Wake up Dead!

Ephesians 2: 1 - 7

Vs. 1: Everyone of us is born into sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Thus we are all sinners and the wages or penalty we must pay for sin is death (Romans 6:23). If the wages of sin is death, and we are all born sinful then the natural conclusion is... we are all dead. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1. We are dead in our sins and trespasses. Before you or I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ we "walked" in the deadness of our sins, oblivious to our wicked ways. We were in fact mindless dead people walking.

Vs 2 - 3: Before we responded to Jesus' call in our lives we were subject to and walked in the ways of the world. We were in bondage to sin, the world system and we followed the ways of the Prince of the Powers of the air…Satan. Think about that for a moment… (Reflect back on your life before you became a follower of Jesus).  As I think back on my life I remember how I once lived only for myself and my selfish desires. I had no cares about the ways of neither God nor his people. I had no moral boundaries, I had no sense of right or wrong; I only did what I felt was right in my own eyes and did that which brought pleasure to me. Yes, I was essentially dead in my sins. We are reminded here that we ALL once lived according to this way or maybe some of you are still living according to the flesh (which is not living at all).

Vs 4 - 7: If our life story in verse three it would be a sad and hopeless story indeed. There would be no “and he/she lived happily ever after”. Our story would be without purpose. If there is no hope then there is no purpose. However in verses 4 and 5 we encounter one of many big “Buts” found in the Bible. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together in Christ.” This is where the story changes for those of us who believe.

Think about this also.... God has an abundance of mercy (not getting what you deserve) because of his love (through Jesus Christ) he has MADE US ALIVE. We who were once dead now have life. God brought to life with Christ’ or ‘he caused us to live again together with Christ’[1]. We are made alive because of Jesus. However we aren’t just given life we are also, “Raised up with him AND seated us with him in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ.” As if being made alive wasn’t enough; God has taken us from death brought us to life and lifted us up and seated us with Christ. We are not just alive we are FULLY ALIVE and this is what I aim to talk about in the next few blogs. When we are fully alive in Christ it affects every aspect of our lives. It changes our relationship with God, who we are as humans, how we live our lives, our marriages and our families.

Did God have to do this? Did He have to give us life? No! He does this simply because he loves us so much that He provided a way to have life through Jesus. This is a display of His abundance in mercy.

Think even more about this; when all of us were dead in our sins without Christ did not change the fact that God in his abundant mercy still gave His life for us. God’s love for us is never ending, Jesus didn’t die on the cross based upon what our response would be to Him, He did it so all humanity could have the opportunity to be fully alive.

[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (262). New York: United Bible Societies.

Can I Have Some Remedy?

(Read James 4:4 - 10)

The Problem: Spiritual Adultery

“You adulterous people!” Some versions say, “Adulteresses!” These are strong words used by James and they have deep implications to the body of Christ. In his letter up to this point he has referred to his readers with affection by calling them “brothers” and “my dear brothers”. His tone changes in this verse as he speaks harshly to them because of the warring and fighting with each other.  Since this is happening they are in fact acting like the rest of the godless world and this is not God's will for the body of Christ. Christians and the Church in particular are called to be unique in our love for one another. However the Church James writes to are embracing the world’s ways (It’s about me and I don’t care what you think) and not God’s (putting others first, forgiveness, peace, and serving).  In doing this they are ultimately committing spiritual adultery with the world. Spiritual adultery always begins with believers having an affair with the world and its ways and ends with individuals becoming enemies of God. When believers start living as the world lives we show where our allegiance truly lies (the world) and God will not share our allegiance with the world.

The Solution: Submit, Resist & Draw Near

God is always willing to give grace to those who humble themselves before him but He is an opponent of pride and self dependency.  James exhorts his listeners to first submit to God. Repentance is what James is calling this beloved congregation to and really what God desires. Submission is the first act of repentance and acknowledge that we are truly dependent on Jesus. The act of submission is one where a person resigns himself to or put into subjection or yielded to someone. As believers we do well in accepting and believing that we are not in control, God is. The sooner we are able to submit ourselves fully to God the sooner we will see that when we do we begin the process of getting on the right track.  Submission is probably one of the most difficult things for many of us because we are giving control of our lives over to someone else (in this case God) and as humans we like to feel like we are in control (even when we know we are not).  

Secondly, we are to resist the devil and he will flee. This can only be done in the power of the Spirit (being completely protected in the armor of God) in complete submission to God. Resistance is key and ongoing (This is part of the daily battle we fight).

Lastly, we are to draw near to God. Godliness is not attained by association. Hanging around godly people does not make one godly. It may give the false appearance of godliness but this doesn’t matter. Once we have submitted to God by putting on the armor God and giving the Spirit dominion over our lives so we can resist sin, desire and temptation daily; we are then able to draw near to God and in so doing He will draw near to us. 

Conclusion

Personal conflict, church fights, splits and disunity happen. It has happened since the beginning of time. Unfortunately it will continue. However we have the key to how to avoid unhealthy conflict in our lives and churches. It is important for us as individuals to seek unity in Christ together, to not be divisive or hurtful with our words and actions, slanderous in our talk and hypocritical in our worship. We should not seek friendship with the world.  We need to be single-minded in our devotion to God. We must submit to God and his will (not our selfish desires), be Spirit-driven so we can resist the devil in his attacks, and draw near to God in our time of worship and in our own private times with Him.  May we be before the Great and Mighty King as we know our place before him and in so doing He will lift us up.

Fight From the Inside

Read James 4:1 – 6 

The Nature of Conflict: It’s Personal 

In the past few blogs have established the fact that there is a war going on (and it is a Spiritual battle) and I wrote about how we are to be protected from the spiritual attacks of the enemy. As we continue forward I want to talk about an often overlooked aspect of Spiritual warfare which is when the battle turns from fighting the battle of good and evil, against the dark spiritual powers to believers in Christ fighting one another. 

According to Ted Kober, President of Ambassadors of Reconciliation, “Conflict may be defined as ‘a difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone's goals or desires.’ These differences can range from simple disagreements such as where to go to dinner to more serious controversies that lead to divorce, lawsuit, or someone leaving a profession.”

Would you believe me if I told you that often times (if not most of the time) conflict among believers and/or Churches is the main source of Spiritual Battle? Satan is never happier than when God’s beloved children are battling one another. The real question lies in what is the source of our personal conflict? Since we are children of God who are saved grace why is it that we fight so often? There is a saying, “Where two or more are gathered there will eventually be conflict.” According to author Ken Sande, “Conflict affects our marriages, families, churches, neighborhoods and workplaces. It affects Christians and non-Christians alike, bringing us low, damaging our relationships, and tarnishing our witness to the world.”[1] Is this what God wants for his people? I can boldly answer that question with an emphatic, “NO!”

“Where do quarrels and fights among you come from?” The answer, “It comes from selfish desires that are at war in us.” When we look at any unhealthy disunity or conflict in our lives it is almost always a guarantee that the root of the problem is selfish desire. We see this in the modern church. There are conflicts or fights over the style of music that is played for the time of worship, communion, baptism, theology, placement of furniture in the building, our core purpose, jealousy, bitterness, anger and they are all rooted in selfish desire. Douglas Moo writes, “The seventeenth century Jewish philosopher Spinoza observed: ‘I have often wondered that persons make boast of professing the Christian religion – namely love, joy, peace, temperance, and charity to all men – should quarrel with such rancorous animosity and display daily towards one another such bitter hatred, that this, rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criteria of their faith.’ Some battles to be sure, need to be fought. But even they must be fought without sacrificing Christian principles and virtues.”[2] In the second verse James expands on the nature of these sinful desires and he uses some strong language to describe their actions like envy, kill, and covet. Now it is uncertain as to whether these people were actually killing one another out of selfish desire (which isn’t entirely improbable) but we can safely assume that he is using an analogy like Jesus as he described a person as a murderer as one who harbors hatred in his/her heart. A person who holds animosity in his heart towards another is just as guilty as the person who actually commits murder. This is probably what James is suggesting.

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[1] Biblical Peacemaking: Applying the Gospel to Conflicts of Daily Life (Peacemakers Ministries 2011), www.peacemaker.net

[2] Moo, p. 181

The Armored Saint

Read Ephesians 6:10 - 20

The Armor

(Weapons of Defense)

The Belt of Truth: The belt or girt in Roman armor (which is probably the style of armor Paul is using for the example) was a vital piece. It was usually a 6-8” leather belt that every piece of armor was attached to and was used to tie loose flowing garments. Without the belt nothing would be secured and the armor would eventually fall off or be a hindrance to the soldier. It was a foundational piece of the armor. The truth is foundational to the believer.  Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except through me.” Jesus is the belt that holds everything together. Spiritual victory is hinged to the truth of Jesus and the Gospel. We are in a vigorous battle and God wants us tie up our garments and connect all of our armor to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and allow this truth be the foundation of who we are.


The Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate was a bronze shield that was strapped over the chest to cover the heart.  The heart is an essential organ in human body. Righteousness simply means being right with God. In Jesus we are made righteous. We are not righteous in our own accord. In fact humans at the core are evil and at odds with God. When we submit ourselves fully to God (As Romans 12:1, 2 tells us) we become righteous in the eyes of God. Since we are made right with God He will protect our hearts. He will provide life, he will keep safe from the attacks of the heart. If the heart stops pumping, then life ends. J. Vernon McGee writes, “Christ is the righteousness of the believer…Only the righteousness of Christ can enable a believer to stand before God.” And I would add, “And to stand against the attacks of Satan.”

Shoes of the Gospel of peace: The Gospel of peace is exactly what it says it is; the good news of peace. The word Gospel literally means “good news”. The footwear represents readiness and preparation and the feet represent agility and endurance. As believers engaged in warfare we must always be prepared to share and stand firm in the Gospel. Most importantly we must be willing to live it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of salvation.

Shield of Faith: The shield Paul has in mind is one that is made up of three layers of wood and covered in leather that was fully soaked in water. According to D.A. Carson, “In battle (the shields) could be locked together with others to form a wall in front, and a roof overhead.” They provided a source of security and protection against the arrows and spears hurled at them. Like a shield, faith in Christ is what protects us from the fiery arrows and spears of the evil one. These arrows or darts that are hurled could be things like evil desires, guilt, doubt, anger, lust, fear, criticism, worthlessness, depression, and anything else that would cause one to take his eyes off God. The faith Paul is talking about in this passage does not refer to what one would call general belief or faith, but instead the saving faith in Jesus. This faith is what gives the believer security in his relationship with Jesus. Another one of Satan’s tactics is to cause insecurity in the believer, he says, “Oh you did this? Well, God’s not going to accept you anymore. You did that? Well, God’s through with you, He doesn’t love you anymore.” Your faith in Christ will protect you from these fiery darts that Satan will shoot at you daily!

The Helmet of Salvation: The purpose of a helmet is to protect the head. God’s salvation is our greatest source of protection. The continual reminder that those who have repented of their sins, responded to the calling of God to become one with Jesus.  A completely submitted and obedient life to Jesus Christ is the believer's true source of victory. If you do not have Jesus as your personal savior, then this battle cannot be won.

(Weapons of Offense)

The Sword of the Spirit: The sword is the Word of God (which verse 17 reminds us). Christ is the fulfillment of the Word of God. (I John 1:1) The Word of God is powerful! Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. This weapon is not only used as a means of defense but also is used to attack. The Word of God is powerful, when Jesus was tempted in the desert he used to Word of God to fend off the devil and it was sufficient. We must cling to the Word of God; we must know it and love it, for in it is power.

Pray in the Spirit: This last weapon is sometimes overlooked as an actual weapon. Klyne Snodgrass says, “The well-armed soldier in Christ’s army, by definition, is continually praying in the Spirit and alert.” Praying in the Spirit strengthens you. When you pray in the Spirit you communicate with God and He communes with you.

War! Huh! What is it Good For?

Read Ephesians 6:10 - 20

War is a frightening thing.  If you have ever lived or served during a major war or conflict you know the level of terror involved in warfare.  For those of you who have served in the military (especially on the front lines) you know better than anyone of us the importance of having the proper equipment and training when engaged in battle.  You know the necessity of wearing a helmet, keeping a weapon nearby, and knowing how to use it.  Before one is sent off into battle he is given the necessary equipment and training to both help and protect in the midst of battle.  

We are all in a battle.  It may not be modern physical warfare but we are in a spiritual battle.  Since this is the case I believe it is necessary to have the necessary equipment and training while engaged in this battle.  The passage above gives us a look at the battle gear you and I have at our disposal as we engage in and use for protection in the spiritual battle.  This gear (just like a soldier going to war) is available to use it.  The first thing Paul tells us to do in this battle requires human action!!!  We must PUT ON THE ARMOR!  We will not be protected if we just have the armor sitting off to the side and we never put it on!  The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to put on the armor so we can stand against the schemes of the devil.  He refers to the works of Satan as the schemes as a reminder that he has mastered the craft of trickery and deception.  The Bible tells us that Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light.  He is a first class deceiver and he’s good at it.  So Paul tells us to put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD and not just a few select pieces we think we need so we may be protected by the master deceiver.  Each piece of the armor serves a purpose and is vital to have in order for us to be fully protected and engaged.

As we look at the spiritual armor I would like to note that the armor serves a twofold purpose.  The armor serves first as defense (protection against the attacks) and serves as a means of offense (engaging in the battle and progressing forward).  This is important for us to understand because we can never be victorious in battle if we are only on the defensive and never on the offensive.  There is a time to protect and defend and there are times to divide and conquer.  

We will look at the armor in the next post...

Our Response

Erwin Lutzer states, “We should never give the impression that because Satan is the god of this world, God kind of says, ‘Well, what am I going to do? He is the god of this world. I just have to let him do whatever he wants.” He is like a bee without a stinger. He may look scary but there is no power in his sting because he has no stinger.

I hope I have established the fact that we do have an enemy and the enemy is Satan. He wants to devour you like a hungry lion. We are in a wrestling match with evil and you and I are not strong enough to overcome or pin down the evil one in our own strength. However we do have the protection and the necessary equipment given to us by God to be successful in this battle.

God does have a protection plan for us! The first thing to realize as we fight this battle is our strength does not come from us. It doesn’t matter how strong you are physically, how holy you may act or how much you read your Bible, our strength comes from Jesus Christ alone! He is our strength and our power! God has given us the means to fight this battle and to be protected against the attacks of evil in Jesus. Paul refers to this protection as the armor of God and I will talk about this more next.

If you cannot wait until the next blog I will give you a glimpse into our first and initial response and this is to PUT ON THE ARMOR of God! We cannot be protected if we just have the armor sitting on the side and we never put it on! We are told to put on the armor so we can stand against the schemes of the devil. The Bible tells us that Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light. He is a first class deceiver and he’s very good at it. Klyne Snodgrass writes, “Evil rarely looks evil until it accomplishes its goal; it gains entrance by appearing attractive, desirable and perfectly legitimate. It is a baited camouflaged trap.”

The Enemy

His Story

Who is this devil being and how did he come to be?  We will look at two passages in the Old Testament Isaiah 14:12 – 15 & Ezekiel 28:12a – 17 (this is believed to be the story of the fall of Satan). 

Isaiah 14:12

1)     He was an angel & his name is Lucifer.  Since he is an angel we also know that he was a created being, thus he has no more power than any other angel. 

2)     He wanted to be the greatest of all angels; even to the point of exalting himself over God.

3)     As a result he was cast from heaven and he now walks to and fro on the earth (Job 2:2).

4)     We will one day see our adversary and marvel at the fact that he played such a key part in the evil of history.

Ezekiel 28:12a – 17

1)     He was the signet or the signature of all that was perfect… wisdom and beauty.

2)     He was the anointed guardian cherub

3)     He was blameless from the day he was created.

4)     However unrighteousness was found in him.

5)     In his rebellion he convinced a 1/3 of the angels to rebel with him (Revelation 12:3)

6)     His fate is sealed.

Characteristics

A)    Names… Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Prince of this world, Prince of the air, The Evil one, The tempter, Satan, The Devil, The Dragon.

B)    He is a murderer (John 8:44)

C)    He does not stand in truth/ He is a liar (John 8:44)

D)    He is crafty & tricky (Gen. 3 & 2 Cor. 2:11)

E)     He disguises himself as an angel of light/imposter (2 Cor. 11:14)

F)     He seeks to devour all who oppose him (I Peter 5:8)

G)    He is the Tempter (Rev. 2:10)

H)    He is a deceiver (Rev. 12:9)

I)     He is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10)