Category Archives: christian soteriology

The Goal of the Gospel is Happiness?

You Bet It Is!

Someone spotted a church called “The Love Church” and pegged it as a seeker-friendly joint. I quipped it beats “Sad Church.” They fired back with conviction: happiness isn’t the gospel’s goal. Their evidence? An emotional roll call of extended family members—churchgoers all—wrestling with sickness, poverty, and troubles. “Sad Church sounds about right,” they smirked, implying it’s a fitting name for real life.

I could write a theological tome on this, but I’ll keep it short.

First, let’s zoom to the cosmic blueprints—God’s decrees (supralapsarian style). God’s intentions are pure positivity, not a divine Debbie Downer vibe. His original plan? Our joy, happiness, glory, and blessedness in Him. Justice comes first, then injustice. You can’t have a villain without something good for it to attack. God’s intentions are positive. They are positive for us first in the decrees. God’s heart is for our happiness. The gospel was predestined for our glory and happiness. Before we dive into specifics, happiness was already the gospel’s goal. All sunshine, no storm clouds.

Second, the “gospel” (even being declared righteous by God) is about our favor, glory, fame, prosperity, healing, miracles, empowerment by the Spirit, and inheriting the world through Abraham’s blessing. Sin didn’t even get a cameo in Abraham’s story. It was all positive, overflowing like a divine jackpot. Paul calls Abraham’s blessing—where he inherits the world, receives the Spirit, and sees miracles—the “gospel.” Not just for Abe, but for us too. This positivity would make health-and-wealth preachers blush for playing it too safe, shaming every church tradition for underselling the gospel’s joy.

We sinned against God. He brought the law 400 years after Abraham’s blessing-fest to expose our sinfulness. But Jesus arrived to seal both sides of the deal. He crushed sin by grace and ensured Abraham’s blessing flows to Jews and non-Jews alike, all by grace.

Happiness isn’t the gospel’s only goal, but it’s no sidekick either. In fact, forgiveness isn’t even the main event. Peter says forgiveness is the starting line, a springboard to the gospel’s true aim: being baptized in the Spirit for power.

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. THEN you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:39)

This Spirit-baptism for miracle power is what Paul calls the “gospel” in Galatians 3. Receiving Abraham’s blessing—healing miracles, financial windfalls, relational breakthroughs, and a whole miracle smorgasbord—fills us with happiness and joy. The gospel’s goal is absolutely happiness. Paul says Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) to secure this miracle-soaked joy. That means these blessings have Jesus’ blood sprinkled on them, nailed to that cursed tree. To say happiness isn’t the gospel’s goal is to spit on Jesus’ blood like it’s cheap wine, disrespecting the cross where His hands and feet were pierced. Those who scoff at the gospel of happiness can’t dodge their spit landing on Jesus’ nailed feet.

Let’s skip Isaiah 53 for now, where Jesus, our scapegoat, carries away sickness and heals us by His stripes. Healing in this life is as much the gospel as forgiveness. I’m not saying healing trumps forgiveness in importance, but both flow from the same atonement and resurrection. Slap one, and you slap the blood that bought them both. You can’t curse part of the gospel without torching the whole thing. If Jesus’ blood fails to spark our happiness, what hope does it have to forgive us? Zilch.

Healing alone, a gospel cornerstone, brings joy in spades. Jesus and Acts show people leaping with happiness, entire towns buzzing with “great joy” (Acts 8:8). Jesus Himself says His love brings abundant joy (John 14-17), tying answered prayers to overflowing happiness. We pray and receive whatever we want because of the gospel and Jesus’ blood. The gospel’s goal? Happiness, served piping hot.

David’s Psalms are a happiness playlist, praising God for constant healing, deliverance, and joy in the morning. God is David’s salvation and blessing, sparking loud, happy shouts of praise.

Those who reject the gospel of happiness reject the gospel itself. They’ve got itching ears for a different seeker-friendly church—one that whispers, “God won’t heal you,” or “It’s up to His will, so stay in the dark.” They hand out spiritual comfort blankets to keep you cozy in sickness, defeat, and depression. They make you feel excited when Satan is cockblocking you. A huge crowd seeks this message, craving comfort in their suffering. But they suffer like Israel in the wilderness—not for God’s glory, but for their unbelief and stupidity (we are too small and they are too big). They don’t suffer for the gospel under persecution; they suffer because they reject it.

They claim the gospel is for God’s glory. Duh, even demons nod at that. The real question is how God glorifies Himself through the gospel. He does it by making it a fountain of blessings and miracles, crowning us with glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).

As Gabriel Arauto quips, “If God doesn’t serve you with healing, miracles, prosperity, and happiness, He’ll become your executioner” (John 13:8, paraphrased).

The gospel of happiness isn’t just feel-good fluff—it’s got eternal stakes. Reject it, and you’re dancing on thin ice.

What God Ordains Is always Good

A woman was suffering with cancer asking for prayer on twitter, and a person responded with the Hymn called, “What God ordains is always Good.”

Satan’s little helpers are all over the place.

God ordained all things. True enough. Let us remember that God ordained for me to be born a sinner with a sinful nature (Rom 5). Thus, this is good. No, really, it is good by definition because God did it. God does tell us why He did it, (Rom.9), but this is logically irrelevant. Whatever God does and ordains is good. However, good “relative” to whom or what? If we are asking what is good on the ultimate level, relative to God, then anything God does is good by definition, because God did it. However, if meant relative to me, then good is defined as God’s commandments and promises. Relative to me it is about my obedience to God’s commands and acquiring God’s promises in my life. This is the only definition for biblical ethics. For me, good is defined by me understanding what is happening (what God ordains) and then find a command and promise that relates to it and obey it and make the promise manifest by my faith. Anything less than this is disobedience and rebellion against God. Disobedience is bad; it is not good.

In regard to being born a sinner, I cannot say, “What God ordains is always good,” and so,” because God ordained me to be born a sinner, thus it is good that I remain a sinner who hates God and loves sin.” We know if someone does this, they are making excuses for their rebellion. This is stating something God does and then irrationally concluding an ethic from it. No. God has both commanded me to repent and promised to save me if I call on His name. God ordained me to be born a sinner, but also told me what to do about it, by making His promise of forgiveness a reality in my life by my faith in Him. Jesus told me to save myself by faith in His promise of mercy.

The same with everything else. So, what if God ordained me to have a sickness? God ordains all things; tell me something I don’t already know. However, God has commanded (James 5:15) and promised (Isaiah 53:4-5) me to use faith and I will be healed. I cannot say, “What God ordains is always good,” and so,” because God ordained me to have this sickness, thus it is good that I remain in my sickness.” We know if someone does this, they are making excuses. God’s promise for healing is “good” and His command to be healed is “good.” Those who reject this are bad. You cannot use what God has ordained to invalidate God’s commandments and promises. Those who teach such, teach a doctrine of demons.

We have the Dominion

Dominion: “right of possession and use without being accountable.” (1812 Webster)

This obviously belongs to God in the ultimate sense. God is not accountable because He is free from an authority being above Him. He is the only free being. This is why man is accountable to God; man is not free from God sovereignly controlling and holding him accountable. Thus man does not have free will.

However there is more. God has given His sons and daughters dominion over all created things. Paul says all things are ours; all creation belongs to us. Creation does not wait for the freedom of God, but our freedom. Jesus says all authority has been given to Him. Now think about this, He has given us the right to use His name. The same fullness of the Spirit that empowered Him is the same Spirit that has been poured on us to empower us! All things are under His feet and yet we are in Jesus. Thus all things are under our feet.

We are able to take possession of and use creation without being accountable. We are accountable to God, but we are not accountable to anything within creation. They are accountable to us. Demons are accountable to us. Angels will one day be accountable to us, for we will be their judges. Sickness is accountable to us. Even governments are accountable to us. Money and material substance is accountable to us.

We can do what we want with such things and we are not accountable for our actions to any. This is like eminent domain. The government can take my property and I have no legal right to hold them accountable by a lawsuit. As we advance the Kingdom we can take land by the name of Jesus and no one can hold us accountable. We can destroy the kingdom of darkness and none can hold us accountable. The gates of hell cannot stop us from tearing its gates down. We have the power and the rights to do so.

This glory belongs to the children of God. And their glory belongs to Christ and Christ’s to the Father.

All Authority Has Been Given to Me

Satan told Jesus,
“I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:6-7)

After Jesus’ resurrection and defeat of Satan (triumphing over Satan) Jesus says,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus uses His authority to endow His followers with miraculous power by the baptism of the Spirit.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49)

““Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:4,8)

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1-2)

If this was true, before the resurrection and before Jesus had sat down at the right hand of power, and all authority given to him both in heaven and earth, then how much more do we have authority and power to drive out demons, heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom today!

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

Because we Know God Served us

“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 8:13

“After He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being Sanctified.”
Hebrews 10:12-14

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”
Hebrews 10:1-3.

God has once-and-for-all forgiven and forgotten your sins as a believer. This forgetting is not spiritual Alzheimer’s. God knows all things. However, God unlike us, has perfect and compete mastery of His mind. Thus, if He chooses not to consider our sins (i.e. to forget), then He does so with perfect control of His Mind. There will not be a moment when something triggers Him, and He then considers all your sins “against you.” This is something Christians need to imitate their Father more in. They need to have mastery of their minds so that the emotions they experience is by their own control and timing, rather than their emotions controlling them like dumb animals.

Hebrews 8 says “where there is forgiveness, there no longer remains a sacrifice.” If our future sins needed to be forgiven, then there would remain a need for a sacrifice to remove them. But if they are already forgiven by Jesus and accepted by the Father, then there is no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus sat down because it was finished.

In Romans 6 Paul says for us to reckon yourself dead to sin, or assent to this as a truth about you. We are not perfect, as both James and John remind us in their letters. Thus this is essentially a “Word of Faith confession,” on faith and not by sight. By faith we assent and declare we are sinless and dead to sin. If we did this by our experience, then we could not say this. It is by faith in God’s promise alone we can say this.

Hebrews 10 says that if worshipers are truly forgiven, then they would not be “conscience” about their sin. As with God, it is not as if we cannot technically remember our sins, but because we know they are forgiven, and God has declared us righteous, we do not recall and consider them anymore. In fact, the bible’s meaning for “do not worry,” means “do not think” about this or that. The passage goes on to say that Jesus has already, “perfected” us who are being sanctified today. We are perfect in God’s eyes. This is the only real relevant thing that matters.

Thus, if you are mindful of your sins today, more than how righteous, how perfect, blameless, favored, a child of God and a co-heir with Jesus, then you are weak in your inner man; you are weak regarding faith in the finished work of Jesus.

Why then do we confess our sins to God, you ask?

The simplest reason is the most obvious, which is why I guess people miss it. God commands that we do. Jesus gives a daily prayer (The Lord’s prayer) that has in it our confession for mercy. Even if we are given no explanation as to why, this is all the reason we need to know. Christian responsibility is solely on God’s command and nothing else.

Even though God does not consider our sins against us, and we are not conscience of our own sins, because they are forgiven, yet we are still in a relationship, fellowship and communion with God. We love Him. We fellowship with Him daily. We communion with Him more than or own family. We love Him so much. He saved us. He is the world to us. If we sin, it was against Him. It is good as ask forgiveness and mercy from Him. Also, the devil can use this against us. However, if we confess our sins, God is “just” (not merely merciful) to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. This cleansing is about our conscience toward God, and renewing our thinking. It is not about the official record against us, or that God suddenly considers our sins against us. It is not as if the Father takes the List Jesus nailed to the cross, and daily rewrites new sins on it, until we confess. It was nailed to the cross because our entire record was delt with and finished. Our confession helps to protect us. Thus, there is no room for the devil to accuse us. It renews our mind by reminding us that all our sins past, present and future are already forgiven, and we are holy in God’s sight. This is putting on the new-man.

We ask, not because our futures sins are not forgiven. We ask from a position of victory and superiority. God as removed all our sins and Jesus at that place and time, endured the punishment for them. In God’s mind, (which is the only Mind that matters) He considers all our sins punished on Jesus, therefore they were. The receipt was printed off and nailed to the cross. It is done.

Many focus on sins way, way, way too much. They do this because they do not actually believe they are forgiven, and so they can’t move on from that point. Forgiveness of sins is the doorway of the gospel. The content of the gospel are the many blessings, miracles, favor, healings and prosperity. Many stands at the doorway of the gospel and stop. They never enter in the gospel. They think they are honoring the Master of the house by admiring the door, but the Master is sitting at the table waiting for you to come in and dine with Him. He is only pleased once you enter and partake of the table. To stand at the door and never partake of His good things, is a dishonor and insult to the Master of the gospel.

The same with endless prayers. You have the authority to use Jesus Name one time and command Satan and sickness to leave. One mention of the Lord’s prayer is all you need to ask forgiveness. If you want to ask more, I will not tell you not too, but only say watch your own mind and ask if you are being sin or righteousness conscience.

Many are sin conscience. But we just went over the fact that if we are truly forgiven, we are NOT sin conscience, but rather righteousness conscience. I do not know another man’s conscience, but they must be honest with themselves. You are commanded to be constantly conscience of your righteousness, your sonship and companionship with God, not sin. Satan is constantly mindful of our sins. Many act like their father the devil.

Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 say our old man is already gone, dead and does not exist. We are now, a new creation. If you are not a new creation you are still unsaved. A few verses later Paul elaborates on what this “new creation” is by saying we are the righteousness of God. Do not think on the old man. This why Satan, tries to deceive Christians to label themselves with titles outside of Jesus Christ, to keep them weak and defeated. He does this with sinners (I am pathetic, a vile sinner, a slut, a grasshopper) so that it is harder to accept the truths preached by Christianity.

At any rate, we think about reality. If someone is born-again and keeps thinking about the old man in unrighteousness, they are delusional and disconnected form realty in their mind. They are in essence putting the old-man thinking back on and taking the new-man off.

The reality is that I am the righteousness of God. We are commanded to put off the old man, and its way of thinking, and put on the new-man and its thinking. This new man thinks he is the very righteousness of God and not merely a sub-heir, but a co-heir with Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of Power. This is who I am.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:16

If you are sin conscience, do not expect to “boldly” approach the throne to receive help. We hope such persons will have help despite their disobedient, cowardly and non-bold approaching, but for us we will be conscience of our righteousness when approaching the throne. By this we will approach boldly. We will not serve God like Martha, because we know God served us and gave us His favor, sonship and righteousness. Thus, we will sit at His feet and keep receiving His unmerited supply. We can boldly receive this because we know we are so righteous and perfect and glorious. Because God’s unmerited favor is the foundation for all our good things, His praise will forever be on our lips and His worship on our tongues.

I AM a Grasshopper?

The Bible never calls Christians “sinners” and never calls their hearts “idolatry” or “deceitful” referring to their life after regeneration.

Stop belittling yourself for nothing, you fool! The power for holiness that the Spirit has placed in us is much greater than you can imagine.

Andre De Mattos Duarte

Andre is correct.

We are never labelled as sinners in the bible, that is, those who are born again. We are called children of God with God’s “seed” or “nature in us. We are told if our nature is “sin” and we wilfully practice it, we are not from God, but Satan (1 John 3-4).

The Corinthians who had so many issues, are labelled by the Apostle Paul as those who have inherited life, death, time and the entire world. Paul’s says they will one day judge angels. He labels the people, whose behavior is (in some areas) human and sinful, as “saints,” “new creations,” “reconciled to God,” and the very “righteousness of God.” He says they are “God’s light,” “God’s righteousness,” and “God’s temple.” He never says they are the worst of sinners. He says the opposite. He says they used to be that way, but now they are something different.

Paul says the “gospel” was predestined for (not God’s glory), but theirs. He says they have the fellowship of the Son, and even have the Mind of Christ. Referring to us as a true definition (A tree is organic), the bible always labels us as Saints, holy, undefiled, light, righteousness, power and heirs etc. It never labels a saint as a sinner, or as an unbeliever.

Paul did say in the present tense “I am the worst of sinners.” He earned this label in the past, for persecuting the body of Christ. Thus, the context, as a whole, shows it to be a past tense label, which very few can claim. The absurdity to say this is meant in the present tense, would mean Paul is presently attacking the body of Christ in the same way he did before he was born-from-above, because that is the context for the label.

For example, if I was in the military for a few years and earned the record for the “worst parachuter.” However, I left and have been working as a butler for 50 years, and yet, after all this time my worst record still stands. If that is the case I can say, “I am the worst parachuter.” Even though I am not presently in the military, or presently a parachuter, nor have been for 50 years, I can say in the present tense (I am the worst parachuter), but it refers to the past. Even if my record was replaced by a slightly worst record 30 years ago, I could still say, I am the worst parachuter, in the sense of a perfect example, representative or poster-boy. This is how Paul meant it. Thus, even after all these years, you hear drill sergeants yelling at recruits, don’t end up like, Oshea Davis, who was the worst parachuter. They will say this even though someone might have a worst record, because the name Oshea Davis became an infamous example for everyone to use.

Paul says God chose him specifically, as an example for how bad sinners can be. God wanted to show off His grace and power, and used Paul’s terrible actions to give an example for how far His grace goes. Thus, you cannot claim to be the poster-boy of sinners, because God gave the title to Paul.

Furthermore, to claim to be the worst of sinners in the present tense today, would logically mean you are presently attacking and destroying the body of Jesus Christ, or something equally damming. If that is truly you, then claim such a title so that I can avoid you. If not, then you are so delusional, I would also want to avoid you.

Why do I need to explain basic grammar to adults who say they know the bible and can discern it?

Jesus, like Paul referring to the behavior of the Corinthians, at times would label His disciples as “foolish” or “spiritual perverts” because they could not cast out demon, but this was not a label about who they are. We all find those few sins we are more easily ensnared by, but to label ourselves by them, is to label the ministry of Jesus, His Gospel and nature with such labels. What you are, after your conversion is a product of Jesus’ ministry. Your new identity is by Jesus. And so, to claim you are still a sinner is to make Jesus a minister of sin. Jesus is not a minister of sin, or sickness or any other negative thing to His chosen ones. Light and darkness, sin and righteousness contradict one another. You are either one or the other. Jesus is not Satan, and a saint is not a sinner. A believer is not an unbeliever. Because of the contraction they cannot be attributed to the same person.

Vincent Cheung on this subject says,

Accordingly, Paul referred to Christians as “saints” in his letters. It is often suggested that the Christian is both sinner and saint. There is much biblical evidence to the contrary. As we have seen, Paul said the Christian is a new creation, and the old has passed away. In another place, he wrote, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with wickedness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” The statement addresses partnership or association with unbelievers, but notice what he calls each group. There is no mixture between the two. You are either righteousness or wickedness. You are either light or darkness. You cannot be both at the same time. Jesus is not both Christ and Satan at the same time. The Christian is not both righteousness and wickedness at the same time. (The Chief of Sinners)

I always find it odd that so-called Christians want to affirm how awful they are. I am an porn-star Christian, I am a alcoholic Christian, I am a vile sinner. We are grasshoppers and they are too big (etc.).

Such a confession would logically lead back to God, and how ineffective His is at forgiving, sanctifying and empowering His chosen ones. There also could be some connection to the unforgivable sin against the Spirit, by connecting your confession of sinfulness, worthlessness, and patheticness to the Spirit who lives in the believer.

At the end of the day God gets to play with reality and define reality the way he wants. I am the righteousness of God and not that God is the righteousness of God. I am what I am, by the grace of God. The Bible rejects pantheism, thus, what God creates and gives me, is “me,” or “mine.” I am a child of God, a prince of heaven, with free access to the throne, while other created beings do not have this access. This is me. I am what I am, by the grace of God.

When God thinks of me, He thinks I am holy; He thinks I am righteous with His righteousness, blameless, and empowered with His power; God thinks I am amazing and glorious. Who am I to disregard God, unless I’m a reprobate?

That is why the word of faith confessions of reprobates is a confession in how sinful God sees them, because that who they are. It is natural for reprobates to label themselves as grasshoppers. God will see to it that they die as grasshoppers in the desert, every last one of them. But the children of faith, who give a declaration of confidence in God’s definition and promises; yes, those who confess His great promises of healing, miracles and power are true for them today (no matter how fantastical they are) God will insure they will inherit the land, every last one of them.

Do Not Accept God’s Ordained Circumstances

This section addresses an abuse of God’s sovereignty I often encounter, falling under the basic category of Decree versus Command. I’ve mentioned this fallacy before, and I’m thankful to Vincent Cheung for pointing out this error numerous times in his materials. Rather than paraphrasing what he’s said, I’ll tackle this from a slightly different angle.

We’ll first deal with the negative and then the positive.
I read a piece of garbage posted on social media saying:

“Stop wasting time wishing your circumstances were different. It is God who ordained them. Learn how to be faithful in every circumstance.”

Let’s see how this works in Bible stories:

Hannah, stop wanting your childless circumstance to be different; be childless.

Hezekiah, stop wishing you weren’t going to die by Isaiah’s prophecy; just die and let the grave praise God.

Jacob, stop wanting your circumstances to be blessed; stop this crazy, charismatic wrestling with God and move on without God’s blessing.

Canaanite woman, Jesus already gave theologically correct arguments that His ministry isn’t for you and that it’s morally wrong to take from the Jews and give to you; just accept your circumstances and let your daughter foam at the mouth and roll on the floor. Accept God’s circumstance for your daughter.

People lying in the street for Peter’s shadow, stop this charismatic, man-centered embarrassment; just accept your painful circumstances and moan to the glory of God.

You blind men sitting by the road, causing all this loud commotion and public annoyance, just shut up already, accept you’re blind, and beg for money to the glory of God.

Sinner, stop thinking there might be salvation in Jesus, for God has ordained you to be born a sinner; accept your drug addiction circumstances and be spaced out to the glory of God.

Sola empiricism,
Sola suffering,
Sola circumstances,
Sola Satan.

I’m not being over-the-top. This person’s theology is a doctrine of demons. It uses circumstances (what God caused) as an excuse to invalidate God’s commandments. They use circumstances the way satanists use a Ouija board to divine what they ought to do. They use metaphysics to divine ethics, like witch doctors.

It’s like soldiers on the battlefield saying, “There’s fierce fighting, so we need to leave,” when their commanding officer ordered them to enter the fierce fighting and aid the left flank. They use circumstances to invalidate the commands given to them. So-called Christians do this all the time. They use circumstances to negate God’s revealed commands. They don’t want to obey God and use circumstances to argue their way out from under them. However, they’ll give an account for such rebellion.

Circumstances aren’t the revealed commands of God. If you want to know what you ought to do with the circumstances God has given you, go to Scripture, find the commands and precepts related to that subject, and obey them. We’re children of God, and we obey our Father’s commands, not circumstances. As Christians, we get knowledge (subject and predicate combinations about “oughts”) from God’s commands, not circumstances.

Luke 18:1-8 NLT
One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
“There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she’s wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He’ll grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”

This is an explicit command. Jesus, as our Master, doesn’t give suggestions like some yoga guru. He’s our commanding officer, our Master, our God. God is sovereign, so this lady’s circumstance is caused by God ordaining it. Jesus isn’t teaching us to accept our God-ordained circumstances; rather, He tells us to ask God to stop what He ordained and make it go away. Jesus commands us to keep praying until God gives us what we want, and what we want is for the circumstance God ordained to vanish.

The last statement is Jesus asking if He’ll find faith on earth. This is said in the context of a person having a bad circumstance (that God ordained) and praying for God to make it go away, with the certainty that God will come quickly and make it vanish. This is the kind of faith Jesus was talking about when He said, “Will the Son of Man find faith on earth?” He wasn’t talking about faith for the forgiveness of sins but faith to change your circumstances—faith that changes the material world around you to be a blessing for you. This is the true test of faith; therefore, this is the true test of orthodoxy.

The command of God is to not accept bad circumstances that He ordained but to have enough perseverance and faith to make them go away. He commands you to have faith to make circumstances favorable for you.

(I want to add a quick note: I normally don’t think in terms of “God’s ordained circumstances” when facing everyday troubles, at least not in the way we’re discussing here. We acknowledge God’s absolute and direct sovereignty over all things, so He directly and absolutely causes all circumstances. However, when dealing with everyday troubles like those above, Jesus doesn’t deem it necessary to say such things when the topic is faith and the Spirit. Thus, I follow Jesus’ example on such topics. I’m focusing on God’s sovereignty here because the person forced it into this type of topic.)

Romans 5
“(12) Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through (Adam), and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned… (15) by the trespass of the one, the many died…
(19) For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners.”

Acts 17:30
“God now commands all people everywhere to repent.”

God, in His absolute and direct sovereignty over all things, has ordained all men to be born sinful and dead and made sinners in their behavior. He did this through Adam. I did ask to be born into existence. I did not ask to be given the consequence of Adam’s sin and born with a sinful nature. God gest to write His story the way He wants. Therefore, according to some Christians who divine ethics from circumstances, we ought to accept being born sinners, stay that way, and not want to change what God ordained. LOL!

At this point, some will realize that divining ethics from circumstances contradicts Scripture, at least on the point of forgiveness. They’ll say Acts 17 commands us to repent, so we “ought” to do this rather than divine an ethic from our ordained circumstance. But they might not want to apply this to things like healing, for example. However, you can’t turn God’s commands “on and off” like a light switch. You’ll be judged by them, even if you give dumb excuses to avoid them. Christian ethics comes from God’s commands, and there’s no other option.

God has commanded that we shouldn’t be happy with the bad circumstance He ordained for us. He commands us to repent and cause Him to remove the bad circumstance. He commands us to repent so we can be blessed with reconciliation and forgiveness, so that times of refreshing will flood our lives. God has also commanded us not to be happy with our sickness circumstances but to acknowledge that in His atonement we’ve been healed, and He commands us to make the sickness go away (James 5:15, John 14:12-14, Mark 16:18, Luke 10:9, Matt. 21:21-22).

Acts 10:38
“And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

James 5:13-15
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they’ll be forgiven.”

Because God is sovereign, all the sick people in the Gospels that Jesus healed were sick by God’s ordained will. Also, by God’s ordained will, relative to created object to created object, it was the devil (not God) who made all these victimized people sick, as Acts 10:38 indicates.

Some teach that we’re to let Satan and sickness steamroll over us and that we should be their victims for entire lifetimes because “God ordained it.” Those who suggest such things teach a doctrine of demons. Their doctrines increase the kingdom of Satan and his dominion of victimizing human beings. This is ultra cruel and unloving.

However, for us with faith, we view the world differently. We see God’s commands as our foundation for how we behave, rather than using divination to formulate ethics from circumstances. We read the commands to be healed and to heal others. Thus, this is how we behave.

Jesus healed all who came to Him. In Acts, it says those with faith and filled with the power of the Spirit healed all who came to them. In fact, the Spirit so empowered them that their shadows and handkerchiefs healed people. This proves the critics of the health-and-wealth preachers who teach “name it and claim it” are wrong—but they’re wrong for opposite reasons. The “name it and claim it” doesn’t go far enough in affirming Jesus’ faith teaching. Peter didn’t even speak; his shadow had enough spiritual physics to heal. This is called “shadow it and be done with it.” Thus, you don’t even need to “name it” to “claim it.” All you need is a shadow. All you need is to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus healed all those under the kingdom and torment of Satan. Holy Spirit-empowered church members, even table bearers, did the same. Jesus commanded them to be filled with power and continue His work. They did just that.

Jesus, who understood God’s sovereignty better than anyone, didn’t accept His Father’s ordained circumstances for all the sick people He encountered. The Scriptures record that only unbelief could stop Jesus from healing—not demonic power, not the Father’s will, only unbelief. In the ultimate sense of ontology, God did ordain all those people sick. Jesus went against His Father’s ordained circumstances and followed His Father’s command by healing all who asked—and even some who didn’t ask. In the book of Acts, the entire church, filled with power, did the same. They went on a campaign of war against the ordained circumstances of God by healing all who asked.

“What about Job and how he submitted to God’s ordained circumstances?” some might say. What about him? Beyond the point that God gave him double health and wealth, Job didn’t have a covenant with God as we do in Christ. I have a contractual right to make demands on God, as He does on me. Thus, Job and I aren’t in the same category. We’re not equivalent in this way. Beyond this, if we consider the category of healing, Jesus already became my substitute for sickness, and He’s commanded me to get healed (Isaiah 53:4-5, James 5:15). I’m categorically different from Job. If you insist on acting like Job, then you must treat God like an outsider, and if you still must act like Job, get his double health and wealth to prove it.

Even Jesus didn’t bow to the Father’s ordained circumstances—who am I to think I’m better than Jesus? I’m not better than Jesus, so I’ll follow His example. The apostles didn’t bow to God’s preordained circumstances when they healed all the sick—who am I to think I’m better than them? To bow to God’s ordained circumstances in the context of healing, for example, is to abuse God’s sovereignty to trample on God’s commands as garbage.

James says if you’re happy, then praise God. This isn’t a suggestion. If you’ve truly been blessed by God and are happy, you’re commanded to praise God. And why wouldn’t you? As Jesus said, if these didn’t praise God, the stones would cry out. God deserves our praises. However, James doesn’t stop his commandments there. He says if you’re sick, the elders are to come together and pray, and then you’ll be healed. The command isn’t to merely pray for healing and see what happens. The command is to pray and be healed. James is commanding the result of healing.

You’re to pray in faith with absolute certainty you’re healed. The same certainty you have when you pray for forgiveness and know you’re forgiven is the certainty you’re to have when you pray for healing and are healed. Anything less than receiving forgiveness is disobedience, for God has commanded all to repent and be forgiven. Anything less than receiving healing is disobedience, for God has commanded us to get healed. God is patient and will sanctify us to have this level of faith, but His patience and compassion don’t turn an act of disobedience into its opposite.

How wonderful is our God. How kind He must be. For His children, what He commands, He also grants. What He’s commanded is for us to ask for healing. He’ll grant both the faith and the fulfillment of this. He truly loves us. One way to view God’s commands and promises is to see them as a definition. To be healed and victorious over everyday troubles is God’s definition of His children. This is who we are. We already have God’s authority and power as part of our DNA.

Bread

Joshua 14:9 LSB
“Do not rebel against Yahweh; and do not fear the people of the land, for they’re our bread. Their protection has been removed from them, and Yahweh is with us; do not fear them.”

Mark 7:27
“First let the children eat all they want,” He told her, “for it’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Jesus, in the context of being asked for healing and a demon being cast out, says this “bread” belongs to Jews, and it’s “not right” to take this healing that “belongs to the children” and give it to non-family members. Jesus is correct. However, this woman wouldn’t accept the ordained circumstance that she was born at the wrong time, on the wrong side of the covenant. By faith, she made it her time and made the covenant apply to her.

The point relevant to our discussion is how Jesus refers to healing and casting out demons as bread on His Father’s table, meant to be freely eaten by the children at that table.

Those who use God’s ordained circumstances to deny God’s children their RIGHT to freely eat the bread of healing and casting out devils on their Father’s table are themselves children of Satan, twice dead, foaming at the mouth, and perverted stars. How dare anyone, seeing a child of God reaching for some delicious, buttery bread of healing on their Father’s table, slap their hand away. They’ll receive their just reward.

For us who are seated in the heavenly places with Christ and at God’s table of gospel benefits, we see the world differently from those without faith. We see the world as Joshua did. We don’t see sickness, political troubles, or finances as painful burdens to bear on our shoulders but as bread for us to eat. God didn’t ordain the high walls of Jericho to hinder Israel but as an opportunity for faith to turn them into bread. God didn’t ordain the sickness for the people James referred to in his letter to hinder them but as an opportunity for faith to turn cancer into bread of healing and praise.

John says our faith overcomes the world. Our faith is victorious even over the bad circumstances God ordained in this world. Faith is the answer. It’s the answer to all the troubles of the world and even God’s ordained circumstances. Faith in God will turn them into delicious bread. Are you seated at God’s table or not? If you are, reach for the bread. Just one crumb can cast out a demon and heal. What would happen if you had enough faith to take a big bite from it? What would happen if, by faith, you ate the whole loaf? If you want this, you have free access to grab it. God is the power and salvation for all your troubles. He’ll deliver. And when He does, don’t forget to praise Him, for you’re commanded to do so.

Using God’s sovereignty to shrug at sickness or sin is a demonic dodge—circumstances aren’t commands! Jesus didn’t mope over ordained hardships; He zapped them with faith, and so should we. Healing’s our bread; so grab a loaf, ditch the devil’s Ouija ethics, and turn cancer into crumbs with Spirit-powered moxie.

The Core Gospel Damns Cessationists as Trash

Jesus triumphed over the world, and those born-again, also do the same thing. John says that Jesus has triumphed over the world. This is an all encompassing triumph, just like the abundant life of God is for all parts of our lives, both spiritual and material. All negative aspects of this life and world, Jesus triumphed over it, to replace it with goodness and favor for us. Satan, sin and death were defeated by Jesus’ finished atonement. Both the curses of the fall, and the curses of the Law, which included all forms of sickness, poverty and life working against you were defeated by Jesus Christ. God does not know how to lose. This life of winning is mirrored in God’s children, because God’s very nature is in them.

The curses of the law included “all” sickness and diseases for the entire world. Jesus became our curse for us, so as to give us the blessing of Abraham. He defeated the curses of sickness, in substitutionary atonement. In addition to becoming our curses Jesus removed all forms of sickness, according to Isaiah 53 in a substitutionary atonement, for He “bore” (the word used on the Day of Atonement for substitutionary atonement) our sickness, and also by the exchange of His stripes we are healed.

Thus, for our healing, Jesus endured substitutionary atonement in three different ways. Healing is therefore the gospel, if not more so than forgiveness of sin; or at the very least as much so. Therefore, to say healing on demand of faith is not the gospel, is to trample the blood of Christ. To reject gospel is to teach a doctrine of demons. It is to be anti-gospel, anti-Christ, and anti-sovereign God. Those who deny healing is the gospel, ought to be excommunicated immediately. People who often deny healing is the gospel are usually those who claim to be experts on such things as God’s absolute sovereignty and covenants; however, if they cannot understand and believe the most basic ideas of the gospel, then how can they claim to know doctrines beyond the basic level? Which explains why they are intellectually defective when trying to teach about God’s sovereignty and covenants. Their minds mirror the intellectual brokenness of reprobates.

The logic of Modus Tollens shows us if you deny the necessary effect of a antecedent, then you deny the antecedent. Thus, if you deny healing by faith, you deny the blood of Jesus Christ. It does not matter what the effect is, if the bible teaches it is a necessary effect and you deny it, you have invalided the blood of Jesus as trash. This the same with the bible as a whole. If you deny one truth claim, then you invalided it as a whole for a starting point for knowledge. You just kissed Christianity goodbye. The same with the atonement. If you reject forgiveness of sins, healing, Abraham’s blessings, Baptism of Spirit, miracles, and prosperity you logically denied the gospel as a whole.

Some make a big deal about dividing so-called secondary issues and the core issues of the gospel being the important ones we must affirm. They say those who deny this core gospel (Whatever that means), by teaching another one are “accused” as Paul says in Galatians. The Scripture does not make such a divide. But for sake of argument let us assume it. If the gospel (the things Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection accomplished) is the core doctrines, then by definition those who deny healing on demand of faith, are teaching a different gospel. They are accursed. They are trash and spiritual filth. As Paul said about those who deny the gospel and its effects, they teach a “doctrine of demons.” Jesus said those who reject His message were “morons,” and bastard offspring of Satan. Jude said false teachers,

“blaspheme the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have poured themselves into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”

Thus, let their own standard condemn them as the trash they are. They are a cult of demons and death. Do not wash your hands with such people.

Then they pose a false dilemma and say that the promises of God, from the Father who “knows that you need all these things,” in fact aim too low and promise too little, but that they would look toward the “higher” promises instead. This is a pious-sounding excuse for a rejection of the blood of Jesus Christ. If you castigate the explicit promises of the gospel as too low, too unholy, too worldly, then you are no longer a Christian preacher. You are preaching some other gospel, and some other religion. Look! You can only push so far until you are proved a reprobate.[1]

The Bible uses God’s sovereignty to explain why some people cannot have faith in the gospel, and therefore cannot receive the promise of God (John 6:44, 65, 10:26, Romans 9:18). They are doomed. They will not be saved. The Bible never uses God’s sovereignty to teach that some people could have faith in the promise — but because of the will of God — still cannot receive the promise. God withholds faith from the reprobates, but he never withholds faith to his chosen ones, and he never withholds his promise to those who have faith. … Therefore, the more someone claims that he does not receive the promise of God because of the will of God, the more he insists that he is reprobate, made for damnation, and reserved for everlasting torture in the fires of hell.[2]

[1] Vincent Cheung. On Unbeliefism. From Trace, 2008. P 5-6.

[2] Vincent Cheung. Faith and Divine Sovereignty. Contract. 2020. P 145.

For more see Vincent Cheung’s books. Biblical Healing. Systematic Theology. Sermonettes Vol 8-9. Trace. Fulcrum. Contract. Hero

Power is what will Finally Deliver You

I awoke today feeling off and with a headache. Halfway through the day I saw a reminder to seek God in devotion for spiritual strength, and I felt the Spirit prod me to do this. As the day went on the headache got worse and I felt an irrational oppressive pressure on my mind. I even had a difficult time remembering things. Finally it got to a point where it was irrational fears and accusative thoughts coming out of nowhere.

I have been seeking personal inner strength as a priority for about 2 or 3 years now. God has been delivering me from many of my old fears and even sins and etc. I will one day write about this, but even as a young man I experienced a direct demonic attack regarding temptation. It frightened me. I lacked the knowledge and power to know how to deal with such a thing. It caused me years of terrible fear in my heart. Vincent’s materials were helping me, and his essay on Demonic Attacks was a moment of where I began to experience real breakthrough.

Today, I suddenly felt all those old fears suddenly being pressed upon me, like they once did. So, again I did the easy thing and just began to pray in tongues and declares God’s promises over me. When I began this, the oppressive mental attacks ratcheted in up strength. However, after about 15 minutes I felt a sudden power in speaking in tongues. This happens often to me. You will be praying in tongues and suddenly, the power will increase, and you feel power and urgency. The moment this happened I heard the Spirit say to me, “You are a child of God, these things are to be afraid of you, not the other way around!” At this exact moment, all the oppressive thoughts and pressure vanished and even my headache was instantly healed.

In a perfect world of mature faith, a simple word would have stopped this attack earlier on the day. And we are all to seek this level of faith. So, while you work on a strong faith, have compassion on yourself and those around you needing help, by praying in tongues and bringing down the power of God to expand His kingdom.

Vincent Cheung in the essay, “Cure for Psychological Trauma,” says, “Power is what will finally deliver you.” The foundation is first correct theology and promises. But the thing that will deliver from all your troubles is power. Unadulterated power of God. Mature faith will always do this. However, praying in tongues is one of the easiest, (it is so easy it is like having game cheat), ways to move the power of God directly into your soul, body and life. You should eagerly seek this gift. We need less talk and more power! God’s power is able to deliver you, your family, your church and even entire nations.

He Will Do It/We Will Do It

Salvation’s broad foundation, is “God.” God is the foundation of theology and thus salvation. Without Him, there is no point in doing theology. God’s foundation as taught in Scripture, is that of absolute and directly sovereign over all reality. This foundation takes away all the problems for salvation and man’s ablity to obey God.

We will not rehash the absolute reliability of the Contract we have God. God will do what He says, no matter how great and wonderful the promise. That is the summary of the doctrine.

Many look at their sanctification and thus proof that they will be glorified, from a man-centered focus. Doing so will bring heartache, stress, depression, blasphemy, and if not rectified damnation.

When Isaiah 55 says that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, it is not referring God’s knowledge versus human knowledge in general. If that was the case, then the knowledge that God’s knowledge is not our knowledge is not our knowledge. It would end up in self-contradictory nonsense. But since Jesus appeals to the law of contradiction, we know anything that leads to skepticism is false. Thus apart from the obvious nonsense we know such an interpretation is unbiblical.

Rather, in this passage God refers to knowledge about His future revelation of unmerited favor that will be given through Jesus Christ. The verse that follows says, come buy milk and honey without price. That is, things like forgiveness and healing (etc), because of Jesus’ finished work, we can buy them without cost. For the audience at that time, such a revelation of grace was beyond their understanding and faith. However, since we live after the finished work of Jesus, then God’s ways of grace are our ways, and His throughs of grace are our thoughts. Paul even says in 1 Corinthians 2 that “we have the Mind of Christ.”

I say this to remind the reader, that the gospel radically changes the believer into a super species. They have a new created reality, fundamentally different from their old reality. The Christian renews their mind to think in line with the new definition given to them in Christ.

In laymen’s terms, what King David says is 100 more true today, when he says, “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall,” Psalm 18:29

Man’s ablity is God’s ablity. Or stated negatively, man’s limitation is God’s limitation. We are not talking about being deified with attributes that by definition can only belong to God like being infinite, or immutable. What we are referring to is God’s promises to strengthen us, bless us and empower us.

Our ablity to be sanctified is not measured by man’s limitation but by God’s infinite ablity to work in man. Our ablity to know God, is not measured by our finiteness, but by the limitless ablity of the Spirit of God to make us to have the mind of Christ, and to cause us to know all the things freely given to us. Or is the finiteness of man greater than God’s ablity of infinite power? Some perverts not satisfied to limit man, but they are not quenched until they limit God. We are not talking about something irrational like God creating a rock to heavy for Him to lift, when God does not have body. We are talking about the sheer power of God to create and cause. How many propositions can you think of at the same time? Or how high can you jump? Or how long does it take to go 500 miles? Howe well can you cure an incurable disease? How well can you sanctify your actions? The issue is how much ablity does God have to enable me to think of many propositions at the same time. How much power does God have to enable me to jump or go a distance of 500 miles? How much power does God have to renew and heal the body? How much ablity does God have to sanctify my actions? This is the new measure the Christian is to measure their own ablity.

Jesus says, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” Matthew 19:26. Jesus is making a distinction with God’s power and human power. Jesus points out that human power it limited, but God’s is not.

Paul in Ephesians 6:10 says, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Also, in Acts 1:1-8, Jesus commands the apostles and believers to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Lastly, Jesus says about those who believe in Him, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these,” John 14:12.

The conclusion is simple. Jesus says in Mark 9:23

“Everything is possible for one who believes.”

We are not pantheists. God is not what He creates. God is separated from creation. When God empowers “you,” then it is “you” not God that is empowered.

It will obey “you.” Jesus says you can command a mountain to be thrown into the sea and it will obey who? God? No. It will obey “you.” In Ephesian 6, it is a command, not a mere suggestion, to be empowered with human limitations? No. To be empowered with God’s own power and strength. Let the sink in. Imagine Zeus freely giving power and his lightning bolt to “you” to empower “you.” But this is what God does for us, and commands that we do. Boldly walk into the throne of grace and grab Yahweh’s lightning bolt and use it. God like this. He wants you empowered with His power.

The limitations of the old man are gone, whether if it is about spiritual things such as sanctification or something like being teleported 500 miles to another city.

We are children of God. His ways are now our ways, and His thoughts are now our thoughts. So much so that “all things are possible to the one who believes.” This is the glory and splendor and privilege that belongs to the sons of God. The corrupted world will be liberated into the “liberty of” the “children” of God.