Friday, May 31, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Aspects of Genuine Repentance
Aspects of
Genuine Repentance
Dear Father,
You are the Giver of
every perfect gift, yes, even the gift of repentance that You grant to Your
children again and again. When our affections have temporarily turned aside, we
were weak and powerless, and yet You have caused us to see a glimpse of the
coming judgment, a glimpse of the old man, and a glimpse of Your Son. And it
has caused us to cling to You, to draw near to You, and to know that You have
drawn near to us. Yes, the great serpent has flown from us and we have flown to
Your Son. We could not repent. We could not repent. But what was impossible for
men, You have accomplished by Your Spirit on the basis of the atoning blood of
Your Son.
In Jesus Christ’s Name,
Amen
1.
Destruction
of Self
Genuine repentance includes the changing
of the mind regarding self, that is, the old self. As the soul of the repentant
prophet sees the righteousness of the Lord, he cries out “Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips;
for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is 6:5). The
inherent problem with the unsaved man is that he constantly seeks to justify
his soul. Men are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law
written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts
alternately accusing or else defending them (Rom 2:14). They seek to justify
self, to defend self, to acquit self, to make restitution for self, to exalt
self, to give pleasure to self, to preserve self, to protect self, to glorify
self…and all this is apart from Christ. But the role of God’s Law is to be the
tutor that leads the chosen ones to Christ (Gal 3:24). Once the unsaved man was
“alive”
according to his own perception of the state of his soul. He thought there was
worth and goodness in him for he was apart from the Law. But when the
commandment came, sin became alive in him and he died for sin, taking an
opportunity through the commandment, deceived him and through it killed him.
(Rom 7:9-11). But acknowledgement of one’s own wretchedness is not equivalent
to the destruction of self that is an aspect of genuine repentance unless it
includes the sorrow that is according to the will of God which produces a
repentance without regret, leading to salvation. For the sorrow of the world
produces death. (2 Cor 7:10) But true repentance occurs when His people are
united with Christ in the likeness of His death (Rom 6:5). Not only do they see their complete moral depravity, but they see the
Savior as having borne that very depravity and the guilt, shame, and
condemnation that is due it. This is the saving accompanier to the
acknowledgement of self-depravity: the uniting with Christ in the likeness of
His death. The repentant soul sees his sinful nature as crucified with Christ.
At the same time that he cries out “I am
lost!”, he sees his very depravity as borne by the perfect Lamb of God. He
sanctifies the Name of the Holy One of Jacob and stands in awe of the God of
Israel. Though he erred in mind, he will know the Truth. Though he criticized
he will accept instruction. (Is 29:23-24) For the Lord God, the Holy One of
Israel has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is
your strength” (Is 30:15) In order to truly repent, the man must see
his soul, all of his old nature, or with regard to the converted person, the
remnant thereof, as worthy of condemnation. For Christ has not come to call the
righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).
“Woe is me, for I am ruined”!
2.
Awareness
of Blindness
Likewise, another aspect of genuine repentance
is the awareness of one’s own blindness apart from the enlightening by the Son.
For though he is blind, the unrepentant lost man claims to have sight. Jesus
said that if the people were blind, they would have no sin; but since they say
that they see, their sin remains (John 9:41). All unregenerate men are not only
blind, but they claim to their own souls and to the world around them that they
can see. In their case the god of this world has blinded their minds so that
they might not see the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God (2 Cor 4:4). To truly repent, one must call out, “I cannot see! Lord that I may receive sight!” Jesus said that for judgment He came into the world, so that those who
do not see may see, and those who see may become blind (Luke 9:39). For
those who saw themselves to be worthy in their own eyes did not heed the
invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And so He has told His slaves to
go at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and
crippled and blind and lame (Luke 14:21).
Who is among you that
fears the Lord,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Is 50:10
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Is 50:10
“Lord that I might see!”
3.
The
Warning of Coming Wrath
Another aspect of true repentance is a heeding of God’s warning
concerning the coming judgment. For the Spirit has come and convicts the world
concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged (John 16:8,
11). John the Baptist warned the people to flee from the wrath to come, and to
bear fruit in keeping with repentance. For the axe is already laid at the root
of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire. (Luke 3:7-9) Similarly when Peter told the people to
repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins,
to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise for as many as the Lord
would call to Himself, he used many other words to solemnly testify and exhort them
saying, “Be saved from this perverse
generation”. (Acts 2:38-40) This “fleeing from wrath” involves the
fleeing from immorality, from idolatry, from the love of money, and from
youthful lusts (1 Cor 6:18, 1 Cor 10:14, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:22). For because
of these God’s wrath is coming. With regard to the regenerate man who has fallen
into sin, the same warning of the coming judgment is effective to lead him forward
on the straight way for he acknowledges that the very fleshly desires he faces
are waging war against his soul and seek to destroy the very new life that he
has been granted (1 Pet 2:11). His Father reminds him that there is a point of
no return. For just as afterwards Esau desired to inherit the blessing, he was
rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with
tears (Heb 12:17). And in the case of those who have once been enlightened and
have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy
Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come,
and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open
shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth
vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, received a
blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and
close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. (Heb 6:4-8) The fear of
God does involve conviction of the coming judgment, and fleeing to take hold of
Christ, the refuge and Anchor. But a fear of hell is not enough, the man
must take hold of Christ. He must truly repent.
“I must escape the coming
wrath!”
4.
Acknowledgment
of Incompetency to Elicit One’s Own Repentance
There comes a point in the lives of some
unregenerate men when they sees that unless they repent they will perish. The
rich young ruler wanted to earn eternal life through his good deeds, only to
realize by Christ’s Words that in order to follow Christ he needed to have a
complete reversal of his mindset and heart condition. He had to repent. His
inability to sell all of his wealth and give it to the poor was due to his
inherent unwillingness. He went away sad, knowing he required such a deep
repentance, and yet knowing he was unable to elicit such repentance within
himself. Often lost men come to the point of being condemned by the Law of God
within their own souls, and yet find themselves unable to elicit true
repentance. For true repentance is not a choice or decision of man. It is
impossible for him to repent. But what is impossible for men is possible with
God. God brings about repentance. And
thus the repentant sinner acknowledges his incompetency to have repented
without God’s enablement. He believes Christ’s Words that no one can come to
Him unless it has been granted him from the Father (John 6:65). And yet he
acknowledges the nature of the Son to shine upon those who sit in darkness and
the shadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:79). And
his response is to watch expectantly for the Lord, the God of his salvation. He
knows that his God will hear him. He tells his enemy not to rejoice over him.
For though he falls he will rise; though he dwells in darkness, the Lord is a
light for him. He bears the indignation of the Lord because he had sinned
against Him, until He pleads his case and executes justice for him. He knows
that God will bring him out into the light of Christ, and he will again see His
righteousness. (Mic 7:7-9). Even when a converted person falls into sin, he
seeks the Lord and waits upon him to grant him the gift of repentance. He knows
that his Good Shepherd will capture his heart and that if he did not he would
be damned. He knows with his God there is forgiveness and restoration and thus
he fears God (Ps 130:4).
“Only He can help me to repent!”
5.
The
Allurement in the Desert
Often there is a desert that the sinner
finds himself in where he is parched and in which his soul draws near the grave.
The sin that once enthralled his eyes and the objects of the desires of the
flesh no longer bring him pleasure. His lovers have turned against him and he
dwells in darkness. Even a straying Christian, as he keeps silent about his sin,
his body wastes away through his groaning all day long. For day and night God’s
hand was heavy upon him; his vitality was drained away as with the fever heat
of summer. Finally the one who had sinned acknowledged his sin to God, and did
not hide his iniquity. He says that he will confess his transgression to the
Lord. And God forgives the guilt of his sin. (Ps 32:3-5) For in the desert, God allures His people. He brings her into the
wilderness and speaks kindly to her. (Hos 2:14). He betroths her to Himself
forever in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness, compassion, and
faithfulness. Then they will know the Lord! (Hos 2:18-20) Thus the true sons do
not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when they are reproved
by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son
whom He receives. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but
sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the
peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore they strengthen the hands that are
weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for their feet, so
that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather healed.
(Heb 12:7-13) Yes, He Himself brings the one who has sinned into the desert.
There in the desert He allures her and speaks kindly to her. This is the
kindness that results in repentance (Rom 2:4).
6 Therefore,
let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Ps 32
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Ps 32
“I wasted away, but He came and
spoke kindly to me!”
6.
The Inevitable
Circumcision of the Heart by the Spirit
True repentance is a result of the inevitable
circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. It is inevitable because all those who
God has chosen are objects of His effectual blood and the grace therein. For he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter;
and his praise is not from men, but from God (Rom 2:29). The changing of
the mind and heart that are the essence of genuine repentance occurs not by man’s
reasoning or striving, but by the supernatural work of the Spirit. And once He
has accomplished the work of bringing about our repentance, our reasoning and
striving has become, by His grace, well suited for His purposes. For His New
Covenant is that we shall be His people, and He will be our God. He gives us
one heart and one way, that we may fear Him always, for our own good and for
the good of our children after us. He has made an everlasting covenant with us
that He will not turn away from us, to do us good; and He will put the fear of
Himself in our hearts so that we will not turn away from Him. (Jer 32:38-40).
Once the people of God have repented at the time of conversion, their
repentance has not ended, but rather, it grows and deepens. And when he falls
into sin, the Spirit elicits the very same repentance through the
transformation that occurs by the renewing of the mind with the Truth of the
Gospel. For as we walk with the Spirit, we will not carry out the desire of the
flesh. But the Spirit will gain the victory in the lives of God’s people. For
the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are in opposition to one another, so that we do not do the desires of the
flesh, that which is pleasing to the flesh. (Gal 5:16-17) And so He has
enclosed us behind and before, and laid His hand upon us. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for us; it is too high, we cannot attain to it. Where can we go from
His Spirit? Or where can we flee from His presence? If we ascend to heaven, He
is there; if we make our bed in Sheol, behold, He is there. If we take the
wings of the dawn, if we dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there His
hand will lead us, and His right hand will lay hold of us. If we say that
surely the darkness will overwhelm us, and the light around us will be night,
even the darkness is not dark to Him, and even night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to Him. (Ps 139:5-12) Genuine repentance is
inevitable for the true believer, for it is enabled by the Father whose desire
is to conform him to the image of His Son through the indwelling Holy Spirit
who powerfully opposes the sin of the flesh.
“He surely grants the gift of
repentance to me!”
7.
The Casting
of Hope, Gaze, and Confidence on Christ
Genuine repentance always involves the casting
of hope, gaze, and confidence on Christ, specifically on His finished work.
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of man
has been lifted up and His people behold Him as being the perfect Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Lord has created a new
thing in the earth—a woman will encompass a man (Jer 31:22). The Bride of
Christ willingly turns to Christ. The ends of the earth turn to the Lord and
are saved (Is 45:22). Whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken
away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, behold as in a mirror the glory of the
Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as
from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:15-17) The
Father’s will is that everyone who behold the Son and believes in Him will have
eternal life, and Christ Himself will raise him up on the last day (John
6:40). In addition to the conviction of coming judgment, the genuine repentance
is a willing turning and gazing upon the beauty and incomprehensible love of
Christ.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a
high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted
in all things as we are, yet without
sin. 16 Therefore
let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we
may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4
“Behold, the Lamb of God who
took away my sin!”
8.
The
Healing of Apostasy
One evidence of genuine conversion is the
curing of backsliding and faithlessness. When a person claims to have repented
and yet keeps on sinning, it may be questioned whether his heart’s attitude
towards his sin has truly changed. For if the heart’s affections have not
changed, a man will not be able to maintain a lifestyle against his true heart’s
affection. Thus, a man who has not truly repented cannot maintain a life of
love and holiness. Similarly a converted man cannot live a life of sin because
his heart’s affections have changed away from wickedness and towards Christ. The
repentant man takes words with him and returns to the Lord. He asks God to take
away all iniquity and receive him graciously, that he may present the fruit of
his lips. He acknowledges that his previous idols cannot save him. For only in
God the orphans find mercy. And thus God heals their apostasy, and loves them
freely. For His anger has turned away from them. (Hos 14:1-4)
21 A voice is heard on the bare
heights,
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
23 “Surely, the hills are a deception,
A tumult on the mountains.
Surely in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel. Jer 3
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
23 “Surely, the hills are a deception,
A tumult on the mountains.
Surely in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel. Jer 3
“Where else can I go Lord, You
have the Words of Eternal Life”
9. Two Reasons
to Include Repentance in the Core Gospel Message
-
Scripture teaches us to tell people to repent
and believe the Gospel. God tells us to repent and live (Ez 18:32). John the Baptist told the
people to repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand and to bear fruit in
keeping with repentance (Matt 3:2,8). When Jesus preached He told people to
repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matt 4:17), and He came to call
sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). When the disciples were sent out, they
preached that men should repent (Mark 6:12). As Peter preached the Gospel on
the day of Pentecost he told the people to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38)
and later he preached that people should repent and return that their sins
would be wiped out (Acts 3:19). As Paul preached to the men of Athens he said
that God is calling all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and kept declaring both to those of
Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout
all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance
(Acts 26:20).
-
Telling the hearers to bear fruit in keeping with repentance is a gracious
means of examining the genuineness of repentance. For an unconverted person cannot maintain the fruit of repentance. And
thus if a person who professes to be repenting is unwilling or unable to give
up sin to any significant degree, he must examine himself to see if he is in
the faith, and if Christ has been formed in him (2 Cor 13:5, Gal 4:19). Though
repentance is not perfect, it is genuine and results in the renouncing of known
wickedness. It will surely deepen and grow over time resulting with greater
measures of holiness and love in the believer.
Those whom I love, I
reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Rev 3:19
“Yes, it was His grace that my fellow man told me to
repent and believe in the Gospel!”
10. An
Excellent Passage on Repentance
17 “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 ‘For after I turned back, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh;
I was ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 “Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My [j]heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 ‘For after I turned back, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh;
I was ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 “Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My [j]heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.
21 “Set up for yourself
roadmarks,
Place for yourself guideposts;
Direct your [k]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities. Jer 31
Place for yourself guideposts;
Direct your [k]mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities. Jer 31
“He loves me so I will return to Him!”
Monday, May 27, 2013
Iowa Conference 2013
Iowa Conference 2013
The theme verses for this year’s conference were Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
I learned several things which are as seeds planted in my heart which will inevitably grow over time. For the effect of the work of the Spirit with the Word of God in regenerate hearts is not simply initiated at the moment of hearing it from the preacher, but it is manifested in the days and months ahead, causing fruit to be borne…it is a lasting effect. Jesus said that He has appointed us to bear fruit that remains. There were instances where the Truth seemed to have no immediate emotional effect, but in due time, perhaps weeks after hearing it, it produced the lasting effect. The Kingdom of God is within us and Christ has compared it to the mustard seed that starts out as a small seed and grows to become the largest tree among them all.
The three speakers were Pastor Samson, Pastor Sambob, and dad. My memory of the gifts imparted to me include a weaving together of all the speakers’ messages. I was encouraged and convicted about the offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice. Often my weakness has been to preserve the comfort of my flesh, which actually promoted even more weakness, for the process of making effort to preserve the flesh drained my strength and it weakened my spirit when the flesh wasted away in discomfort. It would have seemed to my soul that I experienced pain simply to survive, much less in offering my body to the Lord. But the Word tells us that our bodies DO belong to the Lord. Our bodies are FOR the Lord. It is a freeing thought. For if the mortal flesh belongs to the Lord, will He not deal with it in love and power? Not to say that He would preserve our comfort by our own fleshly standards, but by His sovereign and loving standard He will preserve our contentment in Christ, our knowledge of His love, and our conformance to His Image. It is greatly comforting to know that since my body is His, as He enables me to offer it as a living sacrifice, whether it lives or dies physically, it is in His hands. As David reasoned, let me fall into the hands of God rather than the hands of men, yes even my own hands, that is, my own mortal attempts to preserve my comfort. Another comforting reminder is that of Christ as the Bridegroom who regards us as His own body. He nourishes, cherishes, washes, and feeds her. Even as the outward man wastes away, if that is His chosen state for it, the inward man is being renewed day by day.
Another aspect is that our heart must not desire to give to the Lord what costs us nothing just as King David held this mindset: “24 However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God [i]which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Sam 24” It will involve pain, pain that I cannot withstand to any degree apart from the Spirit’s enablement. Anyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ will be persecuted. He has brought me to a place where I fear little the reproach or accusations of men. But to waste away in the flesh WILLINGLY and JOYFULLY in the footsteps of Christ is the area of sanctification that He must work in me in the time ahead.
In dad’s message, the one thing that spoke greatly to me was the description of the suffering of the entire Trinity as Jesus bore our sin on the cross. Particularly, the Holy Spirit who remained in Christ until He offered up His Spirit experienced agony along with Christ. This is the same Spirit who has brought me to repentance and circumcised my practical heart countless time. He is the One who is grieved when we resist Him. He knows the agony of the Son. The Spirit of God alone knows the thoughts of God, even His thoughts of agony, joy, and love as He bore our shame and condemnation. And He is the One whom I have grieved when I have resisted Him. The fellowship of the Spirit is so sweet and gracious. All He has ever done is to reveal the grace and love of the Son, to gently bring me to repentance, to bring me floods of healing tears…may God help me not to grieve Him.
True worship is only done in Spirit and in Truth. For we worship in the Spirit, glory in Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh…we are the true circumcision of Christ. Our worship is in proportion to the highness of our view of Him who saved us and loved us.
In the background, He has been teaching me that I must love. The love of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. In presenting the Truth, love is my strongest asset. It shines light upon the Truth, authenticating and empowering it. His love alone empowers us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, to not be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I felt Him remind me today that He carries my burden of the incomplete doctrinal understanding and the scattered nature of the true saints among masses of professing believers. He knows the dire importance of bringing His sheep into all Truth and into the true fellowship of the saints.
6 “Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
The very flame of the Lord.
7 “Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.” SoS 8
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Unity # 40: The Discernment of the Saints
Unity #
40: The Discernment of the Saints
Dear Father,
Please help us to receive Your Word and
treasure Your commandments within us, to make our ears attentive to wisdom, and
to incline our hearts to understanding. For if we cry for discernment, lift our
voices for understanding, seek for her as silver, and search for her as for
hidden treasures, then we will discern the fear of You, Lord, and discover Your
knowledge. Lord, You give wisdom and from Your mouth comes knowledge and
understanding. You store up sound wisdom for the upright. You are a shield to
those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and preserving the
way of Your Godly ones. Then we will discern righteousness and justice and
equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter our hearts and knowledge
will be pleasant to our souls; discretion will guard us and understanding will
watch over us. (Prov 2:1-11).
Jesus Christ, who has
become to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1
Cor 1:30), in His Name we pray, Amen
Dear Beloved,
God has brought us here to the last unity
letter. Henceforth I feel the Lord’s leading for my writing to be devoted towards
individuals. Presently, there are scores of people who have come my way whom
the Lord would have me to preach the Gospel to, disciple, or to encourage/exhort
in the Lord. And my writing ministry will be turning towards them. I may write
to you all from time to time as He leads.
This letter is about the discernment of
the saints, His beloved ones. The state of the present age is one of spiritual chaos.
Spirits, both good and evil, dwell in the heavenly realms. Deceptions reign in
the midst of the church buildings and the public arena of our nation. Many will
be falling away from us. Many will be pressing on in a powerless Gospel. Many
will slander us and the other saints. The Truth is thrown to the ground.
Godlessness is the ocean in which the people drown even now. But He is our
Breath of Life. God writes His Word to us in 1 John concerning those who are
trying to deceive us. As for us, the anointing which we received from Him
abides in us, and we have no need for anyone to teach us; but as His anointing
teaches us about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has
taught us, we abide in Him. Now we, the little children, must abide in Him, so
that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in
shame at His coming. (1 John 2:26-27).
It is the last hour, and just
as we heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have
appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from
us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have
remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all
are not of us. But we have an anointing from the Holy One, and we know all. We
do know the Truth and no lie is of the Truth. Who is the liar but the one who
denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies
that Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the
one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for us, let that abide in
us which we heard from the beginning. If what we heard from the beginning
abides in us, we also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:18-24)
Oh dear saints, our gracious Father will
grant us discernment that we may not be deceived unto damnation. God tells
us that if any of us lack wisdom, let us ask of Him, who gives to all
generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). King
Solomon prayed that God would grant His servant an understanding heart to judge
His people to discern between good and evil. He understood the awesome task of
judging the great people of God. (1 Kings 3:9) God gave King Solomon wisdom and
very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the
seashore (1 Kings 4:29). Similarly King David commended Abigail by calling her
discernment blessed, for it kept him from bloodshed and from avenging himself
by his own hand (1 Sam 25:33).
Those who worship idols and who do not
have the Holy Spirit are not a people of discernment, therefore their Maker
will not have compassion on them. And their Creator will not be gracious to
them (Is 27:11). They claim to be wise, but once again God will deal
marvelously with them, and the wisdom of the wise men will perish, and the
discernment of their discerning men will be concealed (Is 29:14). We too were
as them at one time, but in His New Covenant, the mind of the hasty will
discern the Truth, and the tongue of stammerers will hasten to speak clearly
(Is 32:4).
10 Who is among you that
fears the Lord,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment.
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in torment.
We must be ready to discern
those among us for many will join us in hypocrisy (Dan 11:34). Christ told us
to beware of the false prophets, who come to us in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly are ravenous wolves. He promised that we WILL know them by their fruits.
Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes not figs from thistles, are they? So
every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree
cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, we
will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Him, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of the Father in heaven will enter.
Many will say to Him on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your
Name, and in Your Name cast out demons, and in Your Name perform many miracles?’ And then He will
declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’. (Matt 7:15-23)
Dear saints, there is a
greater and more perfect discernment that we must have. Solid food is for
the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good
and evil (Heb 5:14). For many will speak about Christ, and seemingly cast out
demons and perform miracles, but He never knew them. For the sins of some men
are quite evident, going before them to judgment. Their Godlessness is obvious
and their coming judgment is evident to all. For others, their sins follow
them. They are among us with an aura of spirituality, but they do not belong to
us. Christ is not exalted in their hearts. Likewise also, deeds that are good
are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. (1 Tim
5:24-25)
The discernment of the saints
is theirs and will not resonate with those who lack the Spirit, yes, even many
among the modern day groups of professing believers. For we do speak wisdom
among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the
rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a
mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had
understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it
is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH
HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE
HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit
searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the
thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the
thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may
know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in
words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining Spiritual
thoughts with Spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of
the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand
them, because they are Spiritually appraised. But he who is Spiritual appraises
all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND
OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ! (1
Cor 2:6:16)
Truths about Discernment from
Scripture
1. Those who are born of God practice righteousness. It is not as
though they are morally perfect here in this earthly life, but they have a life’s
practice of righteousness, a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit (as cousin
Nirmal reminded us yesterday). God tells us to abide in Him, so that when He
appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His
coming. If we know that He is righteous, we know that everyone also who
practices righteousness is born of Him. (1 John 2:28-29) Whoever is wise, let
him understand these things: whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the
ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors
will stumble in them. (Hos 14:9)
2. Everything that is of God is centered on Christ and the Gospel. The Person and
work of Christ are not a peripheral to what comes from Him, but rather, they
are the basis and foundation for all good things. All good things bring glory
to and exalt Christ. All such things makes much of Christ and the Gospel.
Whenever the focus of a person’s message or work is not ultimately on the
Person and Work of Christ, there is something amiss. For in all wisdom and
insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind
intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to
the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ,
things in the heavens and things on the earth. (Eph 1:8-10)
3. Every inclination in us that is of God involves the fleeing of
the soul from the world and the gazing and clinging of the soul to Christ. Prov 14:7 tells
us to leave the presence of a fool, or we will not discern words of knowledge.
We must not be conformed to this world, but must be transformed by the renewing
of our mind, so that we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good
and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)
4. The transformation by renewing of our mind by the Spirit and
Word of God results in discernment. (Rom 12:2)
5. The abounding of Christ’s love within us results in discernment.
Paul prayed for the Philippians that their love would abound still more
and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that they may approve the
things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day
of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes
through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1:9-11)
6. It has been granted to us to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven. When the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke to the people in parables,
He answered them saying that to them has been granted to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of heaven, but to others it has not been granted. (Matt 13:10-11,
14-16) In the latter case, the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled, which
says,
‘[f]You
will keep on hearing, [g]but
will not understand;
[h]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’
[h]You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’
7.
We are
abundantly blessed to see and hear Christ. Christ told us that blessed are our eyes, because they
see; and our ears, because they hear. For truly He says to us that many
prophets and righteous men desired to see what we see, and did not see it, and to
hear what we hear, and did not hear it. (Matt 13:16-17)
8. Outcomes over time will reveal more to us. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will
have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken
away from him (Matt 13:12). There are some professing believers who do not seem
to understand core doctrine properly today. Are
they saved? Are they false converts? They preach a repentance-less Gospel. Are they wolves in sheep’s clothing? In
many cases, we will know by observing the fruit of their lives over time and
their responsiveness to the Word when it is taught. Are they growing in knowledge and understanding of the Truth? Are they becoming more like Christ? Christ
said that His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:16). Do they respond in humility and repentance when taught the Truth or are
they hard-hearted? Do they desire to know the Truth? Jesus said that everyone
who is of Truth hears His voice (John 18:37). Even if they do not understand today, do the seeds of Truth which have
been sown take root in their lives over time?
Tears
for the Present and Love Forever inChrist,
Preethi
Some Links:
Transcripts of my last two Awana Messages
(no, I did not know at the time that they were the last, but God knew)
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