Tag Archive for word-of-god at Zeal For Truth

Tag Archive for 'word-of-god'

Biblical Bodily Healing X: Some Final Thoughts

Published by Chris A April 17, 2008 in Religion. 14 Comments

It has been said that there are two sides to redemption – the legal side and the vital side. I believe that is true. On the one hand you have the word of God, his promises revealed to his people, and then you have the actual experiences of his people in relation to his promise. The latter does not prove the will of the Father; rather the former reveals his thoughts toward us. During this series I have done my best to explore the legal side to the best of my ability. Rather than summing up what I have already written, I would like to approach healing from the other, unexplored side.

Personal Experiences
True Christian faith is not based on experiences; it is based on the word of God. Therefore an experience is only relevant to the extent that it is agreement with God’s word. Even regarding experiences that are supernatural, the believer is cautioned not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to be sure they come from God (1 John 4:1).

However, having a record of all the experiences the early church had with the Holy Spirit, we too should expect that God might visit us in much the same way. As long as our experiences are biblical, we have every reason to conclude they are an expression of the same love and power that Jesus manifested. God does not change. When Jesus offered prayer for his disciples in John 17 before being crucified, he also extended that prayer to include those believers who would come after them.

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:18-24, NASB).

This prayer reveals that it was Jesus’ will that the same glory demonstrated in his ministry should belong to his church for all ages. There is no hint of generational bias. Although many have relegated the ministry of healing to the early apostles, Jesus said this sign would follow those who believed in his name (Mark 16:18).

My Own Healing
A few years ago I suffered with symptoms consistent with Crohn’s disease. (I cannot say it was definitely Crohn’s disease since I never went to a doctor.) These symptoms persisted for about a year. I had very frequent diarrhea and skin rashes that occurred during night sweats. Nearly every morning I woke up in a cold sweat that literally drenched my sheets and stained them.

I was convinced that I would be healed if I exercised faith, but I endured the discomfort for quite a while before ever approaching God for healing. One reason I did not seek healing was because I was using my illness as a crutch. Any time I did not want to go to work, it was easy to call in sick because I was basically always sick. I got into the destructive habit of feeling sorry for myself.

Although it seems logical that most people who are sick desire to be healed, the truth is that is not always the case. Do you remember that Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda whether he wanted to be healed? Why would he ask such a question? Isn’t the answer obvious? Not exactly. Some people never got so much attention from others before they got sick, and they literally prefer to be sick and enjoy the attention. Despite the fact that they suffer, they enjoy a perverse power of victimhood – something they would have to give up if they got healed.

People like this get caught up in what I call “medical culture”. They constantly talk about their medications, their doctors, their surgeries, etc. It is impossible for people like this to be healed as long as they are consumed with being sick, especially if they get a sense of security from it. Such people prevent themselves from focusing on Jesus.

I was like that. Not to the extent that some people are, but the end result is the same. Eventually God got a hold of me. The Holy Spirit began to counsel me, and reveal to me areas that I needed to change. As crazy as this will sound to some, he showed me that I was heading toward an early grave before I reached my mid-fifties. That was a serious wake up call for me. I changed my direction, believed God for my healing, and was made completely well without the aid of medical science.
Continue reading ‘Biblical Bodily Healing X: Some Final Thoughts’

Bibilical Bodily Healing VII: Faith Defined

Published by Chris A March 20, 2008 in Religion. 9 Comments

Since Jesus made so much mention of faith with respect to healing, it is necessary that we gain an understanding about what faith is according to the scriptures. Faith is a firm belief or persuasion about God supported by words and/or deeds. Faith results from having obtained the knowledge of God. Absent knowledge, faith cannot be present. This is not knowledge in a purely academic sense, but is knowledge that comes from God via his word. Through God’s word his character and faithfulness is revealed, and thus his credibility is revealed; this is the basis of faith.

Faith is the counterpart of grace. In order for there to be faith, there must be grace. Access into the grace of God is granted by the exercise of faith, and grace is multiplied to us through the knowledge of God.

How Faith is Made Available
The tenth chapter of Romans gives us a picture of what some have termed “saving faith”. This faith is based on the knowledge of God’s will to make righteous all those who receive Christ by faith.

8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In verse 8 Paul calls the Gospel the word of faith. Why? Because it is able to produce faith sufficient for righteousness. However, notice that for this faith to be effective there must be a corresponding confession of faith.

13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

The answer to Paul’s rhetorical questions is: they cannot. It is impossible to call upon a Savior that you have not believed in, and it is impossible something you have not heard.

17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Promises of God
Not only does “saving faith” come by hearing, but all faith comes by hearing. Such was the case with Abraham. He received a promise from God, and on the basis of that promise alone, he believed what seemed to be both impossible and ridiculous to most people. Imagine calling yourself Abraham, which means “father of many nations”, when you are an old man with an old wife who has never bore any children. In Abraham, so many of the qualities of true faith are revealed.

16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform (Romans 4:16-21).

One of the most overlooked qualities of faith is found in verse 19. Notice that it says Abraham “considered not his own body…neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” True faith is willing to accept God’s word above all that is seen in the temporal realm. In the Christian sense, seeing is not believing.

For most Christians this is not the case. Adverse circumstances that contradict the promises of God are often touted as “reality”, and thus they stagger at the promise of God because of their failure to esteem God’s word above all else. If you are fully persuaded that God promised you something, nothing else should matter; it should be settled in your mind that he is faithful to keep his promise, and it has to come to pass – period.

Take a look at what Peter said concerning the promises of God in 2 Peter 1:3, 4.

3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Everything that pertains to life and godliness has been provided (past tense) to Christians through Christ, but in order to partake of that provision Christians must take an active stance towards acquiring what is promised by faith. There is indeed nothing passive about faith. Those who are in faith think, speak, and act in accordance to what is promised.

Many err in that they assume that whatever God promises automatically materializes. Nothing could be further from the truth. God promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, but did all of them enter into that land? No. Why? Because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). Therefore it requires faith to receive of what God has provided for his children.

Faith is Not Generic
As stated earlier, faith is based on knowledge from God. Naturally all faith is not the same just as all knowledge is not the same. A person can have strong faith in one area while having weak faith in another area, simply because they may lack knowledge in the area where faith is weak. The remedy for this problem is to acquire the knowledge that can produce the desired belief.

Another possibility is that by failing to give attention to all aspects of what is known, people become forgetful and get out of faith. They may acknowledge something to be true without displaying the corresponding actions that prove their faith is living.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip (Hebrews 2:1).

In cases where people have heard the word of God in a particular area, but have not maintained a vibrant faith in that area, the solution is to revisit the knowledge that produced the faith in the first place.

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour (2 Peter 3:1, 2).

This is where consistent renewal of the mind comes into play. When knowledge is initially revealed, this is just the beginning of faith. In order for faith to persist it must be continually fed on the word of God. Unless beliefs are strengthened, they will naturally weaken.

The Anti-Faith
Faith has an imposter. In many respects it does a pretty good job of impersonating faith, but when it comes to producing actual results, it falls short. The enemy is simple mental agreement. How can one be differentiated from the other? It is simple: by the corresponding words and actions that are produced. Here is a great lesson on faith from James 2.

13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

When it comes to faith, words are important. But mere words that fail to translate into any demonstrable action are an empty mockery of faith. To get a clearer picture of how actions follow real faith, the reader is urged to visit the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

The Inspired Word of God?

Published by Hungry Sasquatch September 12, 2007 in Religion. 74 Comments

Editor’s note: In the spirit of pursuing truth and engaging different views, Zeal For Truth will publish guest commentaries such as today’s article written by Josh Herchenroeder. He received a degree in Bible from Abilene Christian University, and then spent three years auditing grad school.

I’m currently reading Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, a fascinating study of hidden incentives, unasked questions, and unexpected realizations. This particular quote stood out to me:

It was John Kenneth Galbraith, the hyperliterate economic sage, who coined the phrase ‘conventional wisdom.’ He did not consider it a compliment. ‘We associate truth with convenience, with what mostly accords with self-interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life…We adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding.’

I’d like to shift the focus of this principle from an economic field to the realm of Christianity. Faith in the unseen is at the core of Christian doctrine; by its very nature, much of Christianity cannot be substantiated. However, this has not stopped us from developing our own conventional wisdom, and the church’s response to those who challenge the norm has been unpleasant, to say the least. Questioners are socially ostracized. We used to brand them as heretics and excommunicate them…or burn them at the stake. We develop a comfort zone of beliefs which we don’t want anyone messing with, and then wrap it up all nice and neat, stick a bow on it, and call it faith. I call it conventional wisdom, and like Galbraith, I don’t think highly of it.

The Bible
One of the most obvious manifestations of this phenomenon is our insistence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Is it really? Who says? I know my church history. I know about the great church councils and the canonization of the 27 books which comprise the New Testament. I know all the self-authenticating Bible verses, such as 2nd Timothy 3:16 (“All scripture is God-breathed…”). Undoubtedly, we have a huge number of witnesses spanning two millennia who help shape our conventional wisdom; unfortunately, while the magnitude of testimony must weigh heavily, it doesn’t conclude anything.

The Bible claims, on many occasions, to be the Word of God. Well, so does the Qur’an, and I find it to be inconsistent, self-contradicting, and extremely non-progressive. I would think God can do better than that. Or take the Book of Mormon, which claims to be the final (as in, more authoritative) revelation of Jesus. I find it overly fantastic and completely incongruous with subsequent scientific and archaeological discoveries. Should I not apply the same critical analysis to my own scriptures as to those of other faith traditions? And when I do, what happens when I discover self-contradictions? What do I do with prophetic messages that clash? What do I do with rules that demean women? How do I respond when God acts in a way that is in direct conflict with the testimony of Jesus? As I see it, we have three choices: 1) Change our view of God, or 2) Change our view of the Bible, or 3) Not think about it and use the “God’s ways are higher than our ways and we can’t understand it so we should just believe” intellectual out-clause.

Conventional Wisdom
Christian conventional wisdom tends to take the third option. It’s safe. For one thing, it’s what the community is supposed to believe, so we don’t risk rocking the boat. Besides, if we don’t ask questions, God will surely be pleased with our faith and so he won’t throw us in hell. The other alternatives are scary, so we stick with what we know, doing everything in our power to avoid uncomfortable disequilibrium. This is human nature. I don’t want to downplay the cost of questioning; it is enormous. If we are truly Christians, then our spiritual beliefs form the foundation on which we build our lives, and if those are wrong, then what does that say about everything we’ve worked to accomplish? If we are wrong, then the apostle Paul is right, and we are to be pitied above all persons.

My Choice
I chose to change my view of the Bible. I now view it as the most fascinating collection of ancient theology ever assembled. It is writers like me trying to make sense of their own lives in conjunction with the God they believe in. It is myriad voices blending together to proclaim that God is up to something in this world, and it’s worth our effort to be on board. So although I’m not convinced Abraham was a historical figure, I still embrace his story as my story. And though I don’t believe the exodus happened as described, I celebrate my deliverance from bondage along with the ancient Hebrews. And while I don’t believe Revelation to be a literal end-time vision, I celebrate God’s eventual triumph over evil with all the white-clad saints.

Moving Forward
I challenge Christians everywhere to let God out of the book. Over the centuries, humankind has made exponential progress in areas such as science, medicine, government, economics, philosophy, agriculture, and psychology. Is it so blasphemous to think moral understanding didn’t peak over nineteen hundred years ago? I think not. The council of early Christians in Jerusalem decided a vast majority of Torah—the Law of God—was irrelevant to gentile converts, a decision which must have been excruciatingly difficult to come to. Let us have the courage to do the same, when necessary. I absolutely believe the Bible should be the first thing we turn to for answers to moral dilemmas; it is our story and our tradition, after all. But is it God’s end-all, be-all Word? Not unless it’s a sin to trim your beard.

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