Punishment for Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Part 2)

March 28 

Punishment for Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Part 2) 

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:29)

Yesterday we saw how this passage can make God appear to be vindictive. However, we learned from further study that it is not so much that God is seeking “payback” for offending Him. The passage is actually teaching that when people reject His grace He is left with no choice but to allow them to suffer that which grace had freed them from.

This describes God’s method of what we understand to be punishment. It is important that we understand the method by which God is said to punish if we are to understand the truth concerning His loving character. Many people read statements like the one in Heb. 10:29 and think that God directly energizes events that bring punishment upon people. An often stated but little recognized principle of Scripture is the fact that when we push God away, we lose His protection.

For example we read statements in Scripture such as “The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chron. 15:2b) and “because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you” (2 Chron. 24:20b; see also 12:5). In Jeremiah punishment is directly connected to God's forsaking, or rather, removing His presence and protection: 

And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his house (Jeremiah 23:33-34) 

Remember that all of this comes about because the people have first forsaken God. The curses in Deut. 28 are the results of the people forsaking God, pushing Him away, and He in turn forsaking them and leaving them to suffer the consequences of their rebellion (Deut. 31:16-17; see also Psalm 81:10-16). When we reject the Blood of Jesus and the Spirit of grace we reject all the benefits that accrue from it.

Visit our web page: www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit our church's web page: www.cvbibleteachingcenter.org

To learn more about God's mode and method of punishment consider purchasing our book, "How? A look at God's Character in light of Biblical passages that are inconsistent with love"

http://www.amazon.com/How-character-Biblical-passages-inconsistent/dp/1530460727/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1459079272&sr=1-2

Punishment for Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Part 1)

March 27

Punishment for Insulting the Spirit of Grace (Part 1)

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:29)

There seems to be a contrast between the words “punishment” and “grace”. Hebrews says that there is a punishment for rejecting what the blood of Jesus has done and insulting the Spirit of grace. But isn’t grace to be received freely? Why must one feel threatened with punishment if all that God has done was through grace?

This appears to contradict what John tells us about God’s love: “There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18; American Standard Version). It may help us more when we look at a passage in the 12^th chapter of Hebrews:

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Heb. 12:14-15)

When we interpret Scripture with Scripture we come to a better understanding of God’s methods and His mode of bringing about punishment. We see from the above passage that it is possible for us to fail, or fall short of God’s grace. God’s mode of punishment is to allow the circumstances in one’s life that His grace would have protected them from to take place (James 4:6-7; 1 Pet. 5:5-9).

Paul said, “I do not frustrate the grace of God” (Gal. 2:21a) This means that grace can be frustrated, or rather, as the Strong’s dictionary defines the word, grace can be “set aside, disesteemed, neutralized, violated, cast off, despised, disannulled, brought to nought,” and “rejected.”

To “despite” means “to treat contemptuously” and “to insult with malice, hatred, or spite.” Basically, when one does this they are pushing the Spirit of grace away from them. Therefore, God is not issuing threats in order to force compliance through fear. He is simply warning of the natural and spiritual consequences that come from forsaking Christ and despising His grace.

Visit our web page: www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit our church's web page: www.cvbibleteachingcenter.org

To learn more about God's mode and method of punishment consider purchasing our book, "How? A look at God's Character in light of Biblical passages that are inconsistent with love"

http://www.amazon.com/How-character-Biblical-passages-inconsistent/dp/1530460727/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1459079272&sr=1-2

Is Speaking in Tongues of the Devil?

March 22

 

Is Speaking in Tongues of the Devil?

 

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4)

 

There are groups who believe that all miracles ceased some time after the apostles died. Naturally the ability to speak in other tongues would have gone out as well. Therefore, any manifestation of tongues among Pentecostal and Charismatic groups is considered by cessationists to be either psycho-babble or a demonic manifestation.

There are also other groups who would never deny that God does miracles today but they too are skeptical of Pentecostal and Charismatic experiences of tongues. Some of them claim to have casted demons out of people who manifested tongues. Testimonies and statements of this nature have made people afraid to seek God for this gift.

While we do not dismiss the fact that Satan will often “ape” God’s work, we must be careful not to cause one to distrust the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). Jesus said that His signs include authority over demons and speaking in tongues. Some groups believe in neither and other groups believe strongly in the deliverance ministry while casting aspersions on speaking in tongues. Yet Jesus said that both are available.

If both have been made available to the believer then there is no need to be afraid of getting a demon when you ask God for the filling of the Spirit with the evidence of tongues. Jesus said, “Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:12-13)

God will protect the sincere seeker from receiving a demonic manifestation when He has asked for a promised gift. When we ask for the infilling of the Holy Spirit then, as Luke states in Acts 2:4, it is He who gives us the utterance to speak in tongues. He will not force us to do it. We will speak in tongues as an act of our free-will. But it is the Holy Spirit who provides the supernatural ability to do it. Therefore, if you have not received this precious gift from God, ask Him for it. It’s a demon-free gift.

Visit our ministry web page for more resources: www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit church's web page for more teachings: www.cvbibleteachingcenter.org

If this devotion has blessed you, consider buying our book, "MIracles are for Today." This book refutes the false teaching that God no longer works miracles for HIs children today. It will encourage your heart to trust God for His supernatural intervention. Purchase from Amazon.com:

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The Holy Spirit Loves You

March 18

 

The Holy Spirit Loves You

 

….that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love (Romans 5:5; Contemporary English Version)

 

There are some groups that claim to be Christian but they deny the Triunity of God. Many of these groups deny the deity of Christ and just about all of them deny that the Holy Spirit is an actual person. They see Him only as mere power or influence. What an insult against the third member of the Triune Godhead who has come to live with man and guide him.

The Bible, especially the New Testament, attributes personality to the Holy Spirit. He can be communed with, grieved, hurt, and resisted. He has a mind and He guides. However, one of the most important things about Him is that He loves. He could not shed God’s love abroad in our hearts (KJV) if He Himself did not love us. I like something that Theodore H. Epp wrote:

 

….the Holy Spirit has the capacity to love. He not only influences us to love, but He also loves us ….Neither is there any question about the Holy Spirit’s love for us. He patiently seeks us out when we are in sin and away from God. He regenerates us and begins to transform us into the image of God’s Son. If the Father had not loved the world, if the Son had not loved us and died for us, if the Holy Spirit had not loved us, convicted us, and transformed us, where would we be spiritually today? Our salvation depends as much on the love of the Holy Spirit as it does on the love of the Father and of the Son.[1]

 

If we want to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit with us as we live for Christ, we must not only recognize Him as a person but we must also recognize that He loves us. How can someone as holy as He is live with us and in us while we still do things that break His heart if He did not have such an overwhelming love for us? The Holy Spirit really loves us and is looking out for us. Commune with Him today and thank Him.

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[1] Epp, Theodore H. The Other Comforter: Practical Studies on the Holy Spirit (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible, 1966), p. 14

Visit www.vindicatinggod.org

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How? A Fresh Look at God's Character

How? A Fresh look at God's Character of love in the light of some difficult passages of Scripture

Synopsis: How? deals with the idea that God's wrath and judgment is not, in the traditional sense, God exerting His divine power to destroy. Scripture describes God pleading with sinners to repent. After numerous attempts to win them and their rejection of His love then He is left with no choice but to allow satanic forces to have their way with the sinner. The book shows how each of those "how" questions in the contents of the book are answered in light of this truth.

Ordering information:

Visit our web page: www.vindicatinggod.org


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Or order directly from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/How-character-Biblical-passages-inconsistent/dp/1530460727/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1458222258&sr=1-1

HOW? A new book about God's character

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Christ’s Redemptive Work and Demons and Sickness

March 12

Christ’s Redemptive Work and Demons and Sickness

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses (Matt. 8:16-17)

For over a century now there has been quite a bit of controversy over what has been referred to as “healing in the atonement” or “healing in the redemptive work of Christ”.  If healing is one of the benefits of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection then, naturally, one is just as guaranteed to receive healing if they believe it as they would salvation from sin.

Sadly, many in the body of Christ have difficulty with this truth. Some of it is due to their experiences of seeing others who claimed to believe it but died from sickness. Others have simply seen good Christians die horrible deaths from sickness and have felt that if anyone should have been healed, it should have been that person.

One of the things that keep so many from receiving all of the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work is the failure to remember what we have actually been redeemed from. If we simply believe that Christ’s work of redemption was meant only to appease God’s wrath and keep Him from destroying all of us, we will see no other benefit in it other than to make it into Heaven when we die.

On the other hand, if we see it as the Father rescuing us from Satan’s kingdom of darkness, death, and destruction, which the Bible teaches, then we will begin to take a different perspective on healing in the atonement (Eph. 2:1-6; Col. 1:12-14; 2:15-16; Heb. 2:14-15). In His redemptive work Jesus also came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). In Matt. 8:16-17 we find that sickness is connected to the work of demons, who are ruled by Satan. Matthew, quoting Isaiah, says that it is through Christ’s redemption that He was able to heal from sickness and cast out demons.

Healing and deliverance is Christ’s way of destroying the works of Satan and setting us free from them. Christ came to earth on a rescue mission. Part of that rescue mission meant giving up His life for us. The other part was rising again and ascending to Heaven in order to be sure that His will is carried out. Sickness is the work of demons, but the work of Christ in His redemption is to set us free from them. Let us claim the benefits.

Visit www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit www.cvbibleteachingcenter.org

If you like this devotional, why not get our book, "Does God Send Sickness?" This book deals with a number of passages, especially in the Old Testament, that some use to paint God as the author of sickness and disease and show how they can be properly interpreted to vindicate God.

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Vindicating/dp/1519680287/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-1&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Character-ebook/dp/B019FC43RY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-2&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Kindle edition)

Sickness is Torment

March 10

 

Sickness is Torment

 

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him (Matt. 8:5-7)

 

One dictionary defines “torment” as “….the infliction of torture by means of such an instrument or the torture so inflicted.”[1] Sadly, those who blame God for sickness see Him as a tormentor. Of course people will not outright accuse Him of being one. They often describe God’s supposed inflicting of sickness as “an act of love”.

We will find statement such as “God placed that on you because He loves you and needed to teach you a lesson,” “God inflicted you to purify you because He loves you,” or “God knew that if He did not afflict you this way then you might go astray and sin against Him. He loves you.”  Yet, the inspired Scriptures do not describe sickness as an act of love but as an act of torment.

The majority of Christians I know are against torture. Most of us find it to be a vile and reprehensible act against another human being. Yet, we are quick to imply that a loving God would use such methods to teach lessons, purify us, and keep us from going astray.

Does such an act of torment truly express the love of God? John would disagree. He writes, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). There is no fear or torment in God’s love. Therefore, sickness cannot be God’s will and He is not the inflictor. John says that torment is the opposite from God’s perfect love.

Jesus demonstrates the perfect love of God when He told the centurion, “I will come and heal him.” How do so many “Bible teachers” get it so wrong? Jesus, who demonstrated God’s will by all of His actions, presented God as the healer from torment rather than the giver of torment. God is the healer and not the tormentor. If the centurion saw Jesus as the tormentor he would never have requested His help. We need to see God through this centurion’s eyes if we are to have the same great faith that Jesus commended Him for (v. 10). Great faith is built upon knowledge of God’s true loving character.

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[1] torment. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/torment (accessed: November 06, 2014).

Visit www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit www.cvbbleteachingcenter.org

If you like this devotional, why not get our book, "Does God Send Sickness?" This book deals with a number of passages, especially in the Old Testament, that some use to paint God as the author of sickness and disease and show how they can be properly interpreted to vindicate God.

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Vindicating/dp/1519680287/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-1&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Character-ebook/dp/B019FC43RY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-2&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Kindle edition)

Sickness must be REBUKED and not EMBRACED

March 6

Sickness must be REBUKED and not EMBRACED

And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them (Luke 4:38, 39)

Take note that Jesus rebuked Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever. He did not tell her that it was a blessing sent from God. He did not tell her that it was a test that she was going through that she needed to pass with patience. He did not say with a mighty preacher’s voice that “Gawd es en control. Let Him work out His will in you.” He did not even pray for her to be healed. Jesus aggressively went after the fever itself and rebuked it.

To rebuke someone, or in this case, some thing, is to issue a stern reprimand. It is to inform the person or thing that you disapprove of its present activity. Biblically speaking, it is commanding it to cease from its current works and to depart from one’s presence. Jesus had to have been angry with this fever to have rebuked it.

Now, if sickness is sent by God then this would mean that Jesus was fighting against the Father’s works. This would mean that the Godhead is divided. That is impossible since Jesus made it clear that He and the Father are ONE (John 10:30; 17:11, 21). Whatever attitude the Son had towards this sickness, the Father was feeling it likewise. Therefore, the fever could by no means be the work of God.

Too often our ministers pray over the sick with no expectation of results. The reason being is that many of them believe that to pray for the removal of sickness is to go against the will of God for the sick one. You can hear it when they make such statements in their prayers like, “if it be thy will, please heal so-and-so, otherwise, give them the strength to pass this test” or some other similar unbiblical platitude.

If we, like Jesus, begin to see sickness, not as an agent of God’s blessing, but rather, as an enemy invader that God hates, then we will begin to follow our Lord’s example and take the same aggressive action that He took concerning Peter’s mother.

God’s people have been given authority over sickness and disease (Luke 10:17-20). Do not embrace it as a friend. Be like Jesus and rebuke it as an enemy who dares to trespass.

Visit www.vindicatinggod.org

Visit www.cvbbleteachingcenter.org

If you like this devotional, why not get our book, "Does God Send Sickness?" This book deals with a number of passages, especially in the Old Testament, that some use to paint God as the author of sickness and disease and show how they can be properly interpreted to vindicate God.

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Vindicating/dp/1519680287/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-1&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Does-God-Send-Sickness-Character-ebook/dp/B019FC43RY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457273888&sr=1-2&keywords=does+God+send+sickness (Kindle edition)