Tag Archives: Jesus

Justification Without and by the Law

(This is from the 1st rough draft from my systematic theology book, and so likely to have some future changes)

Justification like healing is overengineered in the gospel, not because God did not know what He was doing and went too far, but He did this for our sakes. He did this to assure us of our benefits in Christ; He did this to help our faith. The reason God swore by Himself, when He did not need to, was done for our benefit so that we “would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” (Heb 10:18)

Isaiah 53:4-5 says that Jesus carried our sickness away from us as a substitute. The word for carried is the Levitical word for the escape goat on the day of atonement in Leviticus 16. The sins of the people were transferred off the people onto the goat and then the goat carried the sins with it outside the camp. This is the word used in Isaiah 53 for Jesus carrying off our sicknesses. Then in the next verse it says that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. This is again substitution. Thus, here are 2 different ways in which our sicknesses were removed from us in the atonement.

However, there is a 3rd way. In Galatians 3 Paul tells us that Jesus became a curse for us in our place so that in substitutionary exchange we receive the blessing of Abrham. The curses of the law, as stated in Deut. 28, includes all sicknesses. And so we have 3 different ways that Jesus removed sickness off of us, in the atonement, so that we are healed and healthy. 

This is like Jesus and the feeding of the 4 and 5 thousand. Why was there so many extra baskets left over? God is an extravagant giver. Paul says in Ephesians that He answers our prayers exceedingly, abundantly and beyond all that we ask and think. This is how God is. God overengineered our healing in the atonement excessively and beyond what was needed, to help our faith to be absolute and unwavering. With 3 ways to ask for healing based on the atonement, even if one way seemed iffy, there are still 2 others for your faith to grab on to, allowing you to receive healing by faith.  This is healing on the demand of faith that our sicknesses were already removed from us in Jesus’ atonement. This is by faith in a promise, not a “gift.”

As a side note, this is why Churches and pastors who do not heal the sick and who teach against healing on the demand of faith, are false teachers. With this one heresy they trample the blood of Jesus 3 times. There is no excuse for not teaching and being regular practitioners of healing.

There is also a 4th way that healing is in the atonement that is the “gift of healing,” that comes from gifts of the Spirit, when one is empowered by the baptism of the Spirit. Peter in Acts two says this outpouring of power was a promise of Father given to the Son when He sat at His right hand. Thus, it is tied into the gospel of Jesus. The bible gives this aspect the least amount of time and attention. Most of the attention the bible gives for healing, is faith in a simple promise or understanding in God’s word.

The same is with justification, or God declaring us righteous. God overengineered our justification so that there is no way for any Elect to not know how righteous they are in Christ.

There are 2 main ways we are justified by God. One is separate from the Law of Moses and the other is by the Law.  The way the reformation teaches this doctrine is distorted by the context of their fight with the Catholic church. It is understandable why they focus on certain aspects and not others in such a context, but it is not how the bible teaches the topic. It is not as if a basic statement of “we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone,” is wrong. There is no way to disagree with such a statement as it is.  However, the bible’s teaching on this doctrine is much bigger than a simple statement; for example, in a similar way that “healing by the gift of healing,” is true as far as it goes, but the bible has much more to say about healing and faith and the atonement than a “gift of healing.”

The bible introduces justification, or God declaring someone righteous in His sight, with Abrham. We read this in Genesis and Paul refers to this in Romans 4. God promises only good things to Abraham. This is an understatement. God promises the world, life, riches, fame, glory, supernatural health, military victories and unending children, with God showing the children the same favors. There is nothing about sin or forgiveness. God promises all good things. Abraham says he believes God will do it. And then at this, God declares Abraham righteous in His sight.

The important part of this is that there is no law. The law came 400 years later, as a temporary teaching aid (a temporary contract), to show how sinful we were. The big idea is that Abraham was declared righteous, separate from the law. And this is exactly what Paul says in Romans 3. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed… David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works,” (Romans 3:21, 4:6 NKJV).  One verse mentions “separate from the law, then the other says “apart by works.” Both are true.  Then in chapter 4, mentions again that it is not through the Law. “(13)For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Thus, God declares people righteous separate from the Law. It is not merely apart from our works, but apart from the law, we are declared righteous.  “Apart from works,” we do not earn forgiveness by works we do. “Apart from the Law,” means God gave His righteousness to our account that is not related to the Law of Moses. This is how Abraham received righteousness and this is how we receive it.  

However, we are also declared righteous by the Law in another way. What is this way? It is by being forgiven of our sins. The Law contained both sins of omission and commission. We are commanded to avoid things like theft, but we are also commanded to love God and love our neighbors.  Thus, when we are forgiven for breaking the laws of the Law, we are forgiven for not having loving God above all things. Some speak of being forgiven as only being made neutral before God, or only at point 0. We have 0 bad works, but also 0 good works. But this is misleading. If you are a human and lived, your record, in regard to the law, is never neutral or at 0. If your record is at 0, then it would be the equivalent to saying you never lived. Furthermore, this could only be true if the Law only had sins of commission and not omission.  To be forgiven for not having loved God and our neighbor, is at the same time declared that we have loved God and our neighbors, otherwise we are still law breakers. The “blood” on the Day of Atonement, (which is part of the Law), provided Atonement/ forgiveness (covering over sin) and not 611 positive acts of a foreign righteousness added to the Israelites; accounts.  When Ephesians says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, (1:7 NKJV), it means to be declared righteous by the Law at the same time. If the law declares you innocent then it declares you as doing good things.

However, the Law was a temporary Contract (Gal. 3:19-25) to get us ready for the gospel of Abrahams’ blessing, given to us in Jesus’ atonement. This is why we read in Colossians 2:14 about the law (or record against us) as being nailed to the cross. The Law was nailed to the cross (as being finished), because it was 400 years after Abraham, as a temporary measure; therefore it had a expiration date.  In Jesus we are forgiven of all our lawbreaking, and by this not only is the Law just neutral toward us, but it has declared us righteous. Because the Law is an extension of God, by it declaring us righteous, God declares us righteous.

By the “blood” of Jesus we are forgiven. By the blood of Jesus the Law is fulfilled by us, by us being forgiven. Jesus’ blood forgives us and by this the laws of omission are positive, and by this the law declares us righteous. This is what Romans 5:9 means when it says “justified by His blood.” The blood justifies us when we are forgiven by His blood. You cannot be forgiven, in relation to the Law, without being declared righteous at the same time by the Law.  This being justified by the blood and forgiveness is different from being justified “separate (3:21;4:6)” from the law. In both cases we are justified without our works. Jesus’ work of atonement forgives us, apart from anything we do. Likewise when we are justified apart from the Law, it is also without any we do. Both types of justification are worked by Jesus and freely given without works that we have done.

There is still the issue of 2 Corinthians 5:21, where Paul speaks of an “exchange” for our sin for “God’s righteousness.” Since all benefits we have are from Jesus in the gospel, then this righteousness must refer to Jesus and in particular to His righteous acts as a man. Jesus became one of us, for many reasons, and this appears to be one of those reasons; to have a human category exchange of sins for righteousness.  

Some teach this credited righteousness is the specific acts of Jesus credited to our accounts, in relation to the Law. Indeed, Jesus was born as a man under the law and came to fulfill the law in obedience as a man. Was this only for His sole benefit when the context is about being one of us to save us and bless us? That would be more than strange.  Since the Law already declares us righteous, by simply being forgiven, then in this aspect it is not necessary for Jesus’ righteous acts, line by line, to be credited us in relation to the Law.  However the more important parts involve two things. One, we are declared righteous “apart from the law.” The second is that 2 Corinthians 5:21 says we are given/credited with “God’s righteousness.” If the Law is only for humans and human righteousness, then how, according to the Law, is “God’s” righteous given to us? If the Law is God’s commands given to humans, not God, then how can the Law that only deals in human sins and human righteousness declare someone with “God’s” righteousness? The point is that it does not.  Yes, God can do whatever He wants, but God does not lie or break promises. God is free to arbitrarily hold a tree accountable for not bearing figs, but it is not based on previous commands given to man. God is still rational and truthful.

Jesus was a human, and as a human obeyed the Law perfectly. This was because our sins were done as humans. He became one of us, to be a final and perfect “escape goat” and “atonement in blood” for us. But regarding His obedience under that Law, it was also done as human. But we are told we are credited with “God’s righteousness,” not merely a human obedience to the Law.

The Law, in the Day of Atonement, allowed for “atonement,” or forgiveness. This is why the blood of bulls and goats cannot truly provide forgiveness, because they were animals not human. Jesus as a human, provided a human atonement, in the category of human forgiveness. This forgiveness is at the same time a justification.  Since the Law does not have the category to declare person with God’s righteousness, there needs to be another way. There is a different justification, that came first with Abraham. And this justification includes, not merely a human righteousness, but God’s.  

What exactly is “God’s righteousness?” Jesus was human but He also was God. He was the God-man. His mind, even though restricted, was still God’s mind.  Thus everything He did still had a God-ness attached to it. So there can be a case made that Jesus’ life obedience was also God’s righteousness. It will be mentioned later, but at least some of Jesus actions were directly tied us being declared righteous. However, since this is separate from the Law, God is free to arbitrarily credit any aspect of His righteousness to us.   

One thing to mention is that not all contrasts in the gospel are a one-to-one ratio. Take for example Romans 5. Paul says Adam’s death is credited to us, but in Christ His righteousness is credited to us. If it was one to one, it would be death and life, or sin for righteousness.  Thus, the contrast is not a perfect one to one.  Second, part of what God does is arbitrary. God does and saves and blesses how He wants, in the specific way He likes the most. And so, our sins were credited to Him in relation to the Law, but we were credited with God’s righteousness separate from the Law.

 “…the gracious gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ…. so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 5:17, 21 NKJV).

This passage in Romans 5 is not about the Law. It is about us being declared righteous that is separate from the law (3:21). In Adam we were credited with death apart from the Law. Abraham, (and his children) were given righteousness apart from the Law. Then the temporary Law came in to show how sinful we were. Christ’ blood fulfills the Law and forgives us. But His righteousness is credited to us like it was with Abraham, apart from the Law.

On this passage you can at the very least say the righteousness of Jesus given to us includes His righteous behavior in face of His unjust treatment (5:16) of men in His atonement. Some traditions say that Jesus’ righteous acts, every action and thought He did, was credited it our account. This is interesting, but difficult to prove by a strict deduction/application of scripture. As just stated from Romans 5 we can say at the very least Jesus righteous act in facing the atonement is credited to us. However, I have not see a good argument from scripture alone that deduces every act of Jesus was credited to us. With just one act of Jesus credited to us, apart from the law, we can say we have the righteousness of God. Maybe it does include it all, but I will need a valid deduction from scripture to say that it does, not because some person or tradition says it. Some say we need to have all His actions credited to us because we need every part of our record replaced with one of His corresponding righteous acts. The bible does not say this. Also, this is impossible. Not impossible because God lacks power, but a category error impossibility. Jesus was not a father or mother, or a husband or a wife. Therefore, Jesus did not love child, or spouse with righteous acts of a parent or spouse. Thus, anyone who was a parent or spouse cannot have Jesus’ righteous acts of a parent or spouse added to their account. Therefore, no matter what position you take, all must affirm there are some righteous acts of Jesus not credited to our accounts. Thus, I cannot be accused of limiting Jesus imputed righteousness when all must affirm some level of it. The important part is simple, with least one righteous act from Jesus credited to our account, apart from the law, have the righteousness of God.

It is not relevant if it means more, if the point is to say Jesus’ righteousness is credited to us separate from the law, as our sins were credited to Him in relation to the Law. That is, even if Jesus righteousness was done to fulfill the Law as a man, it is credited to us separate from the Law. Since Jesus was still God when He did this, it is not only done by a human, but with a soul of a God, and so in this sense, it is a God type of righteousness. This credited righteousness that is called the “righteousness of God,” qualifies us to reign in life, just as Jesus reigns in life. Romans 4:25 says “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” This “for our offenses,” is our forgiveness by the standard of the Law, by His blood that at the same time justifies us. The second part of the verse, “raised for our justification,” is the crediting of God’s righteousness to our account, that is separate from that law.

This second type of justification has the potential to include all sorts of God’s righteousness credited to us, and not merely Jesus’ direct fulfillment of a particular law of Moses. Because this crediting is not directly connected to the law, it means God is able to credit any sort of God’s righteousness to us as He so desires. If this was only by the Law, then you would have to find a specific instance of Jesus that obeyed that law and then credited to Oshea’s record of the Mosaic law. The point made before, is that it does include specific acts of Jesus obeying God, but that it also has no limits to what it can include. By making it only about the law, with “human righteousness,” it has been made too small, to what has been credited to us in Jesus.  But the scriptures clearly say it is “separate from the law” we that are made “God’s righteousness,” and so what can potentially be credited to us apart from that Law is without limit. What God can credit to us, in this application, is not limited by the categories of the Law. Potentially (not saying the scripture teach this) if God wanted to credit us with Jesus’ righteousness, done as God, before the incarnation, then it could be possible, because it is not restricted by the Law. Also, in one sense Jesus’ actions in the atonement are about loving God and man (the Law), but some of these actions are directly about Jesus loving the Father to do this before the incarnation and then fulfilled on earth. Both acts of obedience, theoretically, could be credited to us apart from the Law. These actions are God’s righteousness. In a short summary, Jesus Christ was deposited to our account by grace. This is the value we now have.

Because this credited righteousness, separate from the law, makes us reign in life as Jesus does, I believe this is likely connected to the other doctrine of “adoption as sons.” To be forgiven and declared righteous by the Law would absolutely give you many privileges by God, but to rule over life itself like Jesus, is something different. This works well with Abraham being declared righteous apart from the Law, who was a “friend” of God, and God was like a father to Abrham. It is speculating, but I believe this second type of credited righteousness is related to the doctrine of being children of God, while the first aspect is not.

This brings us back to Abraham. God promise had nothing to do with the law or sin. It had everything to do with God promising extraordinary abundance, fame, health and blessings. God declared Abraham righteous in His sight because Abraham believed God would do all the good things He promised. Abraham was made God’s righteousness separate from the law. This is why in Jesus we also are made God’s righteousness separate from the law. We are Abraham’s children and so we are made righteous in the same way. By believing all the good things given to us in Jesus, including the blessing of Abraham, God declares us righteous apart from the Law.

However, because the Law, albeit temporary, was given, then it must be dealt with. The law exposed sin. And thus, this must be dealt with. Romans 3 deals with this.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus,” (Romans 3:21-26)

Justification started with Abraham and it did not have to do with forgiveness but a positive statement of righteousness. By righteousness I mean thoughts and actions that value God above all things (John 5:30). And in Abraham’s context it is believing God will do what He said. In the law, this is technically done by obeying all laws of commission and omission. We often think of forgiveness first, but the scripture starts off with a positive declaration of righteous acts freely credited to an account. In this way justification (being declared righteous in God’s sight) is a positive, with forgiveness assumed or presupposed.

With the Law, to be forgiven is to be declared righteous. However, (this does have a small amount of complexity here) for Abraham to be declared righteous, is to be forgiven at the same time, because you cannot be both righteous and unrighteous at the same time. Even one act of lawbreaking or devaluing of God is at the same time negating a “righteous record.” James says if you break one law from the Law, then you break them all. The same with innate knowledge apart from the Law. If you have one mistake it is no longer a righteous record. Because God’s standard is perfection, then you cannot have a righteous record without it being perfect, and this is true for the Law and without the Law.  And so, to be credited with God’s righteousness is to also be blameless.

Looking at justification from the Law, it is looking at this is from a standpoint of being born into time, within a history of these things already at play. Looking justification from Abraham’s view is seeing it from the larger picture of God’s decrees (logical order, not historical) and original intentions. Because God’s original decrees and intentions were for us to be sons of God in Jesus, being highly loved, then of course it would include being blameless.

With Abraham God imputes righteousness to a person’s account while they still have unrighteous acts, so that both are present (this was part of the dilemma of Romans 3:21-26, from man’s perspective. From God’s part, He looked like He was not following His own rules about sin and punishment.) Abraham’s record appeared to have both righteousness and unrighteousness. However, because a “perfect or blameless record” is part of being righteous, then when God declared Abraham righteous, it includes God dealing with the imperfections of Abraham’s record. Because we are children of Abraham, we had the same issue. However, because justification included forgiveness, forgiveness was finally dealt with at the cross. When speaking of being declared righteous by God, blamelessness is assumed. The two are woven together as a packaged deal.

The application of knowing how righteous you are is for the ethics section; however, as Hebrews chapter 10:1-2 says, if you are forgiven by God, then you should have no more consciousness of your sin. You are to forget and dismiss them the same way God has. You are not replay your sins in your mind. Rather, what should be on a permanent replay in your mind is how righteous you are. Jesus has made “you” righteous, and this should constantly be in your thoughts day and night.  A person who does not see themselves righteous now, by constantly thinking how righteous they are, is a person who does not believe they are saved. If you are sin conscience it means you believe you are sinful and disregard Jesus’ substitution as ineffective.  Faith is a mental assent in the mind. The proof you have faith in Jesus’ atonement is your mind is constantly conscience how righteous and awesome you are in Christ.

The proofs for how righteous you are, are obvious, such as a sound mind, and effective prayers (James 5).

Also, Vincent Cheung shows us a great summary for this saying,

“When you feel so “right,” nothing can stand in your way. When you are so “right,” you cannot conceive of any reason why God would not answer your prayers for success and miracles. You cannot conceive of any reason why a sickness or demon would not depart when you command it to go. You have the “right-ness” of God. This is how God feels about himself, and he wants to share this feeling with you, through Jesus Christ. This is the power of the righteousness of God. It has been untapped for almost two thousand years. As much as the Reformation harped about justification by faith, it had no idea what it is. It did not get anywhere close to what the righteousness of God could mean to Christians, and to the world. God’s righteousness is a thing of horror to Satan, but he is not nervous when it remains only a formal principle in Christian theology, rather than a vital power and a superhuman righteous feeling and confidence in every single believer. The prayer of a righteous man is effective indeed, but it is futile if no one actually feels righteous, or if this righteousness is only a theological principle and not a supernatural reality in man. What do we have in Christ? What Satan says about me is irrelevant, because I am God-centered, and I think about how righteous God is in me. This is the only basis on which I live. When Satan pokes at me with his little wrinkly finger, I slam his head off with the fist of God. Then I clobber his face into the ground over and over again like a madman until he is only a puddle of goo. This is the righteousness that we have in Christ Jesus.”[1]

[1] Vincent Cheung. The Christian and the Self. From the ebook “Contract.” 2020. Pg. 34.

God’s Word Prunes Us To Ask & Receive  

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”
(John 15:1-8 LSB)

What does it mean for God the Father to prune the branches? Some folks suggest that God’s pruning involves dishing out bad stuff like sickness or troubles to snip away flaws, such as a lustful or jealous heart.

When I hear this nonsense, I keep asking myself: “Why do Christians mix up God and Satan, as if confusing the two is easy?” “It’s not like they’re wearing matching jerseys at the cosmic family reunion!’” Why bother with the nitty-gritty of Christian apologetics or practical wisdom if you still can’t tell whether you are chatting with the Almighty or the devil?

Let me cut to the chase and jump straight to verses 7-8. We’re told that if Jesus’ words abide in you, then ask for whatever you desire, and boom—it’ll be given. This brings the Father (yep, the same one doing the pruning/cleaning) massive glory.

So, how on earth can the Father hand you a miscarriage or cancer when the same passage urges you to ask for whatever you want—like a healthy baby or robust health—and promises He will deliver? Defining the Father’s cleansing relationship as doling out sickness while simultaneously yanking it away? God is not running a cosmic bait-and-switch. That is a faithless sh#t pile. It’s man-made theology for the easily bamboozled.

To nail down the positive take, remember Jesus kicks off by saying His words are what already made the disciples pruned or cleansed. Boom—definition dropped. The terms “pruning” and “cleansing” are intertwined here, pointing to the same gig. Now, notice Jesus says if His “words” (the cleansers) abide in us, we can ask for anything and get it. The passage loops back to His “words” from start to finish.

With pruning pinned to Jesus’ words, the vine analogy is about yanking away the bad, not adding more junk. What is the bad getting the boot? Jesus’ words are pure gold. In John’s Gospel, the Apostle paints Jesus as the Son of God, calling us to believe in Him for eternal and abundant life. Our default human mindset? Straight-up trash. When we swap in Jesus’ golden doctrines, that’s the prune job.

So, if the Father wants to trim adulterous or jealous vibes from our hearts, how’s He swinging it? Jesus spells it out: His words cleanse the rotten thinking. Naturally, ditch the bad thoughts, and the bad behaviors bail too. A good tree bears good fruit, right? A good mind comes from faith in Jesus’ words.

What are some of these cleansing “words” Jesus dropped?
“…Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this…”

Let us ask for whatever we crave, snag it, and bring the Father great glory. We are called to be God-centered and gospel-focused. How can anyone claim the give great glory to God without boldly asking and receiving?

Tradition twists Jesus’ words into a masochistic sideshow. Somehow, the Father zaps us with sickness and setbacks “to teach us,” while Jesus commands we ask to ditch the sickness—and glorify God by getting healed. The very “cleansing” ailment is the one we are begging to remove? Fool’s gold theology, wrapped in self-flagellation. Pure nonsense.

Job didn’t level up from suffering; nope, he got schooled when God spoke revelation. Jesus teaches we learn and get cleansed by believing His revelation.

Finally, this mix-up is straight blasphemy. Jesus isn’t a dealer in sin any more than in sickness or misfortune. Jesus already finished the atonement and is now seated at the right hand of Power. From this position of authority, He is our living and active High Priest. We are not talking about ultimate level metaphysics or God’s sovereignty and decrees. God controls all things; however, in our “relationship” with Jesus it is established in a Contract made with His blood. He has promised to relate to us in certain ways and demands us to relate to Him in particular ways. This Contract makes us insiders and family members to our Father in Heaven.  The contract says God only gives us good. Jesus defines a good prayer as a fish for a fish. Jesus promises to take sin away, to take sickness away and to take poverty away. This is the only way He relates to us now. This makes us family insiders.

If you are a Christian and Jesus enables or causes or gives you sin, then He is an active minister of sin. This is blasphemy. However, the same is true for sickness and misfortune. If your relationship with Jesus as a Christian includes Jesus giving you sickness and misfortune, then Jesus would be an active minister of sickness and misfortune. I feel dirty having to type this out and explain it. Why do I need to explain this to adults?

There’s a spiritual entity who doles out sickness and woe (Acts 10:38), and his handle is Satan. Flipping roles between Satan and Jesus? Faithless error. When sickness hits you or yours, it’s Satan’s gig, not Jesus’. Satan peddles illness; Jesus dishes healing. Satan’s handing out sickness like it’s free candy at a parade, but Jesus is serving up healing like the ultimate divine smoothie.

The faithless are like people the police bring to a lineup to pick out the perpetrator of the crime. The line up includes God and Satan. And the faithless pick God as the one who hurt them, stole from them and tried to destroy them. Imagine being so stupid and confused you can’t tell the different between God and the devil. And yet, these people claim to be teachers and preachers. Sorry, if you are still unsure who is hurting you and giving you sickness and pain, you have no business teaching anyone anything. When God and Satan are interchangeable then we have a massive problem on our hands. They pick God out of the lineup because they are in line with Satan and are covering for him. The faithless cover for their Faithless god because they are wearing the same jersey.  They are not your friends.

Here is the deal. Jesus doesn’t pile on troubles—He clears them out. If the Father is pruning you, He will bring you toward Jesus’ words and amp your faith in His promises. And so, ask, receive, and glorify Him big time. If that is not your contract with Jesus, then double-check whose side you’re on.

Applying God’s Sovereignty

“8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel,” (Matthew 8:8-10 NLT).

If a person claims to be an expert in mathematics, but only succeeds in applying math 2% of the time, would you accept their claim? It would be irrelevant to me if a person went to school and has the approval of other men saying he is an expert in math, if he cannot apply it correctly.

In our passage above the centurion is talking about the sovereignty of God by speaking of Jesus’ power and authority over reality. To cure someone of sickness we are dealing with reality. The centurion says the same way officers and servants obey him, is the same way reality obeys Jesus. The same way an officer goes and comes at his word, is the same way physical tissue and sickness reacts to Jesus’ words. The same way he has authority over people, he implies Jesus has the same authority over reality itself. Jesus reacts to this with astonishment. He praises the centurion for his great faith.

The issue is not if the centurion had a perfect understanding of who Jesus was. He concluded Jesus had authority over reality itself. He understood that reality obeyed Jesus. This is fantastic theology. It is a good understanding of God’s sovereignty. I am not saying it is complete. But as it is, it is a correct theology about God’s sovereignty.

How did the centurion apply this correct doctrine of God’s sovereignty? He applied it with faith to get a miracle. In fact, he was already getting a miracle. He applied God’s sovereignty to upgrade a miracle that was coming in the future to make the miracle happen immediately. Or in modern terms, Jesus promised him an iPhone, and after he applied an argument of faith based on God’s sovereignty, Jesus upgraded it to an iPhone max pro. Also, his argument of faith, based on God’s sovereignty, made time obey the centurion, the way his servants obey him.

Jesus approved the centurion’s understanding of God’s sovereignty and his application of it with faith to receive an upgraded miracle.

Thanks be to God we have examples for how to apply God’s sovereignty in faith for miracles. Therefore, those who claim to understand God’s sovereignty but do not apply it to receive miracles and healing, are liars and frauds. They have no idea what God’s sovereignty is. They have no idea what they are doing or talking about.

Peter

Peter’s application of election is the baptism of the Spirit.

Peter also believed and understood the doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty. He spoke about predestination in the first apostolic sermon in Acts 2.

“Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and 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. 

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those who are far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself,”
(Acts 2:38-39. 38-NLT, 39-LEB).

The crowed said, “what do we do,” in response to seeing the baptism of the Spirit and Peter’s sermon describing why the Spirit is being poured out.  Peter’s response is about the predestination (and reprobation by implication) of God by saying, “as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” The interesting thing about his statement of predestination is that it is directly about the baptism of the Spirit and not directly about forgiveness of sins. Peter uses the forgiveness of sins as a stepping stone to get the promised baptism of the Spirit, purchased by Jesus and promised by the Father. Peter says to repent and be forgiven so that “then” you can receive the Holy Spirit of power. It is specifically about receiving this baptism of power that Peter says, “as many as God calls to Himself.” This includes forgiveness because Peter says you need to be forgiven and then you will be received this baptism of power.

And so Peter’s understanding of predestination and election is about the baptism of the Spirit with forgiveness being presupposed. If God has predestined you, then you will be baptized in the Spirit for power. Baptism of the Spirit is proof of your election and disproves you are a reprobate. This is how Peter applies God’s sovereignty. Peter says, “to those whom God has called TO HIMSELF.” If God has called you “to Himself,” then you will be baptized it the Spirit. How can you be called “to God” and you not be with God at the same time?

When God calls someone to Himself, He predestines them to be baptized in the Spirit. This is Peter’s doctrine of election in application.

It is a good thing the bible shows us how to apply the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. It shows us that election and predestination is applied for baptism of the Spirit and this confirms that God has sovereignly called us to be “with Him.”

Therefore, those who claim to understand predestination and do not apply it with the power of the Spirit are lairs and frauds. They say they understand God’s sovereignty, but they cannot apply it at the most basic level.

Jesus

We have seen a gentile and an apostle, but what about Jesus. How did Jesus apply the doctrine of God’s sovereignty?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 15:16 NIV).

I will quote Vincent Cheung at large on this verse, because he says it so well and by this helped me understand the doctrine of predestination is for those who live by the Spirit and faith for miracles. It is from his essay, “Predestination and Miracles.”

“Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). The Bible teaches a doctrine of election, or predestination. Before we became Christians, we were sinners, wicked to the core, so that in ourselves it was impossible for us to turn toward righteousness. It was impossible for us to choose any spiritual good. If we were to turn from evil to good, some other force outside of ourselves would have had to change us. When we accepted the gospel and decided to follow Christ, it was because God had first chosen us before the creation of the world. If you think that you indeed made a choice to follow Christ, you are correct, but your choice was an effect of God’s prior choice….

This is not the end of it. Predestination is for more than bare salvation, or to say it more correctly, salvation involves more than the mere forgiveness of sins and the promise of heaven. Salvation in Christ is a whole package of blessings and responsibilities. I do not mean that you need to achieve these blessings and responsibilities in order to attain salvation. No, I mean that when you receive salvation, these blessings and responsibilities also come with it. Thus it is not that you need to reach heaven in order to be saved, but that because you are saved by faith in Christ, you will reach heaven.

God has chosen us, and predestined us. Predestined for what? There was more to what Jesus said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” God predestined us to bear fruit. What is this fruit?

Even in the same verse, we can see that Jesus had in mind not only works of preaching and charity, because he said his followers would produce fruit and that “the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Gospel life and ministry is characterized by answers to prayers. What kinds of prayers? Wait, this is weaker than the way Jesus said it. The doctrine of prayer in historic unbelief is that “God will answer your prayers if it is his will (regardless of what he promised). Or, you can say that he always answers your prayers — sometimes he says yes, sometimes no, sometimes maybe, sometimes later. Or, when you ask for egg, he will give you a scorpion, so that when you ask for spiritual growth, he will give you cancer to teach you a lesson.” Among us, we have never accepted this view of prayer. We recognize it as satanic deception. But Jesus did not even say, “God will answer your prayers” or “God will always answer your prayers.” He said, “God will give you whatever you ask.” This is how God wants us to think about our relationship with him. This is how he wants us to think about discipleship. This is how he wants us to think about faith and prayer. God will give me whatever I ask when I approach him in the name of Jesus. No hiding behind a thousand qualifications. No excuses for me or for him.

God will give me whatever I ask. I will have whatever I ask. What I ask, I get. And I am predestined for this. So I am chosen to get whatever I ask. I am predestined to get whatever I ask. It is my foreordained destiny to receive whatever I ask God in the name of Jesus. If you have never heard this, then you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of predestination, you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of prayer, you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of the name of Jesus, and you have never heard the Bible’s doctrine of discipleship. Just several verses earlier, Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (15:7-8). Getting whatever we ask from God is intertwined throughout his discourse with the notions of bearing fruit, being his disciples, and loving one another. Thus getting whatever we ask from God is as pervasive as the gospel itself. It cannot be taken out and thrown away without tearing apart the entire gospel, and thus also our salvation. Here bearing fruit is almost the same thing as getting whatever we ask from God, and by getting what we ask from God, we show ourselves to be true disciples of Christ.”

James

James has something to say about God’s sovereignty and prayer.

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them,” (James 4:13-17 NIV)

James affirms God’s absolute sovereignty over all things. Considering his affirmation of God’s sovereignty what are his commands for us, when we are faced with circumstances like sickness? When tomorrow looks like sickness for us, when seen from our observations, what does James command us to do? Does he say, “you don’t know what will happen, so do not boast about being healed tomorrow, even if you asked God to heal you?” He obviously does not say this, and yet this is how many would abuse James’ teaching on God’s sovereignty.

James chapter 5 says, if you are sick ask for the elders to pray for you, and the prayer of faith will make that person get well. Verse 15 says, “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (NKJV).” The command from James is not commanding us to only pray, but is commanding the result of healing. This is like a commanding officer saying to his subordinate, “Call a restaurant and order us some sandwiches for lunch.” The commander is not merely asking you to call, but to get the result of sandwiches for lunch.  Why do I need to explain this to adults?

James’ application of God’s absolute sovereign control over each day, is to apply it to get results in our prayers; to get absolute certain results in prayer.  And yet, I have seen those who quote James to teach about God’s sovereignty only to deny healing when we pray or say it is at best a maybe. But this same James who understands God’s sovereignty and is writing by the Holy Spirit does not apply God’s sovereignty that way. His application of God’s sovereignty is that if we ask for healing in faith, we will certainly get healed as certain as we are forgiven if we ask for forgiveness by faith.  According to James, God’s sovereignty ensures the certainty of both forgiveness and healing by faith. To say, when we ask for healing in faith that it does not result in guarantee healing, would be to undermine God’s sovereignty that ensures forgiveness if we ask for it by faith. The same sovereignty ensures both promises are guaranteed.

James also says if you lack wisdom then ask in faith, without doubting, and God will give you wisdom. If you doubt, then don’t expect more wisdom. If you have no doubts, then expect to get it. Not a maybe, but God will give you wisdom. Thus, if I ask to wake up tomorrow with more wisdom, in faith, I will certainly wake up tomorrow with more wisdom. This means I know certain things will happen tomorrow. I know them by the power of faith. This is how James applies God’s sovereignty.

Those who quote James’ teaching on God’s sovereignty over tomorrow, might be inclined to remind us the example of God’s hidden sovereign providence in the story of Nehemiah. And yet, James being led by the Holy Spirit, does not remind us of Nehemiah, but of Elijah. He says “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years,” (ver.16-17).

If we don’t know about tomorrow because of God’s sovereignty, then would not the hidden providence of God in Nehemiah be more appropriate? Apparently not. This is so, because such an understanding is a presupposed basic understanding for Christians. We know God is sovereign and as His children is always working behind the scenes to help, guide and bless us. This gives us joy and strength to always face the future in confidence.

James, who teaches that we do not know what will happen tomorrow, because of God’s sovereignty, skips Nehemiah and commands us to have faith like Elijah. He instructs us to make certain things happen tomorrow, like healing and turning the rain off or on like a faucet. By faith we know certain things will happen today and tomorrow. He is not saying we control every aspect of reality like God, and so there are many things about tomorrow we do not know; however, he also teaches us that with faith we make reality obey us today and tomorrow, and then by this know some things will certainly happen.  Even if we have perfect faith to ask for everything we want tomorrow, we would still be limited by time and everyday life when asking, and by this not be able to ask for an infinite number of things.

Paul is correct in saying that even time itself has been given to us (1 Corin. 3:22). Just as man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, so to, time was made and given to man. With faith we make today and tomorrow yield to our prayers.

This is how the bible applies its own doctrine of God’s absolute control over reality and tomorrow. It instructs us to make the uncertain tomorrow be certainly known by faith. James shows us to make sickness, troubles, and lack of wisdom to bow to healing, wisdom and miracles by a prayer of faith. He does not remind us to remember Nehemiah, but to remember Elijah when we face troubles. Elijah was a mere human like us. He turned the rain off and on like a faucet. He turned reality off and on, the way I twist my shower nob. James tells us to be like Elijah when we pray.  

James says you don’t know what will happen because of God’s sovereignty, but then applies this by telling us to use faith to make reality obey us today and tomorrow. When we do this, we will know certain things will happen tomorrow.

Let us be like Jesus, Peter, James, and gentiles who apply God’s sovereignty to get results in prayer, healings, miracles and the power of the Spirit.

Anyone who affirms God’s absolute and direct sovereignty over all things, but does not apply it the way Jesus and the apostles do are frauds and liars. They would not know God’s sovereignty if it smacked them in the face. They are blind leading the blind. Never let such people be your teachers. Excommunication is the least they deserve.

We saw if you affirm God’s predestination, His election, His power to command reality is like a man ordering his servant and that His control is so complete we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, that its conclusion is more miracles, more healing, more baptism of the Spirit and more wisdom.

Let God’s sovereignty be a foundation for more and more healings and miracles.

God Can, But I Can’t?

I heard this phrase before, but recently heard it in a song. It says, “I can’t, But God can.”

While I understand somewhat where they are coming from, what is being said,  is false. It is true as a basic doctrine of God’s sovereignty that He can do anything. God has no limitations. God directly controls all things, including all human thoughts and actions so that He is the metaphysical author of sin[1]. This is so simple a child can understand and affirm it. I also understand the doctrine that man, only being considered in himself, is weak and very limited. However, if we consider a Christian, then it becomes a “what if scenario” because such a thing does not exist. God does not define or consider a Christian as just a human anymore. Thus in obedience, we do not consider any Christian as just a human with just human limitations. If someone is just human, then they are by definition, not a Christian.  

Jesus, who is the most God centered man who ever lived, helps us to redefine our ability when He says “the mountain will obey YOU.” Because the bible rejects pantheism, we do as well. Thus, Jesus is correct when He says the mountain will obey “you.” God and His creation are separate. This is why Jesus said give to Ceasar what belongs to him. When God fills us with His Spirit, He is filling us, and not Himself with His Spirit. It is not God telling the mountain to move, or telling the demon to come out, or sickness to get out; no, it is “you” speaking these things. And the mountain responds to your command. Jesus did not see any reason to interject His own doctrine by saying, “But God is sovereign, it is really His power not you, and so God is moving the mountain.” No. Jesus, despite what people think, did not say such things in the context when teaching about His extreme faith doctrine. Thus, I see no relevance in saying it.

Jesus’ extreme faith doctrine says with faith I cast out demons, heal the sick and cause mountains to obey me, when I tell them to do something. If a mountain “obeys me,” then it is painfully obvious that “I can.” How can I say, “I am limited,” if I can make demons, sickness and reality obey me? Most Christians have no idea who, or what they are. Most seem to scarcely believe they are forgiven and so they have no power to do any other command of God that involves faith. But Jesus’ faith teaching still stands, because Jesus is still relevant. He still rules, and His definition about us, still holds.

This authority to use Jesus’ name and command reality is not something that will be given to me, but already has. I do not need to ask God to give me this authority or ask His permission to use it. I have already been made the righteousness of God and given full permission to wield Jesus’ name for whatever I want and need. It already belongs to me. I do not ask and beg for something that is already in my possession and part of my definition and DNA.

God can, but with faith, I can as well. This is the theology of Jesus. He likes it. Let us follow His teaching and give glory to God by saying, “God can, but I can to. With faith in Jesus, reality obeys me. To God be all the glory.”

[1] I got this phrase from Vincent Cheung.
See www.vincentcheung.com for more of his materials.

To Win The Argument You Must Lose Your God

“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.  Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning?” (James 4:2-5 NLT)

In context of me teaching about faith and prayer by quoting Vincent Cheung, I received an insane attack against this doctrine. Jesus was the most extreme faith teacher ever. He said if you ask for something, then you get it. Jesus said, You ask it, you get it. No word of faith preacher is more extreme than Jesus. He said this in many ways, over and over, as if He knew people would resist it. He said if you ask for a fish then you get a fish. If you ask for bread, then you get bread. If you ask for the baptism of the Spirit, then you get the baptism of the Spirit. This makes God a “good Father.” Jesus said in John 14 that if you have faith you will do miracles and even greater miracles. In chapter 15 Jesus said if you ask for anything God will give this to you and by this bring great glory to God, and then said the same thing in chapter 16, but then Jesus summed it up in a man-centered way saying, it will complete our joy. In places like Matthew 21:21 He said that with faith we can tell something like a mountain to physically relocate, or a tree, and it will “obey you.”

Billy responded by quoting James 4:3, “you ask wrongly with bad motives.” This means to Billy, we cannot always know if God will give us what we ask. To attack a so-called wrong “faith for anything” doctrine by quoting this verse is like trying to cure your headache by cutting off your head. To shoot your adversary with a nerf-gun, you end up shooting your face with a 50-caliber desert eagle. It doesn’t make any sense.  To attack the doctrine of Faith you must become God’s enemy. Even if you win the argument, you lose your soul. You can never attack the bible’s teaching on faith and miracles without destroying yourself in the process.

Two main points. The first deals with the context of breaking God’s law, or ethics. People have a nubilous idea for what “wrong motives” mean. It is not an icky feeling in your heart. It is law breaking. There is a command somewhere in the bible and you are violating it. You cannot trick God with His commands. You cannot love your neighbor by helping them cut their grass, when you are secretly doing this to plot their murder. You did not find a loophole and trick God. No, the act of cutting their grass is sin for you. In essence you are lying or bearing false witness about yourself. Also, to love your neighbor as yourself, you want people to mean you well in individual acts and long-term goals. We are commanded to never lie and always tell the truth. Jesus commanded us to not commit adultery with our bodies or with our minds. The point, is that wrong motives has to do with a specific law of God and you are breaking it.

Thus, it is irrational to say we do not know if God will answer our prayers because “our motives could be wrong.” Because bad motives deal with specific acts of disobeying God’s commands, you can precisely and intellectually know if you are praying in good or bad motives. So, unless you are just born-again, you know God’s commands and so you know if you are obeying them or disregarding them. By this you can easily pray with good motives and know for certain your prayer is answered. Thus, for the Christian who knows God’s commands, this verse is a non-issue. It does not logically apply to them.

 To say this verse applies to you, then you would need to admit that despite being a Christian for many years and reading God’s word for many years you have no idea what God has commanded and so you have no idea if you are praying for wrong things. Such a person has no business critiquing others about the doctrines of faith and miracles when they do not even know what God has commanded. I could care less what they say. And you should not care either. They should remove the redwood tree sticking out of their eye, before trying to remove a small speck from someone else’s.

But the context of James words makes this much, much worse. James mentions 2 things in particular: murder and adultery. Thus, when praying for wrong things he specifically means praying for God to help you kill your co-worker to steal their money and help you have sex with your neighbor’s wife. A person might not say it so directly, but this is what James mentions by name in this passage.

Obviously, if you ask God to help you sleep with your neighbor, then you are asking God to help you break a command of God. Thus, God will not answer your prayer. This is not a mystery or rocket science. There is a motive to break one of God’s commands, and then you ask God to help you with this evil.  Sometimes it is hidden under another request. “God, give me a million dollars,” but in your heart you plan to use it on prostitutes. Or, “God, heal this girl,” but in your heart you want to win her over, so you can have sex with her. Even though you do not verbalize the law-breaking in the prayer, because it is your true intention, then they are a logical complete unit (like a Modus Ponens). It is a package deal, and so the whole thing is considered as a request to disobey God’s command. Thus a bad motive is simply the non-verbalized request to disobey the command of God, that you conveniently leave out of the prayer. If you are bold you say it out loud.  

The second main point deals with James’ conclusion for this. He says you are either God’s friend or enemy. If you are saved, then you are God’s friend. You cannot both be reconciled to God and His dreaded enemy at the same time. Thus, for James to say you are God’s enemy is saying you are not saved. He says that people who pray like this are friends with the world, but in trade they are God’s enemy. That is, James is not talking self-examination to see if you are a weak Christian versus a mature Christian. No. He is saying examine yourself to see if God is your friend or enemy, to see if you are saved or a reprobate.

This is not the unforgivable sin. All sins and blasphemy, other than blasphemy against the Spirit, is forgivable. In moments of passion, we can say things under our breath that we are ashamed of.  If you have committed this sin, it does not automatically make you a reprobate enemy of God. In a moment of insanity and burning passion it is possible for a Christian to cry out and ask God to let them sleep with person x, because they can’t take the pressure anymore. However, they can realize the horror of this, repent and not do that again. Let us say in their fight for sanctification they say it a few more times, but then they mature and get victory over their emotions. However, if a person does not repent and keeps this type of prayer going in a frequent way, then James is very clear. God is their enemy. They are not saved. They are a reprobate headed to hell. They have declared war on God. The specific details on answers to prayer is the least of their worries.

If you are asking for God to help you break the commands that He has given you, then you are God’s enemy. You are not His friend. This is James’ conclusion for people who pray like this.

I bring this up to show the insanity to use this against Jesus’ teaching, when He says we always get a fish for a fish. If out of 1000 prayers for healing, you said one that had a bad motive (I want this girl healed, so that I can win her over and maybe have sex with her), then the percent is so small it is not worth mentioning as an attack against, “we always get healing when asking for healing.” This is despite the fact we know God would not answer such a prayer, because it breaks a command. However, if your evil motives in prayer were so frequent that the percentage was enough to be a rebuttal against, “we always get healing when asking for healing,” then according to James you are God’s enemy and a reprobate. In order to attack faith and God’s promise you must become God’s enemy. To when the argument you must lose your God and your soul in the process.

The word of God’s enemy and a reprobate means nothing to me. Why would I and anyone care? Seriously, I would respect the word of an orange over an enemy of God.

We are done with the two main points for Billy’s comments; however, I want to quickly deal with good motives. Good motives are plans and requests to obey God’s commandments.

Jesus has already bore our sickness on the cross and by His stripes we were healed. Jesus healed all who came to Him. He did this to bless you and give you joy. To apply the gospel in your life, which is healing, is obedience. Thus, praying for healing is always a good motive. Not applying the gospel in your life is disobedience. Thus not praying for healing is always a bad motive. Jesus says if you have seen Him, then you have seen the Father.  In fact, James in chapter 5 says if you are sick then you must have the church pray so that you can get healed. The prayer of faith will make the sick person get well. This is not a suggestion. It is a command. The command is not merely to pray, but to pray and get the result of healing. Thus, to ask for healing to obey God’s command to get healed is by definition a good motive, and it cannot by definition be bad.

How about money? Jesus says to seek His kingdom first and the “things the pagans seek after,” will be given to you. Have you seriously stopped and thought about what Jesus is saying here? The pagans seek big material blessings and prosperity. This is pagan-level-money-seeking. Jesus says, if you seek after righteousness and His kingdom, then these things will be given to you. He is saying if you want big money, then seek my Kingdom first, and then big money will be given to you. Think about the order of motivation He is laying out here. If your goal is pagan-level-seeking-money, then use the pursuit of seeking righteousness to get it. To ask God to help you seek His kingdom and righteousness, so that you can acquire the level of wealth the pagans want, is by definition a good motive, because it obeys Jesus’ command.  

Some might call this “bad motives,” but they cannot do this without slapping Jesus in the face, because He said it, and He commanded it.  There is much more to say about this, but this is enough to show what some define as bad motives is wrong.

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The Demon Doctrine

“… some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and [doctrines of demons]. 
These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.  
They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. Since everything God created is good..”
(1 Timothy 4:1-4 NLT)

It is interesting that Paul uses such harsh rebukes on a category that many would reserve charity and patience in their arguments. Paul considers this a category of demon doctrines, but many are kind and gentle with such people. Thus, they are kind and gentle with people controlled by demons, teach doctrines from demons and who has no more conscience left. We have never thought such a stance is biblical or intelligent. We agree with Paul those who teach such are to be rebuked sharply.

 Most would understand if Paul said a person who rejects the resurrection or embrace wife swapping has a dead conscience and teaches a “doctrine of demons.”  People tend to think such harsh rebukes are for those who deny major gospel doctrines, or who affirm we should embrace bigger type sins.

However, this is not what the bible teaches. These are not the rules Paul is following in his instruction to Timothy. The category Paul is using is about receiving material good things for this present life. Things that involve giving us pleasure to sight, taste, touch, and smell. Paul mentions doctrines as in plural. However, Paul does not give a comprehensive list, but does mention two things in the category of God giving good material things. The doctrine of demons is about telling people to abstain from good material blessings. Thus there more things that can be classified as a doctrine of demons, but not less than the specific category he addresses.

As just said, the category is about God giving us material things for this life that involve things giving pleasure to our 5 senses. Paul did not say God is giving us spiritual things like eternal life, forgiveness and relationship. We assume the food is good tasting food, otherwise it makes no sense. There is no temptation to say, “don’t eat rotten eggs.” Good food gives pleasure to many sensations and by this brightens the heart of man, as Ecclesiastes says in more than a few ways. Paul mentions if you lack self-control for sex, then get married. Sex is obviously about pleasure. Having a good relationship with your spouse and children is a full on joy to all your sensations and soul. The point is that the category Paul is referring to, has much to do with the material blessings of pleasure, joy and sensations.

When it comes to our relationship with God, it is not a religion of shadows, based on man’s sensations; rather, it is spiritual and intellectual. However, we are not talking about this, but God’s own good pleasure to give us good material pleasure and material things in this life. I will not harp on the fact these material blessings are included in the blessing of Abraham and secured for us by Jesus’ blood. Thus, health, wealth, good sex in marriage, good tasting food have Jesus’ precious blood sprinkled on them. To dismiss them is to dismiss the blood of Jesus.

Some might make the mistake to make this passage all about works verses grace. Or make it about a warning against Gnosticism. These could very well be involved; however, we would have to speculate since the passage does not directly state it; rather, what Paul refers to is more basic and rudimentary.  The issue Paul brings is about the very nature of demons. This is like the difference between appealing to a specific promise of God versus appealing to God’s loving nature, to argue why we should pray and receive. Paul is appealing to the nature of demons. Paul does not give a specific appeal to people being led away by Gnosticism or “works vs grace.” No. The appeal is to demons. Now, demons might use specific errors, like the above, but this is not Paul’s main point. Paul says these people are lead by demons and teach doctrines of demons.

It is about the vile nature of demons. They want to you to suffer. The “nature of Satan” is to steal, kill, lie and destroy. Demons not only want you to suffer the torments of hell, but they want you to suffer in this present life. Acts 10:38 informs us that sickness is a major aspect for how demons what us to suffer in this life. Being sick destroys our ability to experience physical sensations of pleasure; it steals time; it steals our relationships; it steals our money and ultimately our very lives

 Jesus says His nature is to bring us life, joy and abundance. In John 14-16 Jesus says similar things a few times over. One is that the same love that God put on Jesus is now placed on us. In the context of how much Jesus loves us (His nature) He says for us to ask for anything and receive it, and by this our “joy” will be full.  Jesus healed over and over. He gave good tasting wine to a group of people who already empty the wine vats. It is obvious the miracles we ask often deal with the material world, and thus by them increase our pleasure in physical sensations in this present life. Jesus says He wants our joy to be full. In the gospels we know that being full of joy is more than just having our sins forgiven, but being healed of our sickness, raised from the dead, delivered from demons, delivered from storms, having extra good wine for a feast and having so much extra bread you have 12 large baskets left over. This is the nature of Jesus, and Jesus says if you have seen Him, then you have seen the Father.

The nature of demons is to make us suffer. Sometimes this is deceptive because it might be hidden under a layer of something that looks good at first look. Sin can be deceptive at times. It promises a pleasure, but in the end it leads to suffering and then death. The point is that the goal was always to cause us to suffer. This is the nature of demons. They want us to suffer now, and suffer later.

Therefore, a doctrine of demons is a doctrine that limits any good thing God has given us, either for this present life, or the next. The demon doctrine is to remove and restrict these material pleasures and eternal blessings and replace them with suffering, limitations and pain. Those who have teachings that limit or deny God’s health, wealth, favor, increase, miracles and heavenly powers, have aligned themselves with demons. They are liars and their souls are dead.

If a person’s soul is dead, are led by demons and teach doctrines from demons by merely suggesting we limit some pleasurable sensations for our bodies that come from food and sex, then how much more is it a doctrine of demons to deny and resist healing, miracles and the powers of the Spirit, which empower us to experience these good things 100 times more? How much more! And we haven’t even mentioned the horror of denying things like the resurrection.

If the people Paul mentioned were rebuked so harshly, then how much more should things like cessationism be rebuked. If they were led by demons, then cessationism is the very language of demons. If their doctrines were demonic, then cessationism is the very DNA of demons.

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Also, as a side note. Let no one rebuke you for harshly condemning people who limit faith and healing. They deserve the title of “demon doctrines” more than the people Paul was referring to. How can you say you are God’s friend and still hold the hands of people connected to demons? Harsh rebukes is the very least they deserve.

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.

Don’t Speak to God, Speak to Your Problem About God

When Peter, (even after baptized with the Spirit), commanded the man’s sickness to leave (stand up), Peter did not speak to God about the problem; rather it was more like Peter spoke to the problem about God.

In the broad sense, a word of faith command like this, is just a shorthand way to pray without hedging. And because it is a prayer, you are aware God is listening to you and that you are using His authority and that you are standing on His promise.

However, in the most direct sense, these types of prayers are spoken to the problem, and not to God. Jesus did not say to “speak” directly to him about your mountain, “oh God, I am nothing and I need your help.” No, Jesus told us to “speak” to the mountain directly and tell it to get out of our way. Jesus teaches us that we already have His authority and His approval to pray like this and get powerful results. To command and get what we want. The fact many Christians do not pray like this, means they do not obey and do not understand their identity in Christ. They do not understand prayer.

So the lesson to learn here is this, when you have a problem you speak directly to it. It is not wrong to go to God in prayer about your problem, but Jesus has officially instructed us how to pray in such situations. It is like the sermon on the Mountain. Jesus is raising the bar for His expectations and command about how we pray and get results. Who am I to alter Jesus’ instructions?

Therefore, speak to your problems about God, telling them to throw themselves into the sea.

Sit At My Right Hand

Peter in Acts 2, during his Pentecost sermon mentions a few time this idea of “Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father.” Many people saw them speaking in tongues and wanted to know what is going on. And so, Peter’s main point is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, the doctrine of Jesus sitting on His eternal throne at the Father’s right hand is being connected with the baptism of the Spirit.

Peter mentions Psalm 16 and 110, which both speak of Jesus sitting at God’s right hand, as connected to Him pouring out the Spirit. Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you both see and hear.”

The Father promised Jesus a reward for completing the work He assigned Him on earth. This reward was Jesus ruling in authority from the Father’s right hand. Jesus would sit on the throne that He will be ruling from forever. From this position, Jesus was promised He could pour out the baptism of the Spirit on all those who call on the name of the Lord to be saved (Joel,  2:28-32). Peter quotes Joel teaching us that this is the age designated for anyone to call on the name of God to be saved and that He Spirit will be poured out for power. This happened because Jesus is now sitting on His eternal throne of power at the right hand of Power. From here Jesus pours out Power on all who ask.

The interesting point is Peter’s quote of Psalm 110. Peter directly connects this Psalm to Jesus pouring out the Spirit, as Jesus sits at God’s right hand.

“Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “”The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet,”” (Acts 2:33-35).

Peter quotes from this Psalm Jesus sitting at God’s right hand and Jesus’ enemies being made a footstool under Him. And this is in direct context with Jesus pouring the baptism of the Spirit, from God’s right hand. The Psalm goes on to say Jesus will rule over His enemies, crush them and pile up their corpses. Peter says this is connected to Jesus pouring out the baptism of the Spirit.

How is Jesus enemies going to be a footstool? Peter says it is directly connected to Jesus pouring out the Spirit on His people to empower them over sickness, demons, mountains and even other men (Paul and the Proconsul).

It is foolish to have any talk of eschatology and the advancement of the church over the gates of hell and human governments without this most basic teaching from Peter. Without this all talks of eschatology and governments is anti-Christian; it is anti-Jesus sitting at the right hand of His Father.