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Understanding Christ’s LORDSHIP in the Believer’s Life

You’ve heard the call to “accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” Is this just a religious expression or is there actually a biblical basis to it? It is scriptural. Look no further than this popular evangelistic verse:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

So, yes, Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior. For a person to apprehend eternal salvation — that is, reconcile with God and receive eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:19; John 3:16,36) — they have to first acknowledge that Yeshua is Lord.

While not everyone in the three realms presently acknowledges Christ’s Lordship, they will eventually, even the unredeemed on Judgment Day (Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 20:11-15).

Thus every genuine believer 1. acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord and is therefore 2. saved from the wages of sin, eternal death (Romans 6:23). But what about…

The LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ in the Believer’s Life

If Christ is Lord to a believer, what exactly does that mean? The Greek word for ‘Lord’ is kurios (KOO-ree-os), which means “lord, master — a person exercising absolute ownership rights.” This indicates a profound truth of Christianity: We are not our own since God purchased us through the precious blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:18-19). We are thus to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to our LORD on a continuing basis (Romans 12:1) and, more than that, our thoughts too since the verse goes on to instruct us to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2).

Since we’ve been purchased by God, each believer is to offer every part of himself/herself to the LORD as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13). How do you do this? Simple: Find out what God’s Word says and simply put it into practice (James 1:22-25). Just as important, find out who you are in Christ and make that your mindset and confession since it reveals how God sees you, which you can get details about here.

This is how the believer increasingly acquiesces to the Lordship of Christ and it relates to spiritual growth. The very word ‘growth’ suggests a process, something that naturally happens over time. It’s the day-to-day progression of sanctification. John the Baptist put it like this:

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:30

This doesn’t mean that the individual loses his/her identity, but rather that the will of the Lord becomes increasingly paramount. Things and activities that used to seem so important gradually lose their appeal and you find yourself content and at peace simply serving your Lord in the unique way that God has called you, which corresponds to your talents and distinct situation.

This process involves years, even decades, wherein you may experience relapses with certain issues of the old self, but keep getting back up and moving forward (1 John 1:8-9; Proverbs 28:13). You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there. The Bible stresses that the LORD has compassion on the plight of his children in this fallen creation (Psalm 145:9). Compassion means “sympathetic understanding.” Christ is our high priest who fully emphasizes with our weaknesses and struggles because he dwelt in a flesh-and-blood body on this fallen world, just like us (Hebrews 4:15).

It’s crucial to understand that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31).

Focus on relationship with God because this will anchor your faith when you face the inevitable hard times and great challenges of life. Also keep in mind that your relationship with the LORD isn’t one-dimensional in the sole sense of servant and Lord. Christ is also your friend (John 15:15), you are a precious son or daughter to the Father (Matthew 6:9 & 23:9), a rightful co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 3:6), and the Holy Spirit is your teacher, guide, comforter and helper (John 14:26, 16:13 & 16:17).

Since the LORD is the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9) it’s imperative that you develop closeness with your Creator and stay close. Why? Because, as the Fountain of Life, the LORD will constantly gush forth life into your being and give you the grace to overcome the challenges of this fallen world, not to mention fulfill your unique call and purpose. See this video for insights.

 

Why am I stressing all of this and encouraging growing believers? Two reasons:

  1. I’ve heard sermons on Christ’s Lordship that tend to dish out the condo, which is an unbalanced approach, not to mention legalistic. So I wanted to emphasize the positive side of this vital topic.
  2. It’s necessary in the name of balance to also look at the unfortunate reality of…

What Happens to Foolish Believers Who Don’t Acquiesce to Christ’s Lordship

If Jesus Christ is truly your Lord and Savior, would you not seek to know him and find out what he wants you to do and not do with your life — a life that he literally purchased with his blood? Of course you would, as explained above. Acquiescing to Christ’s Lordship is a natural part of spiritual development and increases with growth. As John the Baptist put it, “He must become greater; I must become less.” It’s a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen and naturally so.

But what about those who foolishly choose not to do so? Here’s what the Lord said:

46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Luke 6:46-49

The Messiah is talking about those who call him ‘Lord,’ but aren’t interested in putting his word into practice. As Titus put it, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Titus 1:16). Jesus then links this to the issue of spiritual development, which can be observed in his parable of building a foundation along with the phrase “well built.” The succinct parable speaks of two separate people building foundations for their houses:

  1. The wise one digs deep and builds his house on a rock foundation; thus when the storms eventually come, his house stands strong.
  2. The foolish one, however, builds his house without a foundation and thus it collapses when the storms manifest.

Interestingly, the LORD is repeatedly described in the Bible as a rock to those who trust in Him (Psalm 18:2, 18:46, 19:14 & 95:1). Why? Because, like a rock foundation, God is unmovable and impregnable. Christ is saying that believers need to build their spiritual houses on the solid rock of the LORD. If we don’t, our spiritual house will collapse when facing the inevitable challenges and temptations of life.

For instance, I was reading up on some believers who were in Christian bands in the 80s-90s and held up as Christian leaders, often interviewed in mags & newspapers wherein they gave their wise advice to other believers. I was surprised to discover that several of them are no longer walking with the Lord and some are even evangelistic atheists. What happened? I thought these were Christian leaders. Answer: They didn’t build their house on the Rock of the LORD. Thus when the torrents of life’s difficulties and challenge of secular ideologies threatened their faith their spiritual houses collapsed.

The lesson is that the LORD must be the believer’s rock foundation in spiritual development. This can be seen in Christ’s coinciding statement in Matthew:

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 7:21-23

As with his similar statement in the above passage, Luke 6:46-49, Christ emphasizes those who readily call him ‘Lord,’ but don’t practice God’s Word. However, this passage adds that the Lord didn’t know these people and even calls them evildoers or “workers of lawlessness,” as some translations put it (Matthew 7:23). In short, these people:

They also trusted in their religious works, rather than the Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9), as observed in verse 22. Thus the Messiah plainly tells them when they stand before him, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!”

So merely calling Jesus ‘Lord’ and performing religious works doesn’t necessarily mean a believer is acquiescing to the Lordship of Christ, but rather:

  1. Practicing the Word of God you currently understand,
  2. Having a relationship with the Lord and…
  3. Walking in the spirit as opposed to the flesh.

Any believer who wisely attends to these three things will build a solid rock foundation to spiritual growth and fruit-bearing service in the kingdom. All three signify that the believer is acquiescing to the Lordship of Christ. Those who fail to do these three things are apparently only interested in Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. They want what Christ can give them — forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death — but they don’t want who he ultimately is, Lord.

 

Let’s close with…

A Real-Life Example of an Assembly that Made Something Other Than Christ Lord of Their Lives

Here’s what the resurrected Lord had to say to the historical assembly in Laodicea, which was located in what is today southwestern Turkey:

16“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

19“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ”

Revelation 3:16-20

Christ rebuked these believers for being “lukewarm” and threatened to spit the whole fellowship out of his mouth if they didn’t repent, meaning he would “pull the plug” on them and they’d be a church in name only.

The Lord desired that they were cold or hot rather than lukewarm. This was an allusion to nearby cold and hot springs. The cold springs were useful for refreshing and the hot springs for bathing, but lukewarm water was useless. Thus this assembly was useless.

What was the root problem? They made something other than Christ Lord of their lives; and verse 17 reveals that this ‘thing’ was material wealth. I want to stress that it’s okay to have physical wealth, but it’s not okay for physical wealth to have the person wherein it basically becomes their ‘god’ (Luke 12:15). As Jesus put it, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

Sadly, riches replaced Christ’s Lordship in the lives of the Laodicean believers, which can be observed in their boasting of their great wealth and the claim that they had need of nothing. But the Lord gives them a rude awakening by informing them that they were, in reality, “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” and needed to repent (verses 17 & 19).

Further support for the fact that material wealth was their ‘lord’ and not Christ can be seen in the fact that Jesus was outside the fellowship knocking on the door wanting to come in and commune with them. In short, the very Lord they claimed to serve wasn’t even in their fellowship! He was outside politely asking them to let him in while threatening to spit them out of his mouth if they foolishly refused.

 

The obvious moral is: Be careful not to make anything other than Jesus Christ Lord in your life.

This article is available in book form as chapter 2 in…

Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.

Related Topics:

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

BEREAN SPIRIT — What Is It? How Do You Cultivate It?

The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Pay Attention to the CONDITIONS of Biblical Promises

Elsewhere on this site it has been emphasized that “no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). In other words, the believer can claim a promise in Scripture by faith, such as Psalm 91:1-7 and Isaiah 54:17. But have you ever claimed a promise by faith and it wasn’t manifesting? So you naturally cry out, “But God, you promised”?

When this happens, first examine yourself to see if you’re being compliant with the conditions of the promise (2 Corinthians 13:5). Even promises that don’t seem to have terms have assumed ones, such as keeping with repentance and faith (Matthew 3:8 & 1 John 1:8-9), which are the first two doctrines of the six basic doctrines of Christianity (Hebrews 6:1-2).

As far as faith goes, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Moreover, faith works by love (Galatians 5:6) and loving the LORD is the preeminent commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) (remember, believers are not under the Mosaic Law, but rather under Christ’s law, which is the law of love). If we love God we’ll be sure to keep with repentance since it’s the first basic doctrine of Christianity. Are you following?

So repentance and faith are assumed conditions in claiming any promise from the Bible, but there are sometimes specific conditions cited in the text. For example, observe the conditions stipulated in this popular passage:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord,

Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Verse 12-13 illustrate the if/then principle: If the Israelites would call on the LORD and pray, then God would listen to them; if they seek the LORD with all their hearts, then they would find God. The same applies to anyone today wanting to claim these promises.

Here’s another example:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

The verse is showing us how to overcome when facing attacks from the kingdom of darkness: If you (1) submit to God and (2) resist the devil, then the enemy will flee from you.

Here’s another one:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

Now let’s consider a couple of examples that actually include the conditional terms “if” and “then”:

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

1 My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-6

The first one is a fairly well-known verse and speaks for itself. The second passage is more obscure and happens to be a treasured text from my early years as a believer. I turned to the LORD at the age of 20 after some extremely lost years as a teen and immediately started engulfing the Word of God like a famished man (Matthew 4:4). I wanted the spiritual understanding and knowledge of God noted in verse 5, but I knew that attaining this was dependent upon doing verses 1-4. So I diligently put those verses into practice and here I am today many decades later sharing the understanding & knowledge of God’s Word with people all over the world on a daily basis.

To close, when claiming a promise from the Scriptures by faith, always be mindful of the conditions thereof and you’ll be blessed.

Related Topics:

SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?

How to “FEAR NOT” in Perilous Times

Prayer — The Basics

The Basics of Christianity

What Does ABBA Mean in the Phrase ABBA FATHER?

The term ‘Abba’ appears three times in the New Testament as follows:

Going a little farther, he [Christ] fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Mark 14:35-36

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:14-15

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Galatians 4:4-7

Abba is the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek word for ‘father,’ which is patér (pat-AIR). The repetition reflects endearment and entreaty, taken from the natural inclination of children to repeat a beloved name in different forms.

Interestingly, as revealed above, the only three passages in Scripture that feature the phrase “Abba, Father” are spoken by three different peoples:

In all three cases “Abba, Father” refers to the Heavenly Father.

Related Topics:

Prayer—Communing with God

Is Christianity a “RELATIONSHIP With God”?

Praise & Worship—What’s the Difference? Why are they Important?

The Basics of Christianity

DRINK UP from the Fountain of Life (video)

An Honest Look at the M WORD (Masturbation)

Back in the ’80s an Evangelical pastor who was popular with young people spoke frankly on the topic of masturbation and tried to be balanced. Being a controversial topic, interviewers would naturally ask him about it. He responded, “Look, I’ll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge and understanding, but I don’t want to be known as the ‘masturbation pastor’; that’s not where my heart is.” I feel the same here.

Masturbation is one of those subjects that are so private, so intimate, it’s understandably awkward to openly discuss. If you can’t handle an honest examination of this very personal, adult-oriented issue, I suggest leaving and maybe coming back later.

The two extreme positions on the issue reflect the Conservative and Liberal mindsets. It’s wise to consider the evidence for both sides, along with the Middle Ground position, before drawing plausible conclusions that apply to one’s own situation. That’s what we’re going to do here.

Let’s start with the fact that…

The Bible Doesn’t Directly Mention Masturbation

Whatever answers we come up with in this study, they will be from indirect material since the topic of masturbation is not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. In short, there’s no commandment “Thou Shalt Not Masturbate.” Sexual lust is detailed, of course, but not self-stimulation of the genitals for gratification.

For anyone who might cite Onan from Genesis 38:8-10, his offense wasn’t masturbation, but rather Onan’s refusal to fulfill his Hebraic duty in perpetuating his brother’s line of descendants (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

The obvious question is: Why doesn’t the Creator mention masturbation in the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16) — the LORD’s written Word to humanity — a topic that practically every human being has to deal with during his/her life on Earth? Perhaps because it’s not a cut-and-dried issue and, whether or not masturbation is a sin, depends on several things, which will be detailed as we progress. As such, each individual will have to work out this private issue in his/her personal relationship with their Creator with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

That said, I want to stress that…

A Person Is a Slave to Whatever Has Mastered Him/Her

Peter put it like this:

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

2 Peter 2:19

If a person allows himself/herself to become in bondage to something that’s not necessary for survival (water, food, air, etc.) they in essence become a slave to that thing, not to mention the thing in question becomes a figurative idol. Christianity is all about true freedom, which includes freedom from the flesh and religious legalism (2 Corinthians 3:17 & Galatians 5:1), but it also supports the wisdom of moderation in all things so as not to be hindered or mastered by anything (Hebrews 12:1 & 1 Corinthians 6:12).

Anything that impedes a person’s productivity in life automatically becomes a destructive “weight” and needs to be “thrown off.” This would include the practice of masturbation. This must be understood at the outset of our study along with the fact that…

Believers Are Instructed to Control Their Bodies

This can be observed in Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

Verse 5 reveals that the issue comes down to knowing God or not knowing God. The spiritually-regenerated believer who walks with the Lord is expected to control his/her body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like unbelievers who aren’t walking with the Lord.

This shows that the Creator wants his children to be in a state of control over their bodies & thoughts/actions and not in bondage to anything. Yet verse 4 plainly says that believers have to “learn” to control their bodies; in other words, it’s a process — there is a progression that goes with sanctification.

Secondly, while the text is pretty straightforward, there’s also a degree of mystery: What exactly does “control your body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust” mean for each individual? Obviously the indwelling Spirit is going to have to guide & help each believer in this matter. The Spirit’s guidance will depend on the maturity level of the person, their unique situation and their calling. Such things will be elucidated as we continue.

 

Now let’s consider the three perspectives on masturbation and the pros or cons of each:

The Conservative View: Masturbation Is Always a Sin

This is the go-to position of most Evangelicals, which makes masturbation a black & white issue. They base it on the fact that Christ said, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), which is bolstered by righteous Job’s attitude: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1) and similar comments made in verses 9-12.

These passages support the obvious connection between what goes on in the mind to one’s potential actions (as well as the error of objectifying a woman due to her physical beauty). And, since it’s arguably impossible to masturbate without the use of imagination, advocates of this position reason that masturbation is always a sin.

Until the individual is married, they argue, the sexual side of life can be totally shut down through walking in the spirit (Ephesians 4:22-24). Of course learning to live by the Spirit is a process and so the believer will have to “keep with repentance” when they inevitably miss it (Matthew 3:8 & 1 John 1:8-9).

Speaking of marriage, supporters of this view point to God’s original design for the two genders, male & female, to unite together in marriage and multiply (Genesis 2:18 & 1:28) — with nothing being said about masturbation in the Song of Songs, which is God’s poetic ‘manual’ on romantic love/sex/marriage.

Likewise, the New Testament says zilch about masturbation when the topic of singlehood and marriage surfaces. For instance, the apostle Paul argued, since sexual immorality abounds, “each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2). While Paul stressed that being single is good, particularly in that time and place (Corinth, a city about 50 miles west of Athens, Greece), he also pointed out that marriage is the natural solution for the single person who can’t control himself/herself for “it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:9). This would be the fitting place for Paul, led of the Spirit, to bring up the topic of masturbation, but he mysteriously says nada.

Is nothing said about masturbation in these key passages because it’s implied that it’s a prohibited, sinful practice, as supporters of this position would argue, or is it simply because God leaves the issue open for each individual to work out in his/her relationship with the LORD? (Philippians 2:12).

As far as releasing pent-up sexual energy goes, adherents of this view maintain that the Creator has provided a natural way for a person to release constrained sexuality; it’s called the wet dream (Deuteronomy 23:10-11). As such, masturbation is not necessary to release bottled-up sexual energy since a wet dream will naturally do it for the individual.

If you are satisfied with the arguments for this position, I encourage you to stick with it (Romans 14:14). However, if you discern some holes or unexplained details, read on. But, first, let’s consider the other side of the moral spectrum…

The Liberal View: Masturbation Is Never a Sin

A moderate Liberal argued that masturbation was God’s gift to assist people with pent-up sexual energy (presumably single people). While this sounds somewhat reasonable, the radical Liberal position goes back to the sexual revolution of the 60s and the foolish Leftie mantra: “If it feels good do it.” This is the philosophy of hedonism. Those who subscribe to hedonism are libertines.

When it comes to carnal desires, no matter how questionable, libertines typically encourage the embracing of the whim. After all, you were “born that way,” they argue, and so you are free to indulge because “it’s the way you were made.” Does this mean an adult male is free to pursue having sex with a 14 year-old girl because he experiences the desire and therefore was “born that way”? Should a woman who has the whim to eat 2 gallons of ice cream per day do so because she was “born that way”? Should a youth become a druggie/drunkard because he has the desire to be wasted? Obviously not in all three cases. And this reveals the absurdity of libertinism: Just because you experience a desire doesn’t automatically mean it’s good and you should act on it or base your life around it.

Speaking of which, Liberals tend to encourage people to base their identities around curious desires and whims. To deny a flesh urge is repression to them; and repression of desire, they reason, creates a “repressed” individual, which they consider mental illness. Personal discipline is an abomination to libertines unless it involves things like performing yoga or not using straws. Yes, I’m being amusing, but it’s pretty much the truth when it comes to Leftwingers.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the Liberal view on masturbation is that it’s natural & healthy and can be practiced as often as the individual wishes, regardless of whether he/she is single or married. “If it feels good, do it!”

Since modern-day Liberalism is equal to what the Bible calls “the world” (1 John 2:15-17) — and explains why I refer to it as LIEberalism — this viewpoint can be dismissed out of hand in this discussion. Remember, these are the folks who say with a straight face that there are 152 genders (or whatever the tally is these days) and that a man can become a woman by simply identifying as a female or, worse, having his penis surgically removed and being pumped with female hormones; either way, he can then legitimately compete in female competitions and be praised for winning (rolling my eyes).

The Middle Ground: Masturbation May or May Not Be a Sin, Depending on the Individual and Details Thereof

This view argues that, since masturbation is not mentioned in the Bible and there is no direct prohibition against it, whether or not it is permissible in a person’s life depends on his/her unique position, their level of spiritual maturity and the leading of the Spirit. Let’s look at each of these:

It goes without saying that we have to be careful with the verse that says “to the pure all things are pure.” This shouldn’t be mistaken to mean that a sin can ever be pure, like adultery. We also have to be careful of the self-deception of being “pure in our own eyes” (Proverbs 16:2 & Proverbs 30:12).

While the Middle Ground position respects the Conservative view and admits that believers should stick with that position if they’re convinced of it, à la Romans 14:14, it objects to its black & white simplicity. For instance, both Matthew 5:28 and Job 3:1 are talking about committing adultery within one’s heart. But what if a married man is away from home for a long period of time and releases his sexual energy by masturbating to thoughts of his wife? By doing this, he reasons, he’ll be less prone to amorous temptations on the road. Obviously this wouldn’t be adultery and the masturbation would arguably be permissible.

For those who understandably contend that the same principle would apply to the sin of fornication, what if the ‘woman’ in question is a drawing or image. To explain, in concentration camps, like Soviet gulags, artists would draw an alluring sketch of a woman and barter it to other captives. How exactly can a man commit fornication with a ‘woman’ that doesn’t exist? In other words, if what the person is imagining when he/she masturbates involves an unreal figure, how exactly is it a sin, unless of course the Spirit leads that person to not do it or stop the practice?

What if a single man with an exceptional sex drive expunges his sexual energy in this manner on the grounds that it will assist in evading amorous temptations, including the allure of porn, which is always just a click away in the modern day? In other words, to him, it basically removes that challenge from the table and frees him up for spiritual things. I’m not necessarily agreeing with this position, just sharing what guys have said who deal with this real-life issue.

On top of all this is the glaring question: When does merely appreciating beauty end and sinister lust begin?

These kinds of questions are naturally troubling to those who see everything in black & white, which is what some STAGE TWO believers tend to do. This is said with zero condescension; it’s simply a reflection of the way it is with spiritual growth and non-growth. Yet we’re talking real-life issues and struggles here, which demand frankness and tackling the hard questions.

In any case, the Middle Ground position acknowledges that masturbation is something that the Lord will eventually weed out of a person’s life as he/she grows, à la Colossians 3:5 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, but this is going to be accomplished by the Spirit’s leading and not some legalistic religious rule that’s not actually cited in the Bible. It’s the aforementioned process of sanctification.

Remember, the Bible emphasizes God’s compassion, which means sympathetic understanding of our plight in this fallen world (Psalm 145:9 & Hebrews 4:15). In short, anyone struggling with the things we’re talking about here, the Lord understands — the Lord cares. God’s not some ogre in the sky waiting to smash people with a cosmic baseball bat; the Lord’s full of love, mercy and compassion for his children (Psalm 86:15, 103:8 & 103:13), which is not to say that that there isn’t a time for divine discipline (Hebrews 12:5-7). God is for you, not against you (Romans 8:31). It’s of the utmost importance to your spiritual health that you get a hold of this!

A young minister strongly advocated the Conservative position in an honest article, arguing that masturbation is indeed a sin, yet the reason for his rigid stance was revealed in his testimony: He became captive to the practice in his teens and desperately wanted freedom. Upon turning to the Lord he acquired emancipation, but the experience unsurprisingly left him viewing masturbation as a great sin and his personal #1 flesh-enemy. Yet this doesn’t necessarily make masturbation a sin any more than it makes playing computer games a sin because an individual is in bondage to the activity. What about the gazillions of people who play computer games, but they do so in moderation and there’s zero bondage?

The same goes for the severe alcoholic who turns to the Lord and escapes the bondage of drunkard-ness. Just because drinking alcohol is a sin to this person, it doesn’t mean another person who isn’t an alcoholic can’t drink a sip of alcohol, assuming s/he is in an environment that’s not going to make someone stumble (Romans 14:13-23). Are you following?

One pastor I served under adamantly taught from the pulpit that merely shopping at a store that sells alcoholic beverages is a sin. Why? Not because the Bible says it’s a sin, obviously, but rather because he was a serious alcoholic before giving his life to the Lord and this caused him to unjustly condemn anything involving alcoholic beverages, even if it wasn’t immoral from a biblical standpoint. (While this is wrong and grossly legalistic, the Holy Spirit might of course lead a specific believer to not shop at a certain establishment for one reason or another).

Speaking of alcoholic beverages, supporters of the Middle Ground position believe masturbation could be equated to the topic of alcohol in the Bible. While being a drunkard is indeed a sin (Galatians 5:19-21), drinking in moderation is not (Matthew 11:19 & 1 Timothy 5:23) — assuming a believer even chooses to drink an alcoholic beverage in the first place (some could care less about alcohol, like me). As long as it doesn’t compel anyone who struggles with alcoholism to fall or troubles someone with a weak conscience, it’s allowable. In short, just as drinking alcohol can become a bondage and therefore detrimental to someone’s life, so can masturbation, yet neither are evil in-and-of-themselves (Romans 14:14). The details of the person, their situation and the leading of the Spirit will determine if either is permissible or destructive at the time.

Closing Word

I was reluctant to do this article because the topic is controversial and any minister who doesn’t staunchly support the Conservative position is readily written off as “going Liberal” (at least in Evangelical circles). But that’s hardly the case here. In any event, there’s pressure for ministers to tout the Evangelical convention on this topic — the Conservative position — or just keep mum on the subject.

Since masturbation is not directly mentioned in Scripture — and God obviously did this intentionally — it comes down to a matter between the individual believer and their Creator. It’s one of those “disputable” issues that should be kept between the person and their LORD (Romans 14:22) as they weigh the applicable verses of Scripture, their conscience and the guidance of the Spirit. In short, it’s a private matter.

Someone mocked the idea of God — the Creator of all things — caring about what a guy does with his pee-pee, which is an understandable point, but the Lord does care since we were bought at great price:

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

We are not our own; the LORD purchased us through the precious blood of Christ and we’re to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (1 Peter 1:18-19 & Romans 12:1). As far as our thoughts go, the Bible acknowledges that thoughts run our lives and thus God is very interested in what goes on in our minds (Psalm 24:3-5, Proverbs 15:26, Matthew 5:8, Colossians 3:2 & Philippians 4:8). For one, our thought life determines our actions, one way or another.

Personally, I don’t masturbate. The Holy Spirit pruned it from me long ago as part of my particular process of sanctification. That’s my example. How, when, and why the Lord deals with other people on the issue is between them and their Creator. I don’t care to know the details because it’s a TMI matter of the first order. This doesn’t mean, of course, that they can’t talk to a spiritual mentor about it if they feel the need to do so, just be sure that he/she is actually spiritual and not a gossip (Matthew 7:15-23). (For instance, I’ve come across ministers who regularly counsel others and have been known to share details of their counselee by name behind their backs, typically with other ministers; it goes without saying that this is outrageously wrong, but it unfortunately happens).

 

The reason I decided to cover this topic is because the journey in finding answers from God’s Word brings up many issues relevant to one’s walk with the LORD in this fallen world, such as spiritual development, self-control, thought life, appreciating beauty vs. lust, walking in the spirit, knowing God, Christianity vs. legalism, libertinism, disputable issues and so on.

Our conclusion is that the Liberal view should be dismissed outright because it embraces the folly of libertinism. The Conservative view should be respected and works for many believers while the Middle Ground perspective honestly explores the holes in that view and dares to tackle the ignored details. So the truth lies somewhere between the Conservative position and the Middle Ground position. Being a decidedly private matter, it’s up to each believer to work it out with their Maker on their spiritual journey with fear and trembling.

Amen.

This article is also available in book form as a chapter in…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

Dealing with LUST

Beauty, Objectification and Lust

The Basics of Christianity

How to FEAR NOT in Perilous Times

The Bible encourages believers to “fear not” and “do not be afraid” at least a hundred times with myriad more if you count variations, like “have no fear,” “do not worry,” “be anxious for nothing” and “do not be dismayed.” A good example from the Old Testament is Isaiah 41:10 while Luke 12:32 and Philippians 4:6 are examples from the New Testament.

Walking in a state of faith rather than fear is especially relevant today with corrupt politicians & their media auxiliary stirring up a pandemic of fear and prolonging it — the fear of getting sick, the fear of suffering, the fear of dying — followed by  socially manipulating citizens to get experimental vaccines at the threat of losing their jobs, restricting travel & consumption and even being forcibly interred in FEMA camps. Anyone who claims this hasn’t been increasingly happening around the globe in 2020-2022 is naïve and misinformed.

Here’s an applicable passage for comfort and faith in these trying times:

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.

Psalm 91:1-7

Here’s another:

“no weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

Isaiah 54:17

Can a New Covenant believer claim these promises from the Old Testament by faith and walk in them? Yes. Paul said:

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20

Anyone who’s “in Christ” — in covenant with God thru Christ — can claim these promises by faith. And this explains how, during the last couple of years of the C0vid outbreak and the corresponding hysteria, I’ve never taken a C0vid test, never had the symptoms and never worried about it except for a few days of melancholy in Spring, 2020, but I overcame it.

Update: I did finally get attacked by something resembling the flu for a few days in September, 2022, but resisted in faith, rested, and was fully restored; whether or not it was C0vid, I don’t know and don’t care.

This is walking in a state of “FEAR NOT.”

Anyone can do this but they have to do three things:

  1. Be a believer; that is, be “in Christ” (which you can read more about here).
  2. Turn off the fear-inducing misinformation of the lamestream media, which has to do with guarding your heart as the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).
  3. Put on the armor of God on a regular basis (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The two most relevant pieces of the armor needed to overcome the mass C0vid panic are the belt of truth and the shield of faith:

This is how you FEAR NOT in perilous times like these. As Psalm 91 puts it, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (verses 5-7). Hallelujah! 

Make this your confession and make sure you don’t cancel out faith with negative statements of fear, such as, “Oh, no, this virus (or new variant) is going around! Everyone’s getting sick or dying! I’ll probably get it next!!” Anyone who walks in fear like this will automatically cancel out their faith and thus there will be no shield to protect them. Don’t be like that.

This article is given in the spirit of humility and concern for people. There’s zero arrogance or condescension. The LORD said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). That’s why so many sincere believers are succumbing to fear of the virus, including Pentecostals and Charismatics. The only antidote to lack-of-knowledge is knowledge/understanding and the wisdom to apply it. Rise up O Man of God, Rise Up O Woman of God in a spirit of faith! “Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10 KJV). Amen.

To further bolster your faith, see this article on the Armor & Weaponry of God and the follow-up on Spiritual Warfare.

Related Topics:

Your Thoughts RUN Your Life!

DRINK UP from the Fountain of Life (video)

How to Enlist the HELP OF ANGELS

Can I Receive a Healing? (video)

The Basics of Christianity

What Is the HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE in Human Redemption?

Most people understandably think of the Son when the topic of human redemption comes up, and understandably so, since Christ obediently became a lowly human in order to greatly suffer & die for our sins so that we might be reconciled to the Creator and have eternal life (Philippians 2:5-11 & John 3:16). Yet the Holy Spirit plays a strategic role as well.

For instance, the Holy Spirit:

As you can see, the Holy Ghost’s role in human redemption is quite significant. Chew on these passages for greater understanding & appreciation of the awesome Spirit of God.

More on the Holy Spirit Convicting People

Here’s what Christ said about the Holy Ghost convicting the lost:

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

John 16:7-11

The Spirit of God convicts the world in three ways

When you intercede for those who are lost & dying in this world, pray accordingly.

Of course the Holy Spirit also convicts believers of sin, which is part of the process of sanctification and keeps one in fellowship with the LORD along with God’s grace/favor flowing into his/her life (1 John 1:7-9).

Related Topics:

Trinity — Father/Son/Holy Spirit — Yes or No?

Is the Holy Spirit God or a Divine Force?

Does God have a Feminine side?

Baptism of the Holy Spirit (“Tongues”) and It’s Benefits

Holiness — A Fresh Look

The Basics of Christianity

What Is the UNPARDONABLE SIN (Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit)?

Let’s read the two most informative accounts of where the Lord detailed the unpardonable sin:

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Mark 3:22–30

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Matthew 12:22-32

Whether or not these two accounts are discussing the same episode or two different-yet-similar episodes is irrelevant. In both cases Christ was talking to religious leaders who weren’t actually in touch with God and were in reality children of the devil, as revealed elsewhere (John 8:44). They saw evidence of Jesus driving out demons from afflicted people and attributed it to the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebul.* He then explains the illogic of such reasoning—the absurdity that satan’s power could be overthrown by satan’s aid—but adds that anyone who speaks against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven, whether in this age or the eternal age to come. “They are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29).

* Beelzebul (or Beelzebub) had once been the name of a Canaanite idol, “the lord of the high place,” but by the time of Christ it was used by Hebrews in reference to the “lord of dung,” the ruler of the Underworld, satan, aka the devil.

We know that Christ was “full of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and this empowered him to exorcise demons and execute other miracles. So when the Teachers of the Law and Pharisees said he was driving out evil spirits by the prince of demons they were, in essence, calling the Holy Spirit an evil, unclean spirit, which is slander. This was speaking against the Holy Spirit, aka blasphemy concerning the Holy Spirit, a transgression that is unpardonable. It’s an eternal sin. Why? Because these people’s hearts were so hardened with unbelief that they attributed something clearly done by the power of God to satan! How spiritually blind and dull could they be? These are the same people who, a little earlier, objected to the Messiah’s amazing healing of a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath and thus plotted to murder him (Mark 3:1-6).

So the unpardonable sin is unbelief so gross that the person attributes an obvious work of the Holy Spirit—aka God—to the devil or demons. Their eyes have become so tightly closed to the light that it has become darkness; and good has become evil. This is such embedded unbelief that the person is incorrigible. In other words, someone who commits the unpardonable sin isn’t someone who is concerned that they committed such a transgression.

Anyone who’s concerned that they committed the unpardonable sin did not commit it. The very fact of their concern is proof that they didn’t. Any person who wants to make things right with his/her Creator did not commit the unpardonable sin. “The blood of Jesus… purifies us from all sin” for anyone who’s penitent (1 John 1:7-9). Those who commit the unpardonable sin, by contrast, want nothing to do with the truth—reality—which includes the LORD, the Almighty Creator (John 14:6).

Be Careful About Presuming Someone Has Committed the Unpardonable Sin

We need to be careful: Just because someone puts on the airs that they’re radically against God and truth, it doesn’t automatically mean they’ve committed the unpardonable sin and cannot be reached. For instance, Paul was formerly a Pharisee named Saul who fiendishly opposed Christians in the 1st Century to the point of apprehending believers to be imprisoned or executed (Acts 8:1-3) and even tried to get them to blaspheme (Acts 26:11). Despite being a “blasphemer and a persecutor,” Saul was shown mercy because “he acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13) and thus the Lord was able to reach him on the Road to Damascus and he became the most strategic vessel for Christianity in the New Testament era (Acts 9:1-30).

The only way Paul would’ve committed the unpardonable sin is if, when he saw the (literal) light on the Road to Damascus (in other words, when he experienced clear evidence of the truth), he willfully closed his eyes & ears to it and continued on with his gross persecution of the Church. In such an event, he wouldn’t have even recognized his actions as sin and therefore wouldn’t seek forgiveness, but would’ve gone on stubbornly thinking he was doing the work of God with an undisturbed conscience. You see, people who commit the unpardonable sin no longer have a functioning conscience because it has been seared as with a hot iron and their hearts are thus hopelessly hardened (1 Timothy 4:2).

A good modern example would be Blackie Lawless of the shock rock/metal band W.A.S.P. Few other people would seem as far away from God as Blackie, but here’s what he said after reconciling with his Creator:

“I went to church in my teens and I went because I wanted to. I left in my late teens and came to California and studied the occult for three years. I went as far away as you could possibly go. I realized there was no truth and then I wandered around bumping into walls for the next 20 years, thinking I was mad at God. I realized that I wasn’t mad at God but I was mad at man for the indoctrination I received.

For me I had to settle this issue once and for all because I am not going to walk around with this anxiety of what’s going to happen to me and where I’m going, I got to know the truth. I got the Bible and I started reading and I thought I was going to disprove this thing once and for all.

I discover that it’s 66 books written by 40 different authors spread out over 2000 years in three continents. Most of these people didn’t know each other. I’m also aware that people think the Bible is written by man even if the Bible is inspired by God. I thought I would prove it isn’t true reading from an attitude of extreme prejudice. The more I read I realized that people weren’t just answering each other’s questions—they were finishing each other’s sentences. When I realized that, I recognized I was looking at the supernatural. I finally realized I was reading the Living Word of the Living God. And I was coming from a perspective of extreme prejudice, trying to disprove it. I’ll say this in short: it’s beyond impossible that men could have written this.”

Conversions of radically anti-Christian individuals like Saul and Blackie show that we have to be very careful about assuming someone has committed the unpardonable sin. Christ obviously discerned by the Spirit that these religious Hebrews who said he was driving out demons by satan were so hardened by their unbelief that they were hopeless.

Insights From Luke’s Account

Now let’s consider what Christ said in Luke’s account about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Luke 12:8-10

The Lord says here that those who disown Him to people on Earth will be disowned by Christ in Heaven (cf. Matthew 10:33). In other words, these are individuals who deny the truth, which is Christ (John 1:1-4 & 14:6). He immediately follows this up with the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. These sins are technically different and yet they both result in the Lord holding the sin against the individual and not forgiving him/her. This reveals a connection: Both offenses have to do with gross unbelief that stubbornly rejects the truth despite glaring evidence to the contrary.

With that in mind, you could say that every soul rejected by God on Judgment Day and discarded in the lake of fire to suffer the second death will have committed the unpardonable sin (Revelation 20:11-15; Hebrews 10:26-27; Matthew 10:28). Every such person had been exposed to the truth one way or another in their lives, but rejected it in preference to their pet sin or godless ideology. Thus they are thrown away in the lake of fire where they reap the wages of their sin (Romans 6:23).

“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”

How do we explain this statement by the Lord in verse 10? Answer: People in Israel were understandably uncertain about the carpenter’s son, Jesus, being the prophesied Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15,18) and his identity would gradually dawn on many of them. You could say that the true nature of “the son of man” was veiled in his humanity & humility and thus people could’ve easily failed to grasp his identity. The same goes for other people up to this day. Thus a person’s statements against Christ based on false, fragmentary or conflicting information would be understandable and forgiven, assuming s/he is penitent.

It is true that Peter denied knowing Jesus out of fear for his life (Matthew 26:69-75) but—while his lips turned traitor for the nonce—his heart did not apostatize, not to mention he was repentant (Luke 22:31-32), which paved the way for the Spirit’s healing favor and thus Peter became a mighty apostle for the Lord. The saying “You’ve got to lose to know how to win” applies.

The Holy Spirit, however, is the invisible Divine Power on Earth strategic to human redemption seeing as how the Spirit:

Hence people with hardened hearts of unbelief who badmouth the glaring work of the Spirit of God have committed an eternal sin and are thus irredeemable.

Additional Insights

Let’s end with four further points relating to the unpardonable sin:

 

To close, the unpardonable sin is deliberately closing one’s eye to the light and absurdly calling good evil despite glaring evidence to the contrary. It’s wantonly ascribing the activity of the Holy Spirit to a demonic agency. The person who does so is incorrigibly lost by his/her own stubborn volition. Any person concerned about committing the eternal sin did not commit it because their very concern is proof that they didn’t. Anyone open & willing to make things right with God CAN (Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:18).

An edited version of this article is also available in book form in chapter 13 of…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

What Is the “SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH” in 1 John 5:16?

God Deals With People According to the Light They Have

How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled

How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)

Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages

The Basics of Christianity

What Is THE SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH in 1 John 5:16?

Let’s read the passage in question:

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

1 John 5:16

The topic is a fellow believer seen committing a sin and the reader being encouraged to pray for him/her, which is encouraged elsewhere in Scripture as well (James 5:15; Galatians 6:1). Then John adds that he’s only talking about a believer whose sin does not lead to death followed by the fact that there is a sin that leads to death and it’s useless to pray for that person. Notice that he doesn’t say you can’t pray for this individual, he just implies it’s useless to do so.

First of all, John is not referring to physical death here even though there is evidence in the New Testament of genuine believers receiving the judgment of premature physical death due to their sinful actions (1 Corinthians 11:28-32; Acts 5:1-10). This does not mean they’re not saved, but they’ll have to answer for their sin at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). How do we know for sure that John’s not referring to physical death? A few reasons:

  1. ‘Context is King’ is a hermeneutical rule and physical death does not fit the context. For instance, the antithesis of death is life and the seven times that John uses ‘life’ in chapter 5 all refer to either eternal life or spiritual life and not solely physical life. Verses 11-12 are a good example. Moreover, in the very verse in question—John 5:16—John refers to ‘life’ and it’s clear he’s talking about spiritual life (in the sense of fellowship with God) since the person in question is already physically alive.
  2. The only other time John refers to death in this entire epistle—twice in John 3:14—he’s clearly referring to spiritual death and the corresponding eternal death.
  3. The idea of physical death wouldn’t ‘work’ in regards to John’s instructions in the verse. To explain, John implies that we shouldn’t pray for the believer who has committed the sin that leads to death. If John was referring to divine discipline in the form of physical death, how would we know if a brother or sister has committed a sin that has incurred the judgment of physical decease? For instance, in the case of 1 Corinthians 11:28-32 some believers were getting sick and some dying because, as Paul put it, they “eat and drink judgment on themselves.” The answer is that we wouldn’t know and thus we would apply the aforementioned verses on praying for those who have sinned and are sick (i.e. James 5:15; Galatians 6:1). The exception of course would be if the Holy Spirit informed you specifically not to pray for a certain believer who has sinned because it has incurred the judgment of premature death. But, let’s be honest, how many believers then or now are able to discern the Spirit’s leading with accuracy concerning something which would compel the person to disregard the clear teaching of Scripture in such matters (that is, praying for those who have sinned and are now sick)?

So John was talking about a sin that a believer can commit that leads to spiritual death & the corresponding eternal death. What sin is that? The book of Hebrews explains:

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Hebrews 6:4-6

The topic of these verses is believers who have “fallen away” even though they had once been enlightened to the truth of the message of Christ, tasted of the heavenly gift (Titus 3:5), were filled with the Holy Spirit, had fed well upon the word of God and evidently had experience with the gifts of the Spirit. If a believer experiences all of this they obviously have some degree of spiritual maturity. In other words, we’re not talking about a Christian slipping into sin or struggling with sin (1 John 1:8-9; Isaiah 1:18), but rather someone who knows the truth and has walked with the Lord as a mature believer to some measure, but has willfully chosen to turn away from the faith in outright denial and rebellion.

This is the sin of apostasy, which means the abandonment or renunciation of one’s faith. It’s why the sin is referred to as “fallen away” and not merely falling down. Believers who fall down can get right back up and continue moving forward (Proverbs 24:16) whereas those who willfully fall away have abandoned the road of Christian faith altogether and have set a new course that doesn’t include the LORD or the rightly-divided Holy Scriptures.

This is what John was talking about in 1 John 5:16—apostates—since he was earlier addressing those who had left the worldwide Church (which is different from leaving a particular local assembly) and deny that Christ is the Messiah (1 John 2:19 & 2:22). Don’t pray for apostates like this because it’s useless seeing as how it is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). Again, John was talking specifically about those who were reasonably spiritually mature, not young believers struggling with a sin problem, like many of us have done with reoccurring relapses.

I’ll give you a modern example. A dozen years ago Carol & I were part of a fellowship wherein a new family joined the assembly and the husband, who was in his late 30s, was an experienced praise & worship leader. He shortly became one of three such leaders and he would effectively lead the congregation in praise & worship. A year and a half later the Lord called Carol & me out of that fellowship to serve elsewhere, but I eventually reunited with the man a few years later. We would have friendly chats now and then, mostly on Christian doctrine and current issues; sometimes debates.

Everything was great until he started becoming increasingly contentious, arguing for the sake of arguing, which I found curious (and reveals a lack of the peace of God). Then one day he dropped a bomb by saying that the Holy Scriptures were written by the devil, blah, blah, blah. It was a bunch of gobbledygook, but he was totally serious. I couldn’t believe it. This was once a formidable man of God who led the Lord’s people in praise & worship. Now he’s outrageously contentious and blathering about God’s Word being of the devil. Go figure.

I bring this sad story up because this man is a modern example of an apostate—someone who has left the Christian faith altogether and is actively preaching gross error. It’s useless to pray for him since he was a relatively mature believer in a leadership position who had chosen to turn away from the faith. This is the sin that leads to death, as John put it.

Let me hastily that, if you’re in a situation where it appears a seasoned believer has committed the sin of apostasy and you feel led of the Spirit to intercede for him/her then, by all means, do so.

This article is also available in book form in chapter 13 of…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

What Is the UNPARDONABLE SIN (Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit)?

God Deals With People According to the Light They Have

How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled

How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)

Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages

The Basics of Christianity

When You Should ASK and When You Should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND

Christ spoke of both speaking in faith and asking for things in prayer in the same breath:

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)

There was a mountain nearby and the Messiah spoke of it in a figurative sense, as if it were an obstacle or hindrance in one’s life. Jesus said that you can speak to such an obstacle by faith and what you speak will come to pass, assuming you believe.

NOTE that Christ mentions speaking three times and faith (belief) once. In other words, if you’re having trouble believing for something then keep speaking in faith and it will have positive impact on your belief since words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21; Matthew 12:37). You can learn more here.

After talking about speaking in faith, the Lord goes right into the topic of asking for things in prayer, which is petition. While the two are different they’re obviously somewhat linked. They’re both forms of spiritual warfare or prayer, but one involves speaking in belief in the sense of demanding something by faith and the other involves requesting. So when should you speak in faith (demand) for something and when should you ask for it? The answer lies in comparing a couple of statements by Jesus in the Gospel of John:

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works [miracles] themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

John 14:11-14

“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

John 16:23-24

In both of these passages Christ is talking about asking for things. The same Greek word is used in both verses, as well as Mark 11:24 above, which is aiteó (eye-TAY-oh). This word can mean ask in the sense of making a request, yet it can also mean demand in the sense of speaking in faith. The context will determine the proper meaning.

For instance, in the first passage, John 14:11-14, the Lord was talking about performing “works,” aka miracles, and says that believers will do these same works — and even greater works — because he was going to be resurrected and sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven (Acts 2:33). As such, he was talking about speaking in faith — demanding — in order to receive a miracle. A few examples in the New Testament include when Christ commanded the paralyzed man to get up and walk home (Matthew 9:6-8) and another occasion with an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:8), as well as Peter’s similar miracle concerning a lame man at the Temple gate (Acts 3:6).

A miraculous healing in my own life required speaking in faith. I needed knee surgery in 2013, but didn’t want to go that radical route for understandable reasons. So Carol & I prayed over my knee every day, speaking in faith for a healing. It took about three months, but the healing manifested and I was out skiing slopes in New York the following winter. This shows that sometimes perseverance is necessary in order to receive the miracle for which you’re speaking in faith; and not just to receive your healing, but to maintain it as well (Hebrews 6:12). For details see this video.

I was simply speaking in faith as Jesus instructed in Mark 11:23 — and adding perseverance — whereas Jesus and Peter in the above three examples were presumably operating in the gifts of the Spirit; nevertheless, both methods require speaking in faith, aka demanding the miracle in question.

When there’s a need for a healing miracle you don’t ask since healing is an important part of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24); and it is God’s will that the person be healed. How can I say that with certainty? Because Christ was Immanuel — “God is with us (in the flesh)” (Matthew 1:23) — and so what the Messiah did during his ministry on Earth reveals God’s will to us. For instance, people needing serious healings would approach Jesus and ask “if you are willing.” The Lord never responded “No, it is not my will”; rather he plainly said it was his will (Mark 1:40-41; Matthew 8:1-3).

I repeat, healing is part of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24), which is one of several reasons why it’s “good news.” The Bible promises a minimum of 70-80 years of life (Psalm 90:10) so, if you’re under that age, you can claim this promise by faith (2 Corinthians 1:20). Even if you’re over 80 you can believe and receive in faith in your awesome covenant with God simply based on your righteous desire (Mark 11:24; John 14:14; John 16:24).

 

Chew on these Scriptures (Matthew 4:4) and you’ll have increasing insight on when to ask for something in prayer petition and when to speak in faith for a miracle; always be led of the Spirit (John 14:26; Romans 8:14). Amen.

Related Topics:

When You Should Pray “IF IT BE YOUR WILL” and When You Shouldn’t

Prayer—Communing with God

How to OBTAIN YOUR DESIRES

HEALING — How Do You Receive?

Should You Get the Surgery or BELIEVE FOR HEALING?

FAITH — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

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