus foresaw such sorrow.  Jesus did not leave us as orphans.  He sent us another helper.  He did not send us “just” a power.  He did not send us simply an illuminating agent.  Nor did He send us an impersonal enlightenment or divine influence.

When we were given the Holy Spirit we were given a person just as divine as Jesus.  One who daily walks by our side.  One who dwells “in the innermost depths of our beings” and knows our needs even better than we know them ourselves.

Comfort

There are many functions that the Holy Spirit performs as our Paraclete, but for now, I only want to broach one, the fact that the Holy Spirit brings us comfort.  I don’t want to imply that as Christians we will never experience such things as loneliness or depression, but I am convinced that our greatest source of comfort is the indwelling Holy Spirit and without a foundational understanding of His personhood we miss His blessings.

As Jesus’ words quoted above imply, the Holy Spirit is to us what Jesus was to His disciples.  When He walked the earth with His disciples, Jesus was their teacher.  For three years, these men, many of which were deemed ignorant “unlearned”, gleaned from the most intelligent “man” ever to live.  In time they would change the world with the truths Jesus taught them.

Not only did Jesus serve as their teacher, He was also their shepherd and leader.  When they were vulnerable, He protected them, and when they were wayward He directed them.  Although they may not have completely understood His ways at the time, they knew in Jesus they had a “guide, counselor, and friend”.

In the midst of a world dominated by Roman power and religious hypocrisy, Jesus was more than a moral “keel” to keep the ship upright.  To His disciples, He was an intimate friend who loved them with a perfect love.  Christ was their “all in all”.  And such is the person of the Holy Spirit to the church.

Glory

I don’t want to exhaust your patience.  We will have to resume this study later.  For now, let me simply remind you that in the person of the Holy Spirit we have a Comforter who is ever present, at our sides and in our hearts.  He is able to act on our behalf in any situation that may come our way.  While it is my hope to impress upon you the personhood of the Holy Spirit, I don’t want to be accused of making this study about us.  My intention is to make it “personal” without losing focus.

We don’t want to make the mistake that Simon Magus did.  We don’t want to confuse the Holy Spirit with a power or treat Him as an object.  It is imperative we understand that He is a divine person, worthy of our worship.  Just as we adore the Father and the Son we must adore the Holy Spirit.  He is worthy of our love.  He is worthy of our faith.  If we want to live victoriously in our Christian faith we need to recognize that He deserves our complete surrender.

It is the Simon’s of the world who misunderstand the Holy Spirit and think of Him as a “tool”.  Their quest in life is to get more of the Holy Spirit.  Often they advertise themselves as “Spirit-filled”.  They feed their spiritual pride and display self-sufficiency and self-exaltation.

In contrast to Simon Magus, may we always be cognizant of the personhood of the Holy Spirit.  When we do, we are not concerned with having more of the Holy Spirit, but rather interest ourselves in surrendering more of self to the Holy Spirit.  When we truly understand the person of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, forever, we are humbled.  Recognizing that the triune God resides in us has a way of keeping our pride in check.

You will never be alone.  You will never be just another face in the crowd.  In the Person of the Holy Spirit, you are indwelt with divinity.  God, in His infinite wisdom and strength, has taken up residence in you and is carrying out His perfect will through you.  May we give the Holy Spirit the glory He deserves by seeing Him for who He is!

Help Needed

Posted on by scott

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,17 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

imago dei

Such is the Latin that we translate the image of God.  As we know from scriptures (Genesis 1:26), Adam and Eve were created to be God’s image bearers.  Which simply means, God intended for His highest Creation to be a visible and “tangible” representation of Himself.

The breath of life God shared with Adam made him unique from the rest of creation in that Adam would not only have a physical body but an “immaterial” nature as well.  This nature would be comprised of a soul and a spirit.  This is the imago dei that separates humanity from the animal world.

When God breathed life into Adam, He imparted some defining characteristics into man; an ability to reason, a conscience, and the need for relationships.  As rational, moral and social beings, man was both created to have dominion over the rest of creation (Gen. 1:28) and more importantly, to have fellowship with their Creator (Gen. 3:8).

A Fit Helper

When God looked over His creation, He said it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31), but His pronouncement of Adam’s plight in the Garden was a little different,18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18). 

God’s creation was very good, but from God’s viewpoint, Adam wasn’t quite complete.  There was a deficiency.  God did not make a mistake, His work simply wasn’t finished.  Adam and Eve and the rest of mankind would have to be taught a very important lesson; “it is not good that man should be alone”.

From the side of Adam, God would make an ezer (helper) that was kenegdow (fit) for him.  In other words, God was going to make for Adam an ideal partner who was literally, “according to the opposite of him.”  Eve would not be above or below Adam, neither superior or subservient, but rather “just right” for him.  She would compliment him as only a woman can compliment a man (Gen 2:20).

Sadly, God’s highest creation rebelled.  When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, death entered the world.  But in His infinite wisdom, when God breathed life into the man He formed from the dust of the ground, He planted an eternal seed in him.

A Marred Image

When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them a free will.  As much as God wanted their fellowship, He did not force their love for Him, which by definition would not truly be love.  Rather God revealed His character to them and gave them the opportunity to meet with Him, but how they chose to respond was entirely up to them.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden not only ushered death into history, but it also disfigured the image of God.  The imago dei was now marred.  The image that God intended His highest creation to reflect was now distorted.

Although the image of God is distorted, it is not destroyed.  It is still the image of God that makes mankind unique.  More importantly, it is the imago dei that makes man redeemable and worthy of redemption.  Man might be capable of forgetting his Creator, but our Creator will never forget the eternal seed He has breathed into man.

One Flesh

Before Eve was created, God “paraded” all the beasts and birds before Adam to see what he would name them.  Despite being made “out of the ground” as Adam was, none of the beasts or birds could suffice to meet Adam’s relational needs.

When Adam stood in the Garden he needed a helper fit for him to make him “whole” and complete.  For his helper, God did not choose to create from the ground, but rather from Adam’s side.  After making Adam fall into a deep sleep, God performed “surgery” on him by taking out one of his ribs and after closing him back up with flesh, God “fashioned” Eve out of Adam’s rib (Gen. 2:21-22).

When God brought Eve before Adam, he named her just as he had named the beasts and birds, but Adam immediately recognized her uniqueness and significance.

23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman
because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Gen. 2:23-24

God in the Flesh

In Eve, Adam was able to experience the joy of loving another person.  As God’s image bearers, they could enjoy the physical and emotional intimacy they were created for.  They could live out their lives in a very special union holding fast to one another as one flesh.  Their relationship would forever serve as a model for marriage.  One man and one woman becoming one flesh.

But their union isn’t only a model for marriage as God designed it, it is also a model of the union between Christ and the Church.  His unique relationship with His bride (Eph. 5:31).  But before Christ could be united with His bride, He had to redeem her.  The bite that Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit would have grave consequences.

The need that Adam had as he stood in the Garden without a helper fit for him, was a mere shadow of the need he created by his disobedience.  Although he now had a wife at his side, his fellowship with God was damaged.  Sin had created a barrier that had to be dealt with.  Ultimately, only God could deal with it, so He came to earth as a man wearing human flesh.

God is jealous for His glory.  God is jealous for imago dei.

Paracletes

As we looked at in our last study, before Jesus returned to the Father, He promised to send another Paraclete of which He was the first (1 John 2:1).  The word Paraclete literally means to be called alongside.  Like Adam in the Garden, we stand in need of a helper.  One to come alongside us and make us complete.  We need someone to make us whole in a sense that no other created being can.

In Christ, God made propitiation for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross of Cavalry and dying for our sins.  As we have mentioned previously, Jesus has ascended to the right hand of God where He acts as our Paraclete, advocating on our behalf.

Although we have already introduced the theme of the Holy Spirit as our helper, there is so much more to look at.  I believe that if most of us were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that the “attention” we give to the Holy Spirit is either inadequate or misguided.

Although an equal member of the Trinity, it seems that too often He is delegated to a “secondary” status.  The worship we give Him is disproportionate to that which we give the Father or Son.  Perhaps it is because humanly speaking we can relate to the terms Father and Son whereas Spirit is a little more elusive to our earthly thinking.

Perhaps many of us shy away from placing proper emphasis on the Holy Spirit as a reaction to those that we deem placing “too much” emphasis on the Holy Spirit or His power.  Whatever the reason, it is possible that in our behavior, whether intentional or not, many of us are grieving the Holy Spirit.

God has created us in His image.  He has created us as relational beings whose greatest need is fellowship with Himself.  Accordingly, He has given us the Holy Spirit, who we will be studying in further detail.

Stay tuned.  Stay in tune with the Spirit!

Heavenly Footstools

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The Lord says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” – Psalm 110:1

Right Hands & Footstools

As we last looked at this passage we mentioned that it is a metaphor, giving us a mental picture of spiritual truths.  While it is tempting to look at this passage through the lenses of “spatial” imagery, it is more important to recognize the theological implications.

While Paul does refer to the resurrected Christ as being at the Father’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20), he expounds on the significance of this in his letter to the Philippians,  

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11

While Jesus is “seated” in His rightful position of supreme authority interceding on our behalf, the Father is also busy; making a footstool.

Apparently, no seat of authority would be complete without a footstool.  But how do you make a footstool for someone so highly exalted?

Raw Materials

When The Father (Yahweh) tells the Son (Adonai) that He is going to make Him a footstool, He says He is going to use Christ’s enemies as the raw materials.  Getting back to the imagery, Jesus is to sit at the Father’s right hand until the Father has completed His footstool.

While it is tempting to imagine God the Father turning Satan on a lathe preparing to make him a “leg” for a stool, it is perhaps more helpful to understand the background for this imagery.

In Biblical times, defeated enemies were often ushered in before the throne of the conquering King.  Wearing chains, the defeated enemies would be further humbled as they were placed before the King who would proceed to rest his legs on their backs as a sign of victory.  It was not uncommon for the conquered to find themselves at the feet of their conquerors (see also Joshua 10:24 & Judges 1:7).

While it delights us to envision Christ’s enemies getting their just deserts, it may prove more beneficial to be reminded of the identity of His enemies.

Lineups

I am confident every generation has had their enemies.  When I was young our nation was fighting the war in Vietnam.  It was a difficult time for our nation to say the least.  The war seemed to be very unpopular and it was hard to distinguish if our enemies were abroad or here in the States.

When the war finally ended, there was no talk of world peace.  Instead, the discussion, at least as I remember it, shifted back to our great enemy Russia and the Cold War.  But weren’t they an ally in the last World War?

When our Nation fought for its independence, we broke from the “bondage” of England’s “shackles”.  Now they are our greatest ally in the fight to maintain freedom around the world.

In an ever-changing world, it is difficult to know who our flesh and blood enemies are.  Too often, if our enemies were in a police lineup we would not correctly identify them.

Messiah & Zealots

Since the Fall, the world has been subject to non-stop fighting and death.  Unfortunately, war is one of the constants in our ever-changing world.  Despite what our mouths speak about peace, our hands are quick to shed blood.

When Jesus came to earth as the long-awaited Messiah, so many people “missed” Him because their expectations had become misguided.  Whereas Jesus came offering spiritual liberation, so many wanted political liberation.  Years of bondage can have a way of impacting our expectations.

People like the Zealots did not comprehend a suffering servant.  They literally wanted to see their flesh and blood enemies, the Romans, chained and brought before the throne of an earthly Messiah.  The wanted to see their Messiah literally place his feet on the backs of their Roman oppressors.

How badly their expectations were crushed when Jesus was stripped and led out to Calvary to be crucified on a Roman cross.

Cosmic Powers

Saul may not have been a Zealot, but he was certainly a man of great zeal.  Before his conversion, he was wreaking havoc on the Church seeking to arrest or even put to death the followers of Jesus Christ.  Like so many others, Saul was to learn that his enemies were not flesh and blood.

On his way to Damascus to further persecute Christians, Saul was knocked to the ground by the Messiah.  Jesus confronted Saul not with earthly weapons, but with Truth.

Saul wasn’t just fighting against Christians, he was fighting against Christ.  Saul was fighting a losing battle, as the enemies of Christ all do.  At the end of the day, they are nothing more than the raw materials for Christ’s footstool.

After his conversion, Paul had a much clearer understanding of his enemies.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12

Know Thine Enemy

Vietnam is ancient history (relatively speaking).  The Cold War is no longer a hot topic.  Conflicts still dominate the news, but I am now able to understand the truth behind the headlines and soundbites. While enemies carry out their battles in flesh and blood, their marching orders come from the spiritual realm.

As Christians, we need to be careful of the battle lines we draw.  We can expend a lot of energy fighting the wrong battles.  Our enemies are not those with different nationalities, skin colors or political viewpoints.  Rather, our enemies are those forces “in the heavenly places” that work against God and the well being of man.

It is important that we realize the Judases and Pontius Pilates of the world are merely agents for the spiritual forces of evil.  And although they may ignorantly play out their roles in God’s redemptive plan, often times appearing to be victorious, the fact of the matter is just the opposite.

Thanks to the victory obtained on the cross, Christ’s enemies are now progressively being destroyed.

Mind Battles

As quoted above, Paul tells us that our battles are not against flesh and blood.  Instead, he warns us that our enemies, Christ’s enemies, are those forces which dominate the minds of men and women.  These enemies maintain their “power” as long as people believe in them and render their allegiance to them.  Hence Paul’s warning to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Thankfully, these enemies are being chained and added to Christ’s footstool every day.

As the minds of men and woman are being liberated by faith in our resurrected Messiah, the bondage imposed by these spiritual forces of evil is dissolved.  Held in God’s shackles as they wait to become Christ’s footstool, these forces are exposed for what they really are; “weak and worthless” (Galatians 4:9).

Remember when the enemy had you captured?  Remember the days of bondage to the power of sin and the fear of death?  Have you forgotten what it was like when you surrendered your allegiance to Christ’s enemies?  Did you ever think you could be delivered from the iron grip of the “cosmic powers of this present darkness“?  Praise God for heavenly footstools.

Metaphors and figurative language help to paint mental pictures, but can we adequately put into words the joy and peace we experience as Believers because of the inward release from the power of Christ’s enemies?

Destroying Death

As the Father progressively destroys the enemies of Christ, one, in particular, roams the earth in defiance.  Death.  A respecter of neither man or beast, death has haunted man since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden.

Death resides in every country.  Death is spoken in every language.  Death was sin’s first child.  Death will be Christ’s final enemy.  Whether we scan the annals of history or the horizon of the future, death is prominent, boldly riding on his black horse.  But death’s time in the saddle is limited.

When Christ rose from the grave, death began to bleed.  Death’s wound is mortal, and Satan knows it.  Death’s sting is gone, and when Christ’s enemies are lined up in chains to serve as His footstool, death will be at the end of the line.

The rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces, and even death may seem rather imposing, but to our all-powerful God, they are “weak and worthless”.  The stuff of which footstools are made.

Kind of makes me glad we are seated with Christ in the Heavenly places at the right hand of the Father (Eph. 2:6).  What a joy it will be to see Jesus rest His legs.

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. – 1 Cor. 15:25-26

Right Hand (Son of) Man

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34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ – Acts 2:34-35

A Mother’s Request

Matthew chapter twenty records the incident of the mother of James and John asking of Jesus the honor that her sons may sit one at His right hand and the other at His left in the kingdom.  But what exactly was she asking on behalf of her sons?  And why?  Apparently, even she did not comprehend the magnitude of her own question as Jesus responded,“You do not know what you are asking” (v. 22).

With her motherly bias, Salome wanted assurance that her two sons would have prominent positions in Jesus’ kingdom.  This question, prompted by pride, became an object lesson in humility.  Jesus could assure James and John that they would share in His suffering, but “seating arrangements” in the kingdom belong to the Father.  He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (v. 23).

As Jesus would go on to teach His disciples, if you really want to be great, you must serve.  If you want to be first, you must become a slave: like Me, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 28).

Musical Chairs

In Luke chapter fourteen, Jesus also used “seating arrangements” as a lesson on humility.  In this chapter, He gives us the parable of the wedding feast.  Jesus commented on the tendency of human nature (i.e. – pride) being displayed by the guests wanting the seats of highest honor.

Jesus’ recommendation for His audience was to choose the lowest seats as opposed to the seats of honor.  After all, after you have taken a seat of honor, someone more distinguished may arrive after you, causing you to be demoted to a lower seat by your host.  Jesus wants to spare you such shame.

Instead, Jesus recommends that you humbly choose for yourself the lowest seat.  In doing so it is more likely the host will come to you and invite you to move up, therefore, bringing you honor at your “new” table.

Jesus concluded His parable with this famous line, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (v. 11).  But Jesus didn’t just teach about humility, He lived it.

True Humility

While I am thankful for Jesus’ teachings on humility, I know of nothing more powerful than His example as so masterfully portrayed in Philippians chapter two.  Accordingly, I want to share a few verses of it and let it “speak” for itself.

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:3-8

Who is more worthy to teach about humility than our Savior?  Who is more deserving of exaltation than our Lord?

The Father’s Command

In stark contrast to Salome’s request of Jesus on behalf of her two sons, is the Father’s command to Jesus on behalf of mankind.

“The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” – Psalm 110:1

In the incarnation, Jesus left His Heavenly throne and took on flesh and blood.  When He did so, He “emptied Himself” and took on the form of a servant.  In perfect obedience to the Father, He went to the cross on our behalf.  His work in the “flesh” accomplished, the Father gave Him the seat at His right Hand.

While it is tempting to think of this truth literally we might be better served to understand it metaphorically.  The Father’s command to the Son to sit at His right hand isn’t so much about “space” as it is honor and authority.

When David penned this Psalm in the original it says that Yahweh commanded Adonai.  In other words, this is the Great I Am, Israel’s covenant-keeping, omnipotent God speaking to the promised Messiah.  The long-awaited Christ.

Israel’s long-awaited Messiah left His Heavenly throne, lived a perfect life in human flesh, died for our sins on a Roman cross and ascended back to the right hand of the Father.  But His work is far from done.

Interceding In Between

What did David comprehend about the promised Messiah when he penned the 110th Psalm?  Even with the completed Scriptures what do we truly comprehend about our Savior’s current and future work?

We often speak of Jesus sitting at the Father’s right hand because the Father was satisfied with Jesus’ completed work and therefore Jesus can now rest.  But as I have already mentioned, we have to be careful about taking passages too literally.

His work on earth completed (for a season), Jesus has ascended back to Heaven.  We know from the pages of scriptures that He will be returning back to earth in what we refer to as the parousia.  But in between His ascension and the parousia, Jesus isn’t resting.

As our great High Priest Jesus has made a sufficient one time sacrifice for our sins, but as our faithful High Priest, He knows that we still battle satan and sin, and therefore we need His continued intercession.

Prayer Support

I don’t believe that on this side of heaven we will ever understand the importance of prayer.  Without a doubt, it is the most neglected power source in the world.  How different would the world be if Christians took prayer more seriously?

I still vividly recall the immediate effect the loss of my mother-in-law back in 2000 had on my ministry as an Associate Pastor.  I knew she faithfully prayed for me as well as the other pastors on staff on the time, but I didn’t realize how dependent I was on her faithful prayers.

It takes a very special person to serve in the Pastorate.  The spiritual warfare is very draining on a person, at least it was for me.  In addition to all of the things that need to be done to make sure the services and ministries are effectively carried out, there are a lot of people to visit and many others in need of counseling.  These things must never be done “in the flesh”.

After losing the prayer support of my mother-in-law, handling these spiritual responsibilities became more difficult.  Thinking perhaps I was oversimplifying the situation I patiently waited for things to return to the way that had been before her passing.  But it never happened.  In fact, I found with the passing of time that treading water only became more difficult.

As difficult as it was, in fairness to my church family I knew I had to step down from the Pastorate.  Perhaps I was never “special” enough to be a Pastor, but I know for sure that fighting spiritual battles requires prayer support.  Without it, we are no match for the enemy.  To believe otherwise is not only foolish, it is downright dangerous.

Current Ministry

While I am thankful for the “finished” work of Christ on Calvary’s cross, I am just as thankful that His active concern for His church was not exhausted by His death on our behalf.  Just as we needed His “intervention” at the cross, we need His intercession from the Father’s right hand.

As mentioned above, even though we are washed by the blood of Christ, we will still struggle with sin as long as we are in the flesh.  While we do not need to be “saved” each time we sin, we do know our sins can affect our fellowship with the Father who is too pure to look on sin.

As part of His current ministry of intercession, John tells us that Jesus serves as our advocate (1 John 2:1).  He acts as our lawyer before the Father.  When John refers to Jesus as our advocate in this passage, he refers to Him as, “Jesus Christ the righteous”.  This is important because when the Father looks at us, He sees the righteousness of our Advocate.  With Jesus as our advocate, we will never be condemned (Romans 8:1).

Although we may still sin, we will always have the perfect righteousness of Christ.

On the night of His betrayal, Christ offered what is known as the High Priestly prayer (John 17).  In this prayer, He made a lot of petitions for His followers including their unity and protection.  Luke further records Jesus’ words to Peter that Satan desired to sift him like wheat but Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail (Luke 22:21-32).  I believe in His current role of making intercession, Jesus is doing the same for us.

Satan will “sift” us, but our Intercessor will always sustain us.

It is comforting to know that as long as we are fighting spiritual battles, we will always have the intercession of the Messiah who alone is worthy to be exalted to the right hand of God, the position of supreme authority.

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. – Romans 8:34

The Larger Debt

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41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” – Luke 7:41-43

An Uninvited Guest

Jesus, the “moneylender”, is at the home of Simon the Pharisee and “debtor”.  While Jesus is reclining at the table with His host, a sinful woman breaks all protocol by entering Simon’s house uninvited, not that she ever would be invited, and proceeds to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair.  Her actions appalled Simon and his other guests.  According to Simon the fact that Jesus allowed this woman to touch him was evidence that Jesus was not a prophet.  Simon apparently was well acquainted with this woman as her sins not only preceded her but relegated her to a class of society with which he wanted no part.  Accordingly, he thought Jesus, if He were truly a man of God, should also avoid this woman.  But Simon was not only wrong about Jesus and the sinful woman, more sadly he was wrong about himself.

Playing Judge

Simon and the Pharisees had already passed judgment on the woman, and now they were doing the same with Jesus.  Simon was gravely sick, but he did not recognize his illness.  Blinded by his self-righteousness he was unaware of his spiritual surroundings.  While he held himself on a much higher plane than this sinful woman, the truth was she had more spiritual insight than he.  Quite simply, she recognized herself as a sinner while he did not.  Because she recognized her sin, she recognized her need for forgiveness.  Simon, on the other hand, did not see himself as a debtor but as a judge.  Instead of looking down upon the sinful woman and trying to trap Jesus, he should have been looking in the mirror.  The moneylender who has the divine authority to cancel his debts is reclining at his table.  Meanwhile, the actions of the sinful woman are putting him to shame.

While Simon was trying to convince himself that Jesus could not be a prophet because of his lack of discernment, Jesus reveals that He not only knows about this woman, but He also knows Simon’s thoughts, and more importantly Simon’s sins.  Simon, don’t worry about this woman, take care of yourself.  Don’t worry about her debts, worry about your own.  Simon, you are in the presence not only of a notorious sinner, but more importantly a gracious Savior.  One who is willing and able to cancel your debts.  Look and learn from each of them.

A Bad Host

Jesus entered your home at your invitation and you did not offer him water to wash his feet.  Although Jesus was your guest, you did not greet Him with a kiss.  Although Jesus honored you by reclining at your table, you did not honor Him by anointing Him with oil.  This so-called despicable sinner, on the other hand, washed Jesus’ feet with her tears.  Even though you did not greet Jesus with a kiss on the cheek, she graced His feet with a shower of kisses.  You might have foregone anointing Jesus with oil, but she did not spare her ointment.  Why?  Love.  Much love.  Oh, she may have been a great sinner, but this unnamed woman didn’t need any parables from the lips of Jesus to open her eyes.  Five hundred denarii is not only a great debt, it is a burden that was drowning her.  And she knew it.  But Jesus came to cancel her debt.  And she loved Him for it.  Greatly!

A Larger Debt

I think of we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that this sinful woman would probably put most of us to shame.  Ask yourself, would you have the courage to enter Simon’s house full of Pharisees?  Would you have the humility to wash Jesus’ feet with your tears?  Would you have the generosity to anoint Him with your most valuable possession?  Before we can answer these questions, perhaps we should refer to Jesus’ parable.  If Jesus used it to teach Simon, it certainly won’t hurt us to be posed with the same question.

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

I don’t know what this parable did for the heart of Simon, but his lips gave the right answer.  “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”

Do you recognize your debt?  Do you recognize your inability to pay your debt?  Do you realize how much you have been forgiven of?  Does your love for the Savior reflect your understanding of your larger debt?  When you were dead in your sins the love of God saved you.  May the world see that you love much because you have been forgiven much.

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” – Luke 7:47-50

Immortal, Invisible

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17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen. – 1 Timothy 1:17

Back to the Beginning

Today, we come full circle.  We have spent some time looking at some of the attributes of God and this is the verse we started with.  Being no theologian I had to look at the attributes through a layman’s eyes and using layman terms.  That is not only a disclaimer, it is also my apology to any theologians out there.  I am not smart enough to impress you with my knowledge, but I have tried to impress you with our God.  In the process, we have looked at His immortality, immutability, eternality, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, wisdom and holiness.  Theological words which simply mean, we are not God.  And it is best to remind ourselves of such.

Point Taken

In early 2000, I was involved in a meeting for the Pregnancy Center our church supported.  We were joined by a special guest whose life has been devoted to pro-life ministry.  Typical of meetings, we got off on a rabbit trail.  Somehow we ended up in a discussion about contemporary Christian music.  I told you it was a rabbit trail.  Our special guest let us know his opposition to much that is called Christian music when he stated, “You can take many of the songs written today and replace God with your girlfriend’s name and it would still make sense.”  And for punctuation, he added, “I would like to see you try that with Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”  End of the rabbit trail.  Naturally, I had to look him in the eye and ask, “How do you really feel about the subject?”  Just kidding!  He made his point loud and clear; my wife is not God!!  And she has a lot of company, which includes you and me.

Sorry Rich, No Ritz

In his famous song, Awesome God, the late Rich Mullins begins with this line, “When He rolls up His sleeves, He ain’t just putting on the ritz.”  No offense to Rich, the tune may be catchy, but I’ve always struggled with that line.  I think it is representative of what our special guest was referring to.  Despite the title, there seems to be a lack of reverence or awe.  But let’s be honest with ourselves, music writers and music label companies are putting out what sells.  Their business, like any other, is based on supply and demand principles.  Hard to point a self-righteous finger at them when they are only reflecting the “Christian” market.  Instead of having a lofty view of God, too many of us want to bring Him down to our level and assign our attributes to Him.  But when we study His incommunicable attributes, such tendencies should diminish.

Wired to Worship

Forgive me for repeating myself, but God created those of us that belong to the human race with very unique needs.  Created in His image, we were knitted in the womb hard-wired to need fellowship with the Eternal.  Our hearts beat for the stability of a God that doesn’t change.  Our minds seek a God that is all-knowing.  Our souls need an anchor who is omnipresent.  Our hope rests in a God who is all-powerful.  We are made to worship a God who is perfectly Holy.  We have to agree with Rich Mullins, He is an awesome God.  We just need to recognize how much above us He is and approach Him with reverence.

Again, I know this is repetitive, but a proper perspective of God is paramount.  Without it, we don’t have a proper perspective of ourselves, sin, and the work of redemption.  To diminish any of these perspectives is to “rob” God of the glory He deserves.  If we make God like us, we cheapen the cross.  Bringing God down to our level waters down the plan of salvation, the greatest display of God’s wisdom.  When we properly see the attributes of God, we see Him as we should, High and Lifted up; but with loving eyes cast down on us and arms extended wanting to lift us up.

Up or Down?

Rather than bringing God down to our level, we need to recognize that part of the way we bring glory to Him is by being conformed to the image of His Son.  In other words, an improper view of God is not only unfair to Him but unfair to us as well.  Our Immortal, Invisible, Only Wise God wants to conform us to the image of Christ.  Think about that.

Would you rather pull God down to earth, or have Him lift you up into the heavenlies?  Why do we insult God by attributing to Him finite knowledge, when in actuality He wants to give us the mind of Christ?  Why do we shorten the arm of God by limiting His power, when in actuality He wants to give us access to Resurrection power?  I realize that we are limited and can never become God.  But more importantly, I recognize that I can never limit God and make him like man.  In thought or in song.  I don’t want to be guilty of denying Him His honor and glory.  As the great hymn says, “Thy great Name we praise… O help us to see”

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest — to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but nought changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
’Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

The Holiness of God

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15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. – Isaiah 57:15

Holy Holy, Holy

When we think of the holiness of God, we think of His purity.  The fact that He is morally perfect.  God is distinct or set apart.  Sin cannot touch Him and He cannot sin.  Habakkuk tells us that God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil (Hab. 1:13) and Job tells us that God cannot do evil or wrong (Job 34:10).  And then there is Isaiah’s classic account:

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” – Isaiah 6:1-3

In his classic, The Existence and Attributes of God, the Puritan Stephen Charnock devoted over a hundred pages to the holiness of God.  Fine print by the way!  Quite a daunting task, but how does one know when he has exhausted the topic?  More importantly, how do sinful men living in a fallen world begin to grasp the concept of holiness?  We were conceived in sin.  The moment we took our first breath our lungs were filled with contaminated air.  Purity is beyond the realm of our existence and experience.  God’s holiness places Him so far from us that comprehension of His holiness seems unattainable.  When it comes to understanding it, what hope do we have?  Christmas!!

Silent Night.  Holy Night.

In His humility, Christ exchanged His heavenly throne for a dirty manger.  The “exact representation” of the nature of God brought divine holiness to earth.  He was not conceived in sin as we are, rather He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Although sinless, in baptism He identified with lost sinners.  The angels that adored Him in Heaven, announced His birth on earth.  The shepherds left their post to worship the Lamb.  At His consecration, righteous Simeon held his Salvation and was content to die in peace, while faithful Anna beheld the redemption of Israel.   The three wise men traveled far to pay reverence to the King.  As instructed, Mary named Him Jesus, but Isaiah told us His name is Holy.

Holy Encounters

Holy encountered Evil in the desert, and although tempted, He never sinned.  He called sinful men to follow Him, but He never entered into their sin.  When the scribes and Pharisees brought the adulteress woman to Him, the stones they held in their hands were no match for His holiness.  Their hypocrisy was exposed and the woman was forgiven.  Jesus would dine with sinners and tax collectors (a special class of sinners apparently) but would always remain pure.  The great Physician came to call the morally sick, but He was immune to their disease.  Christ’s flesh may have veiled His holiness for a season to prevent humanity from being consumed, but His nature was always pure.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, His inner circle got a glimpse of what Christ’s flesh was covering.  A purity that no launderer could duplicate.

Holy Works

Jesus touched and healed lepers.  He commanded and raised the dead.  He rebuked and cast out demons.  He restored the sight of the blind.  He opened the ears of the deaf and loosened the tongue of the mute.  The Truth had come to set men free.  Heaven’s Light came to dispel Hell’s darkness.  Holiness came to earth so we could relate to it.  We may not completely comprehend it, but Christ has revealed it to us nonetheless.  Holiness wore our flesh.  He breathed our air.  Human blood flowed through His veins.  He made weddings and ruined funerals.  He walked with us.  He talked with us.  He slept with us.  He shook our hands.  He kissed us.  He held our babies.  He shared our laughter.  He cried with us.  He was tempted like us.

He NEVER sinned.  Holiness never can.

Christ shared in our humanity, but He did not share in our sin.  Instead, he went to the cross and took the punishment for our sin.  Even in His “trial”, the verdict was always the same, “I find no fault in this man.”  No one ever could.  He was holy, holy, holy.  And forever will be.

Holy Lesson

Jesus was prepared for His death with perfume.  His body was cleansed and covered with myrrh, aloes, and spices.  He was laid to rest in an unused tomb.  It is good to be clean, but it is better to be pure.  As Jesus taught His disciples, holiness is not external.

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:20-23

Defilement comes from within, not without.  Jesus was never defiled because unlike us, He had no evil within.  There is an old adage that says, whatever is at the bottom of the well will eventually come up in the pail.  Jesus’ well was pure.  Nothing but holiness ever came up in the pail.  His thoughts, words, and actions always revealed His holiness.  How can sinful man possibly grasp the holiness of God?  Because of Christmas.

Beholding Holy

Cling to the cross.  For our Holy One is high and lifted up.  He inhabits eternity, and His glory fills the earth. O Holy Night.  O night when Christ was born.

Who could have guessed the baby in Bethlehem’s manger could reveal the holiness of the Creator of the universe?  This Christmas take time like Simeon to behold your Salvation and join the angels in singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” – Revelation 15:3b-4