What Can We Learn From GEDALIAH & ISHMAEL in Jeremiah 40-41?
The very purpose of Old Testament accounts is to teach believers in the New Covenant era, as observed in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. So, what can we learn from the story of Gedaliah and Ishmael from Jeremiah 40:7-41:15?
The setting of this passage is just after the Babylonian conquest of Judah and the corresponding fall of Jerusalem. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, appointed Gedaliah as governor over the land in 587 BC and thus he was in charge of the Hebrews who were not taken into exile for 70 years (Jeremiah 40:7). Gedaliah was a Hebrew and his father, Ahikam, was an ally of Jeremiah (26:24) and thus Gedaliah supported the prophet & his God-given prophecies (39:14), which encouraged the Jews to concede to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops (as Divine payment for their stubborn sins). This explains why the king appointed Gedaliah as governor.
Ishmael was an officer of King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, the latter of whom was actually appointed by Nebuchadnezzar after besieging Jerusalem in 597 BC (2 Kings 24:17). But Zedekiah rebelled eight years later and so the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem, captured the king, blinded him, and hauled him off to Babylon.
Ishmael was one of the leaders of Judah’s surviving military men living in the open country after the fall of Jerusalem and capture of Zedekiah; he was “of royal blood,” the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama (Jeremiah 40:7-8 & 41:1). These facts suggest that he was of Hebrew stock and loyal to Zedekiah, as well as resentful of the Babylonian conquest. Responding with contempt to Gedaliah’s urging to “settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 40:9), Ishmael was desperate as an outcast and open to being enlisted by Baalis, king of the Ammonites (40:14), a county about 60 miles to the east of Jerusalem by road (aka modern-day Jordan). This brings us to our key text:
13Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?”
16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”
Jeremiah 40:13-16
Why didn’t Gedaliah believe Johanan? Why was he so naive? Gedaliah was obviously a decent, trusting person who assumed Ishmael shared his godly perspective and standards of behavior, based on the Law of Moses. Such naivete made him an easy mark for the deceived militarist, who was also a political opportunist:
1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian a soldiers who were there.
Jeremiah 41:1-3
Ishmael & his ten men took advantage of Gedaliah’s trusting nature with this surprise attack, which was facilitated by the social nature of the gathering, a banquet, in which the soldiers present would’ve but their weapons aside to indulge in food, drink, fellowship, song and laughter.
The bottom line is that Gedaliah considered Ishmael a fellow Hebrew and so flat out rejected the report of Ishmael working for the Ammonite king, as well as his malevolent intentions to murder him. But he was dead wrong.
The lesson? Just because someone calls themself a Christian, it doesn’t mean you should wholly trust them, especially if there’s good reason to doubt the individual. In the modern day, it’s unlikely that such a person would literally murder you, but they can murder your character through gossip/slander by the sword of their tongue (Proverbs 12:18, Psalm 57:4 & Proverbs 25:18).
So, don’t foolishly let your guard down in social situations, particularly in cases where the person in question has a history of carnality. As the Lord said:
15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:15-23
Let me close with a minor example of which Carol, my wife, reminded me when I shared this article with her:
Back in 1994, I was in a Christian band and we were scheduled to play at a festival, which took place at a relatively large church facility in early December. The various bands & their crews stored their extra items in a side room, which would be akin to the backstage. That’s where we put our jackets and Carol put her purse. A few hours later we went back to pick up our stuff whereupon Carol discovered that the $20 in her purse was missing (which would be equivalent to $45 today). Although there were several people & crewmembers from other bands in the side room when we left our items there, Carol naively thought to herself, “We’re all brothers & sisters in the Lord” and so had no worries about theft. But she was wrong.
Just because it wouldn’t occur to her, me or you to steal something from someone else at a church facility (or anywhere else, for that matter), it doesn’t mean that there aren’t wolves in sheep’s clothing who would jump at the opportunity due to their love of Mammon.
- Carol lost what would be equivalent to $45.
- Gedaliah lost his life.
The moral is: Don’t be naive in social settings. Remember what the Lord instructed:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Related Topics:
Does Walking in AGAPE LOVE Mean You Should Be a DOORMAT to Abuse?
What Happened to the Hebrews in the Old Testament Are WARNINGS FOR BELIEVERS
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)
Did Christ Advocate Self-Amputation in Mark 9:43-47?
Let’s read the passage in question:
43“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] b 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] c 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,”
Mark 9:43-47
Christ wasn’t suggesting self-amputation, of course. He was using overstatement, known as hyperbole, to make an important point: All of us need to root out of our lives anything that causes sin because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), which is the polar opposite of receiving everlasting life (John 3:16). The Lord used the figurative speech of cutting off a hand, a foot or an eye because they apply to…
- Things you do — i.e. your “hand.”
- Paths you take — i.e. your “foot.”
- Things you choose to gaze upon (and imagine) — i.e. your “eye” (which includes your inner eye).
So, if there’s something you do that is causing you to sin, cut it out of your life; if there’s a path you take that causes you to sin, stop taking that path; if there’s something you gaze upon and feed with your imagination that causes you to sin, remove it from your sight and thought life. In other words, whatever it is that leads you into temptation and the corresponding sin, cut it out of your life. When you do that, you’ll stop putting yourself into a position of temptation and committing the transgression in question. Are you following?
The Bible offers an easy 3-point strategy on how to overcome any sin, which corresponds to the three parts of human nature – mind, body and spirit. In other words, there’s something you need to do with your mind (thoughts), there’s something you can do with your body and there’s something you need to do that involves your spirit. These are the three keys to walking in the spirit and being set free from the flesh or sinful nature (Galatians 5:16), which you can read about here.
The Contrast Between “Entering Life” and Being “Thrown Into Hell”
Notice how the Lord contrasted “entering life” with being “thrown into Hell” in the passage from Mark 9. That’s because unredeemed people who are “thrown into hell” on Judgment Day don’t have eternal life and thus will be discarded in the Lake of Fire wherein they’ll suffer the “second death”:
11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
Notice that they’ll suffer the “second death,” not experience life. What exactly does this mean? Christ plainly explained:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna].”
You see, unrepentant people who are cast into the Lake of Fire do not enter life; rather they’ll be destroyed, soul and body. This is why the writer of Hebrews said:
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27
Being consumed by raging fire is the opposite of living forever in fire. This explains what is said in the gospel of John:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
Why won’t those who reject Christ receive eternal life?
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Eternal life and immortality are only available through Jesus Christ. This is the Good News in a nutshell and explains something Paul taught by the Holy Spirit:
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Immortality is to be sought by those who are lost & dying in this world, which means it’s not something they intrinsically possess. The Awesome News, of course, is that immortality and eternal life are available to all, as plainly conveyed in the Bible’s most famous verse:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Related Topics:
IMMORTALITY — Only Available Through the Gospel
HELL (Human Damnation) — Questions and Answers
Hell (Lake of Fire): Eternal Torment or Everlasting Destruction?
What Is the MYSTERY OF THE AGES?
The plainest answer to this question can be found in this passage:
24Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:24-27
The New Century Version renders the key verse like so:
God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory.
Colossians 1:27 (NCV)
This point is elaborated by Paul in the opening verses of the next chapter of his epistle (keeping in mind that there were no chapter divisions when Paul wrote it):
2My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:2-3
These verses were written by the apostle almost three decades after the Lord died for our sins and was resurrected for our justification (Romans 5:18). Yet this “mystery of the ages” — this “secret” — was known by Peter & the other apostles during the early days of the Church, as disclosed here:
41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Acts 5:41-42
The point is that Jesus Christ is the mystery of the ages — the secret that the Creator kept hidden until the time of the New Covenant era, which began with John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ (Luke 16:16). Believers today tend to take this awesome mystery for granted, which is Christ in you, the only hope of glory, as observed above in Colossians 1:27. How is Christ in us? Through spiritual rebirth wherein we’re “created to be like God in true righteousness” (Ephesians 4:22-24) and also through the indwelling Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). (For inspiring details, see this video).
After pointing out that the mystery of God is the Lord Christ, Paul goes on to say “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). In other words, Christ is the key of knowledge (Luke 11:52). Chew on that!
The global social implications of this glorious secret were not realized by the apostles until Peter was given an illuminating vision (Acts 10-11), after which the Hebrew believers realized that “God has granted even the Gentiles [non-Jews] repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). As it is written in the Gospels: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). In other words, the Good News of the message of Christ applies to all people worldwide, not just Jewish people. This is a key element of the mystery of Christ, as elaborated by Paul some three decades later:
2Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Ephesians 3:2-13
So, the mystery of the ages is Christ in you, the only hope of glory (the glory being eternal life in a redeemed Universe), which is available to all people through the Good News (John 3:16 & Romans 6:23). The more you meditate on this truth, the more mind-blowing it is!
Related Topics:
The Fountain of Life Within (video)
Did PAUL’S MESSAGE Contradict Jesus & James’ Gospel?
KEY of KNOWLEDGE — What Is It?
The DEFEAT of Satan & His Losers
The Ark of the Covenant in the New Testament (video)
Dealing With DEMONIC POSSESSION
In the Bible it is observed that the Lord delivered people from demons who induced insanity, deafness, muteness and infirmity (Mark 5:1-20, 9:17-29 & Luke 13:10-16). It’s clear from the scriptural evidence that being possessed (or oppressed) by an evil spirit can induce mental or physical ailments. Such demons are “spirits of infirmities,” which we’ll address momentarily.
How many people in our mental institutions are being drugged up and essentially imprisoned for the rest of their lives when what they really need is exorcized of dark spiritual entities that have possessed them to one degree or another? Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not against these kinds of asylums and realize that we, as a society, are just doing what we have to for such ailing people; that is, what we can.
Yet, what if someone of Jesus Christ’s stature were around, someone who had the authority, faith and courage to rebuke demons and send them fleeing with their tails between their legs, so to speak? The first chapter of the gospel of Mark shows the Messiah exorcizing demons from numerous people and this is merely one chapter of the New Testament! (See verses 25-26, 34 and 39).
A Real-Life Experience With Demonic Possession
I know of one person who was seriously mentally ill all her life but the best that professional medical science had to offer couldn’t deliver her. The best they could do was sedate her, try this or that (including shock treatments) and help her cope. Some of this is good to an extent, but they could not set her free. She lived and died with this severe illness. I’m convinced that these symptoms were the result of some type of demonic possession/oppression. Other believers who were close to the situation have drawn the same conclusion. The signs pointed to a partial possession, which we’ll look at shortly. If only I knew then what I know now and was the person I am now, I would have exorcized her of this spiritual subjugation without a second thought, as long as she was willing (which is necessary since God never heals or delivers people against their will).
Am I suggesting that we should let loose a bunch of religious kooks into our mental institutions to supposedly exorcize the severely ill of their (very possible) literal demons? No, but if some people show evidence of the power and boldness Jesus Christ walked in, shouldn’t we? Didn’t Yeshua come to “set the captives free,” “heal the sick and brokenhearted” and “release the prisoners from the darkness”? (Luke 4:16-21 & Isaiah 42:5-9).
The fact that so few believers are walking in this authority, power, faith and boldness is a shame to the modern Church in general. It’s also testimony to the powerless nature of so many counterfeit sects and “believers” who “have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Not that all the believers within these camps are counterfeits, not at all. But their leaders are unaware, disingenuous or spiritually blind. And didn’t Jesus say, “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit?” (Matthew 15:14).
One of the purposes of this book is to reveal the reality of dark spiritual entities, how their attacks manifest, and how to effectively combat them by faith.
The Believer’s Authority
Where is the Church of Jesus Christ, the “called-out ones” who are called out of the darkness of this world? Why is the Church so inert and seemingly powerless when it comes to dealing with victims of demonic possession or oppression? I’m asking with humble concern, not arrogant denunciation; plus I’m including myself when I say ‘the Church.’
Let’s not forget the incredible authority the Lord gave believers:
“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:18-20
“Snakes and scorpions” are figurative of the devil and demonic spirits. Yeshua gave the disciples authority to trample them under their feet, that is, overcome their power. Hence, filthy spirits had to submit to them and the disciples were understandably elated (see verse 17). They delivered people from demonic oppression and possession; they healed the sick and brokenhearted; they set the captives free because they had the authority and power to do so. Authority is the right to rule whereas power is the ability to rule.
If Jesus’ disciples—who weren’t even spiritually regenerated at the time—had authority to overcome the powers of darkness, how much more so Christians who have been spiritually born of the imperishable seed of Christ?
Get a hold of this fact: If you’re a believer, YOU have authority over the kingdom of darkness! All the spiritual forces of evil are under your feet! They don’t have the authority to overcome you; you have the authority to overcome them!
Words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21), so make this powerful positive confession:
I [state your name] have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the devil and his wicked angels. Nothing will harm me. I have the victory in Jesus Christ—Hallelujah!!
Make Biblical statements like this your regular confession. Speak them with fervor! Never speak disempowering words of doubt, defeat, fear or grumbling. Cast such things off on the LORD in prayer, which is venting (Psalm 55:22 & 1 Peter 5:7). When you spend quality time praising, adoring and communing with the Most High the very light of God’s presence will squelch emotional waste like doubt, fear and worry. Do this regularly. God is the Fountain of Life and, in his light, we see light (Psalm 36:9); darkness vanishes!
Christ Is the Genuine Lion While satan Is a Counterfeit
The devil may prowl around like a roaring lion trying to frighten people immobile with his intimidating roar but, for the believer who walks in faith, he’s a toothless, clawless, sinew-less lion. More than that, the Bible describes Jesus Christ as the genuine Lion of Judah. In other words, Yeshua is the real deal, while the devil is just a counterfeit—a fake—who prowls around like a roaring lion. Oh, sure, he can attack since he’s “the god of this world” and we’re invading his turf, but the Bible says that all we have to do is “submit to God and resist the devil” “standing firm in the faith” and the enemy will literally “flee” from us (James 4:7 & 1 Peter 5:8-10).
This is what the apostle Paul called fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). When we stand in faith with our spiritual armor on and swing our spiritual swords, the forces of evil have no recourse but to “flee.” One minister I heard said the imagery in the original language paints the picture of a dog running away with his tail between his legs—“Yipe, yipe, yipe, yipe!!” Picture that the next time you take a stand in faith against the enemy—including exorcisms—and have yourself a knee-slapping victorious laugh.
Walking in the Amazing Authority of Jesus Christ
We live in a generation that idolizes reason and pseudoscience above all. These are the only criteria for determining reality to the unspiritual man, and understandably so. Thus anyone who looks to the Holy Scriptures for truth and has the audacity to act accordingly is viewed with disdain and ridicule. Which explains why the Church is so powerless and timid when it comes to dealing with demonic possession or oppression: We fear the scorn of the world.
This reminds me of a Pentecostal pastor who told me about a prophet he had at his assembly for a few services. The prophet ministered to the people and apparently dealt with a couple cases of demonic oppression or possession. The pastor said he was uncomfortable with the man’s ministry because it was sometimes awkward and even shocking. But dealing with filthy spirits can get ugly! Yelling, vomiting, screaming, wiggling on the floor, etc. come with the territory. We’ll look at examples from the Scriptures in a moment. The pastor said that the experience made him “gun shy” of demonic deliverance and everything that goes with it. Unfortunately, he threw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater because his church had the most sterile atmosphere of any I’ve experienced; and it was “Pentecostal”! I’m not being mean or disrespectful, just telling you what I experienced at this fellowship.
I realize we have to “become all things to all people that by all possible means we might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Hence, we have to “locate” where individuals are and act accordingly, otherwise we’ll scare ’em off with things they simply can’t handle, at least not presently. We need to do this to reach people, but let’s not do it to the extent that we become as spiritually powerless as the world. We are the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), meaning that the Church is the light that inspires those lost in the darkness of this world. Those in the darkness “who have ears to hear and eyes to see” will naturally be drawn to the light and ultimately delivered; and the closer they get to The Light the freer they’ll be (John 8:12,31-32). This is the way it’s supposed to be.
But something’s wrong when the Church allows the darkness of the world to squelch our light to the point that we’re impotent and ineffective, all because we fear the world’s contempt and ridicule! Needless to say, this is an example of allowing the world to mold us into its form; something the Bible instructs us not to do (Romans 12:2).
One of the things that drew people to the Mighty Christ was the genuine authority he walked in, which shouldn’t be confused with pompous authoritarianism. This made his ministry—his service—effective, including demonic deliverance. Observe:
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
Verse 22 shows that the people were amazed at the aura of authority Jesus displayed merely with his public teaching. This was something the religious leaders of that day didn’t have, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees; all they had was religious bluster. The people were even more amazed when the Messiah proceeded to command evil spirits to shut up and come out of people, as shown in verse 27. Unsurprisingly, news spread about him throughout the region.
Speaking of commanding demons to shut up, Christ typically did this when encountering possessed people (Mark 1:24-25 & Luke 4:35,41). Why? Because evil spirits are liars who have ages of experience duping even the brightest of people. In light of this, never talk with demons; just tell ’em to shut up and exorcize the individual, presuming the person is willing.
A pastor in my area testified of his first encounter with a demon-possessed man. The wicked spirit started a conversation with him that went on for a couple of hours (!) whereupon the pastor’s head was spinning, so to speak. Then a seasoned fellow-minister, who just so happened to be visiting from out of state, entered the room and immediately discerned what has happening. He didn’t talk with the foul spirit at all, but simply said “loose” and that was the end of it.
Rise Up and Walk in Your Authority!
Unlike 1st century Israel where Christ ministered, I realize most people reading this live in irreligious cultures of the post-Christian Western world (or, at least, Western-influenced). As such, we have to be careful how we minister and make sure we’re led of the Holy Spirit. Regardless, you can be sure that if we boldly rise up and walk in our authority and people start getting miraculously healed or freed from life-dominating sin and demonic oppression or possession nothing will keep the news from spreading. It will light a spiritual fire in this dark, dying world and those who long for healing and freedom will literally come running for deliverance! Make no mistake, Jesus plainly said that “anyone who has faith” will do the works he did. In fact, he said such people would do even greater works (John 14:12).* Please note that he said “anyone who has faith”; this means “anyone” who simply believes!
* See this article for details on what this means.
Do you sometimes struggle with faith? All believers are believers precisely because they have “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). The wonderful thing is that this is merely the starting point of the faith walk because faith can grow. Here are the three ways faith increases:
- Getting closer to God, who is the Fountain of Life and therefore gushes life, light, power and belief into whoever gets close to him (Psalm 36:9).
- Through regular feeding on God’s Word, as shown in Romans 10:17 and Matthew 4:4. Whatever element of the Word you feed on is where your faith will grow. For instance, if you want strong faith in regards to the believer’s authority, spiritual warfare and exorcism, then I encourage you to master the material in this article and the linking ones (listed at the bottom of this page).
- By praying in the Holy Spirit, as shown in Jude 1:20 (see also Ephesians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7).*
* For details, see the seventh piece of the armor & arms of God in this article.
A pastor I know, Rick testified to something he experienced when he was in Bible college: He attended a big service where the Charismatic leader was ministering and Rick happened to be standing in the front row. The minister was not far from him when fear suddenly seized Rick and he felt paralyzed. The minister looked at him, but seemed to be focusing on something unseen over Rick’s shoulder. He simply pointed to this thing and waved his hand, as if to say “Go,” and the fear immediately left the brother.
This minister was obviously walking in the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:1-11), which is the ability to perceive what’s happening in the spiritual realm. (Contrary to what some think, discerning of spirits is not the gift of carnal judgment and gossip/slander). An Old Testament example of this spiritual gift can be observed when Elisha’s assistant was suddenly able to see into the spirit realm (2 Kings 6:15-17).*
* Since Paul, by the Spirit, didn’t elaborate on the gift of the discerning of spirits, there must be a biblical precedent to define it. While the gifts of the Spirit are a New Testament phenomenon, Old Testament prophets obviously functioned in these gifts, as the Spirit willed.
Don’t you want to walk in the gifting and authority that this minister functioned in when he delivered this brother seized by a spirit of fear? Of course you do; I do too. The material in this book is a good starting point.
Dealing With “Spirits of Infirmities”
At the beginning of this article, it was pointed out that Christ delivered people from demons which induced infirmities of one sort or another, including mental illness. Here are two biblical examples:
- Deafness and muteness: Mark 9:17-29.
- Crippling: Luke 13:10-16.
Let’s look at both cases:
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Mark 9:17-29
This passage reveals several insights:
- This evil spirit induced muteness and deafness (verses 17 & 25).
- While the muteness and deafness were presumably constant conditions, the demon only seized the child on occasions, not 100% of the time (verse 18). Luke’s account verifies that the spirit would leave him on occasion (Luke 9:39), which indicates a partial possession. (This was the situation with the person in my life, shared earlier). In this particular case of partial possession there was only one demon involved whereas in the example of total possession concerning the man from the Gerasenes there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of demons involved (Mark 5:1-20).
- Speaking of partial possession, it’s clear that the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy was demonically influenced to commit his atrocious crimes; and the evidence points to partial possession: When he was his normal self, he was affable and charismatic, which explains the inexplicable loyalty of several naïve people close to him, not to mention his mounting fan club (!). Many remained loyal during his eleven years of imprisonment before his execution in early 1989. Even the judge who sentenced him noted how likable and gifted he was. Yet his myriad wicked murders and subsequent abuse of the corpses indicated a wholly sinister side. An investigator who visited Bundy’s cell in Florida witnessed firsthand his satanic mood swings: During an ordinary conversation the murderer abruptly metamorphosed before his very eyes wherein Bundy’s body & countenance weirdly altered and the investigator perceived an odor. He described the situation as extremely intense during this dispositional change, which lasted about 20 minutes.
- Getting back to Mark 9:17-29, when the demon took control of the boy it threw him to the ground where he foamed at the mouth, gnashed his teeth and became rigid (verse 20). Needless to say, it helps to recognize these characteristics of demon-possession.
- The demon drove the boy to self-harm by often trying to kill him via throwing him into fire or water (verse 22). This demon-influenced tendency is covered in chapter 9 of my book ANGELS.
- Christ rebuked the demon, calling it a “deaf and mute spirit,” which simply means it was an evil spirit that had the ability to cause deafness and muteness (verse 25).
- Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the boy, adding “and never enter him again” (verse 25). This is an important addition.
- The spirit shrieked and convulsed the lad violently during the exorcism (verse 26). These are further characteristics we need to recognize when exorcizing demons.
- Explaining why the disciples couldn’t cast out this particular wicked spirit, Jesus said “This kind can come out only by prayer” (verse 29).* Since prayer is communion with God, this indicates that a close relationship with the LORD and the corresponding increased spiritual sensitivity & anointing are required to operate in the authority necessary to deliver people from demons of this magnitude. Obviously some evil spirits are more powerful or obstinate and, hence, are more resistant to exorcism.
* While some translations say “prayer and fasting” (e.g. the KJV), the earliest (and therefore most reliable) manuscripts available omit “fasting.” It was likely added by an overzealous scribe at some point.
Now let’s look at the other passage and cull insights from it as well:
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
Luke 13:10-16
- The woman’s crippled condition was caused by a demon (verse 11). This shows that evil spirits have spiritual powers that can negatively affect those in the physical world. Medical science has, of course, discovered various other causes of ailments, whether physical or mental, but this does not discount the effect the spiritual has on the physical. Furthermore, could it not be possible—even likely—that these spirits induced these “causes,” as pointed out earlier?
- Unlike with the spirit that brought muteness and deafness, Christ did not rebuke the demon or command it to leave (at least Luke didn’t cite this in his account). Jesus simply said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity,” followed by laying his hands on her, and she was both delivered from the spirit and healed (verses 12-13). This shows a correlation between the two—being delivered from demonic oppression and receiving healing. Comparing the two accounts also shows that exorcizing demons and healing people are not one dimensional in nature as there are various methods we can employ, which grant the same result, and 2. we should rely on the Holy Spirit’s distinctive leading in each case.
- On a side note, this passage shows that legalists like the Pharisees—i.e. lifeless religionists—are prone to opposing genuine ministerial works, such as exorcism and healing. Big surprise, huh?
It’s possible that not every infirmity is directly caused by evil spirits, so you have to have spiritual discernment in order to effectively minister in these situations. And the only way you can do this, again, is to have genuine spiritual sensitivity, which comes by drawing closer to the LORD, as well as eagerly desiring gifts of the Spirit rather than eagerly denying them (1 Corinthians 12:1,31 & 14:1,39). If you’re not sure if a malady was induced by a demon, you can simply rebuke the ailment itself, as Jesus did here:
Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
Luke 4:38-39
As a New Covenant believer and co-heir in Christ you have the authority to do the works the Messiah did (John 14:12).
Closing Blessing
Rise up O man of God, rise up O woman of God, and walk in the authority that is yours in Jesus Christ. May you walk in faith and do the works Yeshua did! May you heal the sick and set the captives free through the power of God that’s in you and upon you. Let it be so.
For additional insights, see the linking article Demons Vs. Jesus Christ — No Contest.
As well as Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them
This article is also available in book form as chapter 21 of…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer
How to Enlist the Help of Angels
Why do Unclean Spirits seek out Dry Places?
Why is this World so Messed Up?
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
The Foundation of the Fear of the LORD and Humility
The “fear of the LORD” isn’t talked about much in Christian circles these days, including sermons. Why? Possibly because the Mighty LORD has been essentially reduced to a cuddly teddy bear in the sky or perhaps a genial genie. The idea that the Almighty Sovereign God—the Creator of all things in Heaven, Earth & the Universe—is to be feared, respected and awed seems to be unhip. But what does the Bible say about the fear of the LORD, both Old and New Testaments?
The fear of the LORD is foundational to the Spiritual Warrior. Foundational to what? See for yourself:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
These verses show the connection between knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge, of course, is factual information, whether mundane or spiritual, while understanding has to do with comprehension. It’s possible to know something, including trivia, but not really understand the subject. Meanwhile wisdom is the application of what you know and understand. Many people know & understand certain important things, but they fail to live it or live in light of it, which means they lack wisdom.
Observe what these passages say is the beginning of all three—the fear of the LORD. If the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, understanding and wisdom then a person who seeks to attain these without the fear of the LORD is off track from the start! Consequently, the conclusions they’ll come to in their journey of enlightenment will be off. We see this today with all these highly intelligent and “educated” people who are trying to reinvent morality: What is bad is now good and what is good is bad (Isaiah 5:20). Their journey has brought them to a place of twisted understanding because they failed to start with the fear of the LORD, which is acknowledging the Creator and respecting God.
Someone might argue that the “fear of the LORD” is an outmoded Old Testament principle, but Christ himself said we are to fear God:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28
For more proof, Revelation 19:5 depicts a scene in Heaven in which a voice coming from God’s throne says: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” Furthermore, after Ananias and Sapphira were slain by the LORD for their unrepentant lying “great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:5,11). Great fear of whom? God!
Furthermore, when Paul noted that all believers will have to stand before Jesus Christ and give an account of our lives at the Judgment Seat, he followed it up with “since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). Why do we fear the Lord? Because we’re going to stand before Christ and give an account of our lives for what we did in the body, whether good or bad. Of course, any deeds repented of beforehand will not be evaluated because God forgave you when you ’fessed up and “purified you from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Those sins were cast into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). Isn’t that awesome?
The type of fear Paul was talking about—led of the Holy Spirit—was obviously fear of being held accountable to something negative. In other words, fear of punishment (Proverbs 16:6, 3:7 & 8:13). This is the most elemental kind of fear, which compels people to stay on the straight and narrow. For instance, a guy might not believe in God, but he won’t commit murder because he fears going to prison for decades or the death penalty. A married woman might find a man attractive, but she refuses to entertain adultery because she doesn’t want to ruin her family and life. Of course, the Lord wants us to grow past fear of punishment on our spiritual journey and be motivated by love of God led of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:16-18 & Romans 8:14). This naturally comes with spiritual growth.
So, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, and it’s not just an Old Testament principle, but what exactly is the fear of the LORD? Since fear is another word for reverence and worship, this suggests that knowledge and wisdom begin when we properly acknowledge God and offer our Creator the reverence and adoration due. The writer of Hebrews put it like this:
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28-29
There’s also the respectful fear that a son or daughter has toward the just correction and discipline of his/her loving father. It’s a healthy respect for authority; in God’s case, the ultimate authority.
A key trait of the fear of the LORD is, of course, humility, the attitude that we’re not all that and a bag of chips, which brings to mind a simple yet potent passage:
God opposes the proud but gives grace [favor] to the humble.
James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 3:34
This is quoted three times in the Bible, once in the Old Testament and twice in the New. God’s trying to get something across to us! He “opposes” the proud, which means he resists them. Proverbs 16:5 even says “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.” Those who are arrogant resist God and the Lord resists them in return. They resist, God resists. It’s a doomed cycle.
The good news, of course, is that the LORD gives grace to the humble, the meek, not the weak. This means his favor! God says:
“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
and who tremble at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2
God’s favor, blessing and enlightenment only flow to the humble who genuinely acknowledge their Creator, not the arrogant who are stubborn, hard-hearted and think they know it all. The latter includes religious leaders, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who put on airs that they knew and honored God when nothing could’ve been further from the truth. The Pharisees, for instance, claimed to be God’s children but the Messiah told them point blank that they were children of the devil (John 8:41-47)! Don’t think that such religious leaders only existed in Christ’s day. They’re all over today, just open your eyes; they even go by the tag ‘Christian’ and say “Lord, Lord” (Matthew 7:15-23).
What can we conclude from all of this? If we want freedom we have to want truth, which means the way it really is. Why? Because truth is the very thing we need to set us free, as Jesus taught (John 8:31-32). Truth consists of knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God’s Word and the foundation of these is the fear of the LORD.
Needless to say, let’s be wise sons & daughters of God and cultivate a healthy reverence and awe of the Holy One. Always strive for humility, which is the opposite of stubbornness and arrogance. Cultivate the attitude of an unworthy servant who’s only doing his/her duty (Luke 17:10). If you do this, God’s favor will surely flow to you. But please understand that persecutions will increase (2 Timothy 3:12). Higher levels, bigger devils.
This article is available in book form as the opening section of chapter 4 in…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
SPIRITUAL GROWTH Is Like Climbing a Mountain
Is Christianity a “RELATIONSHIP With God”?
Does Christianity Weaken People or EMPOWER?
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
Did Job CAUSE His Satanic Attacks Through Fear?
Way back in the ’80s I heard a minister claim that Job opened the door to the devil’s extraordinary attacks through fear (Job 1-2), which he argued is backed-up by this statement from Job:
“What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me”
This is still taught today as Carol, my wife, heard someone teach it yesterday. However, this theory can be rejected for a few glaring reasons:
1. We already know in plain language from the previous two chapters of Job that he was not being attacked because he opened the door to the enemy through fear. Rather, God praised him as righteous & thoroughly blameless and this is what spurred satan to unjustly bring into question his character, which compelled the LORD to allow the test. Nowhere is it even hinted that Job opened the door for a horrible attack through fear. On the contrary, note what God says:
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
Scripture interprets Scripture.
2. Speaking of that hermeneutical law, the context of Job 3 is of a man relentlessly venting after two horrible satanic assaults wherein he lost his ten children, most of his employees, and all his great wealth; then, after seven literal days of intense silent suffering with a few hushed friends (2:13), Job finally speaks his mind and his verbiage is hysterical: He curses the very day of his birth and argues for non-existence as opposed to life in this troubled world.
3. As David Kirkwood argued in his book Your Best Year Yet, if we are going to dubiously base our entire interpretation of the book of Job on one verse spoken in venting hysterics then we should also be able to argue that Job opened the door to satan by expecting good based on his later statement (when he was a little more rational): “when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness” (Job 30:26).
There are three types of trials that you’ll experience in life: a Self-Inflicted Trial, a Discipline-Intended Trial or a Maturity-Intended Trial. Job suffered the third type. For a brief explanation of all three, go here.
Related Topics:
How to Distinguish 3 TYPES OF TRIALS — SITs, MITs and DITs
TEMPTATION, TRIALS and TESTS — What’s the Diff?
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?
What Is LEGALISM and Its Four “Limbs”?
Here’s a summary of general legalism and its four “limbs”:
General Legalism refers to legalism in general. It’s an obsession with legalities and could just as well be described as law-ism or rule-ism. It’s the emphasis on the outer at the expense of the inner. As such, outward conformity to the letter of the law is what’s most important to legalists. For instance, as long as you go to multiple church services each week, wear the “right” clothes and say the right things you’re good to go; it doesn’t matter that you’re a practicing liar, gossip, slanderer, abuser, thief, drunkard, druggie or porn addict the rest of the week. Why? Because legalism is a spirit of religious hypocrisy. It’s only concerned with the appearances of godliness, not godliness itself. It’s fake Christianity. For details go here.
Rigid Sectarianism refers to an unhealthy devotion to one’s sect or group. People infected by this strain accept or reject others based on whether or not they’re part of their group and how devoted they are to their sect’s distinctive doctrines and rules. All pseudo-Christian groups are, of course, steeped in this, like the Jehovah’s False Witnesses and Mormons, but Evangelical, Charismatic and Mainline groups can be infected just as easily. Legalism is no respecter of church, ministry or denominational boundaries. It can infect anyone, anywhere, anytime, but only if you’re unaware of it and allow it. For details go here.
The Spirit of Religious Formal Death is a sterile “go through the motions” disposition. The older a sect or person is, the easier it is to fall into this legalistic rut. Groups that veer toward formality and ritualism naturally have a greater tendency of being infected by this strain. Don’t get me wrong here as there’s a time and place for formality and ritual,* but each must be kept in check; they shouldn’t spill over into every area of life. If you’re a spiritual believer and the church services you’re experiencing are dreadfully boring you can be sure the assembly is infected by this strain. For details go here.
* Ritual will take you further than desire because it’s habitual—it’s something you do no matter what because it’s a disciplined activity. Desire, by contrast, is whimsical.
The Spirit of Bondage is a sourpuss spirit that’s obsessed with numerous religious rules. You’ll observe many peculiar rules and sense a suffocating vibe of bondage rather than freedom. Becoming an elder or teacher is more involved than flying to the moon; sometimes merely becoming a member of the congregation. Contrast this to what Paul simply taught in 1 Corinthians 14:26 (and, no, I’m not suggesting that people of very questionable character should be allowed to serve at churches). To leave such groups is tantamount to getting a divorce and disobeying the LORD because these types seek to keep you in bondage to them. They’ll even cite prophesies to wield power and prevent you from leaving. Groups that try to put New Testament believers under the yoke of Old Testament Law are steeped in this form of legalism, like the Hebrew Roots movement. For details go here.
The Spirit of Condemnation and Authoritarianism refers to those who typically tear down believers rather than build them up. Since the Bible clearly teaches that ministers are supposed to build believers up, those who tear them down are actually doing the opposite of their purpose as ministers! The teachings of those infected by this strain aren’t about setting believers free but rather tearing them down. It’s all about power, intimidation, fear and manipulation. These types love to dominate others with a “lord it over” disposition rather than serve or lead by example. As such, they’re not truly ministers because ‘minister’ means “servant.” For details go here.
Here’s an image that might help you visualize all of this (click to enlarge):
A Quintessential Example of Legalism
Now that we have a biblical understanding of legalism and its several manifestations, allow me to share a fascinating brush with legalism I had many years ago.
It was late June, 1993. My aging mother wanted to see Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, so I took her. We went south from Northeast Ohio into the heart of West Virginia where we stopped to eat. We observed a large framed photo on the wall of the restaurant, which we discovered was a picture of the New River Gorge Bridge in South Central WV. The bridge was so spectacular we decided to take the detour to see it.
When we arrived at the bridge the park was full of visitors. I had driven over five hours and it was a real hot one so I immediately took off my muscle shirt. After unleashing some pent-up energy—dashing around and taking pictures—my mother and I climbed down the lengthy wooden stairs that culminated in a scenic overlook. Mom immediately sat down at the overlook while I proceeded to get some shots of the bridge.
I only half noticed a well-dressed family on the overlook platform. The family consisted of a young couple and maybe three little kids. They were done sightseeing and started to climb back up. While enjoying the view and snapping pictures, I observed that the husband turned around and came back down the stairs to hand my mother a pamphlet. Curious, I joined them and discovered that it was an evangelistic tract.
A smile beamed on my face as I said to the young man, “Oh, you’re a Christian, so are we!” He looked at me with an utterly dead countenance, turned around and walked back up the stairs, saying nothing. We were dumbfounded by this peculiar reaction but didn’t give it much thought and certainly didn’t let it ruin our visit to the park.
At the time, I belonged to a thriving church that had a spirit of life and grace (my mother too, albeit a different assembly) so this was a relatively new experience for me. In other words, even though I was almost ten years old in the Lord, I wasn’t used to run-ins with sourpuss religionists.
Over the many years since this experience the Lord has repeatedly brought me back to it. It’s sad, but the man was clearly a prisoner of legalism. How so? Think about it, he couldn’t even enjoy an afternoon at the park with his family without feeling compelled to “witness” to two individuals who had no need of his evangelistic efforts. My mother and I were solid churchgoing Christians and I was in the Word and prayer daily, serving the LORD.
Consider his response when I said, “Oh, you’re a Christian, so are we!” He looked at me with a dead visage, turned around, and walked away. This indicates a few obvious things: 1. He had no joy; 2. what he was really saying by this rude response was, “There’s no way on God’s green earth that you’re a Christian”; and 3. he condemned us—or rather me—based on appearances alone. How do I know? Because, unless smiling and being friendly are heinous sins, my mother and I did nothing to suggest that we were lost sinners. This indicates that he judged me by appearances alone. Now, at the time, my hair was sort of long in the back but the rest of it was rather short; my ears weren’t covered and neither was my face. In short, I didn’t look like Charles Manson. It’s true that I had taken my muscle shirt off and all I had on were shorts, socks and tennis shoes, but this was entirely appropriate apparel for a park in the middle of a hot summer day, even more so for vacationers, which many of the people were. For whatever reasons, my appearance and free-spirited manner offended his religious sensibilities and he deemed me a diabolical heathen when nothing could’ve been further from the truth.
Interestingly, the man showed signs of all five of the main strains of legalism as follows:
General Legalism: He clearly focused on the outer at the expense of the inner. I spoke to him with a spirit of joy and kindness and all he could see was that I didn’t have a shirt on and my hair was kind of long in the back (the horror, the horror). Apparently, he felt that true Christians should dress to the nines when they visit a park in the heat of the summer. And, by golly, they’d better have a close-shaven 50’s-styled haircut!
Rigid Sectarianism: Why didn’t this man accept that I was a fellow believer? Likely because I didn’t look like someone from his church. Simply put, I wasn’t one of them, so I must’ve been a desperately lost soul. After all, a truly saved person would look and dress exactly like the people in his congregation. Why sure!
The Spirit of Religious Formal Death: Like I said, he and his family were dressed to the nines without exception—ties, long white dresses and so forth. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this. Some people dress up more than others. I enjoy dressing up when appropriate. Yet it did seem strange that they were so spit and polished for a frolic in the park on a hot summer afternoon. Then again, it might have been a Sunday and they were simply visiting the park after their church service (I can’t remember what day it was). The point is that the man was all tight-wound and formal, way too much for the occasion. Apparently, my utter lack of formality offended him, possibly my spontaneity as well. God forbid that someone should have fun at a park in the heat of a summer day!
The Spirit of Bondage: As noted above, the man couldn’t even enjoy an afternoon at the park with his family without feeling compelled to “boldly minister” to a couple of people who had absolutely no need of his evangelism. One thing’s for sure, he wasn’t led of the Holy Spirit since we were already devout believers. However, even if we weren’t believers, his efforts would have been worthless because he had no joy and was inexplicably rude to boot. Needless to say, no one in their right mind would want to be like him and serve his God! The man was like a lifeless robot merely following his programming. I can just see the pastor of his church ranting during a sermon: “You’re not witnessing enough! You need to go out there and boldly witness! I know you’re not evangelizing because there aren’t any new people here! And you call yourself a Christian?!” This type of shame-based “preaching” may manipulate some to go out and pass out tracts or what have you, but they won’t have any life or joy doing it. They’ll be miserable because they’re stuck in a miserable church that has a spirit of religionist bondage. Bondage always brings misery and this guy was clearly miserable, at least that day at the park he was.
The Spirit of Condemnation: It’s true that the man didn’t speak a word to me, but his expression and actions spoke volumes. Communication is more than verbal. By looking at me with contempt and silently walking away he was most certainly condemning me. He was basically saying, “There’s no way you are a Christian!” Legalism doesn’t extend love and grace because it has neither. Legalism unjustly condemns because that’s its nature: “the letter kills.”
I don’t share this story with carnal anger or hatred toward this man. I didn’t feel hostility toward him then and I don’t now. At the time, I was simply perplexed by his actions, but not any longer. I now understand what went wrong in his spiritual walk. He was infected by legalism. I feel sad for him and people like him. For whatever reasons, they’re stuck in a legalistic rut. They’re prisoners. What’s sadder is that they don’t even know it, which is something we’ll address in the next section—deception. They sincerely think they’re walking according to true Christianity when nothing could be further from the truth.
Although I don’t feel anger or hatred toward this man I DO feel anger and hatred toward legalism itself—righteous anger and righteous hatred. The Bible emphatically declares “To fear the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13) and legalism is thoroughly evil. In a way it’s even more dangerous than conventional fleshly antics like sexual immorality, theft and drunkard-ness because legalism always hides under a mask of religious respectability, like the warden in the popular film The Shawshank Redemption. The Bible also says “The righteous hate what is false” (Proverbs 13:5) and legalism is false to its rotten core. It’s phony Christianity.
The reason I wrote this article is because I loathe legalism in all its ugly forms and I’m righteously angry that so many have been deceived by it; not just those infected by legalism, but all the innocent believers in their midst who have experienced so much legalism that they start to think it’s real Christianity when, in fact, it’s the express opposite.
How to Purge Legalism
How should you and I deal with this spiritual disease if we observe it in ourselves or others? What should we do if we see it taking root in our churches? Here’s a 5-point plan of action:
1. Knowledge Is Power
The book of wisdom says: “A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength” (Proverbs 24:5). If knowledge is power then ignorance is the opposite—weakness and limitation. Jesus said “the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). “Truth” refers to accurate knowledge; and accurate knowledge that’s understood and applied naturally sets free. Freedom is the purpose of this this article—freedom from the yoke of religious bondage. (Freedom from lawlessness, aka hedonism, is just as important, which you can read about here).
So acquiring knowledge is the first step to freedom because people can’t very well walk free of legalism if they don’t even know what it is. Knowledge will empower you. So go over this article & the linking materials and the numerous scriptural passages as necessary until you master the material, particularly the parts that really register. Seek the LORD for understanding and insight, as encouraged in Proverbs 2:1-7.
Remember, knowledge is power whereas ignorance is weakness, limitation and even ruin.
2. Examine Yourself Regularly and Be Honest About It
The Bible instructs us to honestly look within and examine our actions and motives in view of God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth (2 Corinthians 13:5, John 14:26 & 16:13). This should be done regularly. It’s the answer to any flesh problem or legalistic corruption; it’s also the answer to deception, including self-deception.
Think about it: When people are deceived they don’t know they’re deceived. For instance, the Pharisees are the quintessential example of legalism in the Bible. They sincerely believed they were God’s children, but Jesus squarely told them that they were children of the devil (John 8:41,44). Was Jesus being mean? No, he was walking in “tough love” because the first thing deceived people need is the truth since only the truth counteracts lies and sets free. I said that they “sincerely believed” they were God’s children, but sincerity by itself isn’t good if what you sincerely believe is a lie. They may have been sincere in their belief but their belief was sincerely wrong.
Think of all the deceived people who grow up in cultish quasi-Christian groups or false religions. They’ve been indoctrinated to believe that their group is the one true sect or religion, just like the Pharisees. Such people don’t know they’re deceived because that’s the nature of deception.
Mainline, Evangelical, Charismatic and other Christian groups are not exempt from such deception. There’s enough false teaching, legalism and lawlessness to go around.
The answer to deception is truth. How do people who are deceived in one or more areas get set free if they don’t realize they’re deceived? Simple: When you regularly examine yourself, be honest about it. Be honest with yourself, be honest with the LORD, and be honest with his Word. Ask something like: “Heavenly Father, if I am deceived in any area; open my eyes to the truth through your Word by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May the truth continually set me free!”
You can be sure that any believer who regularly does this will move steadily forward, becoming more and more spiritually mature, walking in greater and greater insight, truth and freedom (Proverbs 2:1-7).
Consider this passage:
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36: 9
God isn’t just the Creator of life; he’s the Fountain of Life! He gushes forth life constantly like a fountain or geyser gushes water. This is why the Bible constantly encourages believers to get close to God and stay close—because there’s LIFE in his presence. This is why David emphasized the incredible JOY in His presence (Psalm 16:11 & 21:6)! There’s no depression or sterility in God’s presence—there’s JOY and LIFE!
The passage states that when we experience the light of God’s presence we’ll naturally “see light.” Spiritual light is the opposite of spiritual darkness and parallels truth, life and freedom. This is the answer to any type of deception—getting close to God and staying close. Religion will always deceive you one way or another but a relationship with the Fountain of Life will enlighten you and set you free. That’s why Christianity is a relationship with God and not just another religion.
3. Repent as Necessary
It’s important to keep in repentance whenever you discern deception or error in yourself or your belief system.
Although ‘repentance’ has a negative connotation in modern times it’s actually a very healthy attitude and practice; it simply means to change your mind—your thinking—for the positive. For instance, if you’re currently believing something that you discover is false or partially false then stop believing the lies and embrace the true belief and mindset (at least as “true” as you presently can fathom it). Thinking is linked to behavior. This is why Paul instructed believers to count themselves as dead to sin but alive on to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11-12). Paul then went on to relay the law of displacement: If your behavior is in error, immediately stop the behavior and start implementing the right action. This is true repentance, not mere words. The law of displacement works in a spiritual sense just as it does in the physical, which is why it’s vital that you replace the false belief with true belief (or, at least, more accurate belief) and the erroneous behavior with righteous behavior.
Continually changing for the positive—repentance—is literally the way to life:
the corrections of discipline
are the way to life
Proverbs 6:23
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV)
Regularly give yourself a spiritual examination and be honest about it; seek the Fountain of Life through His Word and the help of the Holy Spirit. Keep with repentance, as John the Baptist put it (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8), and the Lord will continually purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). This will keep you spiritually healthy and free from the poison of legalism.
4. Examine Believers Near You, Including the Church and Sect to Which You Belong
You should only do this if you’re freed-up of legalism yourself through applying the three previous points, otherwise you’ll be guilty of hypocritical judging, something Jesus squarely condemned in Matthew 7:1-5. “Hypocritical judging” is when a man judges and condemns another person for something he himself is doing. Christ concluded this passage by saying that the believer with a figurative plank in his eye can help the believer with a speck once he removes his plank and can “see clearly.” Only then is he able to help the other with his speck. This is just common sense since we can only give what we have; if you don’t have freedom you can’t give freedom.
It’s important to stress that the Lord meant “Do not judge” only in this hypocritical sense, as there are numerous examples of righteous judging in the New Testament. For example, Christ condemned the legalists for wanting to stone an adulterous woman because they were just as guilty (John 8:1-11). Yeshua rightly condemned their hypocritical judging but proceeded to righteously judge the woman by telling her, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” You see, Jesus made a righteous judgment about her immoral lifestyle and didn’t hesitate to instruct her to repent, i.e. change for the positive.
Paul did the same thing when he judged an unrepentant fornicator at the Corinth church and encouraged the believers to expel him (1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 9-13). The good news is that the man later repented whereupon Paul readily instructed the believers to welcome him back into their fellowship (2 Corinthians 2:6-11).
It’s important to point out from Matthew 7—the very chapter where Jesus said “Do not judge”—that he also instructed believers to judge the fruit of those who propose to speak for God (7:15-23). Christ stressed: “By their fruit you will recognize them,” referring to those who falsely speak for God (verses 16 & 20). Why is this important? Because not everyone’s genuine; there are false prophets all over. A “false prophet” is anyone who falsely speaks for God, usually people in positions of spiritual authority, whether pastor, teacher, elder, prophet or what have you. Christ pointed out that they can be easily recognized by their fruit. Do you see consistent fruit of the spirit in their lives or do you see works of the flesh, as detailed in Galatians 5:19-23? Not that anyone’s perfect and even Christian servant-leaders miss it now and then (1 John 1:8-9), although they should certainly be mature enough that they’re freed-up from major flesh issues (1 Timothy 3:1-6). After all, if someone in a leadership position has major flesh problems that tells you he or she is not a worthy servant-leader.
The difference between genuine believers and counterfeits is that genuine believers have a humble spirit and therefore readily confess and repent when they miss it, while counterfeits are stubborn and proud. The latter refuse to admit their error and turn from it, even when legitimately corrected; in fact, they’ll hate you for correcting them (Proverbs 9:7-9). This is how you discern the genuine from the disingenuous. Do you see an elder or pastor who has an arrogant, stubborn spirit that refuses to repent, even when corrected in love? You can be sure that he or she is false or, at the very least, unworthy of following at the present time. Leave them! They are blind guides; if the blind follow the blind they will both fall into a pit (Matthew 15:13-14).
5. Implement Spiritual Warfare
As a faithful “fruit-watcher,” if you discern legalistic qualities in others, including those in servant-leadership positions, you must implement spiritual warfare ASAP. “Spiritual warfare” means to overcome evil with spiritual activities. Here are some powerful warfare tactics that are 100% scriptural:
Prayer. This is where you’ll always want to start because prayer is the vehicle that literally releases God’s will and his kingdom to reign in people’s lives and situations for which you intercede. If someone somewhere doesn’t pray and “loose” God’s will and kingdom on the scene, his will won’t be done and his kingdom won’t reign in the situation for which you’re praying. Someone might understandably argue: “Well, why doesn’t God just do it? Why does someone have to pray?” Because, although God is sovereign and reigns supreme, the kingdom of darkness has authority on this Earth until the end of this age, which is why this current era is called “the present evil age” in Galatians 1:4. Thankfully, the kingdom of darkness has no authority over members of the Church. ‘Church’ is ekklesia (ee-KLEE-see-ah) in the Greek and means “called-out ones.” Believers are called out of this present darkness and have the authority to bind the kingdom of darkness and loose God’s will and kingdom.*
* For details and scriptural support see the article Spiritual Warfare — The Basics, particularly the section Binding & Loosing through Prayer. Also see the article SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?
Again, prayer is the vehicle that releases God’s will and power into people’s lives and situations on Earth. Why do you think Christ said we need to pray for our enemies? Because if someone is attacking you without cause you can be sure that he/she is walking in the flesh and God’s kingdom is not reigning in his/her life. Praying for the individual is the antidote.
If people are walking in overt legalism they may not be a personal enemy, but they are an enemy of the kingdom of God, whether they know it or not, just as the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were enemies of Christ. Pray for them regularly; pray in the spirit, which is the seventh piece of the armor of God, even though it’s not given a figurative description (Ephesians 6:18); I call it the artillery or missiles of praying in the spirit because you can effectively pray for people miles away or on the other side of the planet.
Teaching/Preaching. This doesn’t refer to just sermons but any occasion where you might have the opportunity to give a “word of instruction” (1 Corinthians 14:26), like when you’re out for coffee or emailing. It simply refers to sharing the truths of God’s Word. As such, teaching/preaching isn’t limited to pulpit ministers who hail from respected cemeteries, I mean seminaries. Keep in mind that in the early Church believers normally met in houses where the groups were relatively small and there were no literal pulpits, nor were there any seminaries as we understand them. Ministers were raised up and trained in the assemblies.
Teaching or sharing biblical insights is important because it provides the opportunity to sow God’s Word into others’ lives. If someone is infected by legalism, the Word of God is the antidote because it is the truth and has the power to set free (John 8:31-32 & 17:17), assuming of course it’s “rightly divided,” i.e. properly interpreted.
Setting a Godly Example. Some may scoff at this one because it’s so simple, but it’s a powerful principle nevertheless. Why else do you think Peter included it in his list of the four main duties of pastors, along with feeding the Word, overseeing and serving? See 1 Peter 5:1-3.
Consider these examples:
- If you observe an authoritarian spirit, counteract it by setting an example of humble service.
- If you see some believers getting overly technical with religious rules, set an example of the spirit of the law in question, as well as the spirit of grace.
- If you see condemnation, set an example of building others up.
- If you see greed, set an example of cheerful generosity.
- If you see an unbalanced emphasis on appearances, set an example of inward godliness.
- If you see an attitude of rigid sectarianism, set an example of openness to believers outside your group.
- If you see a sourpuss spirit, set an example of joy.
- If you witness stifling bondage, illustrate true freedom in everything you do.
- If you witness dreadfully boring formality, set an example of spontaneity and passion. Etcetera.
Setting an example is often more effective than verbal confrontation because actions speak louder than words.
Confront as Led of the Holy Spirit, Gently or Sternly. If prayer, teaching, and setting a godly example fail to produce positive results you may have to confront and offer correction. The Holy Spirit may even lead you to do this immediately when encountering legalism in one form or another, as was the case with Paul’s open rebuke of Peter in Galatians 2:11-14. Provoked by the Spirit, Paul sought to nip Peter’s blatant display of legalism in the bud because so much was at stake at that critical juncture in history. Paul loved the Lord and people too much to allow the gospel of grace to be poisoned by legalism. Had he not acted decisively at that moment the positive worldwide impact of Christianity would have suffered.
Open correction is necessary in such cases. Paul was walking according to biblical wisdom:
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Proverbs 27:5
This kind of correction need not be unnecessarily stern since “a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Proverbs 25:15), but sometimes you’ll have to take a stricter approach. Paul was stern with Peter in the above confrontation but he certainly wasn’t radically stern. I encourage you to be as gentle as possible with confrontations since gentleness “turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1); only take a severer approach when mandatory, as led of the Spirit, whether mild sternness or heavy sternness. Jesus took the mildly strict approach when he called Peter “Satan” in Matthew 16:23 and he obviously took the radically stern route when he openly called the legalists “hypocrites,” “blind fools,” “snakes,” “brood of vipers” “full of wickedness” in Matthew 23.
The only type of people I know who seem to enjoy such confrontations are those with strong Type A personalities. These are people who typically throw their weight around, so to speak. No one else enjoys confrontation, but sometimes it has to be done, as Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-17 and Luke 17:3-4.
Although I don’t mind confrontation and correction when it comes to mild things, I hate it when it concerns serious issues. I’ll only do it when there’s no other recourse or if I’m seriously provoked by the Holy Spirit. Here’s one occasion:
Years ago, about 15-20 believers were hanging out in the opening room of the church facility that Carol and I were attending. One group consisted of the pastor, two associates and a couple others. I was about 10 feet away talking with other believers but I couldn’t help overhear some of the conversation of the other group because it was so loud and biting. Headed by the pastor and assistant, they were slamming a ministry couple from a different church who organized and implemented special concerts at our assembly once a month. I tried to ignore their conversation and concentrate on the people I was with, but their gossip went on and on. Not only were they overtly gossiping, they were fault-finding. What a great example to set for others, huh?
After about twelve minutes I just couldn’t take any more and so turned to them and said loudly, “Will you chill out; they’re not that bad!” This is not my typical manner but I couldn’t stand idly by another second while church leaders behaved in such an ignoble fashion. The associate pastor turned to me with anger and corrected me for having the audacity to confront elders. He was much older than me and I respected him in many ways, so I kept my mouth shut. This is what the Spirit led me to do. I even said I was sorry, but I didn’t apologize for what I said—since what I said was right and I was provoked of the Spirit—I simply apologized for having to say it.
So, by keeping mum and apologizing I ate humble pie, but I didn’t mind because the confrontation and correction immediately stopped the juvenile backbiting. In other words, it accomplished its purpose. Except for the brief knee-jerk response of the associate, they were all stunned to silence and clearly ashamed. The gossip stopped and no one ever discussed the occasion again; that is, not in the open community.
The moral of the story is that sometimes the Spirit will compel you to open rebuke even if it’s not your forte. It’s a powerful principle that brings positive results, as long as the people receiving the correction are godly (Proverbs 9:7-9). But please don’t misuse this principle by using it to dominate others, which is arrogance. Always strive for humility and a servant’s heart; humility attracts God’s grace whereas arrogance repels Him (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34).
Victory over Legalism
To recap, these five factors are essential to purging legalism in yourself and others:
- Acquire knowledge about legalism.
- Examine yourself according to that knowledge and be honest.
- Repent as necessary and keep in penitence.
- Examine the fruit of others near you, particularly spiritual leaders; but also relatives, friends, people at work, government bureaucrats, etc.
- Implement spiritual warfare whenever you observe legalism—pray, share the truth, set a godly example and confront when necessary.
If you keep a tight relationship with the LORD and implement these warfare tactics you’ll surely incur the wrath of legalists, but don’t be concerned. All they can do is reject you, slander you, and prevent you from ministering in their circles. Jesus said to rejoice when people persecute you in this way (Matthew 5:11-12). As was the case with Christ, these persecutors will often be “God’s people.” In other words, those attacking you will put on the appearances of being godly and devout when nothing could be further from the truth. They’re legalists and therefore fake. Again, don’t be concerned. They can’t stop someone who’s anointed of God. They can’t win.
The legalists of 1st century Israel tried to find a way to murder the Messiah “yet they could not find any way to do it” (Luke 19:47-48). Many times they tried to apprehend him and kill him, but they couldn’t achieve it.* The only time they were able to apprehend him was when they captured him in order to crucify him. Of course, this was according to God’s will so he could die for our sins, which opened the door to eternal salvation for humanity.
* Examples include: Luke 4:28-30 where the offended people of Nazareth attempted to throw Christ off a cliff but he escaped by mysteriously walking “right through the crowd”; John 7:30,44 where those who wanted to seize the Messiah couldn’t lay a hand on him “because his time had not yet come”; John 8:59 where the offended religionists picked up stones to slay Yeshua but he miraculously hid himself and slipped by them; and John 10:31,39 where a group tried to murder him in Solomon’s Colonnade and he “escaped their wrath.”
To Cut Ties or Not to Cut Ties?
What do you do when hardcore legalists refuse to repent even after implementing the above strategies with much patience? The Lord advised departing from so-called spiritual leaders who are dyed-in-the-wool legalists (Matthew 15:14). This would include pastors and the assemblies they shepherd. In such cases, simply seek the Lord about finding a new fellowship, obviously one that’s spiritually healthy. But, if it comes down to having to do this, keep your former assembly in prayer. Who knows? Yahweh is a miraculous God who changes people’s hearts—if they’re willing—and the door may open one day to go back to a former fellowship or, at least, restore relations with people there. Whatever you do, don’t allow bitterness and hatred to take root in your heart. Never let the darkness in others take away your light!
What if the legalist in question is a family member, relative, friend or someone at the work place? How do you “leave” such people when you’re bound to run into them now and then? You can “leave” them in the sense of not being close to them. Don’t buddy around with them. If possible, don’t eat with them (1 Corinthians 5:11). Of course, continue to walk in love toward them when you inevitably brush shoulders, including walking in tough love when appropriate. But don’t hate them or become bitter; and please don’t gossip about them. Keep ’em in prayer. One day the LORD may break them, so to speak. If so, the door will be open for you to cultivate a closer relationship. Amen.
This article was edited from chapters 8–9 of…
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Related Topics:
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
SECTARIANISM — What Is It? What’s Wrong With It?
Beware of RELIGIOUS FORMAL DEATH
Condemnation & Authoritarianism
LEGALISTS Are Obsessed With the LETTER of the LAW
Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law
Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE
What Is the “BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE” in Malachi 3:16?
Let’s read the verse in question:
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll [book] of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
Contextually, Malachi was saying that the LORD had not forgotten “those who feared the LORD and honored his name” amidst the 50,000 exiles who had returned from Babylon as opposed to those who had succumbed to a spirit of complacency and indifference. Their names were written in a “book of remembrance,” which brings to mind the Persian practice of recording in a book all the actions of a person that should be rewarded in the future. Here’s an example from Scripture:
That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
Remember, Babylon was part of the Persian Empire, which is where the exiles stayed for 70 years.
David also spoke of such a book:
Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?
Bringing this home to us today, Malachi 3:16 could be applied to all believers in the simple sense that God remembers those who honor him. Even if faithful people feel forgotten, acts of loyalty to the LORD – which indifferent people treat with cynicism – will be rewarded in due time.
Related Topics:
Is Christianity a “RELATIONSHIP With God”?
INTIMACY WITH GOD and Its Benefits
How Can You HEAR FROM GOD?
The Bible reveals seven general ways that you can hear from the LORD and discern Divine will on a matter:
1. Through the Holy Scriptures
The Judeo-Christian Scriptures are said to be “God-breathed” and therefore it’s “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Every believer has an anointing to receive insights from God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Teacher that guides us into all truth (1 John 2:27, John 14:26 & John 16:13).
Notice what David said about the revealed Scriptures of his time:
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11
14I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:14-16
If you’re a person who doesn’t like to read, then get an audio version of the Scriptures. You can listen to them while you’re doing this or that around the house or driving in your vehicle, etc.
2. Through Responses in Prayer
Such answers from the LORD can manifest in several ways:
- The peace of God (Philippians 4:6-7).
- An “inner witness” or impression/revelation (Amos 4:13).
- A gentle whisper, aka “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), or a clear audible voice (1 Samuel 3:1-14), Acts 8:29 & Acts 13:2).
Concerning that last one, for anyone who argues that Samuel wasn’t praying when the LORD spoke to him in 1 Samuel 3:1-14, ‘prayer’ simply means “communion with God” and so, if the LORD speaks to you, that’s communion with the Creator, aka prayer.
3. Through the Peace of Christ in Your Heart
We are instructed to let the peace of Christ rule (govern) within us (Colossians 3:15). In light of this, don’t do anything you don’t have a peace about doing (assuming you have a choice in the matter). For instance, if someone’s trying to sell or convince you of something using manipulation or pressure and you don’t have a peace about it, don’t buy it or accept it.
You might have noticed that this is somewhat relevant to the first point of the previous section.
4. Through the Wise Council of Others
The truths of Holy Scripture are able to make us wise (2 Timothy 3:15) and so you can receive God’s leading on a crucial matter through the wise council of worthy souls (Acts 27:31, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 20:18 & Proverbs 24:6).
By contrast, don’t listen to the council of fools — such as those who embrace & advocate LIEberal idiotology — for that is the path to destruction (Proverbs 14:7 & Proverbs 13:20).
5. Through Dreams and Visions
Peter quoted Joel 2:28, saying:
“ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.”
While this prophecy is referring to the New Covenant era, the LORD spoke to people through dreams and visions even in earliest times (Job 33:14-17).
6. Through a Prophetic Word
God spoke to people through genuine prophets in the past (Hebrews 1:1 & Amos 3:7), but still uses prophets in the New Covenant era. For instance, the prophet Agabus came to the assembly at Antioch and prophesied that a famine would hit Judea, which moved the believers to provide for their brothers & sisters down south; this was God’s will (Acts 11:27-30).
Please keep in mind, however, that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to guide believers in the New Testament era (John16:13 & Romans 8:14) so you don’t need the gift of prophecy for this function. If a prophet prophesies over you and says you’re to do this or that and go here or there, don’t receive it unless the Spirit has already been leading you in this direction and you have a peace about it. In other words, prophecies in the New Testament are to confirm what the Holy Spirit has already been leading you to do. You could say it’s an external source to confirm or compliment the believer’s internal source of direction from God.
This explains why Paul instructed believers to test prophecies and “hold on to the good,” which means to eat the meat and spit out the bones (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). Nowhere are we instructed to blindly accept a prophecy spoken over us, especially from a supposed prophet who’s arrogant and likes to throw his/her weight around in an obnoxious manner. Christ said “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-23). If a prophet or any minister is pompous and rude, head for the hills (Matthew 15:14).
You can read important details about New Testament prophets (and Old Testament prophets) here.
7. Through Circumstances and Events
This can be observed when Jonah tried to flee from the LORD’s instructions and so God had to get his attention through a life-threatening storm at sea to turn him around so he would fulfill his commission (Jonah 1:4-16).
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Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
BEREAN SPIRIT — What Is It? How Do You Cultivate It?
Hermeneutics—Proper Bible Interpretation
What’s the Diff between “Milk” and “Solid Food” (or “Meat”)?
What’s the Difference between TEACHING and PREACHING?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
What is “KJV ONLY”? What’s Wrong with It?
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?
Why Did Jesus Say THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR?
Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached that the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God was near:
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 3:1-2
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The Kingdom of God was near because the King was near, who introduced God’s plan of salvation and He is the central figure. Christ’s life, death and resurrection paved the way for reconciliation with God (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and obtaining eternal life (2 Timothy 1:10), which starts with spiritual rebirth (John 3:3, 3:6 & Titus 3:5). John the Baptist preached this before the Messiah did because his mission was to “prepare the way for the LORD” (Matthew 3:1-3 & Isaiah 40:3).
Can This Be Connected to Revelation 21:3 & 21:7?
Let’s look at these verses:
And I [John the apostle] heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 21:3
6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”
Revelation 21:6-7
Yes, these verses can be connected to the kingdom of God being near because spiritual regeneration is the first stage of what the Bible calls “the restoration of all things” (Matthew 19:28 & Acts 3:21). There are four stages to this restoration with the last one being what these verses in Revelation are specifically referring to. For important details, go here.
Related Topics:
Why is this World so Messed Up?
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
KINGDOM OF GOD — What Does It Mean?
Being an Heir to the Kingdom of God, Inheriting It and Seeing It