The purpose for the incarnation was that man might be given the right to become a child of God (John 1:12). Man could only become a child of God by receiving the nature of God. Therefore, Christ came that man might receive eternal life (John 10:10), that is, life as God has it. Man could receive eternal life only after he had been legally redeemed from Satan's authority (Colossians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul the revelation of the finished work of Christ concerning man's redemption.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "Now to Him
who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret
since the world began but
now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all
nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for
obedience to the faith, to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27) and "But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12)
Though Paul says in Romans "my gospel," we see that it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, not from man but from God. It is a revelation that had been kept silent but now has been made known. This is also revealed in Ephesians 3:1-12. In Ephesians, Paul reveals that his understanding in the mystery of Christ, that had not been known to other generations, was given to him by revelation. However, prior to the revelation given by the Holy Spirit concerning Christ, was only on the level of the sense, that is, they were only able to comprehend Jesus in the physical realm, through their senses. We see this as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John, "That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life." (1 John 1:1) Though the Apostle John had received a greater revelation of Christ by this time, he is revealing Christ in the natural sense in order that the reader can understand that Jesus came bodily form, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1, 14)
Therefore, we see that the knowledge, the understanding that man possessed of Christ during His life on earth was purely by his physical senses. However, we see Jesus with His disciples and He asks, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (Matthew 16:13) We see the disciples response, but then Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Jesus tells him,
"Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17) Jesus proceeds "to show to His
disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the
third day." (Matthew 16:21) Although Peter had received this wonderful revelation of Christ from the Father, it was not enough for the disciples faith to rise up and stand on this revelation. We see this in Peter's response when Jesus revealed what would happen to Him in Jerusalem, "Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22)
They could not comprehend the greatness of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. They could only understand what their senses could assimilate. Even when the time came where they saw the beating of Christ; the nails driven into His hands and feet; when they heard the words, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46); when they saw and handled His body in the process of embalming it, and placing it in the tomb, they did not understand. Not only did they not understand these things in the physical realm, but they knew nothing of the spiritual suffering of Christ, as His spirit was made
sin, sickness and a curse. (Isaiah 53:4-6, Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter
2:24).
They knew nothing as to what was taking place in the spiritual
realm. Then, the third day had arrived. They saw that the stone rolled away from the tomb; they saw the empty tomb and grave clothes; the disciples were told of these things and yet they still could not comprehend, they could not believe. All they knew was the reality of what there senses could comprehend. Finally, Jesus appears to them and "as the eleven sat at the table, Jesus rebuked their
unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who
had seen Him after He had risen." (Mark 16:14)
Jesus had told the disciples before His death, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13) It appears that the reality of what had taken place had only became known, had only become real to the disciple after they had received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) Now they could see with their spiritual eyes. They understood the judgment, that was upon man, fell on Jesus; they understood that Jesus died under our judgment; they understood that Jesus paid our penalty in hell and suffered there until God could justify the human race.
The great news for us today is, Christ has died for all; He had become identified with our spiritual
death as our substitute; in hell He was justified in spirit (1 Timothy 3:16); He was born of
God (Acts 13:33); He conquered Satan (Colossians 2:15; Revelation 1:18); He was raised from the dead by God's almighty power (Ephesians 1:19-20); He carried His blood into heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:20-21); where He continuously intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25); and has given everything, every promise, every blessing for the benefit of His Body the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) This is the greatest plan that has even been freely given to man. Now through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ, redemption has been made eternal, perfect, comprehensive and available to every man, woman and Child.
So, as we move towards what we call Easter Sunday, let us truly celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord. Let us do as David did, "I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,And I will declare Your greatness." (Psalm 145:1-6) Let us rejoice and celebrate the wondrous works of God...
Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2018
Monday, May 2, 2016
Please, Sit Down
The climax of the meritorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ is His glorification, that is, "the seating of the Lord at His (Father God) right hand in the heavenly places, far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:20-21) This came about after Jesus had been made sin with our sin; after He had paid the penalty for our sin; after He had suffered unimaginably in spirit, soul and body, so that the demands of justice was fully met and paid for. Once this was accomplished, then Christ, was raised from the dead. We may know these facts but the good news is, we were raised with Him and seated with Him, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7) This was not our doing, but the Father's. The Father declares we are seated together with Christ.
God the Word became flesh, a man (John 1:14); He identified Himself with the human race (Philippians 2:6-8); He became the substitute for the entire human race (John 3:16); He delivered the human race from the authority of Satan (Colossians 1:13); After He has conquered Satan, death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18), He arose from the dead; was reunited with His physical body (Acts 2:27); carried His blood into the Most Holy Place in heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High making redemption both eternal and available to the entire human race. We have the God Man seated at the Father's right hand as our advocate, (1 John 2:1), our mediator, (1 Timothy 2:5), our representative, our intercessor before the Father. (Hebrews 7:25) This is the crowning event of redemption. Jesus seated at the Father's right hand, and is the head of the new body, the Church. It's no wonder that the Apostle Paul proclaims, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Not only are we seated in the highest position in the universe with Christ, we are also blessed with every spiritual blessing that is necessary to maintain our place as members of His glorious body.
In the mind of God, every believer is in Christ now. When we go to the throne of Grace in prayer, it is as though Jesus Himself were going there, for we go in His Name. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) Every believer is hidden from the adversary, but we are visible to the Father. The writer of Hebrews says, "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24)
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father as our representative, as our Lord, who gave Himself for us. If Christ sat down at God's right hand, it is because the Father accepted Him and accepted what He did for us. The fact that He is seated there is the seal of our acceptance in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) This should cause us to see that our Redemption is a completed, eternal, finished thing. So, let us not get caught up in the worry and anxiety that the world would try to conform us to, but let us exercise our faith in the integrity of God's Word and know that as Christ is, "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21) so we are also for we are in Him as we can see, "the Father has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23) PTL...
God the Word became flesh, a man (John 1:14); He identified Himself with the human race (Philippians 2:6-8); He became the substitute for the entire human race (John 3:16); He delivered the human race from the authority of Satan (Colossians 1:13); After He has conquered Satan, death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18), He arose from the dead; was reunited with His physical body (Acts 2:27); carried His blood into the Most Holy Place in heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High making redemption both eternal and available to the entire human race. We have the God Man seated at the Father's right hand as our advocate, (1 John 2:1), our mediator, (1 Timothy 2:5), our representative, our intercessor before the Father. (Hebrews 7:25) This is the crowning event of redemption. Jesus seated at the Father's right hand, and is the head of the new body, the Church. It's no wonder that the Apostle Paul proclaims, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Not only are we seated in the highest position in the universe with Christ, we are also blessed with every spiritual blessing that is necessary to maintain our place as members of His glorious body.
In the mind of God, every believer is in Christ now. When we go to the throne of Grace in prayer, it is as though Jesus Himself were going there, for we go in His Name. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) Every believer is hidden from the adversary, but we are visible to the Father. The writer of Hebrews says, "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24)
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father as our representative, as our Lord, who gave Himself for us. If Christ sat down at God's right hand, it is because the Father accepted Him and accepted what He did for us. The fact that He is seated there is the seal of our acceptance in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) This should cause us to see that our Redemption is a completed, eternal, finished thing. So, let us not get caught up in the worry and anxiety that the world would try to conform us to, but let us exercise our faith in the integrity of God's Word and know that as Christ is, "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21) so we are also for we are in Him as we can see, "the Father has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23) PTL...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Oh Boy, What Did I Just Do?
We saw in the last post Gods true purpose for man. However, Genesis 3 reveals the act of treason on Adams part which brought a curse upon all humanity. We see that the woman began to reason within herself the truth claim of the serpent which was not the truth at all and she ate of the tree. Adam responded to the voice of his wife transgressed the commandment of God. Although the woman, Eve was made equal and comparable to Adam and that she was deceived, God had given Adam the responsibility and authority over all the He had created. This means that Adam was the one charged with committing treason against God thereby forfeiting his rights and authority given to him by God, to Satan by way of transgression. How do we know this?
Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Luke 4:5-7) The devil could not have made such a claim if he did not have the authority over all the kingdoms of the world. But in fact he did have the authority because we see the devil's claim, "for this has been delivered to me.". Adam did indeed forfeit (deliver) everything to the devil.
2 Corinthians 4 reveals why many people do not except the gospel when it is preached, "whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Besides this, if the devil did not have this authority then it certainly would not have been used as an instrument of temptation against Jesus at all.
Make no mistake, Satan’s desire is to have authority. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14) Adam’s act of transgression relinquished his position as the god of the world to Satan which means that God is not ruling over the kingdom’s of this world, yet. "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15) Of course this speaks of events yet to come.
However, the kingdom of God is revealed on the earth. First through Jesus Christ, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Through His disciples, "And as you go, preach, saying,'The kingdom of heaven is at hand". (Matthew 10:7) Then after Christ's work on earth in His physical body was accomplished, through His church, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) God’s authority on earth is in and through the church. Remember, Satan wants authority which should cause us to understand why he works so hard at lying and trying to deceive believers. However, there is great news for those who place their faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, because those who do will be partaker of total and complete restoration of mankind. Hallelujah
Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Luke 4:5-7) The devil could not have made such a claim if he did not have the authority over all the kingdoms of the world. But in fact he did have the authority because we see the devil's claim, "for this has been delivered to me.". Adam did indeed forfeit (deliver) everything to the devil.
2 Corinthians 4 reveals why many people do not except the gospel when it is preached, "whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Besides this, if the devil did not have this authority then it certainly would not have been used as an instrument of temptation against Jesus at all.
Make no mistake, Satan’s desire is to have authority. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14) Adam’s act of transgression relinquished his position as the god of the world to Satan which means that God is not ruling over the kingdom’s of this world, yet. "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15) Of course this speaks of events yet to come.
However, the kingdom of God is revealed on the earth. First through Jesus Christ, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Through His disciples, "And as you go, preach, saying,'The kingdom of heaven is at hand". (Matthew 10:7) Then after Christ's work on earth in His physical body was accomplished, through His church, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) God’s authority on earth is in and through the church. Remember, Satan wants authority which should cause us to understand why he works so hard at lying and trying to deceive believers. However, there is great news for those who place their faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, because those who do will be partaker of total and complete restoration of mankind. Hallelujah
Monday, September 20, 2010
You Better Hold On
Let's consider the second part of this verse of scripture from I Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things; hold fast what is good." To hold fast is to guard from loss, hold down, possess, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully. In this verse it implies, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully, Gods Word. Do not accept anything that sounds good but is not inspired by the Holy Spirit, but hold fast to what is good. Applying these definitions to the words "Hold Fast" it should be apparent that a possiblity exists that the Word of God or the things of God can be taken or stolen from a believer. This is also seen in other verses of scripture.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
(Hebrews 10:23) Let us guard, adhere to firmly and acknowledge the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Never doubting, being unsteady, wavering in the promises or declarations made to believers in Gods Word through Christ, because God is faithful, He does not nor cannot lie. Again, believers are to hold fast, guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully Gods Word. In Revelations 2:25 Jesus speaking to the church at Thyatira says, "But hold fast what you have till I come."
Jesus is pointing out another level of what holding fast indicates. For believers to hold fast to Gods Word implies a struggle that someone or something is trying to wrestle it away from them. In this church Jesus reveals as Jezebel was a self-proclaimed prophetess to king Ahab her husband and the influence that she had over him which influenced Gods people in a negative way, that there were false prophetesses in this church that were influencing many with false carnal doctrine. However, Jesus encourages the ones that had not accepted this false doctrine to guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully His Word no matter what it takes until He returns which will mark the end of their conflict with evil. This then brings us back to why it is so important for believers to fully understand the Parable of the Soils. It reveals how much we must gurad ourselves from the wiles of the devil.
And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15) Again, it is very apparent that the Word of God can be taken, robbed, stolen from believers if they do not have a foundation of Gods Word to build upon and hold fast to. Believers are in a conflict, a struggle… "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
(Jude 3)
Jude is exhorting believers to strenuously defend, as in a contest, the truth that they had received. Many believers know the LORD as their personal Savior, but they do not always know the privileges and promises that they have in Him and how to receive them. Could it be that many believers do not have a solid foundation of Gods Word in their hearts? Could this be due to Satan coming immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts? Let's face it, faith grows through the very things that the devil comes to steal from the hearts of believers.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
(Hebrews 10:23) Let us guard, adhere to firmly and acknowledge the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Never doubting, being unsteady, wavering in the promises or declarations made to believers in Gods Word through Christ, because God is faithful, He does not nor cannot lie. Again, believers are to hold fast, guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully Gods Word. In Revelations 2:25 Jesus speaking to the church at Thyatira says, "But hold fast what you have till I come."
Jesus is pointing out another level of what holding fast indicates. For believers to hold fast to Gods Word implies a struggle that someone or something is trying to wrestle it away from them. In this church Jesus reveals as Jezebel was a self-proclaimed prophetess to king Ahab her husband and the influence that she had over him which influenced Gods people in a negative way, that there were false prophetesses in this church that were influencing many with false carnal doctrine. However, Jesus encourages the ones that had not accepted this false doctrine to guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully His Word no matter what it takes until He returns which will mark the end of their conflict with evil. This then brings us back to why it is so important for believers to fully understand the Parable of the Soils. It reveals how much we must gurad ourselves from the wiles of the devil.
And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15) Again, it is very apparent that the Word of God can be taken, robbed, stolen from believers if they do not have a foundation of Gods Word to build upon and hold fast to. Believers are in a conflict, a struggle… "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
(Jude 3)
Jude is exhorting believers to strenuously defend, as in a contest, the truth that they had received. Many believers know the LORD as their personal Savior, but they do not always know the privileges and promises that they have in Him and how to receive them. Could it be that many believers do not have a solid foundation of Gods Word in their hearts? Could this be due to Satan coming immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts? Let's face it, faith grows through the very things that the devil comes to steal from the hearts of believers.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Monday, March 22, 2010
No Yeast Please
The disciples of Jesus had just witnessed the supernatural on two separate occasions among a multitude of 5000 and 4000 men, not counting women and children. Jesus healed the sick, diseased and injured and then multiplied the fishes and loaves which feed both groups with abundant leftovers. He and His disciples departed from the multitudes but then encountered a group of Pharisees who were seeking a sign to be showed to them. Jesus refused knowing that signs and wonders would not convince them that He was the Son Of God. Matthew 16:5-7 and Mark 8:14-17 reveals two important things.
First the disciples were concerned about their lack of bread to eat even though they just witnessed the Father's will to heal and provide. Next Jesus uncovers an issue that had gripped the disciples and prevented them from seeing and understanding spiritual things. It had stifled their faith resulting in a hardened heart. Jesus warns them to beware of the leaven (teachings) of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod. He was telling them that the teaching of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod had influenced them and that their poisonous doctrine had blinded them and prevented them from understanding the supernatural because it neutralizes faith and causes hard hearts. So what are the three leavens that had blinded the disciples eyes and minds, neutralized their faith and cause a harden heart?
Luke 12:1 reveals the leaven of the Pharisees, it is hypocrisy which is transliterated from the Greek to mean play-acting. Today it is called “LEGALISM”…Having strict rules that breeds dead works, behavior modification and performance. Legalism says, “If I can do enough good things, give enough money, pray, praise, study avoid sin God will bless me". It breeds perfectionism which leads to the a sense that we will never please God. Legalism focuses on us, rather than on Christ and His completed work at Calvary.
ACTS 23:8 reveals the leaven of the Sadducees. This is the leaven of unbelief. Today it is called theological liberalism. Theological liberalism rejects the supernatural and looks for alternative explanations for the supernatural found in Scripture or when it is encountered in the church today. They basically go through the motions of ceremonial religion as if that was all Christianity consists of. The problem is unbelief. The effects of this poisonous unbelieving leaven is, unbelief prevent believers from being free and receiving all that Christ has done for them.
Matthew 10:1-14 is a good example of the leaven of Herod. The leaven of Herod is using worldly practices to accomplish goals, better known as pragmatism, the means is justified by the end. For Herod, pragmatism meant that he was willing to do anything and justify anything in order to accomplish his goals. Worldly practices in the church today use whatever means to accomplish our goals not Gods plans or put another way, to get things the way we want them to be. Worldly practices encourage dishonesty, deception and or manipulation to get the required results. These methods express unbelief that the Father will do what actually is needed. There are many man made, man inspired programs in the church today that use worldly practices to entice people to visit a church as well as to keep people in the church.
Unfortunately many believers today have fallen prey to these poisonous doctrines that have been promoted in the church for centuries. Believers must seek Gods help in removing any and every one of these leavens from their lives and allow faith to arise and believe that God can and is willing to take care of all spiritual, physical, financial and material needs. The day of unwavering faith in Christ is upon us and the church must respond if we are going to stand in this evil day. Remember, "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump".
First the disciples were concerned about their lack of bread to eat even though they just witnessed the Father's will to heal and provide. Next Jesus uncovers an issue that had gripped the disciples and prevented them from seeing and understanding spiritual things. It had stifled their faith resulting in a hardened heart. Jesus warns them to beware of the leaven (teachings) of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod. He was telling them that the teaching of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod had influenced them and that their poisonous doctrine had blinded them and prevented them from understanding the supernatural because it neutralizes faith and causes hard hearts. So what are the three leavens that had blinded the disciples eyes and minds, neutralized their faith and cause a harden heart?
Luke 12:1 reveals the leaven of the Pharisees, it is hypocrisy which is transliterated from the Greek to mean play-acting. Today it is called “LEGALISM”…Having strict rules that breeds dead works, behavior modification and performance. Legalism says, “If I can do enough good things, give enough money, pray, praise, study avoid sin God will bless me". It breeds perfectionism which leads to the a sense that we will never please God. Legalism focuses on us, rather than on Christ and His completed work at Calvary.
ACTS 23:8 reveals the leaven of the Sadducees. This is the leaven of unbelief. Today it is called theological liberalism. Theological liberalism rejects the supernatural and looks for alternative explanations for the supernatural found in Scripture or when it is encountered in the church today. They basically go through the motions of ceremonial religion as if that was all Christianity consists of. The problem is unbelief. The effects of this poisonous unbelieving leaven is, unbelief prevent believers from being free and receiving all that Christ has done for them.
Matthew 10:1-14 is a good example of the leaven of Herod. The leaven of Herod is using worldly practices to accomplish goals, better known as pragmatism, the means is justified by the end. For Herod, pragmatism meant that he was willing to do anything and justify anything in order to accomplish his goals. Worldly practices in the church today use whatever means to accomplish our goals not Gods plans or put another way, to get things the way we want them to be. Worldly practices encourage dishonesty, deception and or manipulation to get the required results. These methods express unbelief that the Father will do what actually is needed. There are many man made, man inspired programs in the church today that use worldly practices to entice people to visit a church as well as to keep people in the church.
Unfortunately many believers today have fallen prey to these poisonous doctrines that have been promoted in the church for centuries. Believers must seek Gods help in removing any and every one of these leavens from their lives and allow faith to arise and believe that God can and is willing to take care of all spiritual, physical, financial and material needs. The day of unwavering faith in Christ is upon us and the church must respond if we are going to stand in this evil day. Remember, "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump".
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