Honestly, the short answer, is very, as we should be incredibly particular when it comes to who we spend our time with

However, to avoid alienating our friends, co-workers, school friends, etc…, we need to carefully judge who we spend our time with, and for how long, as not every Christian friendship leads us toward any kind of spiritual growth, while on the other hand, many of our worldly friendships may seem great, but only serve to keep us from maturity as they often have nothing to do with spiritual growth or spreading the gospel–so how do we choose our friends without seeming like some kind of self-righteous elitist?

Introduction

Rather than go into a boring, long-winded monologue about how spending too much time with unspiritual people is bad, or talk about how following unproductive, worldly social pursuits only serves to distract us, I want to instead focus on showing why it is important to make our choices in friends based on our identities as Christians

Yes, yes, I know, you may have been expecting an article filled with finger wagging or statements that allow us to comfortably rationalize how all of our non-Christian friendships are actually beneficial in some way, but this is way more important

Also, this article has a mixture of things meant for both the spiritually young, and the mature, but the entire message applies to all of us, as we should seek to honor God with every area of our lives, including our friendships

We Talk About Our Calling And Identity As Christians, But Do We Actually Live According To Them

Now, I want to be clear this article is not about encouraging anyone to be snobs or to run out and saddle up their self-righteous high horses, but a discussion on how we should stop evaluating our friendships, or anything worldly, from a place of “how much of a worldly influence is still considered okay”, and instead, focus on these situations with a mindset of, “how can I seek God’s will and glory more than I currently am”, as that is the way we will approach life when our identities are centered on our relationship with God

If we truly love God, we will not have a hard time balancing our pursuit of him with our worldly life, as we will be so focused on honoring God there will be little room for much else

Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind

Matthew 6:28-33
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

But what does this have to do with our identities as Christians, let alone how we choose our friends?

We Cannot Understand Our Identities As Christians If We Do Not Understand How We Are Called To Live

Alright, this is total rocket surgery, but there is no way we can understand what our Christian identities are unless we understand how God commanded us to live

I know, crazy right?

Sadly, for many, the extent of their godly identity only goes so far as embracing the promise of God’s blessings, forgiveness, mercy, etc…, but their Christian identities do not also include God’s call to obedience, evangelism, self-sacrifice, and to lead holy lives that honor him in every way–oops!

Romans 1:5
Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake

(Note how Paul says being a Christian involves “the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake”, as simple faith without corresponding obedience does nothing to show our gratitude for God’s sacrifice for us, let alone honor his holy, righteous character in a way that gives him glory)

Matthew 28:18-20
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

(This is an incredible passage, as we have all read Jesus’ instructions to go into the world to make disciples, but look at the reason why, as Jesus clearly says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore…”, as he was not just saying it is a good idea to do this, he was reminding us that he has “All authority in heaven and on earth”, so it is not like this command is optional based on whether we feel like listening to some random dude or not–he has “All authority in heaven and earth”!)

John 15:12-14
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command

(Uh, before we run around calling ourselves the friends of God while still holding onto all kinds of sin in our lives, we should pay attention to what Jesus taught about this, as we are only his friends if we do what he commanded, which is to love each other as selflessly as he loved us–yikes!)

2 Peter 3:10-11
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

(Remember God’s promise to return for us? Then do not overlook Peter’s instructions on how to conduct ourselves while we wait, as we are to “live holy and godly lives”, showing our respect for God in a manner that honors the calling we have received)

There are tons of verses like this we could look at, so it is important to keep the verses above in mind when deciding who our friends should be, as not all Christians, let alone worldly people, work towards achieving God’s righteousness in their lives, work to love others selflessly in ways that require both sacrifice and humility, nor do they look for opportunities to serve others or evangelize

Which brings us to the next point…

Since They Are So Rare, Do We Even Understand What The Value Of Good Christian Friendships Really Are

Honestly, most of us have no idea how awesome Christian friendships can be, mainly because we have never experienced them

Sadly, this is usually because we do not have the right people in our lives, or because we are not the right person in other people’s lives

Yep, I am calling us out

I do not say this to condemn anyone, but consider how we are told to encourage one another towards love and good deeds, for the very same purpose Peter addressed in the last verse above, which is to build ourselves, and one another up in our relationship with God in preparation to meet him

Do your Christian friendships revolve around spiritual growth or do they revolve around worldly conversations and social activities that have little or nothing to do with God

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching

Quite honestly, in our Christian social circles, many of us have occasional discussions about God, but these friendships generally do not involve encouraging one another to live in more loving, righteous ways, as we often just put on a, “Hi, everything is wonderful with me, how are you? Wonderful? That is great!” act as if we are afraid to say what is really going on with us–we are told to do the exact opposite of this as Christians

Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body

Also, when was the last time we spoke to any of our Christian friends about embarrassing, difficult or long-standing sins we struggle with for the purpose of being held accountable, and to receive healing prayers–not often!

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed

Edifying Christian friendships like these are not common as they require humility, trust, respect, vulnerability, as well as an individual, and shared desire to see God’s presence increase in each other’s lives

Without these determined, ongoing commitments guiding our friendships, the value of any Christian relationship greatly diminishes

Further to this, we need to be honest with ourselves about whether we are serious in our walk with God or not

*crickets*

This may sting, but if we are not genuinely seeking God, we are going to gravitate towards others who are equally as lazy, and/or disinterested, as we will not want to be pushed towards godly living beyond what we are already comfortable with

Yeah, ouch, but true, as very few people want “that guy/girl” in their circle of friends, prodding them to do things they do not want to interrupt their comfort levels over, and even less people welcome finger wagging of any kind, however good natured or necessary those warnings may be

Yes, I said necessary, as sometimes we just do not want to live according to how the Bible teaches, and we need some reminders

2 Peter 1:12-13
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body

We often forget, or willingly overlook, how part of being a good Christian friend is not turning a blind eye to one another’s areas of weakness, as we know these things separate us from God, preventing us from ever having true intimacy with him

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them

(Jesus made it very clear the only way to have true intimacy with God was by keeping his commands, he was not exactly vague about this!)

Proverbs 15:29
The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil

(It is important to understand Peter is talking to a body of believers when saying this, he is not speaking to non-Christians, and he is also quoting a verse from the OT nonetheless, which shows how God’s character regarding our sin has not changed between the covenants–people need to stop trying to throw out the OT when it does not fit with how they want to view God’s personality)

Psalm 34:15-16
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth

Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear

Matthew 18:15-17
If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector

(Lovingly, of course!)

Even though beneficial Christian friendships are not easy to come by, there is good news!

Good Christian Friendships Should Start With Us, Not Other People

Thankfully, we have the ability, and responsibility to create these types of relationships ourselves by being the first ones to open up about our struggles, sharing our fears, temptations, and growth areas we are humbly working on, and live in a way that infectiously demonstrates God’s character, both in holiness and love, so people are drawn to it, as even Christians need a reminder of this sometimes

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have

Not to mention, we can start conversations about all the amazing things God has been showing us in the Bible recently, and also provide ideas for ways we can love one another, evangelize, and do good deeds to glorify God before mankind

Oh yeah, you actually need to read your Bible once in a while, as well as do good works to make this work

Just saying!

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

Sharing, and leading by example like this is not easy for most of us, but these direct, God-centered interactions serve as a catalyst for growth, not only for us, but those around us as well

Stepping outside of our comfort zone is one of the fastest ways to grow, both emotionally and spiritually, as we often do not know how powerful God is in our lives until we allow him to work

With all of this in mind, when we consider how amazing Christians friendships can be, it makes our non-beneficial Christian relationships, and worldly friendships seem much less important, as having discussions around where we ate, what we did at work, who is dating who, what we clothes we bought, etc… is so unimportant when compared to things that draw us closer to God!

Now, I want to be clear I am not advocating we go through our list of Christian friends and tell them we cannot be their friend because they are not holy enough for us, quite the opposite

In fact, we need to focus on helping one another grow, which also causes us to grow in the process, as it is important to help each other out of love, not point fingers at anyone for not walking intimately with God

However, and it is a big however, if our Christian friends genuinely do not want to grow, in preference of willingly hold onto selfish or sinful ways, and have no desire to work towards greater levels of righteousness, and intimacy with God, we need to pray, and ask God for help evaluating how much time we should be spending with them

This may sound harsh to some, but we have to understand even a little quiet time with God is more beneficial for us than a life time of empty social interactions that have nothing to do with him, as those kind are generally just distractions that take up a lot of time, energy, and focus

Psalm 84:10
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

Also, we need to remember Paul was beyond clear that we should not associate with Christians who openly, and unapologetically live sinfully, as they are blatantly rejecting God’s righteousness for the sake of their preference for sin

1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people

Also, remember what Paul wrote when he was describing the call we have received through the gospel, as it involves “the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake“, as our obedience, and the way we live before others, has a huge impact on how the world, and other Christians view God, as we have the ability to give his reputation a good or bad name by how we act, both toward believers, and non-believers

Romans 1:5
Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake

Okay, all of this covers how to navigate Christian friendships, but how are we supposed to handle non-Christian relationships since we are supposed to evangelize?

“But I Use My Worldly Friendships To Spread The Gospel!”

Oh yeah, I totally believe you!

All that time you spend with non-Christian friends eating dinner, watching movies, clubbing, gossiping, shopping, and doing whatever else, is totally leading your non-Christian friends to God, even though you never mention his name, that must be super effective, why did I not think of that!

/endSarcasm

Regardless of how long we have been Christians, one of our greatest challenges is to do away with as much of our old selves as possible, as we do not become new creations overnight without any effort

Part of this renewal process includes learning how to handle the influences associated with our pre-existing non-Christian friendships, professional relationships, etc…, as we want to make the most of every opportunity we have available to share the gospel, but still manage to keep ourselves from going astray

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character

Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone

However, for many of us, rather than serving as opportunities to share the gospel, a lot of the non-Christian friendships we have only serve to keep some form of attachment to our old lives, as we often use these friendships to partake in or validate behavior our non-Christian friends, let alone God, would probably not look kindly on

I know nobody has ever done this, but a lot of us trot out a completely different set of morals when we are around our Christian, and non-Christian friends

/eyeRoll

Also, we are told not to judge anyone outside the body of believers for their sin, as that creates all kinds of self-righteous weirdness, but we are not supposed to surround ourselves with sinful influences either, as that is often misconstrued as condoning people’s behavior in ways we did not intend

1 Corinthians 5:9-13
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside

We often overlook how the enemy tries to draw us into unfruitful friendships, and activities with unspiritual people, but they are smart about it

Most often, they have us justify our behavior by rationalizing that we are somehow not affected by our surroundings, or that we have the chance to represent the gospel in some way that makes sense in our head, but the results of these efforts should prove their worth without any need for justification

For example, when was the last time we were able to bring even one friend to church, let alone to spiritual intimacy with God, because we got drunk with them at a club?

…anyone?

*crickets*

(Also, what are you doing getting wasted at a club anyway…?)

We are of course told not to reject the world, or judge anyone outside the church, but, based on the values, and benefits of Christian friendships we discussed previously, we need to objectively ask ourselves if we are really contributing anything godly to our non-Christian friendships, as the answer is often no

Since the enemy wants to fill our lives with as many unspiritual influences as possible, we need to guard how, and for what amount of time we interact with non-Christians, making sure this is done in a way that allows us to remain credible, loving witnesses on God’s behalf, without being self-righteously weird

Nothing damages God’s reputation more than a hypocrite who professes to love God but denies him in the way they live

Titus 1:16
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him

It is honestly baffling how fiercely many Christians defend their extensive, time-consuming worldly friendships they contribute nothing spiritual to, for reasons that may sound noble or good on the surface, but do not reflect the hearts, or actions of those who are passionately seeking to glorify God or lead others to him

“I may not share my faith, but I preach the gospel with the way I act”

(Do not make me ask why you were “up in da club getting drunk” again, I mean honestly)

Just like with our Christian friends, the best way to bring others to God is to share our testimonies, as well as talk about the benefits of walking with God, since our relationship with him is ongoing, and we are constantly learning new things, and growing every day

Also, it is important to find out what our non-Christian friends are struggling with as well, as we can hopefully give them insight into how God helped us in the same, or similar areas

We should also use our best judgment when doing this, as not every problem or issue in our life should be shared with our non-Christian friends, as some things may seem nitpicky to people who are not seeking to live according to God’s righteousness, and may just come across as annoying

Also, in closing, I wanted to address a scripture many people point to when interacting with non-Christians

Matthew 10:14
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your fee

Jesus spoke these words to the Apostles when he sent them out to spread the gospel, as they went out performing miracles, casting out evil spirits, and spreading the gospel in a way that represented it accurately

Based on this, we cannot reject others when they do not accept a gospel we do not personally represent well, as we have to make sure we are doing everything possible to reflect God’s righteous, holy, loving character, and not just turn away from people in frustration or anger because they do not respond to something we do not make inviting in any way

Jesus taught that only those who truly love one another and obey his commands are his disciples, we need to remember this when seeking to share our faith by actually demonstrating we are his disciples through the way we act

John 8:31-32
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another

If you are not able to find good Christian friends around you, go to more church events outside of just Sundays, think about starting a Bible study, and start serving with other Christians in your community whether they go to your church or not–be proactive about looking for good Christian people, they are not always easy to find, but they are there when we actually look

Above all, ask God how to speak with both your Christian, and non-Christian friends, as he will guide us on what to say, and who to spend time with, we just have to listen, and be willing to actually follow his advice

A crazy concept, I know!

After thirty-two years of being a Christian, I finally get what it is really about!

I know this may sound a bit ridiculous at first, but over the past two months, God brought me to a place where my attitude towards Christianity has changed so dramatically it is beyond humbling, as he set his refiner’s fire to what I thought was a sincere faith, replacing it with what the Bible, and his Spirit commend, rather than allowing me to relying on worldly ways of thinking when examining the sincerity of my walk

Among many passages, the verse God used to show me what true faith according to how the Bible defines it, which involves seeking his kingdom, and his righteousness first in all things, is noted below, as it is a teaching we read about, but almost never actually apply

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

As a heads up, this is the longest article on the site, but worth the fifteen minutes of reading if you are even remotely serious about increasing the sincerity of your faith–if this article does not inspire you to change your life, read it again!

And with that…

Do We Live According To What The Bible Teaches Or Just According To What We Feel Comfortable With

Did it suddenly get hot in here or what?

But seriously, this question, and its painful answer, is one of the largest reasons why Christianity has such a boring, misunderstood, and often bad reputation in our society, and guess what, most of us are part of the problem!

I say this openly as I was completely guilty of this, and have only recently been willing to acknowledge I was not living according to the gospel as the Bible instructs us to

The sad truth, is many of us approach our relationship with God in a way that does very little to demonstrate the amazing, life-changing effect a relationship with God can have, as we often treat Christianity as if it is some kind of afterthought we do not take completely seriously, even going so far as to reject the Bible’s teachings when following them would require changing our lives in ways we do not find comfortable

…um, ouch

Yes, I know we are all familiar with how the Bible tells us to live righteously, and love others, not to mention we are all probably trying in what we would call our own way to live up to what the Bible teaches, but we should compare ourselves to the following passages, as our lives may have an appearance of righteousness, blessings, and relationship, but rarely do they line up with the gospel as the authors of the Bible taught it

Double ouch!

For example, how seriously do we take Jesus’ instruction to fight sin with all of our strength, regardless of any worldly cost, do we not instead take our time fighting sins we struggle with, often without any real sense of urgency?

Matthew 5:29-30
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell

(Jesus was speaking metaphorically, but his point was that we should be willing to sacrifice anything to prevent ourselves from sinning, and even warned us about the consequences of sin–remember he is talking to believers!)

The author of Hebrews also wrote about this, as they openly chastised people for losing perspective on how important it is to fight against sin, as we should find anything that contradicts God’s righteousness so awful, we would be willing to do anything to keep ourselves from it

Hebrews 12:4
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood

Also, when it comes to charity, how generously do we give to those in need, and when was the last time we actually went in search of people we could help rather than waiting for someone to fall into our lap–do we even give charitably at all, let alone with a cheerful heart?

Matthew 25:34-36
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver

Even further to this, do we pay attention to, and live according to the promise of the consequences Jesus openly spoke about for those who do not demonstrate his love to those who are in need?

Matthew 25:41-43
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me’

(Note that Jesus did not only focus on a message of repentance during his time on earth, as he is warning us to live in a way that shows we love people enough to reach out to them–these are strong words, but remember they are from Jesus himself!)

What about how we are told repeatedly in the Bible to live in such loving, righteous, charitable ways that non-believers see God’s character in our lives so strongly they praise him for it–many of us like to recycle the saying “At all times preach the gospel, and when you have to, use words”, but rarely do anything to live up to this, stop saying this if you do not make it true!

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

1 Peter 2:11-12
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us

Or what about Jesus’ instructions to seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness first in all things rather than chase after worldly happiness or security as our first priority in life?

Matthew 6:28-33
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

(Jesus makes two important points in this passage, as he not only says those who seek security in material wealth, and earthly happiness as their first priority have “little faith”, but he also chastises these people even further by comparing them to non-believers by saying “pagans run after all these things”, yikes! Also, do not overlook how Jesus said to seek God’s kingdom *and* his righteousness, which means we should not only seek to further God’s kingdom, but to live according to God’s standard of righteousness, not our own!)

Also, since Christianity is about walking intimately with God, and reflecting his loving, righteous character in every aspect of our lives, do we take it seriously that we should seek the happiness, well being, and security of others equally as our own, even sacrificing comfort, not just the excess in our lives for the sake of making sure others are seen to–do we even want to know the answer to this question?

Luke 10:27
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’

1 Corinthians 10:24
No one should seek their own good, but the good of others

Galatians 5:13-14
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself”

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love

I could go on, but you get the point, as when we read these passages, we quickly see how our lives, or at least parts of them, do not line up with the Bible, as we do not exactly wage war against sin as if our lives depend on it, we do not demonstrate God’s love through giving and service like Jesus instructed, nor do we put God’s kingdom, or his righteousness, first in our lives

This is not meant to condemn anyone, but we need to take responsibility for the fact that Christianity is not changing the world like it did in the early days of the church, as we are not walking in the love, power, righteousness, and intimacy with God they did, mainly because we are more concerned with living for our own worldly happiness rather than living the true gospel through love, and righteousness, taking great care to reject everything the world has to offer that would keep us from honoring God completely

…triple ouch!

The World Is Only Impacted By Christianity In A Positive Way When We Publicly Live According To How The Bible Teaches: News And Sports At 11

I know this may seem like a shocking concept, but you know that book we talk about sometimes, the one we carve out those painful ten minutes a week to read, what is it called again, oh, right, the Bible

Well, anyway, as it turns out, that book contains a lot of useful information for how to live as a Christian–who knew!?

/endSarcasm

All kidding aside, and apart from the verses noted above, there are an incredible amount of passages in the Bible we could look at to illustrate how we are supposed to live for the sake of God’s glory, but the one he used to make this concept real for me was this:

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

Over the last few months, God showed me that even though I was putting in some amount of effort to glorify his kingdom, I was not living in a way that reflected I was truly putting him first, either in my actions towards others or the level of righteousness I was walking in

Sure, I had stopped doing obvious, publicly visible sins that blatantly contradicted the Bible, I was giving some of what I had to charity, and was working with the poor in my area, but I was not bearing the kind of fruit in my life I knew represented the supernatural life transformation the Bible talks about, but above all, I did not have the intimacy with God I wanted

But why?

The answer for pretty much all of us, regardless of whatever excuses we make, yes I said excuses, is simple, as we generally do not want to let go of the lives we are content with, and are not willing to make the changes needed to bring glory to God’s kingdom on earth like Jesus commanded as we are more concerned with our happiness than the happiness, and well being of others

Also, do not even get me started on how our definition of happiness revolves around what the world calls happiness, as it is not like we are locking ourselves up in our houses to study the Bible or pray for days on end to the point where it interferes with us demonstrating God’s love to the world through righteousness, and loving actions

No, it is quite the opposite, as we are too busy being concerned with what we eat, who we date, what we wear, our finances, what we do to entertain ourselves, etc… to even think about others, let alone honor them before ourselves

Glorifying God’s kingdom involves loving people around us through actions, not just ideals, and by living righteously according to God’s standards, not ours

John 8:31-32
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

(Notice how Jesus says if we obey his teachings we are really his disciples, as he never taught anyone could just wear a Christian label without repentance and life change)

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them

Luke 10:27
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’

John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another

(When was the last time anyone identified or commended us as a Christian because of the way we live? This is not exactly a common occurrence, and is made all the more tragic by the fact that so many people in North America call themselves Christians)

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth

1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart

1 John 3:10
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister

James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead

1 John 3:17
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

2 Timothy 2:19
Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness

These verses leave zero room for grey area, as Jesus, and every author in the NT, taught that anyone who claims to be Jesus’ disciple must obey the truth of God’s perfect, loving, holy character by living righteously for one simple reason: God is love itself!

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love

John does not exactly sugar coat the reality of how important it is to love others, as he openly says those who do not love do not know God, which leads us to question, if we are not in an intimate relationship with God because of the choices we make, what exactly do we expect to win the world over with?

Good intentions we never follow up on?

How are those going to minister to anyone?

*crickets*

When We Share Our Relationship With God, Are We Making It Appealing

Before anyone has time to get offended over this question or say things like “But we may be planting seeds, we never know”, look at these verses again:

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

1 Peter 2:11-12
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us

I know a lot of people are shy about sharing the gospel, but even if we work up the courage to do it, we should take time to consider what we are actually sharing

Quite honestly, many of us have been Christians for so long we often forget what it is like to speak with people who have either never been introduced to Christianity or to those who have turned away from it for some reason

When we attempt to reach out to others, we have to be careful about what we say, and how we live, making sure it presents a compelling, and/or inspiring case for someone to turn to God, as we should be doing everything to represent his righteousness, love, and wisdom in everything we do

We should boldly be able to talk about God’s love, our short-comings, the things God has healed us of, and our current struggles with confidence, sincerity, and without being pushy or off-putting because we are nervous, insecure or self-conscious

This may sound like a difficult thing to do since describing God accurately can feel like an impossible task, but remember the Bible says God is love itself, so we can look at how it defines his character as we should be able to share how his love has affected us, and do everything possible to model ourselves after it, as we represent God in the eyes of the world

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

(It is important to understand that Jesus paid for our sins while we were still considered his enemies, as we had done nothing to deserve receiving such a tremendous gift)

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich

(We often quote how Jesus made himself poor for our sake, but we rarely do things in our lives to humble ourselves to serve, and love others in the same way)

2 Corinthians 5:19-20
…he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us

(Really think about this passage, as God is literally making his appeal to the world through us, that is an amazing revelation of how much our relationship, and the furthering of his kingdom is a partnership!)

For an example of world changing Christianity demonstrated through righteousness and love, look at how the early church lived, as they were dedicated to applying the Apostles’ teachings to their lives, frequently met and ate together to build up their Christian community, God was so powerful among them they saw many miracles, and they were so unattached to personal wealth, they did not even consider their possessions theirs, selling them as necessary to make sure there were no unmet needs within the church, and, as a result of this amazing lifestyle, it says “the Lord added to their number those who were being saved”

This is the kind of Christianity even the most bitter, jaded, doubtful person would find appealing, as it revolves around a life-changing, supernatural power, and love that cannot be found anywhere else or in any other religion!

Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved

This passage shows how the early church lived in an incredibly beautiful way that expressed God’s multi-faceted character through love, wisdom, charity, fellowship, and power–who would not want to be a part of that kind of amazing church family?

By comparison, sadly, when we look at our personal lives, home groups, churches, etc.., we do not see this kind of Christianity

Quite honestly, we barely see a shadow of it, if even that, as many Christians rarely interact with one another outside of church, let alone go to Bible studies or share in each other’s lives in meaningful ways, and do not even get me started on how we do not share our lives with those outside the church through outreach of any kind

The fact is, our modern Christian culture is more focused with living in isolated ways that focus on ourselves rather than living for one another, and for some reason, very few people tell us this is wrong

I mean seriously, when was the last time our pastor, Bible study leader, or anyone for that matter, encouraged us, or held us accountable, to love others according to how the Bible teaches, live righteously, do good deeds that involve real sacrifice or spoke seriously about dealing with sin in a way that made us uncomfortable–not very often!

It is as if people are too afraid to deal with the difficult parts of Christianity that involve truly honoring or respecting God, in preference of focusing on basic things like forgiveness for sins–forgiveness is just a basic component of Christianity, it is not the end goal, as spiritual maturity, intimacy with God, and bearing righteous fruit are what is praised by God, not sinful weakness or a lack of maturity due to laziness

Look at how the author of Hebrews speaks about this without trying to spare anyone’s feelings regardless of their maturity level, as he is openly speaking to those who are immature, not the mature–think about that the next time a long-time Christian complains about how a message of righteousness or maturity is too difficult to digest

Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil

Hebrews 6:1-2
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment

(Many Christians are stuck at the level of trying to let go of sins they are attached to, and many do not believe there is any form of judgment for believers, which is a whole other topic, but note how the author of Hebrews says these are “elementary teachings”, as they are things they expected even spiritually immature believers to lay hold of before moving onto more challenging concepts–many Christians never progress past these things which is quite sobering!)

Are you uncomfortable yet, I certainly was when God first drove this all home for me, as it means real life change is required if we are serious about our relationship with him

I know some of these things may sound harsh, but we need to understand that regardless of where we are in our progression towards maturity, there are very few examples of true Biblical faith, righteousness, love, power, and charity available to us today, which is nobody’s fault except our own as a church body, as we claim to have a relationship with the very same God the early churches did, yet we live nothing like them–this is our fault, not God’s

Also, I want to be abundantly clear we should not just fault our pastors, teachers, favorite authors, etc… for the state of modern Christianity, as it is the responsibility of every believer to live, and love the way the Bible teaches, and there is no excuse for ignorance, as even a quick read through the most commonly quoted passages in the Bible shows us the standard of righteous we should be pursuing, and the love we should have for one another

Plus, you just read everything up to this point, so you are accountable now, ha!

Ephesians 5:8-10
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord

Ephesians 5:15-17
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is

“But It Is Too Hard To Live Like The Bible Teaches”

Okay, before I jump up and down like Yosemite Sam over how the enemy has convinced Christians it is not possible to live according to God’s righteousness, I am going to take a short pause

…

…

…

Now that I have had my personal interlude, I want to draw attention to the fact that when the enemy tells us we cannot live up to God’s standard of righteousness it is a complete lie, though it is one many Christians fall into, some even willingly so

I know this is a sensitive topic as many of us feel like we just cannot overcome certain sins in our lives, but look at what Peter and Paul taught about this topic, as they could not have been more clear that we have all the power we need in order to live just like Jesus did, ie: at a level of supernatural righteousness

2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good

(Note that “grace” in Greek means “through unmerited favor, receiving God’s influence on the heart”, as we see Paul encouraging Titus with the knowledge that God’s power can teach us to reject every sinful, worldly desire that is thrown at us, so we can live “upright and godly lives in this present age”, and even be “eager to do what is good”, as living righteously in love should not feel like a chore in any way!)

How can anyone read these passages, then turn around and say living righteously is impossible, that is literally calling God a liar!

Sure, it is not easy walking in this level of obedience at first since it takes real, determined, consistent effort, but we have been given a spirit of love, power, and self-discipline–we have no excuse!

2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline

Honestly, when I read statements like God “has given us everything we need for a godly life” it is beyond exciting, but where this gets even more uncomfortable, is that since we know God promised we would never be tempted beyond what we can bear, we must take ownership for our choices to live outside of what the Bible, and his spirit teach, as no one forces us to sin or be lazy, we do these things by choice because we prefer to

Every sinful decision we make is our own, as we choose sin according to the sinful desires of our heart, so there is no excuse for our sin, as we simply choose not to obey God’s righteousness

(Yes, ouch is right–this is some real accountability!)

James 1:4
…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it

James 4:17
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them

(Note that the word “good” in Greek is the same word Jesus used when he tells us to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”, so if we know God wants us to do something according to his love, we sin if we disobey his guidance, even if it is not something we would normally call wicked, like lust, stealing, lying, etc…)

In the OT, God said nothing he commanded the Israelites to do in the law was too hard, but we have to remember they actually had to commit actions, and often had to have them be confirmed by witnesses, in order to be qualified as sinners, whereas in the NT, Jesus raised the bar by saying even our wicked thoughts are considered sinful, and in the same way God instructed in the OT, nothing we are commanded to follow under the new covenant is too hard for us to follow, as God would never tell us to live according to a standard of righteousness that was impossible to achieve

Remember, God gave us everything we need to lead godly lives, and overcome sin through the power of his spirit!

Deuteronomy 30:11-15
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart

Honestly, I have no idea why people abuse the idea of God’s forgiveness under the new covenant, as it reflects a distorted, misunderstanding of the gift of God’s power within us, as if God is only here to wipe our guilt away so we can go on sinning

We should instead view God as being the source of strength for us to overcome even the toughest sins permanently

1 Peter 2:15-16
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves

Jude makes an even stronger point than Peter, as he openly taught that there are disrespectful Christians who twist God’s grace, which is his favor and power, into an excuse to continue their sinful behavior without repentance, which denies Jesus himself!

Jude 1:4
For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord

(In Greek, the word “ungodly” means “without reverence for God”, so we see that as evil as these people sound on the surface, they are not that far from most Christians, as many of us lack true reverence for God in a way that leads us to not abuse God’s grace as we often sin with the belief God will just forgive us anyways–never happens right?)

It is so weird that people often repay God’s kindness with ongoing sin, and even make excuses for why it is okay with statements like:

“God knows my heart”

“I know the Bible teaches against this, but God wants me to be happy”

“This is okay, Christianity is all about forgiveness”

…um, no

I mean seriously, when God’s spirit was placed within us, our level of righteousness was supposed to go up, not down

Like, duh!

Romans 8:3-4
And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit

Also, to quote Peter, and Paul again, we need to realize God’s power within us can change our hearts so we can actually escape the desires of temptation, as that is what participating in God’s supernatural, holy nature is about, ie: rising above both sin, *and* temptation altogether

2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good

What are the desires they speak of saying “No” to, and escaping altogether?

They are the things that separate us from God, as they lead us to deny him in our lives, guiding us toward laziness, to live for ourselves, to be unforgiving and bear grudges, they cause our love to grow cold or never develop in the first place, to become irreverent and disrespectful towards God, to be selfish and not generous to those in need, to be comfortable with our sin and to live according to a righteousness we decide is acceptable rather than follow God’s standard, the same standard he commanded us to live according to in order to prove ourselves as his disciples

The enemy wants us to live apart from God, both in our character and in our relationship with him as it also makes us terrible witnesses

Titus 1:15-16
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good

Even though some sinful areas of our lives may feel impossible to overcome, we can be encouraged by looking at the smaller areas we have already reached freedom in, and remind ourselves not every fight requires the same amount of effort or time, as some are definitely more challenging than others depending on how much healing and determination is needed

Whew, we covered a lot!

And, now that all the bombs have been dropped…

Okay, Now What

Rather than look at all of this and let the enemy have a field day telling us we are not good enough to live righteously or that God is impossible to please, etc…, we should ask ourselves:

“How can I live according to what the Bible teaches starting right now?”

Great question!

For me, here is a list of things I did over the past few months to line my Christian walk up with the Bible so that I could lead by example, and become incredibly intimate with God:

• I fasted a number of times and re-dedicated myself to God, promising to not touch, think or look at anything that was evil in any way
• Started constantly asking God to refine me through hardship, trials, and blessings according to whatever pleased him
• Began studying the Bible more, which is saying a lot since I could not keep myself out of it in the first place
• Made a tremendous effort to start spending more time with other believers both in group, and individual settings, but not just for social activities, ones that revolved around studying the Bible and encouraging one another towards love and good deeds
• I cut out all sorts of entertainment activities that were a complete waste of time like movies, Facebook, news sites, YouTube, video games, etc…
• For any media based entertainment I do partake in, I instantly shut off anything that is remotely offensive to God’s holiness without being permissive of anything
• Started giving more to church and to a Christian charity I work with, donating based on my gross salary, not NET
• Looked for opportunities to serve more in my community, both inside the church and out
• Helped people out as much as possible financially when they had needs, and even blessed those who did not have anything particular they needed help with

For you, the list may look a bit different, but my goal was to not just talk a better game, but to live one, and wow, the intimacy with God I started having is astonishing

When people in the Bible wrote about the joy of the Lord being their strength, honestly, this is horribly misunderstood, as when God’s presence comes in abundance it is beyond amazing, it feels like love-driven electricity, and there is tremendous spiritual power when praying now, way more than I have ever experienced

I am definitely not encouraging people to follow their feelings or sensations as a barometer of health in their relationship with God, but yikes, there is no mistaking when God draws near as it is so powerful it is like getting hit with the biggest flush of joyful love one can ever experience, so far beyond anything what we call romantic, as it feels so pure, there is no way to compare it with anything physical

(Think about that the next time you pine for a relationship, they are nothing compared to God’s presence, trust me!)

Sorry, I know this is hardly an eloquent depiction, but it is really hard to describe

Also, I know it sounds weird for someone you do not know to say “you are doing it wrong”, but honestly, the majority of Christians are doing it wrong, as when I ask people if they have experienced this kind of intimacy they have no idea what I am talking about, as during these past few months, I have truly learned what Jesus meant when he said:

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them

Honestly, no matter what anyone may say or think, there is just no mistaking when this happens, as I thought I was doing well, but after thirty-two years of being a Christian, this was the biggest “Oooh, so *that* is what Jesus meant!” moment I have ever experienced in my life, as I had previously only felt this lightly or on a few rare occasions, but it is so strong, and consistent now

Now that I have walked through this door, I see why this relationship is so amazing to guard, much more than I ever did, as it is not a one-time accomplishment, it requires ongoing righteousness, obedience, and respect for God to maintain, as he is still the God of all creation, one who deserves to be greatly feared–to take God for granted at this point of the relationship would be pure stupidity, as who would reject the greatest love they have ever known when they find it, especially for anything so worthless as what the world offers?

James openly taught that rejecting God in favor of the world causes us to become his enemy, and remember, he was talking to believers when he wrote this!

James 4:4-5
You adulterous people don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

James 4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded

Oh, one other thing I have noticed, is when I am around other sincere believers who have a passionate hunger for God, which is, sadly, not as often as one would hope, I can feel God’s presence well up inside me in a way that makes me want to hug them, and jump up and down with excitement at the same time–I am not a huggy person normally, trust me

None of this would have been possible if I had not started fully living according to how the Bible teaches

I want to be clear I am not saying any of this to brag or sound superior in any way, I just want to give feedback on what this type of life transformation looks like, as this kind of relationship is available to us if we are hungry for it, and willing to put in the effort it takes to reach spiritual maturity–be encouraged, and be ready to fight along the way knowing God has already won the victory on our behalf!

2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

This article was long, and I am thankful you made it to the end

Also, prepare for more bombs being dropped–I am back!

We are surrounded with messages that promise health, happiness, wealth, and blessings of all kinds, but we often overlook the very purpose of Christianity, which is to walk with God by having a personal, intimate relationship, and teach others to do the same–so how do we actually achieve the kind of intimacy that causes us to not care about earthly blessings in any way?

Introduction

For many of us, obedience means different things, as some of us struggle with obeying God’s commands to stop sinning, to love or forgive others, as well as give charitably to those in need

This article is not meant to condemn anyone or be designed to spark a debate around whether God loves everyone equally or not, it is written to show how the authors of the Bible defined the pathway for intimacy with God, and what it feels like to achieve a relationship we have probably only read about or experienced in very rare instances

As we mature, and when our lives change dramatically as Christians, it is not because we simply start following rules, but when we learn to fall in love with God

This requires us to first start obeying God’s Word out of respect and gratitude for his love, rather than wait for a feeling of inspiration or change of heart on our part

In all cases, regardless of whether they are large or small, we should be eager to change our lives so they are in alignment with how God wants us to live, not because we simply want to check off a bunch of boxes like we are taking a test, but because we want to experience God’s heart in every situation possible, seeking to be in perfect harmony with him, without placing our will, or the will of the enemy, above his

Falling in love with God not only revolves around understanding who he is, but looking past what the world has to offer in our pursuit of him because we care for him that much, which is something many of us say, but not many actually live out

And with that…

The Advantages Of Walking Intimately With God Are Not What We Typically Think

Despite what many teach, and hope for, intimacy with God does not mean instant gratification of all our prayer requests, nor does it mean every problem in our life will be miraculously solved according to how we see fit, let alone in the timing we want

*gasp*

I know, I know, it is hard to concentrate over the sound of so many bubbles bursting, but the reality, thankfully, is a relationship with God offers so much more than earthly blessings in the form of money, spouses, jobs, etc…

In fact, and this may come as a total surprise, walking intimately with God means, get ready for this, actually walking intimately with God!

Dude… wait, what?

Seriously though, many do not understand how valuable this relationship really is, as they focus so intently on earthly happiness, they miss out on the biggest blessing they have available to them–God himself

For example, look at how God openly describes himself as being our “very great reward”

Genesis 15:1
I am your shield, your very great reward

If God describes himself as our “very great reward”, think about how many times we have heard people preach about God being our reward compared to how often we hear people tell us about all the earthly blessings God wants to shower us with in the form of better jobs, money, spouses, and all sorts of other things–why are we not being taught God is our “very great reward” more often, is that not more exciting than the promise of earthly happiness?

*crickets*

Sure, God wants to bless us for our obedience, but many get caught up in wanting his blessings more than an actual relationship, which is bad, in case you were wondering

So what are the benefits of having God as our reward?

God’s Presence Brings Peace And Joy Beyond Measure, Even When We Have Nothing Earthly To Feel Peaceful or Joyful About

We hear, and quote, the following passage all the time, as David said one day in God’s presence is better than happiness for any length of time elsewhere

Psalm 84:10
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

Remember David was a wealthy king, who had everything he could possibly want, yet he still preferred God’s presence above anything else, but what is being in God’s presence actually like to make it so valuable to those who know him intimately?

It varies, but the Bible consistently describes God’s presence as bringing both joy, and peace

Psalm 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand

1 Thessalonians 3:9
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?

Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure”

Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

These verses show how God’s presence brings both joy and peace, but how does that compare to the happiness we find in the world?

For example, we can feel a measure of happiness, peace, contentment, etc… over worldly things we receive, but as soon as they are gone, we are unhappy again

We see this with money, relationships, jobs, and everything else the world says is valuable

But what is it like to be filled with God’s lasting, supernatural joy and peace, regardless of whatever is happening around us?

We can start to understand this by looking at how people in the Bible reacted in the face of challenges, persecution, and even physical torture when God was with them

For example, David said he could face death without fearing it, all because God was with him

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me

Look how Peter, and the other Apostles rejoiced when they were whipped for preaching the gospel, as the Spirit was so strong with them, people lay the sick down in the streets in the hope Peter’s shadow might heal them as he walked by

Acts 5:12-16
The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed

Acts 5:40-41
They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name

Can you imagine being so filled with joy after being whipped that you praised God over being found worthy of a beating just for preaching the gospel?

I mean come on, most of us are afraid to talk about God even with our closest friends, let alone speak about God to a bunch of people that viciously dislike us to the point of wanting to cause us physical harm

Honestly, if we were whipped in the same way, most of us would not walk out of the experience praising God over it, we would be sad, depressed, and may even get angry at God for him allowing us to be mistreated

Mind you, these are very natural reactions our earthly natures would turn to, but they have nothing to do with anything God’s Spirit would lead us towards

Also, keep in mind these passages talk about extreme situations where people were upheld by God’s Spirit, so why is it that we, who claim to all have the same Spirit these people did, get sad, depressed, impatient, and even angry towards God when the smallest things in our lives do not go our way–can we honestly say we are enjoying the fullness of relationship these people were, having peace, and being filled with joy even in the worst trials or persecution?

Of course not!

And the reason is simple, we do not dwell in God’s presence, or have the Holy Spirit as these people did, so how do we get it?

Newsflash: Obedience = Intimacy

This is probably the simplest equation within Christianity, as the concept of God rewarding obedience with intimacy is re-enforced all throughout the Bible, both in the OT, and NT

I know a lot of people get up in arms when they hear challenging OT passages, insisting they are no longer applicable because we are under the new covenant, but keep in mind God’s personality did not change between covenants, as the authors of the NT spoke the same message about intimacy being related to our obedience, often quoting OT scripture in the process!

To start, we know God does not tolerate rivals, so if we value anything worldly or sinful above him in any way, we are saying we find those things preferable over some aspect of his righteous character, which would be like telling someone you love them, but then still date someone else on the side because you liked pieces of them better–that attitude is not exactly a period piece love story in the making

James 4:4
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God

(It is important to understand how James calls believers who seek the world above God are being “adulterous”, and expressing “hatred toward God”, when was the last time you heard someone preach a message like that, yikes!)

In fact, the authors of the NT, including Jesus, defined love for God as fully obeying his commands, not just saying “I love you” while perpetually denying him in our lifestyles

Titus 1:15-16
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good

(Notice how Paul separates “those who are corrupted” and those who “do not believe”, saying openly that there are Christians who “claim to know God but by their actions they deny him”, which is different than those who never claim to know him–a good reminder to guard ourselves against living sinfully in any way)

Check out these examples of what it means to love God through obedience, and how our sins separate us from him:

1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

John 14:15
If you love me, you will obey what I command

Isaiah 59:1-2
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear

Proverbs 15:29
The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous

Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me

(Notice how David asks for God to restore “the joy of your salvation”, as when his sin separated him from God, his presence was not as strong, which also removed the joy that came with it, as this was David’s psalm after his affair with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband to cover his guilt)

Psalm 34:15-16
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil

(This is a good example of how the NT authors used the OT to remind people of God’s character, as they did not consider the OT’s description of God’s character void in the same way a lot of people conveniently do today)

1 Corinthians 8:3
But the man who loves God is known by God

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him

(Note how Jesus says “Whoever has my commands and obeys them” is the one who “will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him”, as he was not saying intimacy with either God or him is available as a default, but requires obedience!)

Now, of course, we must understand God loves us even when we stumble, but the Bible is clear that if we live obediently, we will enter into a place of intimacy that a life of ongoing rebellion cannot provide

Yes, I know, this means letting go of sin, and seeking to love people in ways that make us totally uncomfortable at first, but we have to keep in mind it is for a reason, which is not to make our lives difficult, but to enter into an intimate relationship with God, where we come to understand just how pointless living for ourselves really is, as the inexpressible joy found with him is beyond anything the world could ever give us

1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls

(If we have never felt this joy, or felt it so long ago we do not remember what it was like, it raises challenging questions about the status of our salvation, and whether or not we have ever truly experienced God)

Jesus talked very openly about this, as he wanted us to know the very joy he had received from the Father, the very joy that caused him to overlook the pain of the cross for the sake of our salvation, to be inside of us, and taught that this joy came through obedience, not wishful thinking or laziness

John 15:9-11
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him

We know the enemy wants to rob us of our joy, our peace, and our relationship with God, which they do, sometimes quite easily, by leading us into disobedience, and teaching us to value worldly happiness above our relationship with God

Jesus knew God like no one else, and by his own words, he taught that intimacy, and increased love from God came through obedience, so we know this is still true today, as even he “obeyed [his] Father’s commands and remain in his love” in order to have a passionate relationship with the very same God we worship today

It is beyond tragic, but many Christians have never experienced true intimacy with God in a way that would cause us to hunger for it, to rejoice in the face of persecution, and to be fearless in the face of physical threats, even death

This is because we live a life that is separate from the amazing, beautiful relationship God shed his blood to give us, as we assume, or are incorrectly told, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and walking in the fullness of a relationship with God, even though it looks nothing like the examples we see in the Bible

We should no longer settle for a caricature of Christianity, we should be eager to pursue God for the sake of knowing him, not just honor him as a footnote in our lives or be satisfied without his presence

We will talk more in another article about receiving the Holy Spirit, but for now, I welcome us all to examine ourselves to see what we need to let go of or pursue, increasing our faith as we commit ourselves to God’s love, and righteousness for the sake of knowing him intimately

In my own life, over the last few months, I have made every effort to rid myself of things I knew were standing between God and I, which has changed my life beyond what I could have ever imagined

I had to get real with myself, and admit I did not have the relationship with God I read about other people having in the Bible, and spent time evaluating what was needed for me to get it, as it is okay to admit we do not have the intimacy we want, but it is not okay to be content without it

In my personal evaluation, I did not just focus on big things that were obviously in need of repenting, and I did not wait until my conscience caught up with me after resisting God for a long time, but purposefully set out to change my life in ways that were designed to seek God’s kingdom first in every area

For example, I started getting up early to study the Bible on my own and with other members of my church, I attend multiple Bible studies on weeknights, spend time praying with my Christian friends for healing, encouragement, spiritual gifts, etc…, make a point of reaching out to new members of our Bible studies to get to know them better, give as much as I can whenever someone needs it outside of tithing, and lots of other little things that add up to reflect a heart that is more hungry for God than the world

Now, and it is not every time, but God’s presence comes when I pray, when I read the Bible, teach, and play music, whereas before, it came very rarely, if at all, and my love for people has increased to the point where if I get around others who are passionately seeking God, I adore them in a way that makes no logical sense, and can feel God’s presence just by being around them

After this recent life change, I understand what David meant when he said one day in God’s presence was better than a thousand elsewhere, as his Spirit feels like clean electricity that radiates love, joy, and peace

True intimacy is nothing like what I thought I had before, it is way better, and so far beyond description it is ridiculous

In fact, as I grow closer to God, it inspires me to lead others to him, including other Christians, as we do not often look at our relationships with God and go “I want more!”, mainly because we have no idea what we are actually missing out on in exchange for holding onto what the world tells us is happiness

Also, look at how obvious it is when we lack earthly happiness, as it relies on things like money, peer validation, possessions, a spouse, entertainment, etc…, yet many of us do not know when we lack true, godly joy as we have never experienced it to know what we are missing out on in the first place–consider how many examples of Spiritual joy we have in our lives compared to all the examples of earthly happiness we are encouraged to chase, the difference is staggering!

I get so excited about drawing near to God, as who knows what else is waiting as we continue to seek him with sincerity!

We do not know what we are missing out on with God until we have it, as it takes real effort to achieve true intimacy!

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

Joel 2:13
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity

(EDIT: This article was too good to keep hidden, I bring it up every two years or so, happy reading!)

Since I never write about relationships, I thought I would touch on a new subject today: relationships!

Most Christians would agree, and in some cases attest, that being in relationships with non-Christians can have some serious challenges

Introduction

Given the sensitive nature of this topic for some, I want to be clear this article is about the challenges Christians can experience when they enter into relationships with believers who do not have the same hunger, respect or passion for God, and is not meant to condemn anyone who is currently in a mixed faith marriage

However, it is important to understand that while some are willing to defend the choices made to enter mixed faith marriages/relationships, including their own, by pointing to examples where the relationships worked out in the end, we need to examine our hearts before being quick to justify why we feel it is okay to date/marry people who do not believe in God, or why we justify our decision to evangelize through relationships, as we were never told to do either of those things as Christians

If God is our priority in life, why would an earthly relationship be so important to us we would take the risk of having a marriage where our partner never comes to God despite our best efforts?

I wanted to make sure these points were said upfront, as some are missing the point of this article altogether, happy reading!

Don’t Hitch Your Wagon To That, Seriously

The most quoted scripture regarding marrying non-Christians is this:

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers

This illustration reflects what happens if two animals wearing the same yoke have different ideas about where to go, as, despite their individual efforts, they will pull each other in all sorts of haphazard directions, and neither of them will go in the direction they want

So this is easy right, Christians dating non-Christians = trouble

But what about the cases where two people are Christians but at totally different levels of spiritual maturity?

We Go To Church Every Sunday Together, Everything Is Fine

Anyone with two neurons firing (my second one started up just this morning!) can understand if people in a relationship do not share perspectives on important issues there can be problems

But what are these catastrophic problems?

Do they overshadow the age old wars like the fight for the TV remote or what restaurant to eat at?

Typically, these separations become evident when couples talk about:

• Vacation plans
• What movie to watch
• Whether their first born child should be sacrificed to God
• Etc…

…wait, what?

Since when do couples fight about sacrificing their children?

Uneven Faith Is Uneven

In the story of Abraham and Isaac, it is important to note that when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham did not share God’s instructions with Sarah at all

Genesis 22:2-3
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”  Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac

Don’t you think after spending a lifetime with someone you would want to talk about something that important?

I think it is safe to say Sarah probably would have flipped out at hearing God’s request as Isaac was her only child, given to her by God at the age of ninety no less!

“Oh hey, where are you off to so early”

“Uh, I need to pick up some supplies back in town, stop by the tunic outlet store, and then if I have time, *cough* fulfill God’s request to *cough* sacrifice Isaac”

“Great, if you have some extra time can you pick up a few… wait, what?”

As the head of the household, Abraham did what he knew was right without fighting about it with Sarah, as it would have been God’s will she would have been contending with, not his

Without pointing at Abraham and Sarah too much, my favorite example of an uneven relationship is seen in Job:

Job 2:7-10
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

Hmm, if someone we love was struck with some horrible disease I would hope that we would pray for them non-stop, but instead Job’s wife gives him the amazing advice to “curse God and die”

Now wouldn’t that would be the best “Get Well” card to send someone, I wonder why Hallmark hasn’t swooped in on that

“We heard you were sick, so from all of us at the office: “Curse God and Die!”

Choosing A Relationship Over *The* Relationship

As Christians, it is important that we choose to be with someone that strengthens our relationship with God

Not someone that would influence us to disobey, hesitate, be spiritually lazy, or feel inhibited from honoring or praising God in any way

Who we choose as a spouse is the most accurate statement we can make about who we are, and we should, hopefully, base this choice on sincere gratitude for what God has given us, you know, those things we call his love and salvation

Simply put, God doesn’t want us to be with someone if the relationship keeps us from being close to him, even if the person says they are a Christian, goes to church, and does “all the stuff”, but is really not hungry for God–he wants us to be in a relationship where both people draw nearer to him as a result

Also, this:

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers

We all know there is no shortage of nice sounding, but completely false teachings out there, but what steps are we taking to guard ourselves? Knowing we can be deceived over both simple, and difficult issues, why are so many Christians reluctant to study their Bibles or do any kind of research to find out what God’s truth is?

Newsflash: Our Personal Opinions Are No Replacement For Scripture

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where people base their point of view about a Biblical topic on their personal opinion rather than the Bible?

What, never, who would do such a thing!

/endSarcasm

The reality is, many Christians believe, and often teach, things they have done little or no research on, and in a lot of cases, use all kinds of justifications for not having done any kind of homework to back up their point of view

For example, I am sure we have all heard, or made, statements like these:

“Well, what I believe is…”

“I know the Bible says that, but…”

“The Bible was written so long ago, but our culture is different now so it no longer applies”

“But God wants me to be happy”

“I was once told…”

The list goes on, but you get my point

Call me crazy, but it makes no sense to have a point of view about the Bible when it is not actually based on things like, oh you know, the Bible!

I mean honestly!

Many are quick to talk about what they know about God, but often do so without quoting scripture, ever

Also, have you ever noticed how when we place our personal opinions over the Bible’s teachings, we almost always think things we  feel comfortable with, not things we find challenging or difficult to accept–how convenient!

What is even more amusing, is when Christians put their un-researched opinions forward, it may not actually even be their real opinion, as they have not done enough study to make a truly subjective, let alone objective opinion about anything, as with new information, they may change their minds completely

We do not consider this often, but thinking and acting in a way where we even remotely think it is okay to place our opinions over God’s Word is beyond arrogant!

James 1:19-21
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you

Note how James says “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”, as it is so important to understand that rejecting God’s truth in favor of our opinions is completely arrogant, and lacks humility of any kind

“Yes God, my opinion, emotions, and intellect supersede what you wrote in the Bible, I know what is best, thank you for your input, but I know what I am doing”

…seriously?

Even though making up what we believe makes no sense, I have heard people use their personal opinions on topics like what is required to actually become saved, whether Christians can lose their salvation, whether or not tongues and prophecy are still around today, whether we should marry non-Christians, and all sorts of other topics that are incredibly important!

I know it sounds obvious that we should not make up our doctrine as we go, but why is it so incredibly common?

Studying The Bible Requires More Time And Effort Than Many Are Willing To Invest

Hello!

In speaking with numerous Christians, the number one reason we do not read the Bible frequently is because it takes time away from other things we want to do

It is just that simple!

“But I never have time to read the Bible!”

Seriously?

(I rarely get tired of asking this)

This excuse may sound logical at first, but our lives are filled with completely optional things we prefer to spend our time on, it is just not very comfortable to admit

Of course, there are required activities in our lives like work, school, chores, etc…, that take up our time, but look at these examples of completely optional, self-gratifying things we spend our time on instead of drawing near to God:

• Watching tv shows we cannot miss
• Playing video games for hours
• Spending ridiculous amounts of time on Facebook
• Filling our evenings and weekends with social activities, both with friends and relationship partners
• Going out to movies all the time
• Watching YouTube until we get bored
• Spending time on various hobbies or taking classes

These are just a few examples, but all of these things offer zero benefit to us spiritually, as they are designed to either to entertain us or give us peer validation in some way, yet these are the types of things we have come to value so much in life to the point where we prefer them over drawing near to God

“But I never have time to read the Bible!”

Mmm, hmm…

You see why this statement is so dubious!

Now, before people start thinking I am advocating we only spend our time reading the Bible without doing anything for rest or relaxation, I want to be clear there is a balance we need to find in everything, as Solomon, the wisest man to have ever lived, said there was a time for everything, including study

Ecclesiastes 12:12
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body

Finding this balance is important, as many insist their personal activities are what give them recharge time, but they do not understand what they are really saying, as if worldly happiness is where they draw their strength from instead of God, their life’s priorities are not where they should be

Above anything the world has to offer, we should seek God for strength, and renewal, valuing his presence over everything

Psalm 84:10
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

For this reason, it is important to analyze ourselves objectively, asking what in our lives we can spend, even a little, less time on to make room for consistent Bible study, as there are always things we can put aside to make room for God, no matter how busy our lives seem

Now that we understand how our lives have more room for Bible study than we thought, why is reading the Bible so important in the first place?

Reading The Bible Is Not About Spending Time With A Book, It Is About Drawing Near To God

This is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts among Christians, as reading the Bible is not about checking off a box so our consciences leave us alone, it is about spending time with God!

Look at how God calls himself our “great reward”, this is so much better than receiving anything earthly!

Genesis 15:1
I am your shield, your very great reward

Sadly, not many Christians view a relationship with God a reward, as he is a fixture in their lives, but they seek his help or blessings before seeking his presence, kind of like marrying someone for their money, but not caring about them enough to have a real relationship

(Hello again!)

When we spend a lot of time in the Bible, it helps us understand so much about God, as knowledge of his leads us to maturity, and to a place where we can please God, learning to walk with him intimately, which is not only important for us, but for equipping us to teach others to do the same

Oh that!

Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light

In Greek, the word “knowledge” means “precise and correct knowledge”, so we see Paul is saying he wants people to be filled with “precise and correct knowledge of his will” “in order that [we] may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way”

Now, really stop and think about that for a moment, as Paul is openly telling believers they need be filled with the “precise and correct knowledge” of God’s will in order to live in a way that both honors, and pleases him–this is impossible to achieve without studying the Bible!

In fact, the author of Hebrews even goes so far as to chastise those who are “slow to learn” the deeper truths of God, openly saying their laziness is keeping them in a place of spiritual infancy, where they are not acquainted with the teachings of righteousness, to the point where they are not able to consistently separate right from wrong–yikes!

Hebrews 5:7-14
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil

(The word “milk” in Greek means “less difficult Christians truths”)

Now, when we read passages like the ones above, and see how openly the authors place importance on having accurate, precise, and mature knowledge about God, it shows how ridiculous it is when we use our personal opinions as a replacement for God’s truth, as no author of the Bible said the opinion or knowledge of man led to righteousness or a lifestyle that pleased God!

Isaiah 55:9
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts

With these passages in mind, it is no surprise many Christians wonder why their relationship with God is not intimate, yet fail to realize, or acknowledge, they rarely spend time with him or live in a way that pleases him, as many are not aware God draws near to those who draw near to him through their lifestyles–oops!

James 4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded

(A lot of Christians struggle with accepting this, but God does not have a history of walking intimately with people who reject him in favor of worldly happiness, and/or sin)

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

(Notice how it says God “rewards those who earnestly seek him”, that means he reserves a level of intimacy to those who honor him enough to seek him passionately–get on it!)

In fact, these verses demonstrate why knowing the Bible is so important, as it is very common for Christians, especially those in the early stages of growth, to not understand what steps are necessary to walk with God intimately, ie: seeking him earnestly, doing everything possible to rid our lives of sin

Since it is at these early stages of spiritual growth that we are the most vulnerable, you can bet the enemy will try to fill our heads with all kinds of nice sounding, but completely false teachings that are designed to separate us from God both now, and for the long-term, which is why it is so incredibly important to know the Bible!

Knowing God’s Personality Is The Key To Having True Intimacy

If we have a proper understanding of the Bible, the enemy would be powerless to twist it in a way that is destructive to us or others

For example, even though the verse above in James 4:8 is clear about how God draws near to those who draw near to him, many teach that nothing we do can affect our intimacy with God, whether we live righteously or sinfully

/facepalm

These kinds of teachings are so destructive, as they sound nice to new believers, but they keep many at a place of immaturity, sometimes for the duration of their entire lives, as they think they are walking in the fullness of a relationship with God from day one, but have yet to actually encounter him in a life-changing way because they do not seek him like the Bible instructs–with sincerity, and with purified, righteous hearts

Be careful before reacting to that statement though, keeping in mind that the enemy is incredibly smart when it comes to sowing seeds of false doctrine, as they know exactly what kinds of things people are looking to hear when they have broken hearts, understanding that many are afraid of rejection, and of being seen as unforgivable or unworthy of love

Taking full advantage of these fears, the enemy twists God’s character into one where he is a giant teddy bear holding a rainbow in the sky, showering everyone who calls on the name of Jesus with equal blessings, and an equal relationship, regardless of whether they seek him sincerely or live righteously–this is beyond untrue!

Of course, there is a balance, as we come to God broken, dead in sin, and in need of forgiveness, but just entering into a relationship with God as broken sinners is, thankfully, not the extent of what a relationship with God is all about, as Jesus himself taught that a higher level of intimacy is available when our lives are transformed through righteous obedience

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him

We know God loves us, so when Jesus says those who obey his commands “will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him”, we should be excited knowing there is an incredible reward waiting for us when we reach a certain level of righteousness that the Bible defines as love for God!

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me

 1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

Now, can you imagine the victory the enemy wins over us when they prey on our fears to the point where we unknowingly believe in a God whose personality does not exist in the Bible, or even go so far as to have us openly reject what is clearly written in the Bible about God’s character because it makes us uncomfortable or scared of rejection

If we cannot accept what it means to please God through our lifestyles, we will never have intimacy with him

This happens to more Christians than we can imagine, as many are only comfortable accepting God’s personality as far as their emotional comfort will allow, rather than dwell in a place of truth, which is exactly what the enemy wants

How Do We Have The Right Approach To Learning Accurate Doctrine

This is where things get real

Consider the common teachings where we are told God will forgive, love, and walk intimately with us no matter how we live, even if we willingly hold onto sin, and/or live in continual disobedience to the Bible, because “God knows our heart”

Um, no

Romans 8:8
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God

Hebrews 10:26-27
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God

It is important to remember these verses do not apply to other people, they apply to us, just like all the other verses we comfortably believe

We cannot pick and choose our doctrine based on what we find emotionally comfortable

No matter what we think we know, there are always going to be things we need to learn, which is why it is important to be open-minded enough, and willing, to do research when challenging scriptures are put in front of us

However, where many Christians stumble in the face of God’s truth, is they place their personal opinions about the state of their relationship with God, salvation, and personally defined sense of righteousness above the Bible and God’s will, often completely ignoring God’s character as the Bible defines him, ie: as one who is to be greatly respected, to the point of reverence, awe, and fear

2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God

Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell

(To make sure this passage is completely understood, in Greek, the word Jesus uses for “fear” means “to fear, to treat with deference or reverential obedience”, so we see Jesus is saying to not only respect God, but obey him as well)

Now, the most common, yet unspiritual, reactions to these last few passages are things like “God loves me, I could never disappoint or anger him”, or “My salvation is secure no matter what I do”, etc…, which is fine, as it illustrates the point of the entire article

To understand how to approach these topics with the right mindset, we should not be quick to say “No, that is wrong!” and then repeat a bunch of scriptures we feel support our existing point of view, we should diligently seek answers in the Word, starting by reflecting on the verses we find challenging, not focus on repeating what we think we already know–that is no way to learn or intelligently contest anything

We need to understand what we are disagreeing with before responding, without being eager to state our point of view as if we are above needing to do any kind of research

See how easy that is!

Another thing, is Christians have a reputation for being incredibly defensive about what they believe, often becoming aggressive or angry when questioned

These people demonstrate close-mindedness to the world in a way that causes many to be repelled by the very idea of Christianity, as many of its followers poorly handle even the most sincere questions by non-believers–we should do everything possible to change this perception about Christianity!

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

With this in mind, start challenging yourselves, your friends, your pastors, your Bible study leaders, me, anyone, about Biblical truths, but do so with a heart to understand, and to learn, not just to speak

Be prepared to do your homework, not just walk around telling everyone what you believe, and most importantly, be prepared to be wrong sometimes, because it will happen!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight

1 Timothy 4:16
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers

We often read about the days of the early church, marveling at how powerful the Holy Spirit was among them, yet we have become comfortable with our own churches looking almost nothing like them either in power or loving service. For example, did you know even the servers in one of the original churches performed miracles, and that the Apostles themselves served food to the needy among them? That puts a totally different perspective on acts of service, as it is rare for Christians today to humbly serve one another, let alone see miracles through the hands of those who do!

If You Wanted To Serve Others In The Early Church, You Needed Spiritual Qualifications, Not Just A Raised Hand

To begin, let us look at the passage below, as it shows how the Apostles themselves were serving food while the early church in Jerusalem was growing, then, once the body became too big for them to personally take care of, they carefully selected people who were “full of the Spirit and wisdom” to replace them–they did not accept any random person who happened to put their hand up!

Acts 6:1-8
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people

This passage is amazing, as not only were the Apostles setting an example of service by personally giving food to the needy, but the individuals they appointed to replace them walked so closely with God they performed miracles–try imagining a scenario like that in your current church!

For additional insight, the meaning of “miraculous signs” in Greek used in the passage above meant “of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s”

Even though everyone views miracles as quite an endorsement of someone’s walk with God, do not overlook the second part of the qualifications the Apostles were looking for, ie: wisdom

In fact, the word “wisdom” in Greek meant “wise, having knowledge of very diverse matters, the knowledge and practice of the requisites for godly and upright living”, which shows how the Apostles were not just looking for pairs of hands to give out food or perform miracles, but to minister to people in the process as well

Paul taught specifically about this, as he openly said prophets, who speak the very words of God, and those who taught others were placed before those who performed miracles or healed people, as the knowledge of God is more important than witnessing something supernatural

Since wisdom leads people to maturity, Paul openly placed more value on sound teaching than miracles or healings 

1 Corinthians 12:27-28
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues

Helping others mature is so important, as that is what leads to true intimacy with God, not witnessing a miracle, which is why the Apostles were so adamant about making sure those who served were not only able to give people physical food, but spiritual food for their benefit as well–awesome!

Now, when we typically think about having a ministry today, it usually revolves around having a gift of teaching, miracle working power or healing, and also typically revolves around being seen as a public figure of some kind

Ironically, many Christians who aspire to ministries today rarely consider devoting their time to serving food for the poor, yet this is what Stephen, who was filled with God’s Spirit and wisdom, desired to do

Stephen’s attitude reflects the heart of a true servant, one who humbly sought to love others, as he was not seeking to please himself or gain the favor of those around them by being seen as a spiritual celebrity–something to keep in mind when we start feeling like we have become someone in our Christian communities

It was no coincidence that Stephen’s humble, loving attitude accompanied the miracles God was doing through him, as God does not have a history of giving spiritual power to those who do not walk intimately with him, seeking glory only for themselves

The goal of any ministry should be to bring people closer to God, not for us to be glorified in the eyes of mankind

Isaiah 48:11
I will not yield my glory to another

Sadly, even though we read about Christians like Stephen in the Bible, we do not meet them very often, if ever, yet we are somehow completely satisfied with our churches, and our personal lives, looking nothing like the examples we see in the NT–this is no one’s fault but our own

Ouch!

So how do we get closer to God, and see more spiritual gifts within our lives?

Doubt, Sin, And Incorrect Doctrine Prevent Us From Having The Same Spiritual Power We See In The Bible

Okay, so we read about all the miracles, spiritual gifts, and amazing things that happened in the NT, but for some reason we do not eagerly desire to see these things in our own lives, churches, or in the lives of those around us, to the point where we do everything possible to make them a reality

But why?

What makes us not want to eagerly pursue spiritual power when it is so clearly written about in the Bible?

How can we believe the Bible when it says we are loved by God, that our sins are forgiven, and that we can inherit eternal life, yet when we read passages that encourage us to eagerly pursue spiritual gifts, we do nothing to achieve any of it, even going so far as to doubt the possibility of spiritual gifts being available to us now?

1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts

In all honesty, I question the faith of many Christians I meet, as when talking about spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, etc…, they often admit these gifts are real since they are clearly written about in the Bible, but yet make no effort to seek these gifts for themselves, while many even express doubt that spiritual gifts can be attained by modern Christians at all!

By far, doubt is one of the most spiritually crippling emotions, as it even prevented Jesus from working miracles

Doubt is so spiritually debilitating, when people doubted Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s power did not flow through him like it normally did, so it is no surprise when our doubt hampers the Holy Spirit’s power in the exact same way, removing the possibility of us receiving spiritual gifts entirely

Mark 6:1-6
Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him

Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith

I mean think about it, why would God reward doubters with a miracle or spiritual blessing, that makes no sense, what does God have to prove to us?

What makes doubt even more ridiculous, is how we believe God created all things, led the Israelites around in the desert for forty years, rained fire down from heaven to destroy his enemies, became a man, died on a cross to pay for our sins, was raised from the dead, and even promised eternal life for all those who love him more than the world, yet we somehow get filled with doubt when it comes to receiving spiritual gifts–that is outrageous!

Really think about that for a second, as we believe all the things we cannot empirically prove ourselves, yet we doubt the things we can see in our lives today in the form of tongues, prophecy, miracles, etc…, even though they are written about in the same Bible we read everything else in–how does this make any kind of sense?

When we consider what we believe out of Christianity, it is shocking how we limit God’s power due to our unbelief, as there is nothing in the Bible that says the Holy Spirit’s power is not as readily available today as it was in the days of the early church

I mean honestly, what kind of God would we serve if he was not capable, willing or interested in seeing his spirit move today like he did in the days of the early church–if that is what we believe, why do we pray to him about anything?

Before we deal with some false doctrine that prevents people from receiving spiritual power, I want to address another barrier first: sin

Paul openly taught that people can have the outward appearance of godliness, but when they live sinfully, they will lack any kind of real power. James also taught that the prayers of the righteous are powerful, just like John said those who are obedient can pray for anything with confidence

If God is holy, it is no surprise spiritual power relates to the level of righteousness in our lives!

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited,lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them

(In Greek, the word “godliness” means “piety”, and the word “denying” means “rejecting something that is offered”, which shows how Paul is saying we can have the outward appearance of living religiously, but completely reject the true power offered to us through God’s spirit as we continue to embrace sin. Also, people who live like this are such a problem, Paul openly tells us not to have nothing to do with them, yikes!)

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective

1 John 3:21-22
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him

John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will

Apart from doubt or sin, the third thing that often keeps people from receiving spiritual gifts is a lack of, or incorrect, teaching about them in the first place

One particularly common teaching I have heard is that spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, etc… are not available to Christians anymore, as people cite this verse:

1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known

The error in people’s thinking, is they read where it says tongues and prophecy will cease when perfection comes, but instead of accurately understanding the full message of what Paul is saying, people say the “perfection” is us now having the Bible, which is supposed to be our “perfect” guide to everything about God

/facepalm

This is incorrect for two major reasons:

1) When we read what Paul is saying in its entirety, we see he is not talking about us receiving the final version of the Bible, he is talking about how we barely know God while in this life, and will not know him fully until we are with him in heaven

For example, look at these verses from the passage above:

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”

Be careful to understand what Paul is saying here, as no one has seen God face to face, nor do we know God as fully as he knows us, these things are only possible once we are one with God in heaven

Only when we are one with God that tongues, prophesy, and knowledge will cease as there will be no need for them, but until then, these things are still with us since they help us grow in our relationship with God!

Um, whoa, something God just showed me, is when people insist this passage proves tongues, and prophecy are no longer available today, their interpretation would also mean “knowledge” will pass away as well, as Paul says “where there is knowledge, it will pass away” as part of his statements

I looked up the Greek word for “knowledge”, and it means “the general knowledge of the Christian religion, moral wisdom, such as is seen in right living”, which definitely has not passed away yet as we still have knowledge about Christianity, as well as moral wisdom about what is right and wrong!

Based on this, if knowledge has not passed away, then tongues, and prophecy have not passed away either–that is definitely something to get excited over!

2) Not one author in the NT said the Holy Spirit would stop working past the days of the early church

When we look at how incredibly common miracles, speaking in tongues, and prophecy were in the days of the early church, you would think at least one author would have said:

“Hey guys, I know these spiritual gifts are awesome, but you better cash in now as once the Bible comes a few generations from now, God is going to stop all this. Yeah, I know, I like hearing God speak through people too, but he would prefer to have us only read the Bible, not hear from him directly anymore

How do I know this? He, uh… told me”

Yeah right, no one in the Bible even remotely hinted at such a thing!

If spiritual gifts and miracles were such an important part of the early church, why would no one have taught they would disappear after a few generations?

I mean honestly, that makes no sense, only un-spiritual people who lack either the faith or teaching about spiritual gifts would ever say something like this, but in both cases, the enemy delights in people being deceived

Now that we know all these things, how do we receive spiritual gifts?

Miracles Only Take Place When God Is Present

Well duh!

Even though Paul taught people to eagerly seek after spiritual gifts, we also have to look at the context in which they operated so commonly, as in the days of the early church, they not only saw miracles, but lived selflessly, studied the Bible every day, and met together like a giant family, even selling their possessions to make sure no one had unmet needs among them

Members of the early church were living demonstrations of the loving gospel Jesus taught, which is why God’s power was so abundant

Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved

I am sure we have all read this passage before, but understand this is the very same church that came to have miracle working food servers, as “many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the Apostles” among them in Acts 2, but as we see a few chapters later in Acts 6, regular church members like Stephen had grown up in their faith to perform them as well–awesome!

Whenever we look back at the early churches, wishing to see miracles and amazing things in our present day, we also have to look at how the churches lived back then, as they were devoted to the teachings of the Apostles, met together every day to eat and study the Bible, as well as shared and sold their possessions so everyone’s needs were met–it was only in this environment that miracles were commonplace, and you can imagine there was not much power crippling doubt either!

When we compare the early church to most of our current churches, it is no wonder we do not see the miracles or spiritual gifts we read about, as our churches, and individual lives, look nothing like what we read about in many ways

In fact, I would bet most people from that time period would not even recognize our churches as being “church” since they are so different–when was the last time you sold anything to help someone in your church?

In the coming weeks I will talk more about spiritual gifts, but as a general guide, if we really want to see God’s power increase, we should love selflessly, let go of sin, have faith without doubting, and eagerly ask God for spiritual gifts, with full assurance he rewards those who earnestly, and consistently seek him

If we want to welcome God’s presence in any form, we must do everything possible to create a loving, holy, reverent environment

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts

1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy”

We never know what God will give us in terms of spiritual gifts, but we have to at least ask, with full assurance of faith!

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;and to him who knocks, the door will be opened

In an effort to share some of the insights God has recently revealed about his character, I wanted to share a different kind of article, one that shows how God is not a teddy bear in the sky who has no range of emotion, but gets sad, and is filled with pain at times, mainly over our sin

Sin Hurts God’s Feelings: News And Sports At 11

Many think of God as not having emotions, or only having emotions that are happy, but that is not the case, as the Bible is clear God has a surprisingly diverse range of feelings, and not all of them are related to sunshine or rainbow sparkles

For example, let us look at the story of Noah, as God was so saddened over mankind’s abundant sin, it led him to a place of outright pain and regret for having created us

Genesis 6:5-8
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord

In Hebrew, the word “grieved” means “regretful”, while the word “pain” means “to be pained, hurt”, so we see God was regretful, and filled with pain over having created mankind

To even partially understand how God was feeling at the time, look at the verses below that say God does not delight in the death of anyone, and that he wants everyone to repent so they may live:

Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance

In order for God to be so upset he would end the lives of almost everyone on earth, thus removing their chance to repent, we know he must have been in an incredibly sad, and unhappy place

But why was he so upset over man’s sin in the first place?

When Something Beautiful Goes Wrong It Can Be Heartbreaking

“We used to be so beautiful!”

Okay, all emo break up songs aside, almost all of us have experienced what it is like to start a beautiful new relationship, only to have it go sideways in some way, not living up to all the inspirational butterflies, and chemically addled daydreams our minds conjure up during the honeymoon period

With this in mind, consider how when God first created the earth, animals, mankind, etc…, he looked upon his finished work, proclaiming it was good:

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good

(In Hebrew, the word “good” means “good, pleasing”)

Not only that, but look at how God actively participated in his creation, going so far as to give Adam the task of naming all of the animals by personally bringing them all before him, that must have been quite a parade!

Genesis 2:19-20
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field

It is interesting to note how this passage says “He brought them to the man to see what he would name them”, as God was curious to know what Adam’s own expression of creativity was in naming the animals–he really cared what Adam thought, isn’t that awesome?

In Genesis we see God’s original relationship with mankind was very personal, to the point where they knew each other face to face, and even interacted frequently

God’s original design for mankind was to be intimate friends, not have the contentious, rebellious relationship it turned into

Understanding this shows why God was so incredibly upset over mankind embracing sin, as, aside from Adam and Eve’s original disobedience, mankind had come so far away from God’s original idea of what was “good”, he was filled with pain and regret he had created them at all

Remember, the earth, the animals, and mankind were not just things God created, but expressions of his creativity he loved dearly

Not to mention, just think how the enemy must have taunted God when they saw him despair over our spiritual condition like that, especially considering how the flood had the appearance of being a victory for evil–this must have made God’s decision to flood the earth even more painful

(We will talk more in a future article about how the enemy felt they had triumphed over God when Jesus went down to the grave in death, as no one had ever been released from death’s grasp before that!

Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead)

The idea that God was mindful of the enemy’s mocking may sound hard to believe at first, but consider how God did not destroy the Israelites completely when they angered him in the desert, not because of his mercy or forgiveness, but because he did not want his enemies to think they had succeeded in destroying his people!

Deuteronomy 32:26-27
I said I would scatter them and blot out their memory from mankind, but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed; the Lord has not done all this’

The enemy knows he cannot overcome God, so the only way they can hurt or insult God is by taking as many of us down with him as possible

We do not consider this very often, but it is incredibly humbling, as when we choose sin over righteousness, our sins are a continuation of the same work the enemy grieved God with so long ago, to the point where he was kicked mankind out of the Garden of Eden, and even got to a point where he was willing to destroy all he created with the flood

Again, this may be a bit challenging to understand, so really, really think about this point before reading on, as we often have no regard or understanding when it comes to God’s feelings over our rebellious, disobedient choices–sin is a just a game the enemy uses to separate us from God, the same game they have played with us since the beginning of time

Does God Still Get Upset Now Over Sin, Even Under The New Covenant

Um, hello, yes of course God gets upset over our sins today!

God feels much worse about our sin than we do, no matter how guilty our consciences may feel at the time, as he created us to know him intimately, and lay down his life to demonstrate how much he passionately loves us, which is far more than we can say about our efforts to show him how much we want his friendship in return

In fact, when Christians look at sin in their lives, they are often so quick to utter statements like “God hates the sin but loves the sinner”, they do not stop to consider how their choices hurt God’s feelings, but prefer to conveniently focus on how fast he is willing to forgive us rather than do everything possible to not hurt the one they profess to love in the first place

Quite honestly, the way many Christians approach God’s forgiveness sounds like the mindset of an abusive relationship partner, not someone who is sincerely in love with God

“It does not matter if I cheat on you, I know you are going to forgive me anyway”

I understand many have a hard time believing God’s feelings get hurt when we sin, but we must understand God for who the Bible shows he is, not create him in an image that we are most comfortable with

For example, look at how Paul addressed this topic openly by saying if we live sinfully, we “grieve” the Holy Spirit inside of us, just like how God was grieved when he saw the sin of mankind so early on in our history!

Ephesians 4:29-32
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you

(In Greek, the word “grieve” means “to cause pain or sorrow, fill with anxiety”, so we see Paul is telling us not to cause the Holy Spirit inside of us pain or anxiety through our sinful choices, proving God still gets upset, just like he did in the OT!)

Paul is clear in saying our sin hurts, and saddens God, but does it ever make him angry?

For a clear example of how rebellion and sin grieve his Spirit when we choose to reject his righteousness, look at this passage from Isaiah:

Isaiah 63:7-10
I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old

Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit

So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them

Um, wow, that is quite a passage, as God looked so hopefully upon the Israelites as a people who would honor him that he became their Savior, even sharing the same emotions they went through during times of trouble, ie: “In all their distress he too was distressed”

However, because “they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit”, “he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them”

…yikes

Sure, this was from the OT, so a lot of people will dismiss this passage saying God will not look at us as enemies since we are under the new covenant, but look at how James says the same thing to NT believers!

We cannot dismiss uncomfortable revelations of God’s character just because they were in the OT, he is still the same God!

James 4:4-5
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

In Greek, the word “friendship” means “long for, belong to”, which illustrates how James is saying if the true desires of our heart are rooted in worldly things, not God, we make ourselves his enemy, just like the Israelites did when they rejected him

Oops!

For many, the Biblical reality of our sin upsetting God is uncomfortable, as it challenges their understanding of God’s character

However, only the enemy wants us to look at God as a big giant teddy bear who has no emotional capacity, as thinking that way never leads us to empathetically consider God’s feelings when facing temptation

Instead, the enemy wants us just to think of our guilty consciences or worry about whether we are going to get caught, as if we only focus on those things, we will have no empathy for God and think things like: “If I sin, God will forgive me anyway so it does not matter what I do”

Just as in the beginning, the enemy wants us to be completely ignorant to how much our sin hurts God, and how much it damages our relationship with him, as their goal is to do everything possible to keep us from having an intimate, holy relationship with our Creator

1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy”^[

If You Thought The Flood Was Upsetting To God, Think About This

In looking at the passages above, we see God was upset enough to flood the earth because of sin, he got angry at the Israelites when they rejected him and personally became their enemy, and we also see how God is grieved today when we choose sin over his righteousness, yet, that is not the full revelation of God’s emotional experience when it comes to the sin of mankind

Take a moment to really consider this next point, as when God flooded the earth, everybody except Noah and his family died, but that was the end of God’s anger, there was no form of punishment beyond physical death, everyone went down to the grave in God’s anger, but that was it

However, on the day of judgment, when all mankind will give an account of their lives, that is when most people’s eternity will be decided, which is going to be an incredibly painful experience for God, as an overwhelming number of people are going to be denied entrance to heaven because they rejected his righteous truth

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it

Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account

Again, remember how the Bible tells us God does not delight in the death of anyone, not even the most evil, horrible sinners, and does not want anyone to suffer eternal death in hell, so you can imagine the immense sadness he is going to feel seeing so many parts of his creation go off to eternal condemnation, separated from him forever, as that is much worse than flooding the earth like he did in the days of Noah:

Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance

(Note that Peter says “He is patient with *you*”, as he is talking to a body of believers about not perishing for lack of repentance, he is not talking to, or about, non-believers!)

We are often so self-absorbed, we rarely consider how our sin affects God, as we often just think God will forgive us, without ever stopping to consider how he feels when we willingly choose to reject him in favor of something we already know is wrong

Even though some people will continue wrestling with this concept, it is important to understand God has zero history of turning a blind eye to sin people refuse to repent of, re-read the two passages directly above, as both show we will live if we repent, not just say we believe in Jesus but do nothing to lay down sin

Also, take note these verses are from both the OT and NT, as they are reflections of God’s character, which did not change between the old covenant and the new

Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy

However, the good news is, despite all those who will not make it, the Bible says all tears will be wiped away in the end, even God’s, as those who loved him above sin will be united with him for eternity, just like he intended when he created us in the first place, as he is looking forward to the day when he will rejoice over us with his own song–imagine God singing with joy over those who love him, how awesome is that?

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him

1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

Revelation 2:26
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations

Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death

Revelation 21:22-27
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light,and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing

Sure, everyone is familiar with Jesus’ teaching on how we are to love, bless, and pray for our enemies, but when is the last time we actually followed it? Since there is no shortage of people that hurt or frustrate us, there should also be no end to the blessings we pour out, as loving those who hurt us, even our enemies, reflects the very same love Jesus showed us before we came to know him–a love he commanded us to share with others!

What Did Jesus Actually Say About Loving, And Forgiving Our Enemies

To make sure there is no grey area in the conversation, let us start by looking at what Jesus taught in regard to not only loving our enemies, but blessing, and forgiving them as well

Luke 6:27-38
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you

(Look at how Jesus says he is speaking only to those who actually get what he is talking about, as he starts by saying “I tell you who hear me”, as not everyone is going to hear or read God’s truth with the mind to sincerely understand or apply it, which is why we must really push ourselves to embrace tough concepts like this one–God’s instructions are not always easy to follow!)

Wow, that is an amazing passage, as Jesus not only tells us to love our enemies, but to do good to them, bless them, pray for them, and lend things without expecting to ever get them back–all difficult things!

We know our behavior should be modeled after Jesus’ teachings, but in practice, it is sometimes difficult to forgive even our friends or close family who hurt us, let alone those who openly treat us poorly without any sort of relationship between us, so it is important to ask God for help to love, and forgive others when faced with even the most difficult situations

We can only reflect God’s perfect, supernatural love if we have it in our hearts to begin with

Also, in the passage above, look at how Jesus says, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven”, “For the measure you use, it will be measured to you”

That is beyond mind blowing!

Sure, a lot of people say God will forgive us no matter what, but this is totally incorrect, as Jesus himself said the level of forgiveness we show to others will have an impact on how much God forgives us

Jesus taught about forgiveness directly, spoke about forgiving others in the Lord’s prayer, and even taught a parable about it–he was not vague on the subject of relational forgiveness!

Luke 6:37-38
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you

Matthew 6:9-13
This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

(In Greek, the word “debts” means “offences, sin”, while “debtors” means “those who have not yet made amends with those they have hurt.” Based on these meanings, we see Jesus is saying “Forgive us our sins, just as we also forgive those who have hurt us but have not yet apologized to us.” Most people wait for others to apologize before forgiving them, but that is not what Jesus tells us to do, he says to forgive them anyway, and ask God for the same forgiveness!

Not many of us can say we unconditionally forgive others the same way we want God to forgive us, especially when people do not apologize!)

Matthew 18:23-35
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt

The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded

His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back’

But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened

Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart

This passage is amazing as it shows God’s personality when it comes to viewing our offences against him, and how we should view the offences of others against us as a result, ie: we should be so filled with gratitude over how we were forgiven for a debt we could never pay, to the point where we show the same mercy to others

Also, take note that in this parable, the servant’s debt was forgiven, but the king re-instated the debt when the servant showed a complete lack of mercy to someone who owed him much less–amazing!

We always talk about how grateful we are for God’s forgiveness, yet struggle to show that same forgiveness to people when they hurt us, but why is this, what holds us back from sharing something so beautiful?

“But You Do Not Know How Much They Hurt Me!”

Okay, yes yes, so your feelings were hurt

All kidding aside, this is an incredibly common response to the topic of forgiving, and loving our enemies, as our hurt feelings, and/or anger often leads us to a place where we just do not want to forgive for the simple reason that an offense seemed so great to us, we just do not want to let it go

Maybe we do not want to get hurt again, or maybe we are just so filled with indignation at the injustice of someone’s actions that we choose to not forgive, but we are never told to do that, we are told to forgive in all circumstances like Jesus instructed

In fact, to follow his example, even as he hung on the cross, being mocked by the very people who had him sentenced to death, Jesus cried out to God that they be forgiven, he did not wallow in anger, self-pity or anything else

Luke 23:34
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing

Can you imagine praying that after having been whipped, tortured, beaten, then nailed to a cross like that?

However, even with this example in mind, we know it is not always easy for us to forgive or let things go, which is why it is so incredibly important to ask God for the strength to forgive others as he forgave us, especially when we are in the heat of a particularly challenging moment

Also, when it comes to forgiving our enemies, Jesus set another amazing example for us, as the Bible says he lay his life down even while we were still considered his enemies because of our sinful behavior

It was through this act of sacrifice for his enemies that God demonstrated his love for all mankind, which is also the same love we are commanded to share with others, including our own enemies!

Romans 5:8-10
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life

John 15:12-14
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command

1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers

Those passages are absolutely amazing, as God did not command us to love one another without having loving us in the same way first, which includes forgiving our sins, and being patient with us while we work towards salvation–we should be eager to show this same attitude towards one another, even our enemies, as the purpose of doing so, is to hopefully have them come to salvation

If we seek to have the mind, and heart, of Christ, we should be determined to not let the bad behavior of others get in the way of expressing this same selfless, supernatural love towards everyone around us

However, this kind of love does not guarantee repair can be made in every situation, as making amends requires both parties to be willing to do so, but it guarantees we can forgive others without them needing to apologize first, and releases our hearts from all kinds of negative feelings–that is exactly the type of attitude Jesus showed to us, as he lay his life down to pay for our sins, even when we were still his enemies

If we truly desire peace with someone, we will not hold onto any bitterness or have a “They have to apologize first” attitude, we will seek repair above all things, even our own emotions

Since we know Jesus loved us so much, and was willing to forgive us so freely, what can we focus on to help us forgive in the same way, and how can we avoid being led around by our feelings when they get hurt?

If We Stop Taking Things So Personal, We Can See People How God Sees Them: With Empathy And Compassion

Sure, when someone hurts us our emotions may flare up, but that does not mean we need to dwell on them, no matter how intense they feel at the time

Proverbs 12:16
A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult

It is important to not be controlled by our emotions in the heat of a moment, as we are way more likely to do or say something we will regret later when our emotions, especially negative ones, are leading us, which is why it is so important to have the same attitude as Jesus, who asked God to forgive those who persecuted him, even while he hung on the cross–I am sure he was having other emotions at the time, but he chose to act righteously instead

One of the main reasons why controlling our emotions is so powerful, is we can look past our initial reactions when we are hurt, and focus on why someone would do something to upset or offend us in the first place, which is the key to having compassion, and empathy for others

For example, when I got mugged earlier this year and the attackers broke my jaw, I was laying in a hospital bed thinking about how messed up the situation was

It was an odd moment, as I was trying to figure out how I felt emotionally about what had happened, deciding whether I was upset, angry, etc… and thought:

“Well, I have hurt people a lot worse emotionally, which takes longer to heal from, and I feel sorry for whatever lives these people have that would lead them to do such a thing to someone, I am not angry at all”

You see, rather than focus on being attacked and my own personal suffering, I put things in perspective by acknowledging how I had hurt the emotions of a number of people in my past, which was a lot more serious than physical injury since emotional scars run the risk of never healing unless they are dealt with, and gave myself peace by showing empathy for the people who mugged me, as they must have had a very bad set of influences if they felt it was okay to mug someone so violently

Without a loving, empathetic perspective like that, I would have been tremendously angry, upset, and bitter, especially since my mouth was wired shut for six weeks!

Over the years, I have come to a place of understanding that if God has forgiven me for such a tremendous amount of offenses against him, as well as others, then who am I to hold anything against anyone because of anything so petty as unforgiveness or hurt feelings, that would be incredibly small minded, and unloving, which is completely contradictory to how God showed us so much mercy, favor, kindness, and love despite our many sins

Luke 7:47
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little

Seriously though, our emotions are pretty selfish most of the time, and they prevent us from truly loving our enemies, because we see them through the eyes of our emotions, not through the eyes of God

For example, we do not see the child who was constantly beaten and rejected by their parents, we only see the adult who gossips about us because they are insecure and jealous of our friends, just like we do not see the person who had no Father and had their heart broken repeatedly in previous relationships, we just see their emotional wounds as a barrier to our own happiness, and get upset without even praying for them

You know what I mean?

It is not like someone suddenly developed a mean streak because we walked in the room, they have underlying emotional issues, just like we all do, theirs just happened to affect us for whatever reason, but we can never take their conduct personally, as their baggage would have, and probably does, have an impact on others as well

This is why getting upset over offenses is so pointless, as it robs us of our ability to have empathy for others like Jesus had for us

When we allow our self-centered emotions to cloud tense situations, they tend to lead us into areas God does not find pleasing, as they often keep us from being forgiving, kind, empathetic, loving and/or righteous, not to mention we can instantly forget how much God forgave us for

Most importantly, when our emotions lead to sinful thoughts or actions, that is exactly the kind of barrier the enemy wants between Christians, as well as non-believers, as they win a tremendous victory when people will not show love to one another because of hurt feelings, let alone share the gospel with them in an accurate way, as it is supposed to revolve around God’s supernatural love, not human quarrels

Being unforgiving, bitter, and resentful towards others is a complete contradiction of the gospel, as it denies the very love, and forgiveness we claim to put the hope of our souls in

Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure

The next time someone hurts or offends you, do not take their behavior personally, but pray, asking God for the wisdom to answer them according to what he sees, not according to how our emotions feel, and be eager to make peace with them, forgiving offenses, and letting go of all negative emotions, even if the other person does not apologize

Colossians 3:12-13
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you

Okay, so we have all been there, whether it was over someone’s spouse, lifestyle, social circle, financial security, education, physical appearance or even their relationship with God, we have all felt jealous of other people’s blessings at some point. Yes, we may desire certain things, but we should ask ourselves why we want anything so badly we get jealous, especially when it means overlooking everything we have already been blessed with in the first place, to the point where we can actually lose our identities as Christians!

The Enemy Uses Jealousy To Separate Us From God, And Each Other

After having talked with a wide range of Christians, it is common that we voice anger, frustration, hopelessness, and a wide range of negative emotions towards God, all because we do not have what we want in some area(s) of life

It is important to remember how the enemy pounces on these feelings, as they do everything they can to make upset with God over whatever they can get their hands on, but when it comes to getting upset with God over what we feel our lives lack, it is especially destructive as it means we have lost perspective on the value of having a relationship with God in the first place

Knowing God and understanding how to be like him is our earthly reward, as he is love, wisdom, and righteousness itself–this relationship is beyond anything material we could ever receive

Genesis 15:1
I am your shield, your very great reward

Many believers misunderstand this concept, as they are not taught God is their reward when they first become Christians, they are typically told they are going to receive blessings, forgiveness of sins, entrace to heaven, etc…, which is good to talk about, but should not be the focal point of our relationship with him, as God called us to be his friends, not just another name on his gift list

Even though getting upset with God is common, what is really odd, is how a lot of Christians feel comfortable admitting to these feelings of anger/frustration/anxiousness/etc…, and will openly ask for prayer, but it is not as common to admit we are jealous of other people’s blessings when they have something we do not

Why is being jealous less acceptable to admit than being upset with God, sin is sin!

/boggle

I mean honestly, when was the last time you heard someone say things like:

“You have such an amazing relationship with God it makes me angry, I tell God how mad I am that he does not speak to me or reveal his plan for my life, not to mention I get jealous when people ask you for godly advice”

“Your family looks so happy, it makes me realize how awful my family is, as my husband ignores me, and my children are incredibly disobedient, so whenever I see any of your family I get incredibly jealous”

“You have such a financially blessed life, it makes me so angry as I keep asking God for a better job to get me out of all my credit card debt”

“I feel so alone, whenever I see you and your husband I get upset because God does not answer my prayer for a spouse even though I have been good!”

These things are a bit exaggerated, but you get my point

In all fairness, a lot of people get jealous, and have negative emotions, without even realizing it, as these types of situations remind us of what we feel our lives are lacking, but we do not always identify our reactions as envy or jealousy

For example, just because we do not feel like we are jealous of someone directly, if what someone else has causes us to envy, or get upset with God, it is a reflection of the same thing: we are upset someone else has something we do not, which is the very meaning of jealousy

Now, it is important to understand what this kind of attitude does to our relationship with God, as the enemy’s game in all of this is completely obvious

First, they get us to focus intently on earthly, material things, rather than spiritual rewards, which causes us to get our priorities in life completely out of order, as this lead us to value earthly happiness over eternal, spiritual blessings or God’s presence

Then, once we are focused on seeking earthly blessings more than a relationship with God, the enemy will do everything they can to have us get angry with him, trying to make us feel rejected, unloved or unworthy of receiving what we want because we do not have the earthly blessings that are a distraction to us in the first place

See what they did there!

Based on this, it is important to recognize not everything we want is good for us, especially when what we want is rooted in worldly desires, rather than what God wants, as our entire identity as Christians revolves around loving and obeying God, and loving others as ourselves, not seeking out earthly blessings of any kind!

God did not call us to him so we could receive money, spouses, and careers, he called us so we could know him, and share his love with others by loving one another as ourselves

Luke 10:27
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’

John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another

I mean come on, Jesus told us we would be recognized as his disciples by the way we loved one another, not by our fancy cars, jobs, houses, spouses, picture perfect families, etc…

As Christians, our identities should revolve around living righteously, and loving others with God’s supernatural love, and should in no way reflect a desire for worldly success that eclipses our desire to serve God, either by taking up too much of our time, conversations or identity, especially around other believers, as the biggest topics of conversation should be what God is doing in our lives, how we are growing, etc…, as we should all be focused on growing closer to God with enthusiasm, not talking like the rest of the world

In fact, if we desire anything more than intimacy with God, or to love others as ourselves, we have lost our very identity as Christians–which is what the enemy wants most

If We Desire Anything In The World More Than A Relationship God, We Have Lost Our True Identities

Have you ever noticed how often we talk about how important God is in our lives, yet we chase after so many worldly things before seeking a deeper relationship with God–the contradiction is, honestly, embarrassing

Jesus said our heart will desire whatever we value most, and that we cannot serve both God and the world, which bears true in our lives, as we often seek the world more than God, not to mention far more than we seek to reach others for the sake of bringing them to God

Matthew 6:19-24
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money

(The word “Money” above in Greek refers to worldly happiness in all of its forms, as Jesus was not only referring to money, he was saying we cannot serve two things wholeheartedly, as we can only serve God or the world, but not both

Think about that when considering whether or not we are living the loving, charitable lives we are commanded to as a reflection of our relationship with God!

Also, on the subject of money itself, one often misquoted scripture is about money being the root of evil, as many people quote that verse without understanding its real meaning

Here it is for context:

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs

Notice how the verse says “the love of money” is what causes evil, not money itself, as the evil things people do to get money are driven by their intense desire for it–money is an inanimate object, incapable of causing anyone to do evil on its own)

Given that we are told to love one another sincerely, just as Jesus loved us, we should value people tremendously, much more than material things, no matter how much value the world puts on them

Not laying hold of this concept is the very reason we lose our identities as Christians, as we can become so distracted with the world, we miss out on having a deeply intimate relationship with God, and will never know what kind of amazing, life-changing blessings we have available to us, all because we were so caught up with worldly happiness, and never became spiritually mature

Jesus addressed this concept in the parable of the sower:

Luke 8:11-15
This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop

As examples that illustrate what happens when we value our worldly happiness more than drawing near to God, or sharing God’s love with others, look at some of the situations below:

• We can be so focused on finding a spouse, we rarely have time, energy or emotions to spend on serving others, or drawing near to God
• We devote an incredible amount of time trying to earn money, often neglecting our relationship with God, and we often do not give charitably with our money once we do get it, as our goals revolved around our happiness, not other people’s
• Our appearance is so important to us, we work out fanatically, but do not pick up our Bibles or spend time seeing to the needs of others around us in our free time
• We are so obsessed with social interactions, and peer validation, we spend all of our time out with friends, cruising Facebook, etc… to the point where it prevents us from spending any quality time with God
• We like to go out and party to the point where we compromise our morals with what we wear, what we drink, who we hang out with, etc…, to the point where we are incredibly poor witnesses for God’s holiness

It is the pursuit of these things, the friendship of mankind, material success, etc…, that cause our spiritual maturity to be stunted, as we never learn to value our relationship with God more than the world, which prevents us from falling passionately in love with him

Also, if we are so concerned with our own happiness, we are not going to make sacrifices for the sake of helping others, as there is just not enough time in the day, money in the account or desire in the heart to chase anything else other than what we want for ourselves–this is completely selfish!

John taught about this specifically, as he openly says desiring earthly things is not of God, and that if we love the world, the love of God is not in us

Yikes!

1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever

The word “love” in Greek means “be well pleased with, content with”, which shows John was saying do not desire or be content with worldly happiness, as it is not from God, and it is fleeting even if you do achieve it!

Ironically enough, look at the people who live in the poorest areas of the world, for many, their relationship with God has true joy, as they have nothing else to focus on, but for us, the reverse is true, as many talk about feeling a total lack of joy in their relationship with God due to having too many earthly distractions

So, based on all of this, how do we keep ourselves from valuing earthly happiness so much, and keep ourselves from any form of jealousy or envy?

Gratitude, And Sharing With Others Is The Best Way To Keep Ourselves From Coveting

I mean hello, Jesus died for us, if we truly believe this, we will never fall prey to the enemy’s games to make us jealous, as we will be so filled with gratitude, we will not care about anything worldly!

Also, we should be seeking to share this excitement, and demonstrate sincere love for one another by sharing what we have, not hoarding it for ourselves, and truly rejoice for others when they have things we do not as we should never be jealous, but always seeking to further God’s kingdom over any personal pursuit

Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn

Matthew 6:28-32
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers

Oh right, *that* part of being a Christian, oops!

Also, when we serve others in preference for one another, we are reminded of just how much we have been blessed with, and how much our time, effort, money, and energy can be used to help others, and further God’s kingdom in ways pursuing our own happiness could never provide

Even further to this, living in a way that honors others before ourselves, just as Jesus demonstrated his love for us by laying his life down, is a reflection of whether God’s love is present in our hearts or not

1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth

Wow, think about that the next time we talk about how much we love God yet do nothing to help the poor or needy, eep!

Also, this:

Do not fall into the enemy’s trap of becoming jealous over things that will pass away, especially considering how jealousy itself can rob us of our eternal reward in heaven

James 3:13-16
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God

(Note Paul was talking to believers about how these things, jealousy/selfishness/envy included, will prevent us from inheriting our reward in heaven, he was not talking to unbelievers, he was warning Christians!)

Matthew 16:26
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

One of the most challenging journeys we make as Christians is to learn how to recognize, and consistently hear God’s voice, as many Christians struggle to hear from him regularly, or at all. But why is this, if we have the spirit of God living inside of us, how come hearing from him is such a difficult thing for so many of us?

(I will explain why the picture above relates to the article at the end, trust me, it starts off a bit abstract but we will get there!)

Our Obedience Affects The Intimacy, And Amount Of Communication In Our Relationship With God

Even though many Christians want to hear from God, most do not understand how they must be obedient before expecting a vibrant conversation, or intimate relationship, to start taking place

Now, before the enemy starts telling everyone we need to be perfect before God will talk to us so we become afraid of rejection, remember God loves us tremendously, and wants an amazing, passionate relationship with everyone, but he is very specific about what it takes to gain intimacy with him, as his presence is always stronger or weaker depending on how much someone respects, and obeys him

Also, before we go on, I want to address how many people will read the OT passages below and say “But those are from the old covenant, we have a new relationship now!”, yes, that is true, but if the new covenant guaranteed everyone would hear from God clearly, and without condition, then why don’t we?

Hmm?

I bet you did not think of that, Bad Answer Brown!

Okay, I kid, but you get my point, as ignoring the OT when we want to support our point of view makes no sense, in fact, the authors of the NT did no such thing as they quoted it all the time to help NT Christians understand theology, as well as God’s character

Anyway, let us look at some examples of what it takes to have an intimate relationship with God, as Jesus taught that when we obey him fully, both he and the Father will develop a special relationship with us, not before, just like how Peter told NT believers, by quoting an OT scripture, that God is far from the wicked, but listens to the prayers of the righteous!

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him

(This verse is incredible!

Note how Jesus clearly states that “whoever has my commands and obeys them” is the one who “will be loved by my Father”, as there are clear differences between the types of relationships God has with those who obey him versus those who do not. Also, look at how Jesus went even further by saying he will not love, or show himself to us fully unless we obey his commands! This is not exactly a comfortable, or common teaching, as many are taught nothing we can do will affect our relationship with God in any way, but this is totally false–remember, this is Jesus talking, not some random person who decided to say something nice sounding for the sake of winning a bigger audience or selling books, nor was it someone teaching theology based on their fear of rejection or someone’s made up image of God, this was God himself talking!)

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil

Psalm 34:15-16
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil

Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous

John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will

Psalm 25:14
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them

Regardless of whether these verses are from the OT or NT, they all reflect one thing: God’s personality when it comes to being intimate with mankind

It is important to understand God’s personality in this area, as it did not change during the shift between the old covenant and the new

Based on this, we must be careful to use discernment when people try to ignore the OT in favor of some easy sounding, unscriptural doctrine that involves completely ignoring God’s character we read about in the OT

If Jesus himself said God loves, and interacts with us differently based on whether we are obedient or not, it is difficult to disagree with him unless we decide we know more about God than Jesus did

Another example, is how Jesus, who was our ultimate example, did not have an intimate relationship with God by default, nor were his prayers heard because he was special, God heard his prayers because of his “reverent submission”, and because he “delighted” in the fear/respect of God

Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission

Isaiah 11:1-3
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord

The words “reverent submission” and “fear of the Lord” in Hebrews and Greek mean “godly fear, respect for God”, so we see Jesus was heard because he respected God, and lived obediently, not because he was “special” or above the rules of God’s character–think about that the next time you sin with the mindset of “God will forgive me anyway, what does it matter if I do this”, as that will absolutely destroy your prayer life

Also, God spoke very directly about the type of people he favors the most, as he has always been closest with those who respect, and obey him

Isaiah 66:2
This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word

A lot of Christians were never taught the scriptures above, as they are not exactly popular messages, but now that they are in front of you, do not reject them because they are uncomfortable, as God wants us to lay down all things that separate ourselves from him, and seek him passionately, but we need to know the truth about his character first, regardless of whether we find it challenging or not

In fact, we can rest assured that seeking true intimacy with God will be challenging as it requires consistent obedience, which is why it is important to humbly submit ourselves to him, acknowledging we need his help to walk in righteousness, as we cannot get there on our own, nor can we get there by doing nothing!

It is okay to admit we do not have the kind of passionate, life changing relationship with God we want, but it is *not* okay to ignore the Bible’s teachings on how to get it, as it requires us to draw near to God through obedience, love, and sincerity once we become Christians–with full confidence he will reward us with his presence when we do so, as that is exactly what he promised!

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him

James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up

(Note that James is talking to NT Christians who have already entered into a relationship with God, as he is telling them the key to intimacy with God is ridding ourselves of sin, and drawing near to him with enthusiasm!)

Hebrews 10:22-23
…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful

(Note that we are to draw near to God with sincerity!)

Genesis 15:1
I am your shield, your very great reward

Since we now understand how our sincerity, and obedience affects our intimacy, and level of communication with God, we should ask ourselves if there are any sinful things in our lives that are standing between having a powerful, vibrant relationship with our creator, as disobedience is the single largest block to our communication with God

All this brings us to our next point: are we really sincere when we say we want to hear from God or do we just want him to fulfill a request, or solution, we already feel comfortable with?

There Is A Difference Between Wanting To Talk With A Friend Versus Asking Dad For Help Because We Are In Trouble

Oh yes, that is right, this is one of the biggest issues we go through when we pray, as we often approach God asking for things as if he is some kind of gumball machine, rather than focus on seeking his presence because we want to be friends

*gasp*

What, does God not have feelings?

Does he not want an intimate relationship with each and every one of us?

Did God create mankind just he could fulfill the earthly desires of the ones who call themselves believers?

Of course not!

God not only yearns to be intimate with us, but he wants us to share the love he showed us to others, which is what Christianity is all about, being friends with God through obedience, and teaching others to do the same!

John 15:9-14
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command

This passage is amazing, as Jesus openly tells us to remain in his love by obeying his commands, to love one another as he loved us, that he laid down his life for his friends, and that we are his friends only *IF* we do what he commands

*crickets*

Now, to go back to the point about God/Jesus loving people differently based on whether they obey or not, when is the last time someone you heard someone teach a message like what Jesus teaches in the passage above?

Pretty much never, as it is incredibly unpopular, especially among young Christians who are still in the process of maturing, and even among many who call themselves mature, but these are the very words of Jesus, who was God himself!

So, if we see a friendship with God revolves around obeying his commands, we cannot continue to pray to God as if he is only our “go to” when we need help, we need to approach him as one who seeks him for friendship, not just blessings or help when we decide we need it!

Hmm?

What am I talking about?

We always need help overcoming things in our lives, but sometimes we do not even realize there is a problem with our lifestyles, ways of thinking, etc…, which is why it is so important to seek God’s counsel in everything

For example, it is incredibly powerful to come to God with complete honesty to ask things like: “God, I want to be close to you, please show me things I need to work on, areas I need to grow in, and please give me your wisdom, and guidance to mature”

Now that is a powerful prayer, as it shows humility, honesty, and a will to do what makes God happy, rather than focus our prayers on what we want all the time, as the entire point of knowing God is not to receive blessings, help, etc…, it is to know God personally!

On this same point, one of the most powerful habits I have gotten into, aside from diligent obedience, is turning to him at every opportunity to seek his advice, counsel, and insight, instead of always trying to rely on my intellect to navigate tough situations

For example, when I am faced with temptation, difficult people, professional stress, etc…, instead of having an emotional, or even an intellectual, reaction I turn to God in order to see what how he wants me to do, rather than turn to him and say “God, this is what I want, please do this” or “God, I am in trouble, please help me by doing _____”

I mean honestly, I am pretty sure God’s solution for things is far beyond whatever I would have come up with anyway, so why stress myself out trying to think of a solution!

Also, when we have an agenda, it can be very easy to get confused about the answers we hear, which is why it is so important to approach God with the intent of following what he says, not just praying because we already have something in mind we want him to do

Ironically, in my own life, I often got the most “confused” when God was telling me something that contradicted what I wanted to hear, but it did not mean he was not answering me, I just did not want to accept what he wanted

When I found myself in those situations, I conveniently wondered if what I was hearing was really from him, asked others to pray about it as well, etc…, but, in reality, I was just trying to put a different label on my rebellion, rather than admit I did not want to obey God’s guidance, which always led to numerous, tragic situations, especially with relationships

Oh, this is interesting, God spoke to me this morning about one particular case where turning to him, and/or obeying his advice would have saved a lot of trouble: Adam and Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden!

Oops, Can I Get A “Do Over”?

Okay, now you know why the picture for this post makes sense, as the situation in the Garden of Eden is an incredibly exaggerated case of people not obeying, or turning to, God when they should, with disastrous results!

Let us read the story for context shall we?

Genesis 3:1-13
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’”

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the LordGod called to the man, “Where are you?”

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid”

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it”

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”

Keep in mind satan came after Eve right after she was created, as he knew there was no way he could tempt Adam in the same way since Adam had spent so much time with God already, and had developed a more mature relationship, which meant Adam would not have responded to the same kind of temptation Eve would–God and Adam had already named all the animals of the earth together, that is a great way to get to know someone!

Genesis 2:19-20
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field

Now, imagine all the trouble we would have avoided if Eve had heard satan’s lies, but instead of listening to them, turned and asked God:

“Hey, that snake over there said a bunch of stuff that made me confused, can you help me understand what is going, he is saying you lied to me, is that true?”

Or what if Adam said:

“God, this woman just disobeyed you, I know she is my partner, but what should I do?”

These types of responses reflect the type of attitude we should have at all times, as sometimes the enemy twists our emotions, thoughts, etc… by preying on our insecurities, fears, personal desires, or just plain ignorance, in order to separate us from God through disobedience, but we always we have the power to turn to God and ask for help, we just have to remember, and train ourselves to do so!

So, when seeking God in prayer, make sure you are careful about drawing near to listen, rather than speak, as he knows what we need before we even approach him, we just have to make sure our heart is in the right place when coming to him–just always make sure what you “hear” lines up with God’s character as we see it revealed in the Bible, the enemy is fantastic at deceiving us, especially when we are just starting out!

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong

Matthew 6:7-8
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him