Category Archives: Christian Metaphysics

Fear of God.

The fear of the lord has been said to only be reverence or worship to God. This is a half-truth, and because it is said as a whole truth, then it is a false claim. Jesus for example, when quoting the Old Testament to the Devil, used the word for “worship” in the place of “fear the Lord.” However, it is not as if this was the only time fear of the lord is mentioned in the entire bible.

This is one fault I find in the faith preachers; they often say fear of God is only reverence, but it is more than that.

We are told to fear God in a similar way we fear a King. If we were part of king Solomon’s’ inner consul, yet we betrayed him and sided with rebels and traitors, then what would Solomon do to us? The conclusion is grammar school level easy. You should fear the wrath of the king if you do that. The same with God. If we were to fear the wrath of king Solomon, then how much more the King of Kings? As Jesus said “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28).

“For evil people have no future;
the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

My child, fear the Lord and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
from the Lord and the king?”
Prov. 24:20-21

We ought to see how Jesus fulfilled the law for us, forgave us and already made us children of heaven. Thus it is correct to say, out of love to God for these good things, we should seek to purify ourselves in this wicked world and separated ourselves to Him. Peter says we sin because we forget how forgiven, pure and highly loved we are.

However, in this context, we cannot say, it is only out of love but no fear that we strive to mature ourselves in Christ. Jesus is always the King of Kings. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. It is always applicable that if you rebel against God and side with unbelief and traitors, you should fear His wrath. This context never stops being a context for any created being, particularly mankind.

However, the application of seeking God out of love is about an established repeating of thought. We are to fear Almighty God, knowing He alone holds life and condemnation. This is a truth. It will always be part of our thoughts. We can be lazy and numb, and thoughts of God’s wrath are helpful to inspire us to correct ourselves. It is often the fear of God’s judgement that will help divide so-called Christians from false and true, by spurring the true Christian to stop sinning and return to God in repentance. One of the promises of the New Contract (Jeremiah 32:40) is that God will put the fear of God into our hearts, along with the love for Him, by wanting to obey His commandments. It is not an either or, it is both.

The bible is full of God’s dreadful wrath. He drowned the whole world. He kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart (which meant Pharaoh was willing to let the people go), so that God’s full measure of wrath was poured out on Egypt. Even though God forgave David for his sin, He still killed the child and caused him on going troubles for the rest of his life. The things God caused to happen to Jerusalem (out of His wrath on the) by Babylon’s hand is horrific and should inspire repulsion.

To fear God is a glorious and noble thing, because God is the ultimate judge of man. No one can cause more harm to man, than a wrathful God. The fear of God’s dreadful wrath and the ultimate cumulation of this in hell, is supposed to lead to wisdom. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. That is, it should cause you to “run from evil.” This is good. Yet, it is only the beginning of wisdom. The maturity of wisdom “runs to God” to find forgiveness, and then greater wisdom “runs to God” to freely receive all good things from Him. Because we are to always run from evil, this fear of God’s judgement never stops from being in play. The person who does not fear God’s wrath, is a walking corpse, they just don’t know it yet.

However, when Jesus and the disciples often talked about not being mindful of worry (repeated thinking) and fear, it is contrasted with being constantly mindful of your heart established on grace, the law already fulfilled in you through Christ, on no condemnation for those in Christ, on God’s supply, on God’s nearness to help, that you have already passed from death to life and sit with Christ in the heavenly places.

We are instructed to set our minds in heaven with Christ, because our life is hidden with Him there. John says we should know we are truly born-from-God, and if so, then all fear of condemnation is gone, because God’s love dives it complete away. We are commanded to constantly look to Jesus for help in our fight against sin, who is the author and finisher of our faith. He wants to help and promises to do so. We are never told to do this in regards to fearing God. God’s fear is part of thinking about God’s truth as a whole, such as Psalm 1, in the sense we are always to run from evil. Also, if a particular group or persons were in willful sin, they need to again meditate on the fear of God. Those in sin, have forgotten the beginning of wisdom and need to remember where wisdom begins. How can they move on to greater wisdom, if they have forgotten the starting of wisdom?

If one is in greater levels of sin, whether an unbeliever or church goer, you need to fear God’s wrath and hell. If you are truly saved, it will help you. If you are confident of your standing in God, remember He disciplines (Heb. 12) (not condemn) his beloved children. It might be painful for a moment but turn to God and you will be healed, forgiven and restored. Remember, for God’s children Jesus is ministry is only of the good things He mediated for you. He does not give sickness; He takes it away. He does no give pain: He takes it away. In the indirect sense of relationship (not ultimate level), He might hand someone over to Satan (temporarily) to experience bad things, to wake them up and lead them to repentance. Yet, regarding your direct relationship to Jesus Christ, He is not a minister of pain, sickness or hardship; rather, He only ministers salvation and help and joy. He is the Christian’s best friend, so much so, He gave up His life for you. He is on your side.

Hebrews says it is good for the heart to be established on God’s unmerited favor, not about how the King’s wrath is kindled if you betray Him. Jesus tells us to forgive others, because if we do not, God will not forgive you. That is, if you cannot forgive, it means you are a reprobate, and were never forgiven by God and filled with His Spirit in the first place. However, we are told to forgive others, by thinking about much God loves us, and has forgiven us.

The fear of the Lord is like putting off the old man. Wisdom tells us we “start” by taking off the old. You flee sexual temptation. Out of the fear of the Lord, you put off the old man. This is the negative part, in the since it is about pulling away (or running from) from something, or pushing off. However, the positive part of putting on the new man, is having the love of God fill your soul with His Spirit and truth. All obedience is part of the broad category of fearing the Lord, but the Scripture often emphasizes obeying God out of favor or love to Him. It is positive in the since you are drawing closer to it.

The one repeated ordinance of Christianity is directly about remembering God’s love for us in the atonement. The atonement does have God’s condemnation, but it is a past judgment of our sin upon Jesus Christ. Paul, John and Jesus all refer to His atonement as remembering His love for us. In Jesus’ ministry and command there is a repeated focus on healing, healing and healing. Jesus could have spent more time talking about hell, but He kept healing. We are to know all biblical truths and affirm them without doubt or hesitation. We are to think about and meditate on all aspects of doctrine. However, there is a focus for us to repeat (daily, over and over) and mediate on the good promises of God toward us in Christ, more than other truths. In our constant daily or hourly prayers, our need and God’s constant unmerited supply naturally puts the truths of His love and promises before us. We are to be in repeated thankfulness for His goodness to us in Christ, know He has saved us and will continue to do so in both spiritual and material aspects.

In this context it is appropriate to say, “out of love we strive to grow in maturity in Christ.”

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful…”
Colossian 3:1-5 NLT.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”
1 John 3:1-3 NIV.

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law,
but under grace.”
Romans 6:14 NIV.

“The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”
Peter 1:8-9 NLT.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
1 Corinthian 3:71-18 NIV.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners
    and [freedom from] blindness,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” [Isaiah 61:1-2]

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””
Luke 4:18-20 NIV.[1]

A few big takeaways from this is simple. Those who have a clear and continual memory that God has completely forgiven and purified them, are those who walk in Christian obedience and good character. Those who have a constant focus on their superior identity in Christ, which is now with Christ in heaven, are those who purify their behavior on earth. The more spiritual minded you are the more holy you become. Also, those who have clear and constant faith in knowing they are children of the most high God, and the hope of what this means, are those who purify themselves on earth. Also, those who are constantly aware of the abundant supply of God’s unmerited favor, are those who experience freedom from the power of sin. That is, not conscience of their sin, or issues of forgiveness, but repeatedly conscience of their righteousness in Christ and God’s unmerited favor, are those who experience freedom.

Lastly, those filled with the Spirit, and particularly the baptism of the Spirit, are freed from besetting sins, trials, health conditions and many more. Jesus was Baptized with the Spirit and by this made a point to emphasis this meant freeing people, particularly from health conditions. The Spirit brings freedom to the whole condition of man, from spiritual to material. The Spirit is power to set free. Jesus commands us to have the same baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:1-8). By this we are endowed with power to experience supernatural freedom, and to help bring freedom to others. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is indeed great power for freedom.

When Jesus predicted Peter’s betrayal, Jesus said He prayed for his faith to not fail and encouraged him that he has prepared a place for Him in His Father’s house. It is not that Jesus forgot about the fear of the Lord, but it is presupposed here as a foundation. Jesus’ focus for Peter is the forward call of God through Him and the good things available to Peter in this irrevocable call.

Oddly, even if the faith teachers do not understand what they are doing, they are in essence fearing the lord, by obeying His commands to receive all His good promises. All these good promises are commands. To turn from unbelief (siding with traitors) and seeking to obtain these in faith, is to obey and fear the King. This is not to say their “fear of the Lord” is perfect, but they are pragmatically doing a big part of it. Thus, they are better at fearing the Lord, than those who talk often of fearing the Lord, but suppress faith, healing on demand, miracles and baptism of the Spirit.

Lastly, I think it is important to make that distinction of the emotional, fleshly, slavery of fear and attacks of Satan, in contrast to fearing God. One of the most repeated commands in the bible is not to fear. This is referring to putting fear in things that are not God, and this would include man, trials, demons or emotions.

I think some who have a history of Satan attacking them with fear and dread, might think we when say we need to fear God, irrationally equate the two. Indeed, some know the truth about fearing God and are willfully rejecting it. These need to be rebuke harshly. But there are others, usually through bad teaching, and abuse from demonic attacks might have confusion how demons use fear and what it means to fear God. The fleshly fear is emotional and feeling. From this foundation of emotion and blindness of heart, demons irrationally lead people to conclude dreaded outcomes. It makes the flesh and emotions a first principle of truth over the Scripture. Demonic attacks of fear is defined by emotions of dread, then using emotions to make conclusions that say there is no hope, no mercy from God and no way out. This is a lie against scripture. Do not endure this. You have the authority to rebuke Satan and make him flee from you. Caste out the kingdom of darkness in the authority of Jesus’ name. Sometime Satan’s attack is more than lies against the truth, but emotional and irrational. You have the authority to command such harassment to leave. This is not demonic possession, but Satan will still attack Christians with lies against the truth and even spiritual force attacks of irrational emotions. In both cases, the Christian has the truth and has the power to rebuff and destroy all such attacks. The kingdom of God is more than just truth, it is also power. Pure unfettered power!

Godly fear is foundationally intellectual and spiritual. It is an intellectual understanding of God’s authority of King and His power over life and condemnation. Remember Solomon’s proverb? He says this as a father who instructs their child. “Remember to fear both God and the king, their wrath is real. Therefore, do not go down the evil path. I will show you a better way.” It is not emotional dread, with no way out. There is many, many repeated exhortations in scripture to turn from sin and find mercy and help. The story of the prodigal son is a great picture of this. Thus, God’s fear tells you to fear the King who has the power of life and death, but Scripture also tells you there is a way out even if you have transgressed. We are pointed to the finished work of Jesus Christ. Mercy triumphs over judgment for all those who fear God, by putting their trust in His unfailing mercy.[2]

To repent and be reconciled to God is a command. Thus, confession of sins and trusting God to full His promises of love and unmerited favor is to fear God by obeying Him. He wants this. By His own will and desire, He wanted your faith in Him to forgive and lavish you with unmerited favor to be part of what it means to “fear the Lord.” Healing is also a command for those who are sick, Jams 5:13-15. To reject this is disobedient and not fearing God. By God’s own good pleasure, He wanted your faith to be healed and lavish you with finial help to part of what it means to “fear the Lord.” Thus, to doubt God’s good promises for forgiveness, imputed righteousness, sonship, healing, prosperity and miracles is life spent not fearing God.

The doctrine of the fear of the Lord always applies. It applied to Adam before the fall, to mankind after the fall, to us now and forever. However in Christ our new identity is our special focus. Our new man is renewed by seeing our glorious image in the glorious image of Jesus. As the Father loves the Son, He loves us. As the Father receives the Son, He receives us. As all things are under Jesus feet, they are under our feet. As Jesus is healthy, so are we in this world. As Jesus is righteous before the Father, so are we.

“For it is good that the heart be established by [unmerited favor].”
Hebrews 13:9

People might sometimes attribute laws as just being negative. Don’t do this, don’t touch this. However, this is wrong. Many commands and laws are also wrapped up in precious and gracious promises. Take for example forgiveness of sins and being saved. The promise is that for all who call upon the lord will be saved; they will not be put to shame. Yet this is also a command, for Paul says in Acts17 to the Greeks that God has commanded all to repent and thus be saved. The same for healing. It is not optional to keep your mouth shut if God has done something good for you. James says in chapter 5 to give a praise report. This is not a self-help tip. It is a command. The same with healing. The command is not to merely pray with the elders for healing, but to be healed in faith. Healing is not merely a precious promise, it is a command.

Not all laws are negative. For example, a country can say you have the “freedom” to say ‘x,’ or do ‘y.’ This what the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus means. It is a law declaring our freedom, both “from” something and “to” do something. The usually Scriptural emphasis is what we are “free to do” in the law of life. We are free “from” the power of sin, but we are also free “to” approach God’s throne to ask and receive.

This is one difference between the Law of the Old Testament and New. It is not that one exclusively says “do not,” and the other “you are free to do this.” Yet there is a difference in emphasis. The law is more focused on what you must do or not do, in order to be righteousness and stay righteous. The Law of the Spirit of Life, emphasizes all the good things you get to do, because you are already righteous in Christ. The law of the Spirit transfers you to a place of victory, and from this place of victory you fight, because joy has overwhelmed you knowing you cannot lose the good reward promised you in Christ. The Apostles had no issue reminding us in their letters that we are not to do this or that(morals of the Old Law do not stop from being in play); however, the emphasis of the Apostles is the freedom to receive all the good things given to us and freedom to do good things, because we are already righteous in Christ.

Benny Hinn, “The privilage of justification, is no longer living under the threat of punishment.”[3] The law of the Spirit of life, with the impute righteousness of Jesus as the foundation, frees us from the fear that we need be reconciled to God or the fear of losing our special insider status with God. This freedom and peace is foundational to a growth in sanctification. The New testament writers referred to some in their letters as knowing their election of God. Therefore when there is laziness and willful sin, we are told to check and make sure our election is sure. Having this confidence helps us in sanctification, because it removes both fear, and or delusion about oneself. One of Satan’s tactics involves fear, which hinders sanctification. The bible mentions a slavery to fear, because it is a real danger and weapon of the evil one. We have been freed from the slavery of fear, and now have the Spirit of sonship bursting in our souls. The kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, or fear or worry, but joy, power, a sound mind and righteousness.

Recall this section is about salvation as a subcategory of reality and causality, which is by God’s absolute sovereignty. We then moved into sanctification as a continuation of this. Thus, we did not get into all the specifics of what we do, but how God causes us to be sanctified. The Contract says God will write His laws in our souls, so that we obey Him and will never depart from obeying Him. God promised by His Son’s blood and death, that He will do this in us. It is certain. It is reality. It is already accomplished by the finished work of Jesus Christ. You are free! You are already under the power of the Spirit crying out in you, I am a child of God. You are already transferred from being under sin, to being under the dominating force of God’s unmerited favor.

The Spirit in conversion is endless power for intelligence and the subcategory of ethics.[4] But the Spirit of God is more that. We just learned the Spirit is endless Power of freedom for the whole man, both spiritual and material. In addition to all this endless power for so many categories, the Spirit is also endless power for missional aspects and expanding the Kingdom of God.

[1] [] and emphasis by Author

[2] The exception is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But those who commit this sin, are often too blind to be convinced they committed it.

[3] Benny Hinn, “Special Message -Romans 8,” from Youtube Aug 24^th 2022.

[4] “Man’s moral nature distinguishes him from the animals, and so it seems that it is a part of the image of God. But what is the basis of this moral nature, and how does it operate? Even animals “obey” God’s commands, but instead of doing so on the basis of understanding and volition, they are compelled by instinct. On the other hand, man receives and understands a divine command, and then decides to obey it or defy it. He can comprehend the concepts of good and evil, and he can discuss them by the use of language. This means that man is moral precisely because he is rational. Morality is a function of intelligence or rationality. Therefore, although to have a moral nature is part of what it means to be a human person, it is not necessary to include it as part of the basic definition for the image of God.”

Vincent Cheung. Systematic Theology. 2010. Pg 120.

Do Not Manipulate God Like This

There is much bad teaching about the “will of God,” regarding prayer and faith, and so I do not fault you for being confused and looking for direction.

Due to the large volume of bad teaching on this I could write a book about it. However, for brevity I will say a few generalized things, and then address your specific question about Jesus’ prayer.

1. The term “will of God,” can either mean, “God’s sovereign decree or control (etc),” or it can refer to God’s commandments and precepts. These are vastly different subjects. The context will determine this. Thus, make sure that you do not have confusion about this because you are making a category fallacy by mixing this up with specific passages. Even seasoned theologians make this mistake.

2. When it comes to healing and faith in prayer, the bible, almost never, and referring Jesus, NEVER refers to the “will of God.” Instead, the reference is to the “will of man.” This is the main hilltop the bible address. Jesus never said, “according to the will of God,” you are healed, or saved from sins. Jesus kept saying things like, “your faith has saved or healed you.” Your faith to be healed is about your “will” to be relieved from this pain and to feel better. Jesus says it is your faith (your will) that heals you, not God’s.

3. When we address God specifically in prayer to ask for things, we relate to Him on the issue of the “will of man,”[1] because this is how God has relationship to us. Of course, we are never to forget the sovereignty of God and His decrees, but we do not directly talk to Him and receive from Him on this level. Jesus said, if “you” seek, the “you” will find. If “you” ask, then “you” will receive. Jesus said if His words abide in you and you in Him, “you” will ask whatever you want and “you” will get it. This “will of man,” or the human level, is how God has “direct” relationship or fellowship with “you.” The super prophet Isaiah told king Hezekiah that he was going to die. This was obviously God’s will because God said it, or is God a liar? Even if God is testing, God does not lie. King Hezekiah, did not have direct relationship with God by saying, “This is your “will,” so I accept this.” No, he asked God to have mercy on him and heal him. Hezekiah had relationship with God on the foundation of “the will of man.” God accepted both his relationship and faith, and God added 15 years back to him.

About your specific question when Jesus prays, “not my will, but your will be done.”

Two things.

One is the context. Jesus is already in a formal contract and agreement with the Father for ministry. Most of us are NOT in this context. Let that sink in. The apostle Paul, was in this context. The Holy Spirit said he would go to specific cites to preach and would suffer. Paul accepted this ministry call from God. After Paul accepts this ministry, he is not “free” to leave. He gave God his word or vow, and so he must fulfill it. Thus, you read Paul in end of Romans saying, he wants to go to Spain, if “the Lord wills.” In context of his specific ministry call and the things he has promised to do for God in ministry, this makes sense. If going to Spain was not part of the original call and agreement, then Paul can only ask if God would make an amendment to the original agreement. In this type of “context,” God might or might not. The same for Jesus. Jesus has already agreed to do the “will of God,” (sovereign plan of redemption). In this context it makes sense to say, “if there is a way to change the contract so that I do not have to go through this, then do so, but since I have already agreed to this, I will do it no matter what.” In essence, Jesus ends this prayer in a prayer of dedication, so that the prayer as a whole, is based on “dedication,” with a particular point, “if there can be an amendment to the contract.” The next point will show the significance of this. Most of us, and even many in ministry are not in these types of binding agreements with God. And thus, in this alone, Jesus’ prayer is not applicable to the vast majority of all types of prayer. The fallacy people make here is to take a particular type of prayer and context and apply it in a general way.

This is obviously not applicable to normal everyday troubles, where God explicitly gives many promises that He wants to answer the prayers of the “will of man,” to be helped, healed and blessed.

Second. Prayer has 2 basic mode types. One is a prayer of dedication and other is petition. (Even praise could be categorized as dedication). If you do one type, you cannot do the other. They exclude the other. You either do one or the other.

Dedication is asking God for His plans and will to be done.

Petitions is asking God to do you plans and will.

It is true that sometimes we have overlapping desires. In our human relationships, even if there is mutual desires, if we want to be “sincere,” for example in buying a gift for a family member, we will do all we can to buy the gift we know “they” want, and not us. Therefore, if you are to be “sincere” with God in prayer, you must either do a dedication prayer or petition type prayer, and not mix them up. People will mix them up and play the part of a hypocritical Pharisee. They asked God to bless their will, but, in order to appear more humble than they are, will reverse their petition prayer into a dedication prayer by saying, “if it is your will.” Logically, such a prayer is not even a prayer, because the contradictory prayers cancel each other out. Its like saying this to your husband, “I bought this dress for me, but not my will, but yours be done, therefore, this dress is for you.” Not only does it not make since, it comes across as false humility.

You do not need to manipulate God like this. Pray with clarity and to the point. If you dedicate something like praise, or time, money or hard work to God’s will and desires, then let it be just that. If you are asking for God to bless your will and desire, then let it be just that.

God’s will and plan is to bless your will and plan, when they are asked in sincere faith, in accordance with God’s promise. Because God gave promises to bless us, we know that God has already convinced Himself to bless our will and plans. He wanted this. If you have faith, the Father will give you what you ask. He wants to bless you. He likes faith. God does not like convoluted, contradictory, manipulated and false humanity prayers.

Asks and receive. It really is that simple. God likes this.

[1] This phrase and focus of the “Will of man,” by Vincent Cheung, from his essay, “Healing: the Will of Man.”

Nazism, Communism and Christianity

Hitler used the emotional pull of nationalism (appealing to nationalism is something almost all governments in all times have done—in some form– from its people since the dawn of time), as a slip of hand, to enforce his Darwinian Eugenics.

When the Japanese government wants to protect the Japanese way of life and its borders through rallying the people, (thus engage in nationalism) it is not as though they are now Nazis. When Israel says it ought to protect their way of life and its borders from those around them (i.e. nationalism), it is not as if they are Nazis. Or does nationalism make Jews Nazis? That would be a logical fallacy in more than one way. If a liberal gets their wish and this very hour the government is transformed into their ideal form of government, does it make them a Nazi or fascist because they are now proud or like their government? But I digress.

Nationalism is a tool to be used. It is a sub, sub category of other philosophy questions: it is not an ultimate question about First Principles of knowledge, Logic or of Metaphysics or Ontology or Ethics.

In America, biblical principles were used to form the government, although it was only partial, for there were other philosophies used as well. For example, I do not believe the bible supports a democracy. This is where things get a little convoluted. To “conserve” (i.e. conservatives, or conservatism) means to stay with your initial or original starting point, or standard or epistemology. This is often called the “right.” To be liberal means to liberate from this original starting point because you believe all or part of it is false. This is often called the “left.”

Therefore when referring to the scripture, it is always wrong to be liberal, and always right to be a conservative. However, with governments, this get complicated because their starting points are often mixed and or unclear. Since the Western world was so heavily influenced by Christianity, and the much modern liberal movement (for the last 100 years) is about liberating Christianity from the government, homes and culture, we will broadly define the terms from this point, although there is more to it.

Thus any philosophy of government that liberates from biblical principles is “liberal,” “left,” and any attempts (as imperfect as they are) to stay with biblical ones are conservative or right. Thus, Nazism and Communism are both far left or liberal governments, for both heavily liberate from the Biblical and its worldview.

Totalitarianism is ruling a people, with all power given to one or a few. King David as a king ruled by totalitarianism. Jesus does as well. But neither King David or Jesus are Nazis or Karl Marx. Just because a star is round and an apple is round, does not make them the same thing. Since the bible is the starting point for all knowledge, then any correct aspect of government was first stolen from the bible, and then corrupted with additional speculations from men.

We will deal with Nazism in particular, but fascism is the same. It is categorically impossible to say fascism(or Nazism) is right and communism left because both fascism and communism are founded on the epistemology of empiricism and the metaphysical of Darwinism’s evolution and survival of the strongest. Hitler’s form of fascism argues a more direct connection from Darwinism to fascism but fascist like Mussolini went from Darwin to Nietzsche to fascism. Nietzsche using Darwinism said God is dead and man is a “superman” who rules by strength and not weak things such as kindness. Thus all forms of fascism is a denial or contradiction of Christian epistemology, metaphysics, logic and ethics. All forms of fascism are liberal to all Christian foundations and doctrines about reality. Every answer of ultimate questions that Christianity gives, fascism liberates from it.

Let us go over the basics of these government’s ultimate questions.

**Nazism: is Darwinism plus Eugenics with the ethic that they ought to force natural selection and survival of the fittest with totalitarianism. Fascism, in general would replace direct Darwin ethics with Nietzsche ethics, which are founded on Darwinism.

Nazi Epistemology – Empiricism (knowledge through sensation).
Nazi Metaphysis – naturalism and natural selection
Nazi Ethics – People OUGHT to enforce a natural selection for the good of man by totalitarianism. (or Fascism (Nietzsche: The new superman ought to rule by might)

**Communism: is Darwinism plus the theological idea that man is inherently good, plus the ethic that man ought to have this goodness in man ensured by the force of totalitarianism.

As a side note I must say as irrational as Hitler was in making a “ought” from descriptive premises of metaphysics, at least I understand his invalid, inductive direction. He sees survival of the fittest (thinks he does), and then metamorphoses (invalidly) this into an ethic. Marx was beyond stupid and irrational. He believed in evolution and Darwinism, but instead of embracing survival of the fittest as an ethic as Hitler did, he decided to neutralize the metaphysics he affirmed as an ethic. LOL? So he both invalidates what he affirms as a metaphysics, and then metamorphoses this into an ethic. Its like saying, “humans are organic. This is a human. Therefore, we will use government to replace their bodies with non-organic material, because it is morally good to not have an organic body.” Beyond stupid. There are so many category fallacies its hard to keep up.

Communism Epistemology – Empiricism (knowledge through sensation)
Communism Metaphysics – is naturalism and Darwinism.
Communism Ethics – it is morally good to oppose survival of the fittest observed in Darwinism and use government to force (people who are born inherently good -whatever that means) to be economic and social equals.

**Christianity: The scripture is the only starting point. Metaphysics is God’s absolute and direct control over all things. And ethics is God’s command.

Christian Epistemology – Contradicts Empiricism.
Christian Metaphysics – Contradicts Naturalism, national section and contradicts that man is inherently good.
Christian Ethics – contradicts government “ought” to use force to ensure natural section, and contradicts that government “ought” to enforce the inherent goodness of man by equalizing economic and social levels.

Thus, Christianity has no contact with Nazism or Communism in any important aspect of ultimate questions. To conserve to Christianity would be to liberate from both Nazism and Communism. Also to conserve to either Nazism or Communism would to be liberate from Christianity.

The question is who does have contact with the important philosophy topics of these two systems? American liberals. Liberal theologians.

Who has empiricism for their Epistemology?
Who has naturalism or Darwinism for their metaphysics?
Who has Nietzsche as their ethics?

Those who do, have foundational contact with Nazism/fascism and communism the ultimate questions of life. These are liberal, left government philosophies, for they liberate from the ultimate questions given by scripture and conserve to anti-biblical epistemologies and metaphysics.

It is a confession of unbelief to say, “in my humanity I can’t.”

I read this today and had these thoughts.

“You have probably heard all your life that God won’t put any burden on you greater than you can bear. Don’t mark me off as a heretic just yet, but I don’t believe it. I believe that God will put heavier burdens on you than you can bear, especially when He is trying to bring you to the place of brokenness. God will allow the burden to be greater than you can bear so that you will finally allow Him to bear it for you. God’s purpose in the breaking process is to bring you to the end of your own resources so that you will be ready to understand that He is the only resource you need in life. As long as your own abilities are sufficient to rise to the challenge, you will never understand that He doesn’t just give strength. He is your Strength. In the breaking process, God has no intention of helping you get stronger. He wants you to become so weak that He can express Himself as the strength you need in every situation.”
-(Billy)

This is one of those statements that I agree with it (in part) because I understand what they mean, despite it not being said well, (I say this in a kind way, for I could be harsher with my criticism).

This answer is like the Reformed answer of compatableist, where it answers the question, by not directly dealing with the specific question, by answering another question, and then acting like they directly answered your question.

When the Paul says to the Corinthians that God will not tempt you beyond what you can endure, it is implied or presupposed you are under the grace, supply and power of God as a Christian. The Christian can take burdens that will kill non-Christians, such as an untreatable sickness. They can survive because they are already born-again and have faith. It does not necessarily mean they every Christian will always win, but that they have the tools and free supply from God to always be successful if they have faith.

Sickness can be a temptation to give into a sin of confessing unbelief. The non-Christian, has no hope, but the Christian can confess Isaiah 53:4 in faith.

I understand the idea of wanting to say “humanly, I can’t do this etc”.. and there is proper place to remind ourselves how we use to be before Jesus saved us. However, If you are a Christian you are not just a human any more, therefore it is a confession of unbelief to say “in my humanity I can’t,” as a correct statement about your present reality. If you are a Christian you are a new creation, a superior species. You are gods; you are a child of God who has God’s DNA in you. You do not have the right to see yourself as only human with human limitations. That old man is dead.

Are burdens too hard for God? Then they are not too hard for you. Are things impossible for God? Then they are not impossible for you. Even if God gives impossible temptations as burdens, then so what? All things are possible for those who believe. God is compassionate and knows if one of His children are weak on faith, and will help them mature. However, the way to grow from immature to maturity is seeing your high identity in God.

God does not want or send you weakness or sickness. Jesus died to free you from weakness and sickness, not give them to you. God sent His word, and healed them. The same for strength. God sends His word (not weakness) and by this we are made strong. Sure, if you are a disobedient child who refuses to be made strong by resting and receiving His Word, He might send Satan to make you weak, and by this cause you to do what you were suppose to do to begin with, which is rely on His Word in faith and by this be strong.

A person who only learns God is their strength by burdens and weakness is not a Christian by definition but a reprobate. A Christian learns God is their strength, ONLY and I mean only, by the Word of God and believing it. Experience is the worst teacher you can have. God’s word is only teacher for the Christian.

Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches. Jesus does not seen up weakness and sickness through the root to the branches, or is Jesus a minister of sickness and weakness and burdens? No. Jesus sends an unmerited and unending supply of righteousness, healing, joy, power, soundness of mind, strength, freedom and love. The Father prunes the branches. He does not give unfruitful branches and grafts them into us. No. We produce unfruitful branches and all the Father does is remove them, so that we can be more fruitful. God takes away burdens and weakness, by giving us freedom and strength. Being a branch grafted into Jesus the vine, is a reality for me; I do not go in and out of being one. I am citizen of heaven, without one line of a sinful record attached to my name. I am a child of God. I am heavenly royalty.

Let the weak say, “I am strong in the strength of the Lord (Eph 6:10.,” and that you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32). Not that the weak, “will” be strong, but” now” is strong. Not that God is strong, but that in God, “I am” strong.

To Reject Christianity is to Reject Thinking

It is always intellectually defective to say anything against the scripture, but recently I heard a comment that was particularly irrational.

Their argument went like this. “Because I have homosexuals in my family, therefore if someone says something against homosexuals, then they are morally wrong, and need public governmental (or an authority) punishment and or to be silenced.”

First. This is a type of ethical dogmatic zealotry, that would make the catholic church portrayed in anime, blush in envy.

Second, the reasoning is so illogical, that it is barely comprehensible.

If I have a family member who is a murderer, then an ethic is produced. It is now morally wrong for any person to say in public that murder is wrong. ??? LoL.

The other ethic they used was “they felt offended.” However I felt offended that they felt offended at their irrational opposition at a biblical ethic. I feel offended at all persons who disrespect my Lord Jesus. If Hitler was offended at the Jews or if I’m offended at a particular skin color, then it produces a dogmatic ethic that the authority or governments use their power to suppress and silence these people?

If all offenses were used to silence other parties who offended, and since there is somebody who is offended at every known worldview, then it would mean the government would have to silence and suppress everyone, including itself. Such an ethic is implausible with reality.

But beyond the implausibility with reality, the knowledge of such an ethic doesn’t exist, except in delusional fantasy.

Ethics is not the same category as metaphysics or reality (any created reality). Ethics is God’s command. God’s command and what He causes is not the same category. Any anti-Christian definition of ethics is intellectual nonsense and even to understand the nonsense of anti-Christian ethics, these must use biblical intelligibility to do so. However, the Bible they presupposes to make up their ethical nonsense, is necessarily true, and says all anti-Christian thinking is false. Thus all anti-Christian systems are false by logical exclusion.[1]

However, a simpler example might be helpful. If I say, “(A) All humans have sinned. (2) Oshea is a human. (3) Therefore mockingbirds are trees,” it is easy to see that I made a category fallacy. My first two premises have nothing to do with the category of mockingbirds or trees. You cannot have different categories in your conclusion and still be rational or intelligible. To have premises about your feelings (being offended), or metaphysical statements about your family, to then conclude in a different category of ethics (something is righteous or unrighteous), is to be intellectually broken. Yet, this is always the history of anti-Christian thinking. To reject Scripture is to reject truth, reject reality and to reject logic.

To boil it down even further, to have “is” statements about reality in your premises (this is that) and conclude with an “ought,” is always invalid and insane. To go from an “is” to an “ought” is unintelligible. To go from descriptive premises of reality to a different category of ethics in the conclusion is not comprehensible. It does not exist in the mind or in reality. It has no being.

It is no less delusional to say, “all cat blues 15 mist happys are houses, and so all people cloud 5s are super 9 flying backward dog 2s,” than saying, “this offends me, it hurts me, therefore it is wrong.”[2] Do you think the latter is more understandable than the first? Really? If you think the second argument is any less delusional than the first, then you are intellectually broken and deceived in an abyss of delusions. This is the bible’s definition of people like you, therefore it is a true definition of you. Obviously, to reject Christianity is to reject ethics, but is much more foundational than that. To reject Christianity is to reject thinking itself.

EndNotes

[1] This understanding of apologetics I got from Vincent Cheung. See Systematic Theology and Ultimate Questions. For a specific reference of the above argument see Captive to Reason, 2009 page 44.

[2] Some might confuse a piece of innate knowledge (Romans 2:15) in them with that is being said in second argument, and by this think it is understandable. Other than presupposing the Scripture to do this, this presupposing of innate knowledge is separate from the argument. The argument as it is, is unintelligible.

There Is No Essential “Me” Left

To sound pious one fool quoted Romans 7 where Paul says, “in me nothing good lives,” to suggest that Christians cannot look inward to see glory, honor, righteousness and immortality.

First Paul was referring to a hypothetical typical Jew, and not to himself after being born from above. Mistaking this for Paul after being re-created in the image of Jesus Christ has caused destructive conclusions and blasphemies.

Second, their conclusion is “apart from God, there is nothing good in me.” There is a serious problem with this. Since “my” inner man is born-from-above and the image of Jesus, and “my” mind is the Mind of Christ, then apart from God, there is no essential “me” left. My old-man is dead, and no longer my identity. This does not mean I live in pragmatic sinlessness, but that my definition and reality is spiritual, divine, and holy. Example, apart from God upholding my body into existence, with the exception of my socks, I have nothing left. The clothes on my body is not my identity or definition. And so, if God destroyed me right now, except my socks, I have nothing essential of my identity and definition left.

Likewise, Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 3 about the fire burring away things not built upon Christ. These dead works are not part of my essential definition and new creation in Christ. Thus, they can be burnt away, and I am still fully “me” and not half of me.

If you have any essential anything that is not your identity being the nature of God and the Mind of Christ, then you are not saved.

If you have been re-created in God’s nature and the Mind of Christ and out of your belly is flowing rivers of living waters, then if you look inward, you will see glory of the image of Jesus. The only way for this not to be true, is if your identity has not been re-created in a new, heavenly reality.

Your inner-man is a new reality, your outer tent that clothes your inner-man, the flesh, and its attraction to empiricism/emotions is not your essential reality. It is secondary, dead, and wasting away. To define “yourself” by the old-man as your essential identity is to define “you” as the old-man, and thus “you” cannot be a new reality in Christ.

To glorify God for the power of the gospel, you must look inward and see “you” as a new divine creature, a superior species, a child of God, being birthed with His nature as your nature. You cannot diminish this reality without destroying the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is not too good to be true. It is very believable because God says it true, and God is trustworthy. Satan and the old-man are liars. God tells you the truth. He tells you correct definitions about reality. Emotions are a lair. God describes reality as it truly is.

A Superior Species

We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden
and that God destined for our glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7

Its all fun, joy and praises when I mention we need to glorify God, praise Him, give Him all the credit, and extol His Name above all others, and this is as it ought to be. However, once I mention how highly God has exalted man as a superior species in Christ, then I am attacked. The reason for this is the church being under the oppression of tradition and false humility. People are stuck at the doorway of forgiveness, being centered on their sin; they are centered on themselves. This doorway into the next life, is so precious and magnificent that they remine there. They never truly inter in the glory and privilege of being children of God. They never experienced what it means to be child and sit at the table of their beloved Father.

The Logic of Denying the Consequent is used throughout the Scripture. If there is a logical necessary connection from the antecedent to the consequent, then if you deny the consequent, you deny the antecedent. The part that makes this work is if the connection is necessary and not merely sufficient. Ultimately, this means it must be a truth, but only God is able to reveal truths. However, since the scripture gives us truth and uses this logic, then so will we.

For example,

Galatians 3:18, “For if the inheritance is of the law, [then] it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

M.1. (P) If inheritance if of the law, (~Q) then inheritance is not by promise.
M.2. ~(~Q) It is by promise.
M.3. ~(P) Thus, inheritance is not by the law.

This example is given to lead to our present subject. If you deny the consequences of man’s highly exalted position produced by Jesus’ atonement, then you deny the atonement. There is no way around this.

Does Jesus sit in the heavenly places?
So does man (Ep. 2:6, Col. 3:1-3).

Is Jesus blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places?
So is man (1:3).

Does Jesus have the Mind of Jesus?
So does man (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Was the gospel predestined for the glory of God?
Yet, it was also predestined for the glory of man (1 Corinthians 2:7)

Does Jesus have direct access to the Father?
So does man (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19)

Is Jesus heir of the world?
So is man (Romans 4:13).

Does everything belong to Jesus, including time?
It also belongs to man ( 1 Corin. 3:23).

Does Jesus have the intellectual and ethical power to judge all things?
So does man ( 1 Corin. 2:15)

Jesus is the only begotten son of God, but in this context, I ask, is Jesus a child of God?
Yet, so is man (1 John 3:1,9, 4:13)

Is creation liberated into the liberty of God?
Yet, it is also liberated into the glorious liberty of man (Romans 8:21).

How glorious and valuable is the resurrected Jesus Christ?
Man also has this glory and image (Romans 8:30)

Did Jesus have the fullness of the Spirit of God on earth? (Acts 10:38)
So does man (Acts 1:1-8)

Does Jesus dwell in the house of God?
So does man (John 14:1-3)

Does God judge Angels?
So does man (1 Corinth. 6:3)

The same love the Father has loved Jesus, Jesus loves man. (John 15:9)

The same love the Father loves Jesus, the Father loves man. (John 17:23

The same glory the Father gave Jesus, Jesus gives this glory to man. (John 17:22)

The same Spirit of God, who knows God exactly (because it is God’s Spirit), God has given to us, so that we have the Mind of Christ.

If we deny pantheism (as the bible does), then we must affirm, as the Scripture does that God does these glorious thing to man, not Himself. When Peter says to humble yourself under God’s hand, he says God will exalt “you” and not Himself. It was Jesus, who created all things and sustains all things by His power, who said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” If this is so for a pagan, how much more is this true for all thing magnificent things God as given His children.

God promised to make Abraham’s name great and famous. Abraham became excessively rich and defeated a combination of many armies. Even to this very day Abraham is sung in the songs of millions and millions of Christians. Even in Heaven Abraham is famous (Matthew 8:11). The promise was to make His friend’s name great, not His, and it happened just as God said. God made Moses like a God to Israel and Pharaoh. God promised to do the same for Joshua, by making him great in the eyes of Israel. It was never recorded that Jesus was teleported by the Spirit, but this glory was given to a man, a table bearer named Philip.

To diminish the glory of man, particularly the born-from-above man, is to diminish the glory of God, because God said He has greatly exalted and glorified man through Jesus Christ. It would be to say God is defective and stupid at accomplishing His desires. To trample on the glory, fame and exaltation God has given His chosen ones is to trample on the blood of Jesus Christ as a common and ineffectual thing.

We are part of Abraham’s blessing, fame and glory (Gal. 3-4).

God does not mind sharing His glory, authority and power, for example, with His friend Abraham or giving the disciples 12 thrones, and all saints the inheritance of being His children; however, what God will not share is the credit and praise that belongs only to Him for all the good things He predestined for our value. Praise and credit is one type of glory (there are many types of glory), however, this type of glory, God will not share. Herod learned this the difficult way. Fame, power, favor, thrones, an eternal name, riches God has no issue lavishing these glories on His friends and children.

God has made us a superior species in Jesus Christ. Any denial of the unmeasurable magnitude of this reality is a denial of the gospel and blood of Jesus. There is no risk of pride, for we know God has give all these things to us by unmerited favor and mercy. Jesus loved us to the point of the cross. To accomplish these great things for us He was nailed to our curses. However, by the magnificent promises of God we partake of the divine nature itself. It is our new identity. We are glad to recognize this and praise God for eternity. We are filled with inexpressible joy for all the good things God as lavished so freely upon us. Oh, what great love this is, that God calls us His highly beloved children.

Judgment OR Salvation

In the scripture the terms “salvation” and “deliverance” have similar meanings, but not the same. Deliverance usually is in the context of judging an enemy to rescue someone out of slavery and trouble. This is seen in Israel crossing the Red Sea and the Egyptians were drowned in it. Salvation includes this, but it also means more (Heb. 9:28). On this judgement aspect the two terms are interchangeable.

When Jesus mentions in John 16 that the Holy Spirit “correct the world about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged,” this is what we mean by deliverance. Judgement is referring to all aspects of power and command that belongs to a ruling king. Salvation is this and the addition of His positive works of righteousness freely given (Romans 5) and positive blessings given to us by His Contract in blood (Hebrews 8).

Jesus executes judgement on Satan by binding him up and blundering his house.

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “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. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters,” (Matthew 12:28-30 NIV). (see Acts 10:38, Heb. 2:10-14, Colossians 2:15)

Jesus is the caption of salvation for His chosen ones. Satan is the chief enemy against Jesus’ kingdom, and thus, the King must deal with Satan to show His power. Jesus does this. Jesus removes the dominion of Satan and replaces it with His dominion. This is Jesus’ judgment and deliverance. The Holy Spirit corrects the souls of men about this, because they have sided with Satan against the Kingdom of God. Satan is defeated; his kingdom is weakening. Soon he, and all who align with his rule, will be thrown into hell. But Jesus’ kingdom will last forever and ever, amen.

In Satan’s dominion, his law was a law of accusation, bondage, and fear. Jesus defeated this. He obtains His Kingdom by war and conquest. Jesus bound, plundered, and casts out Satan; He neutered his power and accusations against His chosen ones. Jesus came to earth and by His power, even power showed in sacrifice, defeated Satan in battle. Jesus is a mighty warrior. The devil defied the saints of God. Jesus with one stone, killed Satan and cut off his head. In Jesus’ atonement and resurrection, it was 100 times truer, “Today the whole world will know there is a God in Israel.”

“Now is the time for judgment on this world;
now the prince of this world will be driven out.”
John 12:31

In Jesus’ dominion, He rules with the law of unmerited favor and sonship. The Father has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 2:13). These additional super blessings of being sons of God, even co-heirs with Jesus and being highly favored by God and not merely forgiven and in a neutral standing with God, is the fuller meaning of “salvation.” The word salvation can mean just judgement or the fuller meaning depending on context. David often used salvation as God both delivering him, and setting his feet in a good and prosperous place. Jesus does this for all His saints through His atonement.

The substitutionary atonement of Jesus is both a deliverance in power and a substitutionary exchange were Jesus gives us His righteousness and highly favored status. Thus, the finished atonement of Jesus is the fuller meaning of salvation.

Submit To Being A Sinner, Or to God’s Command?

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict, and the creature’s part to submit. . . . It is an unreasonable thing not to leave God to the exercise of his own dominion.”
— Stephen Charnock

I saw this quote on social media, and will assume it is correctly attributed and quoted.

Let me see here. The argument being presented here is God’s causality (afflicting), which is the major premise, and the conclusion is an ethic (man submitting). I have already written at length about this issue of making a category fallacy with ontology (God causing) to ethics (what man ought to do). You cannot go from God causing in the premise, to concluding ethics in the conclusion, without human delusion and superstition. The bible does not do this, and the bible does not violate the laws of logic.[1]

Therefore, leaving this broad issue, I want to just show the superstition of this statement by using this statement against itself. We will use the same category of God causing something, and then concluding with another type of ethic.

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict all mankind with being born sinners, and the creature’s part to submit to this; or that is, to be sinners. It is unreasonable to fight God’s sovereignty. If God sovereignly afflicted you to be a sinner you ought to resign yourself to this and be one. If God wills, then maybe one day God will remove this from you, until then be the sinner God caused you to be.”

The problem is obvious. Christian ethics, “what we ought to do,” is based on God’s commandments, not on divining the stars and His causality. It is true God has sovereignly afflicted all mankind to be born with Adam’s sinful record and even with a sinful nature (Romans 5). However, what we “ought” to do about this is not divined from human speculation like voodoo; rather, it comes from what God has commanded us to do in this situation. Pagan superstition will take metaphysics and ontology and conclude an ethics with it. However, it is logically invalid to conclude in a category that is not part of the premises. This logical fallacy is best termed as superstition. A pagan witch doctor will look at reality and causality and superstitiously conclude an ethic. Example: the stars are in this position, an albino animal was seen doing this or that, therefore, we “ought” to do this x or y.

Christianity is not superstition; it starts with God’s revelation and concludes using God’s logic. So what, if God caused you to be born a sinner? There is no promise or command in such a statement about reality, and thus, there is no conclusion for what you ought to do. What has God commanded and promised? God has commanded all to repent and to believe in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation. Even though God caused us to be sinners, He has commanded us to stop being sinners by believing in His Son.

Another problem with the above, is that it disrespects God, by shoving His commands aside. It abuses God’s sovereignty to remove the responsibility of obeying God’s command. This will not work.

The same problems as the above are true, when we apply God’s sovereignty to God inflicting us with sickness and everyday troubles. On the relative level, or from our perspective, Satan causes much or all sickness (Acts10:38). However, on the ultimate level, God causes all things. Even though it was the evil spirit that deceived the false prophets and Ahab, God manipulated it, sent it and even controls its mind.

Thus, God sovereignty afflicts with sickness and troubles, if we are talking about the only real level of causality, which we are because God causes all to be born with Adam’s sinful record and to be sinful in nature.

Back to sickness.

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict all mankind with sickness, and the creature’s part to submit to this, as their ethic; that is, to be sick, until God’s does something different about it…”

Again, this abuses God’s sovereignty to remove the responsibility to obey God’s command. God commands repeatedly in the scripture to get healed. James says if you’re sick, you are to give a prayer of faith, (along with the elders) and God will heal you. And if you have sinned, God will also forgive you. James is not telling you to merely pray about your sickness, but is commanding you to pray and get healed. It is not a suggestion. It is not a suggestion to praise God, when God has done good things for you. God promises to heal when we ask in faith. This is Christian ethics. God’s promises are the new creation, the new identity of the Christian in Christ. It is not optional to get healed, because it is not optional to disobey God, and not optional to operate in your new identity in Christ. It is your responsibility to use your own faith and be healed.

Jacob wrestling God, even when God told him to let Him go, was accepted because God always accepts faith. The lepers and blind men were not healed because God’s sovereignty saved them, but because their faith saved them. This is how Jesus, the most God-centered man who ever lived, framed the issue. Therefore, this is how we will frame the issue. Healing and victory over the troubles of life, are the will of man, not God. This is how God wants you to see it. The blind and lepers did not go to Jesus because God sovereignly healed them first, and thus, conclude from this it is ethical for them to submit to health because God sovereignly caused it. No. They heard the promise of God, which is true Christian ethics, and had faith to obey God. Faith is super high-level obedience to God. Without it, you cannot please God, because without it you are disobeying Him.

Abusing God’s sovereignty to cast aside these commands is of no use. All will be held accountable to submit to them.

The quote talked about “submitting” and “pledging” yourself to what God causes. Why not submit yourself to God’s commands and obey them? Why not resign yourself to obey God’s promises, without debates. How unreasonable would it be to not let the Sovereign Creator command His subjects and expect them to obey Him? Human tradition will use all sorts of biblical language (particularly about God’s sovereignty) to try and remove their accountability from obeying God’s commands. This is a demonic abuse of God’s sovereignty.

Jesus and the apostles repeatedly said we ought to “submit” to obeying God’s commandments. We love God by obeying Him. No amount of abusing God’s sovereignty can remove this accountability off your shoulders. Sure, there is some broad ideas of God’s providence we need to keep in mind, knowing He will work all things and troubles of life to our good. This should give us, not only longsuffering, but also meekness and faith to acquire the promises of God for victory. But even if we are under our Father’s discipline, we are commanded to submit to this by submitting to His commands to repent, overcome and then be blessed. But if you ignore God’s commands that tell you what to do in specific troubles, and you cast them aside like a common thing, then have no confidence God will work all things for the good, for a reprobate like you.

Here is a pro tip. If you are talking about ethics, go to God’s commands and promises and obey them. If a person is talking about submitting to God’s sovereignty, but not His promises, avoid them as if they were dipped in a vat of deadly plague. They have no clue what they are talking about. They stand in the town square calling out to the simple minded. They have perfumed their books and studies with spices, but under the covers of their books they are filled with witchcraft and superstition. The stairs of their houses lead to hell, and their churches to hades. Flee spiritual immorality.

ENDNOTES

[1] For clarity I am referring to deductive logic and basic laws of logic (which is how God’s mind is structured). Deductive logic starts with God revealing, or a God starting point for knowledge. I am not referring to inductive logic, which presupposes a human starting point. Some use the term “human logic,” as including all logic, but that is blaspheme, because God is Logic itself. However, inductive logic (including the scientific method that uses the fallacy of affirming the consequent) presupposes a human starting point of knowledge. Thus, in this sense, inductive logic can be termed “human logic.” Likewise, the laws of logic and deductive logic, because it presupposes a God starting point for knowledge, can be called God’s logic.

The Human Ministry of Jesus Empowered by The Spirit

In this video ( Why We Won’t Sing Bethel Music in Our Church ),[1] Costi Hinn and friends accuse Bill Johnson of heresy concerning the incarnation or humanity of Jesus.

They quote Johnson saying, “laid His divinity aside,” “as a man,” and “did these miracles.” They say from this Johnson and other Charismatics like him teach the false doctrine we are to be like Jesus, by being filled with the Spirit and working miracles like Him.

Costi Hinn (along with Dale Thackrah Kyle Swanson) concludes that Johnson’s statements mean, “Jesus was not God, when He did these miracles,” and therefore it is “heresy to say Jesus was not God.”

I will not stay long on this point, other than to say, from what was quoted, (not regarding the totality of what Johnson says, for I have not read the book) Cosit slandered and bore false witness against Johnson. The phrase “laid His divinity aside,” could as easily mean, Jesus was still God, but did not chose to use all that was available to Him as God. For example, “Jesus grew in knowledge and wisdom,” does not mean Jesus “was not God”; rather, it means Jesus as a man, laid His infinite knowledge/wisdom aside, (i.e. chose not to use it), while the eternal Son of God still had His infinite knowledge (more on how this works later).

Jesus said that He “cast out Satan by the Spirit,” and not His own power. It was the Spirit who empowered the man Jesus Christ, for ministry, it was not Jesus’ own power that empowered Him for ministry. Jesus chose to use the power of the Spirit for ministry. This does not mean Jesus never used His own authority or power, in any way whatsoever, but that Jesus born as a man, under the Law, chose to operate in that limitation, and so was anointed by the Spirit (Isaiah 61) to do ministry and miracles. Jesus grew in knowledge like a normal man would; and this does not mean Jesus was not God or stop being divine. Example, I can choose to not use my right arm, without my arm ceasing to exit.

I do not know what all Johnson teaches on this, and I have no reason to care. What I care about it that these men claim to be intellectually and morally superior, and they are not; they are intellectually broken and morally wicked. They are slanderers.

For a more detailed look into what it means for the Son of God to be clothed in humanity, look at Vincent Cheung’s Systematic Theology (2010) pages 140-142. Here are some selected quotes from this book.

“…In a similar way, the doctrinal formulation for the personhood and incarnation of Christ states that he is one in one sense, and two in a different sense. That is, he is one person who possesses two natures. To ensure the clarity and coherence of this doctrine, we need to define the terms and relate them to the doctrine of the Trinity. The way “nature” is used in the doctrine of the incarnation is similar to the way “essence” is used for the Trinity. They refer to the definition of something, and the definition of something refers to the attributes or properties of something. A “person” is again defined by the consciousness or intellect.

In the incarnation, God the Son took up a human nature, or human attributes. The divine and the human natures did not combine or mingle, so that both sets of attributes remained separate. His divine nature was not diminished by his human nature, and his human nature was not deified by his divine nature. Since the divine nature was not modified by the human nature, as indeed the divine nature cannot be modified, this doctrinal formulation reaffirms the immutability of God the Son. And indeed, a human nature cannot be deified, and neither can deity be conferred. Since deity is eternal, if a person is not deity to begin with, he can never become deity.

God the Son took up a human nature, and a human nature must include a human soul or mind. Although a “person” is defined in terms of the mind or intellect, the doctrine is that Christ remains one person even though he possesses two natures. This is so because of the definition of a person as a system of consciousness, and because of the nature of the relationship between the divine mind and the human mind.

First, we must insist that Christ is one “person,” because the Bible never refers to him as “they,” as it sometimes does the Trinity. Based on the way that the Bible refers to him, the way that he refers to himself, and the way that he behaves, there is no reason to think that he is not one person. Thus there is a need to arrive at a formulation that retains the view that Christ is one person even though he has two centers of consciousness. This need is not arbitrary, but it is necessitated by the biblical data.

The proper formulation is to state that God the Son took up a human nature, including a human mind, in such a manner that the human mind is contained by the divine mind, although the two are not in any way mingled or confused. Whereas the divine mind has complete control over the human mind, the human mind does not have free access to the divine mind, but it receives special information and capabilities only as granted by the divine mind…”

The important point of Vincent’s formulation is this, Jesus’ “human nature was not deified by his divine nature.” This doctrine is immune to contradiction. It still affirms the full deity of the Son of God and that His deity never stopped existing in all its fullness.

Thus, I can say, in context of the explained doctrine, “Jesus put aside His deity,” and “as a man, was filled with the Spirit, and did miracles as a man empowered by the Spirit.” Jesus commands us to be men (albeit born-from-above men), filled with the Spirit, and work His same miracles. Jesus says He did His whole ministry by the Spirit, quoting Isaiah. Peter says in Acts 2 that Jesus has given us this empowerment of the Spirit, as a promise of the Father. Paul says this Spirit and miracle power for us, is part of the ancient promise to Abraham. Jesus our forerunner, showed us how to be men born-from-above, filled with faith and the Spirit of power.

“Third, since that time the promise of the Father — the Holy Spirit — has been poured out. The effect of this baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:5) is to infuse the followers of Jesus with the same power to work miracles (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:49) that Jesus himself possessed (Luke 4:14, 8:46, Acts 10:38). This power could heal the sick and cast out demons (Acts 10:38, Matthew 12:28), and it also produces visions, dreams, prophecies, and speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4, 2:17-18).”[2]

Even if some Charismatics do not explain the incarnation in perfect precision, I couldn’t care less, and it does not matter. Tradition is not as great as they think are in their statements about the humanity of Jesus; therefore, tradition is less than unimportant to me. Seriously, if I cared any less, I’d be dead. And despite some narrowly correct statements about the incarnation by the Reformed, any Charismatic, with their less precise doctrine, but who works miracles in faith and power of the Spirit, 10,000 more times apply a correct doctrine of the incarnation than all the Reformed tradition and books, and churches combined. This is the legacy of faith and shout of value to the Spirit, which the Charismatics have (as imperfect as they are).

The issue is this, the Bible explains the doctrine. Those who criticize the Charismatics either slander them, or make non-relevant personal attacks, while ignoring the Biblical doctrine that is clearly taught by others, like Vincent Cheung. Because the Bible correctly explains the incarnation, and the human ministry of Jesus, and Jesus’ own command for us to do His works (even doing greater works) the Reformed’s attack on the Charismatics (despite some of their sloppy or undetailed explanations) is ultimately an attack on the Bible itself. This is the Reformed’s legacy and damnation.

————–Endnotes————

[1] Why We Won’t Sing Bethel Music in Our Church ep. 10.

[2] Vincent Cheung. Behold I Give you Power. From the ebook, Hero. 2022. pg 89

See related:

The Jesus Flex Or The Spirit Flex?

Oshea Davis

Systematic Theology. Logic. Faith. Healing. Power.