Tag Archives: faith

When even God, is not God-centered Enough

“Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The men at the table said among themselves,
“Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

And Jesus said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.””
Luke 7:48-50 NLT

The context is the forgiveness of sins. Jesus says if you have been forgiven much, you will love much. This is reason, Jesus points ,why the prostitute loved Him so much.

Forgiveness of sins is a big thing, because only God can do it. Only God is judge of the creation that, well, He created. He commands. He holds accountable. There will be a judgment. But He is also merciful and full of unmerited favor. Therefore, King David says, “Happy is the man whom God does not credit sin.” Happy is the man who is forgiven.

Thus there is reason for the crowd say, “how is Jesus able to forgive sins,” if they do not believe He is God’s son and sent from God.

However, the part that I wish to focus on is the last statement. Jesus says, “Your faith has saved you.”

The context is that Jesus is God. Let the sink in. Jesus only speaks and does whatthe Father tells Him. Thus, Jesus says, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. Let that sink in.

You cannot get more God-centered than God. Or do you think you are more God-centered than God? God says He does all things for His own glory (Ezekiel 36, Romans 11:33-36.)

Jesus has no issue saying statements about the absolute and direct sovereignty of God over all things (John 10:26, 6:44,65). But these are a super minority of the time. Most of the time Jesus speaks on our human level by saying, “your faith saved you,” “your faith healed you,” “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”

This immediate context is about the forgiveness of sins. This topic is a “central” and linchpin issue for most Churchs and Christians, as it should be. However, when Jesus ends the whole exchange he says, “God saved you.” No, that is not what He said. He said, “your faith saved you.”

If I were to say something as awful as this statement on facebook, twitter (etc.) to a person who just asked God to forgiven them, I would be trolled by elitists and heresy hunting Christians saying, “NO, God is the one who saves, not the person, for even their faith is a gift of God.”

But who is wrong? Jesus or these concerned scholastic cattle? They somehow expect us to put systematic theology into every sentence. Yet if you read them, they do not perform this standard. However, beyond their irrational and hypocritical demands, there is another issue.

They tell me that I am not “God-centered” enough. They use this to scare people. They bully people into thinking they are humble and concerned for the things of God. Yet, all I did was repeat what Jesus did in the same context about forgiveness of sin that Jesus did. So, who is more God-centered, God or men who say they are God-centered?

When even God, is not God-centered enough for you, then you are being played like a demon meat puppet. The bible is not God-centered enough for you, because you are so high on “your” God-centeredness you cannot see reality anymore. However, if you would focus on what “God” is centered on, you would see He is mostly centered on the human level. He is centered on “your” faith in the scripture.

Jesus would beeline to anyone with faith. The Father is the same. Jesus did not beeline to, “God is sovereign, therefore you are forgiven.” No, He would beeline to faith, and say, “your faith healed” or “your faith saved you.” By saying “saved,” as in “your faith has saved you,” he meant it as forgiveness of sins. That is, “your faith has caused you to be forgiven of your sins.” Therefore, I will also say this.

I tell you the truth, those who would correct me saying such a thing, would have also rebuked Jesus, if they were born during His time. If you rebuke the messenger, you rebuke the one who sent him. There is no escaping this condemnation, well, unless you have faith, so that by your faith you are saved.

It is always important to remember the foundation of God’s absolute and direct control over all things, however when we pray, seek and look to God for our daily bread, it is our faith that will save us. Faith in God’s words, is how we engage God. It is how we receive from Him. It is how we please God. Jesus did not stop and asked “who touched me,” because he was annoyed, but because He likes it when faith touches Him.

Do you feel you are one face in a crowd of millions? Who cares. If you have faith, God will beeline to you as if you are the only one there. You want God’s attention? Have faith in His promises. Even a pagan can say, “God-centeredness,” however, only a child can freely ask for healing and receive it in faith.

For those who have faith, and are seeking God, I can say in confidence, “your faith has already saved and healed you.”

What encouragement it is to know, instead to being so high minded that our brains even leave heaven, that if we center on God, who is centered on our faith, our faith will heal us. All we need to do is focus on God’s wonderful and good promises. If we do, it is revealed that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10). There is no fear that this will not happen. And when faith does arise, all things become possible for us. Mountains will obey us. Demons will scream in terror. Broken bodies will fix themselves at our word. And every sort of help will take wings and fly to us. Yes, even God Himself will beeline toward us, and focus on us, when there is a sea of 8 billions faces.

Do not fear, only believe.

Outsiders Buy Healing, Insiders Receive It Freely

^“After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
²⁵“Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
²⁶“From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷“But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Matthew 17:24:27

Jesus makes an interesting point about who pays for the temple. In Jesus’ day, there was a tax to pay for it. Jesus comments on how kings do not charge taxes on their own children, because they are beloved family. They are insiders. Jesus also says the kings charge the payment of taxes to outsiders, or non-family members.

Jesus says the children are “free.” They freely receive from their father king. They do not give or buy things from their father king. The king freely gives a house to his child. The child does not buy it from their father king.

Outsiders pay taxes. The children of the king do not pay taxes; rather, the children benefit from the taxes. They freely receive a supply from their father king. Outsiders, buy property from the king. The children freely receive a house from their father King.

In Romans 12 it commands us to be zealous for the Lord. That is be zealous for the things of God, and His promises and to seek Him.

However, may people are not zealous in seeking healing from their Father King by daily going over promise verses, thinking about them and praying them. We are to be zealots in approaching our Father King as a child, an insider who freely receives healing and all sorts of help.

Those who disregard this command, will nevertheless approach God. They approach Him like an outsider by going to the doctors and “buy” (pay taxes) their healing, despite being children. Like Simon in Acts 8, they do not use faith to freely receive gifts from God, they try to buy the gifts of God. “Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!””

Let it be known, the bible neither rejects or praises medicine. Thus you are not sinning if you go to the doctors. But again, the bible never endorses it; not one single time! Let that sink in.

God freely gives all things to His children. Yet, Satan has many convinced God is an outsider to them, and they are an outsider to God. They must beg, like outsiders to receive from God.

Through the finished atonement of Jesus, healing is an already purchased and accomplished gift, which already belongs by right to God’s children. You cannot buy a “gift” from God. Healing is accomplished by the blood and atonement of Jesus (Isaiah 53:4-5). You cannot buy anything Jesus bleed for, without blaspheming. All benefits of the cross are freely received “only by faith.” There is no other way. If you truly think going to the doctor to get healing, is a benefit of the Cross, then you necessarily affirm you can “buy” the blood and atonement of Jesus Christ.

You cannot buy what God freely gives. You cannot buy God’s gift.

You can buy what man charges. You can buy human help.

Since you cannot buy God’s healing, and if you cannot receive it freely as an insider by faith, then your only option is to buy it from man.

If you want healing that God gives, you only receive it by faith. This is the only way children relate to their Father. It is how insiders have relationship with God. Do not bypass the children’s free access, then go to man, buy man’s help, and then call it God’s gift. Sure, God in kindness can still help the doctor’s hand in a surgery, but at the end of the day, you went and purchased man’s help. IF you don’t like this, then start to act like children and have faith in the free promises of your Father, purchased (not by you) but by the blood of Christ Jesus.

God loves His children. He does not charge you. God does not put His blessings up for sale.

God gives to you. You do not give to God.

The Path of Faith & the Spirit

It just dawned on me, that when I learned about (or that God personally taught me) God’s sovereignty and occasionalism and decrees, was when I was a teenage and had never heard of John Calvin or any reformation. It was a time I was praying in tongues and experiencing the anointing presence of God, and often hearing prophecy in my church. It was in this environment God revealed to me these doctrines from His word, without any man involved. The Spirit taught me these doctrines; no man or system or book did. It was in the power of the Spirit I learned them.

I now see how the evil one took advantage of my overall ignorance and immaturity to lead me to the reformed world to try and snuff this out with unbelief (and contradictive theology). I thanked God I never stopped my belief in faith and the Spirit, but it was being chocked by an onslaught of unbelief material. I was deceived to think reformed material would help me fight sin, when it was the very thing weakening my ablity to fight. I thought Reformed doctrine would not only give me some more knowledge but help with things such fighting besetting sin. Oh boy, was I wrong.

God in His kindness did not forget me. I was in the middle of transcribing Jonathan Edward sermons for Yale University, and even asked by John Piper’s team for possible collaborations, that the Spirit of God overwhelmed me in my house and I fell to the ground. I felt a hand touch my back and I heard Jesus say to me 3 times. “Oshea I love you, and I have forgiven you of all your sins.” I was then aware that despite all the reformed theology I was reading it was not translating into inner growth and faith. In my heart I wanted out, but didn’t know how. I knew something was wrong.

I few years later Vincent Cheung began his transition to faith and inner strength and God worked on my heart to completely leave the reformed world and showed me a better way. I saw that the way of faith and the Spirit was always the good path, the right path. It is a path that will cause God to stop and boast about you, exalt you and uplift you. It is a path that will fill you with joy, power and glory.

Basic doctrines like God’s sovereignty, occasionalism, and the eternal decrees is child level easy to understand, and no one should boast about understanding it as a great intellectual feat. Faith and miracles is something to boast about; indeed, even God will boast about you if you have faith.

Suggested reading:
God Will Boast About You.

A Disciplined Son, Sitting In His Room, In His Father’s House

What is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the lord is defined by its context. At times is simply means to worship the lord, as Jesus quotes to the devil. But at times it means awful dread of judgment. And lastly it can mean, as a legitimate son, to fear the discipline (not condemnation) of your father.

Vincent Cheung writes regarding a besetting sin,

It is good that instead of excusing yourself, you admit your sin and you are taking it seriously. Even if the sin persists, remember to never lose this – never begin to make excuses or to think that it is not a sin.

It is correct that true faith in Jesus Christ leads to holiness. However, a stubborn sin – or two or three – can tend to capture our attention to the exclusion of other aspects of our lives. When you take your entire life into account, is the basic disposition toward holiness? Is there an overall growth in knowledge, reverence, purity, and good works? If so, then this is consistent with a genuine faith in Christ. Instead of allowing a stubborn sin to become a stumbling block for your whole faith, you should consider the fact of your continuing growth in Christ to draw strength and encouragement in the ongoing battle against the remaining evil… So even if you draw on the strength and pressure of a Christian community, see to it that your main focus remains on Jesus Christ. He is the sole Mediator, the Lord of the conscience, and the Shepherd of your soul.[1]

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[g]
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way,”
(Hebrews 12:1-3,7-11. NLT)

“Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going,”
(John 13:38, 14:1-4. NIV)

“He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.”
(Romans 2:6-7 NLT)

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord,”
1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

So right after Jesus tells Peter that Peter will betray Him (people have forfeited their souls for less), Jesus says not to worry, but remember He is preparing a room in His Father’s house for all the disciples, including Peter.

Peter did suffer the disgrace and sorrow for what he, but Jesus restored him, and Peter upon receiving this freely given love, freely gave it back to the brethren by strengthen them. Peter never stopped from having a room in the Father’s house.

When I was disciplined by my parents, my mom would make me wait in my room for my dad to come and give me a spanking. As Hebrews 12 says, discipline is not pleasant. How obvious this is. It is proper to “fear” the unpleasantness of discipline. The point to remember is this, it is discipline, and not condemnation. For those in Christ Jesus we never fear condemnation, because Jesus was already condemned in our place. [2] This is a fear a Christian should never experience, and any voice or feeling that says otherwise is a lie from Satan. Our judgment has already happened. Only grace and life are before us. It is a bight day, today in Christ. It is a brilliant future.

However, I want to bring your attention to this aspect. I waited for my dad’s discipline, in my “room” in my “father’s house.” Think about that. The same is for our heavenly Father. For all those truly born-from-above, we never leave our Father’s house. Even if we wait for discipline, we wait as sons, in the safety of our own rooms. And even in the extreme example of the parodical son, when the son left his room on his own, the father’s always had a room waiting for the son’s return.

Any discipline is to help you mature as a son. That is, the good things you are seeking, such as blessings, health, prosperity (etc.) God our Father wants to give this to us, more than we want to receive it. We are already in Christ, righteous in God’s sight, reconciled and co-heirs with Jesus. By faith, at any time we can approach God’s throne; our sins do not negate this. However, if our sin is to often or too big, it can hinder our conscience to be sin focused and not righteousness focus, and this will hinder our faith, and this will hinder us freely receiving all the good things from our Father. God’s discipline for His sons, is not to remake us as sons because our sins stopped us from being sons; no, our Father desires to mature us to understand we are beloved sons through Jesus and on this foundation, in faith freely receive the good things promised us. God wants to give more than you want to receive.

When we are sick, we need to have a relentless focus on our healing, on the word of God about healing day and night. We are not to focus on our sickness, we are to focus on the healing already accomplished by Jesus in His finished atonement. We are not to focus on the pain, but the how much God loves us and wants our healing more than we want it. Sickness is from the devil, it is a curse of the law and Jesus started to demolish it in His ministry and has commanded all His disciples to continue this battle. We are commanded to have faith to be healed.

The same for sanctification, even in besetting sins. We need to have a relentless focus on our righteousness in God, and not our sin. Hebrews 12 in context about the sins that so easily ensures us, says to focus on Jesus who began and will strengthen our faith. The application is obvious. We do not focus on what our eyes see, or minds feel, or body experiences; rather, we focus on all the promises of God that are yes through Jesus Christ. We focus day and night that we are the righteousness of God in Jesus, that we are children of God, beloved and reconciled once and for all time. We can march into the throne of heaven at any time and place to ask and receive from Almighty God, as dear children. We need to see that even all our future sins are forgiven, forgotten and gone. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 that not only did Jesus become our righteousness for us, but also our “sanctification.” Jesus did not only start our faith, but He will be faithful, (not you), HE will be faithful to mature and finish our faith. In blood, Jesus promises in the New Contract, that God will write His laws on our minds so that we love God, by obeying His commands. This was not your promise to God, but God’s promise to you. The Father pointed to His Jesus’ bloody corpse and said on that day, I promise I will cause you to love Me. This is love, not that we loved God, but that God so loves us that He sent His son to be a wrath appeasing atonement for us. The old man has already died, and the new man is already here. We are free from the law of sin and death and now we reign in this life through Jesus Christ.

This does not diminish our sickness by focusing on our healing promised in Jesus, instead of the pain, but is obedience to focus on what God tells us to focus on. The same for sin and righteousness. It is obedience to focus on our righteousness, sonship and value in Christ and not sin conscience. Psalm 1 says you will have success in all that you do if you think on God’s word day and night. We know the way. It is Jesus. It is a relentless focus on our beloved identity in Him, and that all the good promises are our definition and yes through Jesus.

ENDNOTES

[1] Vincent Cheung. Habitual Sin. Sermonettes Vol. 6. 2012. Pg.81.

[2] Now, if you are in extreme, gross sin (there are degrees of sin), it is not wrong to remember the dread of condemnation, in the sense that Paul says, check and see if your election is sure; yet, these are extremes that most Christians should not relate to (2 Corinth. 11:20-22, 27, “guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”). Yet, even in this extreme, God killed them with sickness before they could forfeit their salvation. And yet, in this extreme James 5:15 still applies, “Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven,” NLT. God wants you to prosper.

FAITH QUOTES

[These quotes are from various preachers and teachers from the “2022 Southwest Believers’ Convention.” From Aug 4-6, 2022, from the Kenneth Copeland twitter page.]

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours
– Matthew 11:24

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts,
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
-John 15:7 (AMPC)

“The destroyer is rebuked for our sake and His weapon of sickness and disease cannot prosper against us.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“We resist sin…we resist sickness and disease.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“When you can’t recognize yourself, doubting likely has become a habit in your life.”
@jesse_duplantis

“God never anointed Jesus to go about putting sickness on anybody.”
@terripearsons

“Fear is not okay.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“You are supposed to be healed today!”
-Kenneth Copeland

“Jesus paid the bill for our healing with His own blood.”
-Kenneth Copeland

“Doubt will steal your face, because it has no face. It’s an identity thief.
@jesse_duplantis

“An unlimited God can be limited by His own people!”
@jerrysavellemin

“You start acknowledging God over all the good things that happen to you and more good things will happen to you.”
@jerrysavellemin

“The battle may not be your choice, but the outcome is.”
@jesse_duplantis

“We can limit God through small thinking and negative talking.”
@jerrysavellemin

“God’s warehouses are full! All He wants to do is Bless His kids!”
@jesse_duplantis

“Faith brings our hopes into reality.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
– Hebrews 11:1

“Faith knows ahead of time what God will do.”
– Keith Moore

“When God tells you that He wants you to do something, and you have an assignment, you can get bold — Nothing can stop you, nobody bigger than Him.”
-Keith Moore

“Get out of the boat of religion and start walking on the water because Jesus is not in the boat He’s on the water.”
@jesse_duplantis

“You’re moving from Victory to Victory. Your Victory is already done!”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Now is the time to know that without Him you can do nothing.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“The very law of mankind should be total dependence on God.”
@Creflo_Dollar

Declare it until you believe it: “I am the righteousness of God.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“The thing that gives you eternal value is that God Himself chose you and paid the highest price for you.”
Keith Moore

“We’re not righteous in God’s eyes because we do right. We’re righteous because of Jesus.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Righteousness is your stance and position with God. It’s the ability to stand in the presence of the Father with no fear, shame, guilt, inferiority, or condemnation.”
Creflo Dollar

“There’s absolutely nothing that God’s favor can’t accomplish.”
@jerrysavellemin

“The favor of God changes rules, regulations and policies in your behalf.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Start putting your faith in what Jesus has already finished.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“You don’t have to talk God into it. He wants to do it, He desires to do it, He gets great pleasure out of it.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Zero + Zero is Zero. Zero + Faith is plenty!”
-Kenneth Copeland

“I depend on favor every day of my life.”
@jerrysavellemin

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
– Hebrews 11:6

“I’m righteous because of Jesus. As long as Jesus is alright, I’m alright.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“You can’t leave up to God, what God has left up to you.”
– Keith Moore

“Victory is a finished deal.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“God wants you to depend on Him so He can show you His commitment to take care of you.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Doubt makes you the center of your belief.”
@jesse_duplantis

“When the disciples obeyed Jesus, their boats were so full they began to sink.” Kenneth Copeland

“Grace is God speaking to you, faith is you speaking to Him.”
@JeremyPearsons

“Religion makes beggars out of men and women.”
-Keith Moore

“The household of faith is faith in the morning, faith in the noontime, faith when the sun goes down.”
@JeremyPearsons

“There’s always somebody telling you you can’t, God says you can. Who’s lying?”
jesse_duplantis

“Jesus did everything by faith in His Father, and it’s the same Father dwelling in you and me, and it’s the same faith.”
Kenneth Copeland

“We are the body of Christ, in this hour — we are the transition piece.”
@terripearsons

“Doubt is an unconscious atheism.”
@jesse_duplantis

“You can’t come to Him in faith and not have something happen!”
@terripearsons

“People who know how to use their faith are operating on a different level.” @terripearsons

“Don’t talk the world. Talk The WORD.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Divine moments change your entire existence!”
-Kenneth Copeland

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
– Matthew 21:22

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.

Substitutionary Atonement: Curses For Miracles

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corin.5:21 LEB).
“Though (Jesus) was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corin. 8:9 NLT)
“Surely He has borne our sickness, And carried our pains… And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5 LEB).

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” in order that the [gospel] might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the [gospel]
of the Spirit [ & miracles, – verse 5,8] through faith,”
(Galatians 3:13-14 LEB).

Sin for righteousness.

Poverty for prosperity.

Sickness for health.

Curses for Spirit and Miracles.

Interestingly, the reverse for curses is the baptism of the Spirit and miracles. Tradition the rejects these things as a common experience for the believers and so put themselves under a curse, by doctrine and practice. If you are not under miracles, then by Paul’s argument you are still under a curse.

Paul argues in the beginning of chapter 3 that by faith they were filled with the Spirit and miracles, and not by doing the law. Thus, Spirit and Miracles are put together by Paul. Next, Paul says this is the blessing of Abraham that God promised, and this promise is also for gentiles who have faith. Then Paul says, the Scripture preached this blessing as the “gospel” to Abraham.

Two important notes in how Paul is using terms. Paul uses the terms “God” and “Scripture” as interchangeable, and terms “blessing to Abraham” and “gospel” as interchangeable.

Thus, when verse 14 says that we might receive the Spirit, it has already been defined by Paul along side with “miracles,” and that they are together defined with the interchangeable terms, “blessing and gospel.” By defining the gospel as the Spirit and miracles Paul is defining the gospel or blessing by important specific effects, and not defining it in its broadest meaning. Therefore, in Paul’ argument it is not a straight “curses for blessings” conclusion, the way it might mirror, sins for righteousness. Paul is going straight to the effects. Curses for the Spirit and miracles.

This should not be a surprise if you consider the origin of this gospel, which is Abraham. God’s blessing to him equated in an onslaught of miracles after miracles. Physical miracles of his and his wife’s bodies, prosperity, favor, military victories over multiple kingdoms, the King of Salem giving him bread and wine and talking with God face to face (etc.). Thus, when we are grafted into this blessing by the atonement of Jesus and faith in Him, we are grated into an onslaught of miracles.

Paul’s argument is that through Jesus by faith, we have the same gospel that was promised to Abraham is given to us. Simple and beautiful.

Thus, even after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul’s argument is the gospel of Abraham is the foundation for the abundant miracles and Spirit of power being demonstrated in the Galatian church. The church receives this freely in faith and not by works of the law. Thus, the foundation for the current New Testament church dispensation is the ongoing gospel of Abraham. Therefore, any argument about miracles ending with the apostles, is stupid, anti-scripture and anti-gospel.

The reason people say such things, is because they are men who are focused on men, albite good men, but men nonetheless. They love men, love the praise of men and will do anything to side with men. God is just an afterthought and decoration. As demonic as it is, God is used as an exegesis principle to help them focus on men.

The Scripture is focused on God. God and His swearing by His name to bless Abraham with unending miracles in the foundation. All those who turn to this God and His gospel of miracles, will not be put to shame.

The important point is that the “age of miracles” is interchangeable with the “age of the gospel of Abraham.” If this gospel stands, it is an age of miracles and the Spirit. The only 2 ways for abundant miracles to stop is (1) God stops being faithful to His promise to Abraham (which He swore by His Name to do, Heb. 6:13-14) or (2) people do not believe in God’s gospel promise (Rom. 10:16).

Many men have conspired with demons to say it was the first reason and not their lack of faith that explains the lack of the effects of the gospel, which is miracles and the Spirit in their life. They have their reward.

But for us, let us partake of the Lord’s Supper and remember the sufferings of Jesus that exchanged our sin for His righteousness, our sickness for His Health, our poverty for His wealth, and ours curses for His miraculous power. Let us be Christians and live the gospel of Abraham that Jesus made ours by being literally nailed to our curses on that tree. God wanted this. Just as God wanted Abraham to be blessed with a life of miracles, He wants you to be.

YOU Have The Ability, If YOU Believe

“If I can?” Jesus asked.
“Anything is possible if you have faith.” TLB

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked.
“Anything is possible if a person believes.” NLT

The word for “can” or “able” means ability or power to do something. The word for possible also has a similar meaning of having a powerful ability to make something happen. It appears Jesus is making a play on words. Jesus is in effect saying, “If I have the ability? No, you have it mixed up. You have the ability, if you believe.”

Jesus is doing a play on words in that, one, Jesus is showing that He is offended at the question. “If I am able. Of course, I am able.” The grammar shows Jesus with emotion, “IF I CAN!” The point is that Jesus expects the presupposition that a person coming to Him for help believes He is able.

The second aspect is how Jesus takes what the father says, and uses or puts it back on the father. The father was asking about Jesus’ ability, and Jesus turns around and says there is ability to heal here; however, it lies with you and your faith.

Context. Think about the desperate father wanting his child healed. This is a public place with a crowed watching. What does Jesus do? Does he take the father aside to a private place and correct him privately? No. In front other others, during ministry time, Jesus corrects this emotionally desperate father about a theological mistake.

If someone needs a healing, and there is a theological issue stopping it, then the most loving thing you can do is to correct the mistake, even publicly so that they can correct themselves and receive the healing they so desperately need. If you are easily offended, then do not expect to get healed, for Jesus corrects those He loves. Our heavenly Father disciplines (not condemns) those He loves. Why? Because God wants you healed, prosperous and matured more than you want it.

About the second point, it is important to see how the man tried to put the responsibility on Jesus but Jesus takes the responsibility off of Himself and puts it on the desperate father. Even though the father did not have full confidence in Jesus that He had the ability, yet, it is enough the he thought it possible for Jesus to have the ability. If Jesus has the ability, and a desperate father is asking for help (how does not have the ability) then the accountability is on Jesus to heal. However, Jesus switches this around. He says the father, through faith, can heal his child, and thus, the accountability lies with the desperate father to heal his child, because God desires mercy more than sacrifice. Jesus showed neighbor love helps those in need (the beaten man on the road) and makes the need go away.

The father accepts this accountability and responds in an appropriate manner. If the responsibly is the father’s, because by faith he has the ability, then the father needs faith. Therefore, the father says he has faith, but it is imperfect and so asks Jesus to help his unbelief. This is good theology. This is how to correctly respond with the accountability God as placed on us. Jesus healed the child.

Many in my day, do not follow this scriptural example. They take the (we will call it a hat) the hat of ability and responsibility and put it on Jesus’ head, saying, “if you will, then you can heal me.” But Jesus’ takes this hat off his head and puts it back on their head saying, “you can heal yourself, by faith in My promise. The responsibility of this healing is on your shoulders, not mine.” Instead of responding to Jesus like the desperate father, they take the hat of responsibility that Jesus put on their head, and they throw it down at Jesus’ feet saying, “I will suffer for the glory of God, by the will of God. We will not have you rule over us, by telling us what we are responsible for. We will decide this ourselves.”

God is the one who decides what man is responsible for, not man. That what it means to be God and in all authority.

Jesus tells us what He will do with people who will not accept His authority to rule over them. Jesus says these predestined reprobates will be slaughtered at His feet. “But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!’” Luke 19:27 LEB

The good news is that we are children of God; we are so superior, so loved and so close to God as insiders, we can heal, cast out demons and throw mountains into the sea. Angels and all other created beings do not have this special insider status that the children of God do. Jesus has removed all our sins from us. He has cleansed us and made accepted as beloved in the Father’s sight. He bore all our sins, our sickness and curses. He gave us His righteousness, health and blessings. God has reconciled us to Himself and adopted us into the very family of God. Jesus’ finished atonement has given us the right to wield the authority and power of God so that we can heal, cast out and bless. God wanted this. It was His idea to do this. He wants it. You are not fighting against God to wield this type of power. If you resist this, it is then you will be fighting against God.

Think about how much God loves you. He puts His power in your right hand, and His authority in your left. He wants you to overcome this world, because Jesus your forerunner overcame it. He wants you to be self-aware that you are a child of God, and a co-heir with Jesus Christ. He wants you to look down and see you are wearing sandals and He wants you to feel that are clothed in the best robe from the Father’s wardrobe. God wants you to be aware you are wearing His signet ring on your right hand. He wants you to lift your right with the ring and to order the servants, because you are His child and heir.

If you want to see how much of an insider status you have as a child of God, then consider the viewpoint of an angel. God commands one to go and they go, he tells another to come and they do. They are servants of God. As God’s creation, we will always be bondservants of God, but we also have the addition of being children of God. Imagine an angel seeing Jacob wrestling God for a blessing, when God has commanded Jacob to release Him? No angel would dare to disobey a direct word of God. But as children, God’s first doctrine for us is faith, and no other doctrine after this can contradict it. It is the first primordial doctrine for God’s children.[1] It is their insider status. Imagine an angel looking at Moses standing in front of God, after God said He would wipe out Israel, and say, “Don’t you do it.” No angel would dream to do such a thing, and those who did are now demons. Imagine an angel looking at the gentile woman hijacking Jesus’ analogy, for her own desire, after Jesus told Her it was not her time and it was morally wrong to give what belongs to Israel and give it to her. No angel would do such a thing. However, for God’s children, their insider status (faith), gives them the privilege to do this. Act like the children of God. God wants you to act like children of God, because God re-created you as children of God. He wants this.

You must start somewhere. Today is a good day. Ask for Jesus to help your imperfect faith. Run to win the race. Jesus is the author of our faith. Look to Him, and He will make you a hero of faith. He will strengthen you. Remember faith is not how much you love God, but how much God loves you and has reconciled you to Himself.

This is mature doctrine. Oh Lord, let those who have ears, hear.

ENDNOTES———-

[1] These last few statements were influenced by Vincent Cheung’s essay, “Faith Override.”

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.

God will boast about you!

Hey,

I don’t know you personally, so I’ll keep this straightforward. I’m praying for you right now. I’m genuinely glad you see your wrongs and want to fix them. That kind of honest self-awareness and hunger for God’s restoration? Guard it with everything you’ve got. It’s solid evidence your soul is alive in Christ.

If you’ve read my older essay “God Rekindles Smoldering Wicks,” you already know I once wrestled with crushing depression—close enough to the edge that suicide looked like an escape hatch. I know the war inside the soul. The only thing that pulled me out was a relentless, daily feast on God’s promises and His unbreakable definition of me as His child in Jesus. I still chew on those verses almost every single day. They’re my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Vincent Cheung gave me that basic but life-saving advice, and it worked.

That same fire led me to take the Lord’s Supper often, reminding me I don’t give to God—God gives to me. He is my rich supplier, by great benefactor, my breadwinner, my Savor in all things. That is the gospel. I stack faith-filled devotions and materials into my routine throughout times a day, with faith confessions and praying in tongues. It’s not complicated—it’s fuel for the soul. Your inner man is not made strong by your love to God, but by you receiving how much God loves you (Eph 3).

Which brings me to something that jumped out in your note: that line about being a “good little Clark or Cheung.” It concerned me, brother. It sounded like your mind defaults to men first, not God. I’m not calling your salvation into question, but in my experience, when folks talk that way, the natural drift of their thoughts is still man-centered instead of centered on Jesus sitting on His throne. If you want out of the pit—and to stay out—you’ve got to put off that old man and put on the new one. Renew your mind until it becomes second nature to see yourself as a prince standing boldly in the very throne room of Almighty God.

When I was clawing my way out of that darkness, I didn’t obsess over Vincent, Clark, or any other teacher. I pounded my mind with Scripture until God’s Word became the loudest voice in the room. From that foundation I prayed and confessed exactly what God says I am and everything He’s already blessed me with. I also learned to stand in faith and command demonic oppression and lying thoughts to leave in Jesus’ name. I could have memorized every word Vincent Cheung ever wrote, but when I approach the Father, none of that matters. What matters is that I see myself as the righteousness of God in Christ, so that this throne is a throne of grace and favor for me. Vincent, Clark, nor any man can help me or do this for me; they cannot do this for you either. What matters are the gospel-bought promises and the immovable stance of faith in them. When I step into that majestic throne room—surrounded by spiritual beings, saints, and angels—I come clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, who loves me exactly as He loves His own Son. That’s my faith. That’s my victory shout. You need to get to this place: approaching God feels more natural and reflexive than running to any human advisor.

Both through a divine vision God gave me and through Vincent’s counsel, I shifted my study diet. I still love theology—God commands us all to pursue it—but my greater focus became building inner spiritual strength through faith-based devotionals.

Systematic Theology is easy. Seriously, it’s super easy! (This doesn’t mean there isn’t an occasional point where it can feel a little complicated.) The older I get, the more I realize this. Once you know it, no one and no demon can steal it from you. Men shouldn’t strut around like they’ve conquered Everest for simply grasping God’s absolute sovereignty. It’s as simple as “All things are things directly and absolutely controlled by God.” This is a major premise of a syllogism that a five-year-old can grasp and apply in basic deduction. So it’s not an intellectual point to boast about—because it’s that easy. Should you boast about adding 2 + 2 = 4? Sure, if you’re a five-year-old.

But faith? Ah, now that’s something worth boasting about—because God Himself boasts about it! If you have faith like the heroes in Hebrews 11, the world wasn’t worthy to know them. That’s the kind of life worth boasting about.

Remember the Gentile woman or the Roman centurion? Jesus basically said, “This isn’t My will right now,” yet they grabbed the blessing anyway with raw, stubborn faith. And what did God do? He publicly praised them! With that kind of faith, God will boast about you. Think about that for a second. Instead of wasting breath boasting about teachers or systems, live so boldly in God’s promises that the King of the universe stands up from His throne, points His finger at you, and brags on you. His approval is the only praise worth chasing. Be a hero of faith.

Every day I still read devotionals from those “health-and-wealth, word-of-faith” preachers everyone loves to mock. I don’t recommend them for deep systematic theology (that’s where my book Systematic Theology 2025 – and Vincent’s work shine), but for taking God’s promises of faith, healing, deliverance, and blessing with deadly seriousness? They’re the only crew doing it right. They believe the Bible means what it says. I also want to give you permission to believe Jesus. The faithless will do all they can to tell you that Jesus did not really mean what He said. But I am here to tell you, “Yes—God did say.” You have my permission to believe Him, even when the faithless will not.

Vincent encouraged me to step away from my old Reformed church and zero in on spiritual strength through God’s Word and faith materials. That counsel, plus the vision God gave me, changed everything. I pass the same advice to you. It’s not a side quest—it’s the main highway out of the pit, the guardrail that keeps you out, and the launchpad that plants you on the mountaintop where God grabs your hand and delivers you from every trouble. He promised it. He sealed it in blood because He wanted to. He likes you.

Listen closely: God’s promises aren’t polite suggestions. They are the technical definition of who His children are. Think carefully about this! They are you! Turn your mind to this truth until it’s automatic. When those promises—seeing yourself in your new identity—become second nature, you’ll suddenly find yourself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with God on Mount Zion, looking down on every problem like it’s already defeated. God will point to the endless horizon and say, “All of this is yours.” Fix your eyes on the Jesus of the Gospels and Acts—He never left. He’s right there waiting for you.

So rise up, prince. Stop settling for man’s applause when the Father is ready to boast about you. Grab those promises with both hands, stand in the throne room, and watch God show off how much He loves to celebrate His faithful ones.

In the conquering name of Jesus, Oshea Davis