Don’t Throw Out the Baby with the Dirty Bath Water!
When we consider creation, it's impossible to deny the existence of God.
Psalm 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
Romans 1:20, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..."
So, if someone knows there is a God (whatever someone might be tempted to call Him at this stage of their understanding), the next question is this: Which God do I believe in/follow?
There are multitudes of options. One obvious consideration is the God of the Holy Bible/Holy Scriptures. Is He the one and only true God? How can we know?
We can know by what God tells us in His Word, and how He backs up/supports His Word...
God tells us that Jesus is His Son and that, in this age, salvation (freedom from death, and eternal life with the Father) can only be realized through Him: John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
But, we are not called to simply "accept" this without evidence. We do not have to operate in blind faith. God has always operated with signs and wonders and miracles. He is a God of proof!
There are many prophecies regarding the coming of Jesus - who came to preach and demonstrate the Kingdom of God, and then the Holy Spirit - who enables Jesus' believers to, in turn, do the same in Jesus' name. John the Baptist gave one of the most powerful prophesies: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire," Matthew 3:11.
God said in Acts 7:48 that, in this age, "the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands." Rather, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," John 14:23.
God makes his "abode" in us when we are filled with/anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit. We then become the temple of God!
BUT, the only way we can have this happen is through Jesus. In other words, when we recognize that we truly need to be saved, and that salvation is through Jesus only, we then come to Jesus in all humility. We demonstrate this by burying our old life and our previous ways in the waters of baptism (water baptism is not just a symbol - it actually spiritually cleanses us!). And, if we are truly sincere, Jesus then shows His approval by "sealing us" with the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Romans 8:8-9, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Sometimes, people receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit before being water baptized, but baptism is still a necessary part of being "born again."
John 3:5-7, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
So, we've talked about the God of the Holy Bible, Jesus, water baptism, and the Holy Spirit. But still, is there proof? Yes!
"He" the Holy Spirit (the "Holy" Spirit) has a way of communicating to God the Father through us. He uses our mouth/lips, but He has His own (heavenly) languages. The Bible refers to it as "speaking in tongues" (other languages - spiritual languages).
1 Corinthians 14:2, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
1 Corinthians 14:14-15, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
There are other miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit such as healing and prophecy, but God's Word tells us that speaking in tongues is a sign. It's how you tell the difference between someone who is "sealed" by Jesus as one of His, and those who are not (yet).
1 Corinthians 14:2, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not."
And herein lies the proof of the truth - that the God of the Holy Bible is the one and only true God, and that the way to salvation is through Jesus and Him only.
Does this mean that every person who speaks in tongues is the perfect example of a Christian (Christ follower, or an anointed one)? Absolutely not! Even after being filled with the Holy Spirit, we still exercise free will, and many Spirit-filled people freely choose to speak and act in ways that are not aligned with the wisdom and instruction in God's Word (of how to live a Christ-honoring life). The Bible clearly warns us...
Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Don't be put off by poor examples / representatives. Everyone's personal responsibility is to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Philippians 2:12.
The heartbreaking reality, though, is that many people never come to "work out their own salvation" and realize the fullness of what the one true God offers through Jesus Christ His Son. God never forces Himself or His Son upon anyone. But, He can be found - and guarantees to be found - IF we are prepared to do things His way.
Acts 17:24-27, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"
The greatest sin of mankind (that began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) is independence. God is a Father first and foremost, and He wants His creation to wholly depend on Him (like little children) because only He knows what is best for us - after all, He created us!
Matthew 18:2-3, "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
1 John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
Many people want God, but they want Him "their" way. They have one foot in the world/flesh, and one foot casually (or surface deep) in the Bible.
James 1:8, "Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."
Satan and his workers (angels who rebelled against God the Father - we need way more time to explain this!) know this weakness of mankind, and they play into it (big time!). They are jealous of God's beautiful creation and they want to destroy it - or tempt mankind to destroy his own self! THIS is the spiritual warfare that is going on beyond what we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears.
Satan tries to get people addicted and depressed, and full of violence and self-destruction. Or, he lures mankind with pleasures, wealth, fame, and the praise and admiration of others. But, if these "tricks" are not working with someone who is being drawn to God the Father (who does show His love and light that His creation might be drawn wholeheartedly to Him), Satan will play his other "cards" - to try to distract and bind that person with something that seems like the truth (yet is, in fact, a deception or replacement for what is truth).
2 Corinthians 11:13-15, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
Proverbs 16:25, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
1 Samuel 28 tells the account of when king Saul goes to the medium (the witch of Endor) to summon Samuel’s spirit from the dead, to seek counsel from Samuel, God's (deceased) prophet. The profoundness of this situation is that it worked! The medium was able to connect with Samuel and bring him to come and converse with Saul. Now, Samuel rebuked Saul for doing this. He actually spoke to Saul from the place of the dead! Why and what’s the point to be discerned here?
The reality is, there IS certain power in the spiritual realm that God the Father doesn’t want us seeking after or getting involved with. Satan doesn’t present himself as some kind of dark beast with horns and a pitch fork. He presents himself as light and power, and people are enticed by it and drawn to it. They seek out the wrong answers because they ultimately don’t want to be dependent on (and obedient to) their loving Father who knows what is best for them.
There’s lots more that could be said from the scriptures regarding “wrong” spirits and the tricks and deceptions of the adversary, but the above is probably enough for now to demonstrate that the devil and his workers are a reality to be resisted and overcome by the greater power of the Father through the Son.
When an individual hungers and thirsts (more than the water and food they need for life; more than the air they breathe) for truth and to be in right-standing with their Creator, God responds. In this respect, God is an utterly faithful Father when someone is prepared to do things His way. The people who first followed Jesus were never even called Christians. ("Christian" was actually a derogatory word used by unbelievers - "Oh, those Christians...!") Rather, they were called people of the Way - the Way of Jesus. And, these people experienced power - authority over their flesh to be able to resist the devil, and empowerment to live as disciples (meaning "disciplined ones" - disciplining themselves after the will of their loving Father).
There are Spirit-filled people of the "Way" living all over the world today - some go to various churches, some belong to house groups, and some are on their own. They all have God living within them through the Holy Spirit, made possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And, those that truly make an effort to be "in tune" with God's will by using the power of the Holy Spirit (especially praying in tongues as much as they can every day) know that this world is not where they belong - their home is beyond what they can now see and hear. But, for the time being, their calling is to shine the light of Jesus Christ - that others might be drawn to the love of the Father and the opportunity for salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
And that is the key: being drawn, or responding to God's calling. Again, God is a true Father - He never forces Himself upon anyone. Rather, knowing what is best for us as our Creator, He provides every opportunity for us to come to Him - to desire and need and trust in Him.
So, those that are already people of the "Way" (true "sealed" Christians) must leave it up to God's Word (a powerful, Living Word) and God's hand upon people's lives to do the convicting. It's not their battle. It is His. They are called to simply be the light of His Word through their lives and through their lips. They play their part by bringing truth to the eyes, ears, and hearts of those that are struggling in the darkness of this world and are searching for light (but are not even necessarily fully aware of their predicament). God's children must exercise faith (not just have faith - "exercise" is an action that requires showing and not just thinking or feeling!) in the power of God's Word - that it will achieve its purpose, either way.
The bottom line is that someone is either “for” God or against Him; only time will tell, and God is unfathomably patient and merciful as He works in all kinds of ways in people's lives, to bring them to a point of complete respect for and dependence upon Him. After all, would we want our children running off to the neighbors saying, "I'm not sure about my dad, if he really loves me and is going to care for me today - so, I'm coming to you and a few other people in the area hoping to get a bit of what I need from each of them instead." As a parent (a "good" one - there are many not so good ones in the world!), we would feel completely dishonored and rejected. Nevertheless, and "theoretically," we would leave them to experience the consequences of their own decisions until they came to fully appreciate their home and family (including the necessary discipline at times, to continue to keep them in the right frame of mind and heart!).
Along the way of this "path of humbling in love," God is always there, ready with open arms. But, unlike most churches that preach a theme of "accept Jesus into your life," it is the individual that needs to choose of his own accord to run into the Father's open arms in all humility and appreciation and obedience, recognizing that the door is only open because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice upon the cross (more about this can be found in other articles).
In fact, when you think about the terminology that many churches use today, they are utterly insulting to the Father. Who are we to "choose" God or "allow" Jesus to be our Savior. Rather, it should be us coming to the Father, through Jesus, in utter reverence, repentance, and dependance - now and forever, until Jesus returns.
John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
But, we have to be willing to see the "Way" first before we can run to the Father, and God does absolutely give people opportunity after opportunity to "see." Read 1 Kings 18. It was when the people saw the fire coming from Elijah’s altar that they finally believed and turned from their paganism (they had one foot in God at the time, and the other in idolatry). At that point, they finally allowed the source of their false beliefs to be slain. (Elijah the prophet took the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah - 850 total! - and killed them all.)
Sometimes, too, it takes the removal of various obstacles before people can clearly see. For example, if someone has been put off of speaking in tongues (as a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit) because of past experiences, then they need to, again, be brought to the truth of God's Word that will settle their mind and heart. 1 Corinthians 14:23 warns, “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” When people realize this, together with God's command, "Let all things be done decently and in order," (1 Corinthians 14:40), they can better reconcile what has been the corruption and direct disobedience of mankind versus the wise instructions of the Father. This is one of the main issues that seems to be a re-occurring obstacle. At the end of the day, though, if someone just doesn't want to see, then they won't.
1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
It's only when someone is anointed with (filled with) the Holy Spirit - and they start actively using the overcoming and enlightening power that He provides - that the "scales fall from their eyes" and they can truly see and “get it.”
God has proclaimed, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear,” Matthew 11:15. Yes, there are a multitude of poor examples of Christianity throughout the world today and yes, there are myriad dark (yet posing as light) spirits that make a bad name for spiritual truth. But, as the old saying goes, does that mean we should “throw out the baby with the dirty bath water"....?
