Sunday Devotional

   I've been going through 1 Thessalonians devotionally. This morning I came across verse 11:
"As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children."
   These Thessalonians believers were the converts of Paul, Timothy and Silvanus. As a result, they were responsible for the nurture of their spiritual children "as a father does his children." Of course I would have expected Paul (the apostle) to "exhort" and "charge" them. After all, he held an ecclesiastical office of authority- he was an apostle. But to "comfort" them was to go beyond his apostolic duty and care for them as individuals.
   I wonder if I am sometimes so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good. Though I always hope to keep eternity in view, to focus on heavenly things to the neglect of those with earthly needs is both hypocritical and counterproductive. Comforting is just as much a responsibility of a minister as exhortation and instruction are. After all, the Bible calls God, "the God of all Comfort." Being heavenly minded and being earthly good: both of these are good things. There must be a medium between the two.
   Human beings have the tendency to study and talk about God without truly being focused upon  Him. The truth is, if I am truly focusing on God and becoming more like Him then I will, by default, care more for those in need of comfort.
Let's forget about ourselves and concentrate on Him and worship Him.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH (PART 1- HIS NATURE)

The study of the Holy Spirit is known as PNEUMATOLOGY. "Pneuma" is the Greek word for "spirit." "Ology" means "the study of." Thus, Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit.

John 14.16-17- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

   What a title is given to the One who is subject to such controversy: the Spirit of Truth! There are so many different ideas and concepts about who or what the Holy Spirit truly is. I find it ironic (though I don't believe in irony) that the point of this teaching all about finding the truth concerning the One who referred to as the Spirit of Truth.... Nonetheless, let us begin our study.

I. THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT

What is nature? When we talk about the nature of someone or something, we are talking about "the essential characteristics and qualities of a person or thing." (Bancroft) It is the fundamental character or disposition of a person or thing. The Bible has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit. Jesus, Himself, told us much about the the Spirit. In the pages of the Bible, we begin to see certain characteristics and qualities of the Spirit. We are able to behold His nature.

The first way we can understand the Holy Spirit's nature is by understanding:

A. The Personality of the Spirit

   In speaking of the personality of the Spirit, we are referring His possession of the elements of personal existence (as opposed to impersonal existence- like animal life). Defining everything about a Divine Being is impossible.

Romans 11.33- "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"

   As we study this great subject of the Holy Spirit, we are praying that God would open our eyes concerning who He is. But we must bear in mind that FINITE MINDS CANNOT FULLY COMPREHEND INFINITE TRUTH. We can study and determine several definite truths concerning the Spirit. But we must remember that God cannot be measure by human standards. Man was made in the image of God- God certainly was not made in the image of God. Don't forget: Only God has perfect personality.

Emery H. Bancroft- "Personality may be said to exist when there is found intelligence, emotion, and volition, or self-consciousness and self- determination, in a single individual. When a being possesses the attributes, properties, and qualities of personality, then personality may be unquestionably predicated."

Example: When we talk about the three Persons of the Trinity, rather than referring to different organisms we are actually referring to personal distinctions.

   Have you ever wondered why so many people get mixed up on who the Holy Spirit truly is? Though they are not excused from seeking out the truth, there are several reasons why so many either confused or deceived into believing apostasy concerning the Holy Spirit:

    1. Reasons for apostasy concerning the Spirit's personality:

- When compared with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit seem impersonal to some.

The carnal minds says: 'The Father has spent the past 6,000 years communicating with through His Creation- so we know He is personal.'

The carnal mind says: 'The incarnation is sufficient evidence that the Son is personal.'

'But the Spirit', the carnal mind says, 'has not revealed personality through these types of means.

- The natural elements associated with the Holy Spirit may seem impersonal: breath, power, wind, water, fire and oil.

This is one of the reasons that so many cults are hung up on the Spirit. The Spirit is so often associated with things like wind, fire, power and water that some think the Spirit to be nothing more than an impersonal force.

Let's look at a few of those instances in Scripture:

John 3.5-8- "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Acts 2.1-4- "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

- The Spirit is not always listed with the Father and the Son in certain salutations in Scripture.

1 Thess. 3.11- "Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you."

- The Greek word or name for Spirit (pneuma) is neuter in its Greek original form.

"Father"- masculine

"Son"- masculine

"Spirit"- neuter

        2. Proof of the Holy Spirit's personality:

- Masculine pronouns

Though "Spirit" is always neuter in its Greek form, it is accompanied by a masculine pronoun- so as to leave no doubt to the reader that the Holy Spirit is deity.

John 14.16-17- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that HE may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; WHOM the world cannot receive, because it seeth HIM not, neither knoweth HIM:but ye know HIM; for HE dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

John 14.26-"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, WHOM the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 15.26- "But when the Comforter is come, WHOM I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, HE shall testify of me"

John 16.7-13- "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when HE is come, HE will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth:for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak:and HE will shew you things to come."

   The Jehovah's Witnesses (as much as I hate to call them that) would contest that the Spirit is nothing more than a force or currency of power- thus, reducing the Holy Spirit to the equivalent of electricity. 

   But we must bear in mind that the verses we just read are statements from the lips of our Lord, Himself! The Holy Spirit is personal in nature and is referred to by Jesus as "Whom, Him and He." If we can trust Jesus to be deity then we can trust His Word- because God cannot lie. If Jesus referred to the Holy Ghost as a person, then there should be no doubt in our minds.

- Ascribed Titles

   Not only does Christ refer to the Spirit as "He, Whom, and Him", He also refers to the Spirit by a very interest word/title in several different verses...

John 14.16- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another COMFORTER, that He may abide with you for ever"

John 14.26-"But theCOMFORTER, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 15.26- "But when theCOMFORTER is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me"

John 16.7- "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."

The English word "Comforter" is a translation of the Greek word, "parakletos." It means "to come to one's side and pleads one's cause before the judge." It is "a pleader, a defense counsellor, a legal assistant; an advocate."

1 John 2.1- "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"

   Here we find The Lord Jesus Christ referred to as our "advocate." And truly He is our Advocate- as He stands between God and man for us. Any guesses as to what Greek word "advocate comes from? You guessed it: parakletos! It is the same word that Jesus used in reference to the Holy Ghost. This means that the Holy Spirit and Jesus are equal in existence and in working.

    Surely this would convince the naysayers, right? Well even with some... it is still not enough. They would say, "what about the word 'another' in John 14.16?" Jesus said that He would give "another Comforter." If He is "another" Comforter, then He and Jesus must be two separate Beings, right?

   "Another" comes from the Greek word "allos", which doesn't just mean another. It means "another of the same kind/sort." He is as equally divine as Jesus, Himself. He is the same kind of Comforter that Christ was- He is an advocate.

- Divine characteristics

"By characteristics we do not mean hands, feet, or eyes... But qualities such as knowledge, feeling, and will, which denote personality." (Bancroft)

Here are several examples:

          a. Intelligence

1 Corinthians 2.10-11- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."

How can a non-personal force reveal, search or know something? "The Holy Spirit is not merely an illuminating power or influence, but is a Person possessed of intellect." (Bancroft)

          b. Will

1 Corinthians 12.11- "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

"An 'it,' that which is impersonal, is not possessed of volition." (Bancroft)

          c. Love

Romans 15.30- "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;"

Emery H. Bancroft said, "It may be said that we owe our salvation just truly to the love of the Spirit as we do to the love of the Father and Son."

          d. Grief

Ephesians 4.30- "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

   You cannot grieve electricity. Grief is something reserved for an actual PERSON with an actual personality. You cannot cause a force to mourn. But you can cause a PERSON grief.
   So the Spirit thinks, desires, loves, is good, and He grieves. I think it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is not a force or currency of power. He is a real Person with personality.

- Personal acts

          a. He searches

1 Corinthians 2.10- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

          b. He speaks

Revelation 2.7- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

   Eight times in the book of Revelation it is mentioned that the Spirit says something. In Revelation 22.17, the Spirit beckons us to "come" to God.

          c. He cries out

Galatians 4.6- "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

          d. He testifies

John 15.26- "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:"

          e. He makes intercession

Romans 8.26- "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

Intercession- "entugchano". Definition- "to light upon a person or place; to go to meet a person for conversation"

Only a person can do this.

          f. He teaches

John 14.26- "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Only a person can teach.

          g. He leads and guides

Romans 8.14- "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

         h. He calls and commissions

Acts 13.2- "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."

A force can neither call nor commission someone- only a person can.

By observing the personal acts that the Holy Spirit performs, it become clear that these acts can only be attributed to a personal agent.

- Personal treatment received

         a. He is rebelled against

Isaiah 63.10- "But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit:

therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

One cannot rebel against an impersonal force- neither can a force be grieved.

          b. He is lied to

Acts 5.3- "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"

          c. He is blasphemed

Matthew 12.31-32- "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men:but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."

   Through personal pronouns, personal characteristics, personal acts, and personal treatment, we can conclude and contend from God's Word that the Holy Spirit is an actual person.

2 Cor. 13.14- "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

"Theoretically, we may believe this. Do we in our real thought of Him, or in our practical attitude toward Him, treat Him as a person? Do we regard Him as indeed as real a person as Jesus Christ- as loving, wise and strong, as worthy of our confidence and love and surrender, as He? He came to be to the disciples, and to us, what Christ had been to them during the days of His personal companionship with them (John 14.16-17). Do we know 'the communion and fellowship of the Holy Ghost'? (2 Corinthians 13.14)" (R. A. Torrey, What the Bible Teaches)

B. The Deity of the Holy Spirit

Deity- to be one with God and one with Godhead; to be co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the Father and the Son.

          1. Divine names given to Him

- He is called "God"

Acts 5.3-4- "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

Vs 3- "lie to the Holy Ghost"

Vs. 4- "lied not unto men, but GOD."

- He is called "Lord"

2 Cor. 3.18- "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

"Of The Lord"

"By the Spirit of The Lord"

          2. Divine Attributes

God's attributes belong to Him alone.

- Eternity

Hebrews 9.14- "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

- Omnipresence

Psalm 139.7-10- "Whither shall I go from thy spirit?

or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:

if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

 If I take the wings of the morning,

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

 Even there shall thy hand lead me,

and thy right hand shall hold me."

- Omnipotence

Luke 1.35- "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

"the power of the Highest"

- Omniscience

1Corinthians 2.10-11- "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."

          3. Divine works

-Creation

Job 33.4- "The Spirit of God hath made me,

and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."

Genesis 1.2b- "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

- Impartation of life

Romans 8.11- "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Emery Bancroft- "The Holy Spirit is author of both physical life and spiritual life."

- Prophetical authorship

2 Peter 1.21- "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

          4. Name associations

- In the Great Commission

Matthew 28.19- "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

- In the apostolic benediction

2 Corinthians 13.14- "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

"In many unmistakable ways, God, in His Word, distinctly proclaims that the Holy Spirit is not ONLY a person, but a DIVINE person." (Bancroft)

How to find God in an evil world...

   We live in a day when evil runs rampant. Wars, child abuse, murder and death- it seems to be getting worse every day! With so much evil in the world, how could there possibly be a God? And why would He send such disorder into His creation? To find the answers to these questions, one must first understand the cause of these questions.

Cause and Effect

Every effect has a cause. God is not the reason for death. With God all things are pure, lovely, holy, and righteous. In His presence there is a continuous source of purity. The evil we see does not originate with God.

   Then what is the cause of evil? Death and evil is a result of our evil deeds (what the Bible calls “sin”).

“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6.23)

So the evil exists because of us.

But what is sin?

“…Sin is transgression of the Law.” (1 John 3.4)

   God’s Law gives commandment not to lie, murder, steal, commit adultery, or desire what others have (as well as about 600 other commandments). The evil that is seen in this world is a result of breaking these commandments.

   Not only does sin cause evil in this world, but it restricts us from being in God’s perfect home in heaven. By willfully sinning, a separation is formed between sinful mankind and sinless God- leaving one option: hell.

It’s logical- cause and effect.

   For this cause, we are lost. We need to find God. But how?

Compass Direction

      When in need of navigation, it pays to have a compass- something to show us the way.   When God became a man, Jesus of Nazareth, He came to provide a way to Him.   Jesus lived 33 years without sinning once- never causing any evil. He died upon a cross and gave His life for mankind. Our sin was placed on His shoulders.

“He was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53.4)

He died in our place, was buried and rose again. He is now in heaven. Jesus’ cross has bridged the gap between God and man! Because of Jesus Christ, we now know the way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way.” He died to forgive our sins and bring us to Him.   

Jesus came to us. But in order for His gift to be ours, we must come to Him and receive it.

 “For by grace are you saved through faith… it is the gift of God.” (Romans 3.8)

It is by faith that one may come to God.

“That 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.” (Romans 10.9)

By confessing you are a sinner and believing in Jesus Christ as Saviour, you may find God today! 

You can know God today! Call upon Him to save you!

Foolish Claims

   Have you ever watched the movie "Religulous?" It is a movie about Bill Maher travelling all over the world interviewing different religious leaders and editing different words and moments throughout the segment to make them seem foolish and unstable. The interviews are incredibly misleading. Do yourself a favour and do not watch it!
   So (against my better judgment) I just watched "Religulous"- trying to get some background on things that I've been hearing non-Christians say about the movie regarding Christianity. Bill Maher absolutely butcher a massive bit of religious history. He mentions the Egyptian god, Horus. He says that Horus, who supposedly lived (those some would contest that this account is entirely mythological) hundreds of years before Christ. Bill Maher claims that Horus was the son of Osiris (an Egyptian god), was born of a virgin and that he rose from the grave. All three of these events are different in almost every account. But Mr. Maher would lie to you just to attack the validity of the Bible. For example, in many accounts Osiris is listed as Horus' brother- not his father. This, in itself, debunks Maher's suggestion. Horus could not have been the son of a god who was his brother. Second, Horus' mother, Isis (who was a goddess herself), was not a virgin. Neither was Horus' birth a virgin birth- but rather the product magic from his goddess mother. (And if you want to learn how Isis "conceived" Horus in an immoral way- which I will not mention now- look it up of Wikipedia) Third, according my understanding of the accounts, Horus wasn't so much "resurrected" as he just began indwelling future Pharaohs.
   Well God the Father was actually Jesus' Father. Jesus was actually born of a virgin. And He actually did rise from the grave- not just reincarnate Himself into future rulers. No matter how foolish (though seemingly intellectual) these men may be in trying to suggest that the Gospel message is nothing more than a summary of other religious accounts, their efforts fall drastically short. And when consider in light of the actual facts, these supposedly "intellectual" men look rather foolish.

Spawning Thoughts From The Zimmerman Trial

   For about a year now, America and some in other parts of the world have been analysing the death of Travon Martin- almost to the point of obsession. The death of this teen was an absolute tragedy. Anyone who says other wise is either mistaken or crazy. What really went on that day... well really only three people could possibly know: George Zimmerman, Travon Martin and the All-seeing God of Heaven. Is George Zimmerman to blame? Yes. If he would done what he was instructed to do by waiting for authorities then none of this would have happened. Is Travon Martin to blame? If the allegations are true and he did attack Zimmerman and repeatedly slam his head into the ground then some of the blame would fall upon him, as well. The truth is, we really do not know what happened that day.
   What we do know is that Travon Martin is dead, it is claimed to have been self defense, and Zimmerman was declared innocent by the U. S. judicial system. I have tried to put myself in Zimmerman's shoes (assuming his testimony is accurate). What would I have done in his situation? I have thought about it. I was always told, "When it your life or theirs, you do what you have to do to survive." And I can somewhat understand that line of reasoning. But is that consistent what New Testament Christianity? I cannot, with a clear conscience, say that it is. Am I going to condemn those who go to those measure to preserve their own life? Not necessarily. But Jesus clearly taught this same principle in many different ways in the Gospel: when someone attacks you "turn to him the other cheek also." (Matt. 5.39) Maybe I am just a pansy... but I honestly don't think that I could pull the trigger.
   But then I asked myself the same question with a different dynamic: Would I pull the trigger if someone was attacking and threatening the life of Parker (my 4-year-old son)? Well that changes everything! Though I value my life to some degree, I don't value my life enough to take someone else's. But if my child's life was in the balance (whether right or wrong), I will fight tooth and nail and do whatever I have to do to protect him. Then it dawned on me why that is: We protect what we cherish.
   As a Christian, how much do I cherish my salvation? If I cherish Christ the way I ought to, then I will live my life as circumspectly as possible. I will watch and guard my heart and life from the attacks of the devil and from myself. Psalm 119 says the way to protect the heart is by applying God's Word to it.
   Am I grateful for what Jesus did in His life, death and resurrection for me? Am I truly thankful that the Father's mercy endureth forever? Am I grateful for the indwelling Holy Spirit who comforts, guides and intercedes for me? If so, then I must begin acting like it. We protect what we cherish.
   I have seen some crazy things in churches. I have seen everything from drive-thru churches, to near fist-fights in the church, to even pastoral abuse from the pulpit. Why is it that we will miss church to watch a sporting event? Why is it that we allow our kids to take place in sporting matches during the time they should be in church? Why is it that we tolerate certain doctrinal inconsistencies in our churches and just turn the head to them? It is because we do not love the Christ's body the way we ought to. How can we love Christ and not love His body? We protect what we cherish.

God And Temptation

   I was reading in Genesis 22.1 this morning and came across the statement "God did tempt Abraham." When I initially read this, I feared (however brief it may have been) in my heart what the Bible critics would say: "Contradiction!" After all, James 1.13 says that God cannot tempt. So there's any obvious contraction, right?
   A study of both respective words reveals that the two have different meanings and interpretations. In James, the word "tempted" is referring to enticement to do evil. "Let no man say when he is [enticed to do evil], I am [enticed to do evil] of God." This kind of temptation is the kind that comes from Satan- who seeks to devour me. The temptation of James 1.13 is an attempt to entice me to do evil with the hope and desire of me falling. This should not be attributed to God.
   However, in Genesis 22.1, God did not intend or desire for Abraham to slay his son. As a matter of fact, He provided Abraham a lamb to ensure that he didn't carry out this act. The word "tempt" in Genesis 22.1 simply means "to try." To try what? My faith. Why would God try my faith? Because He knows how it can benefit me and desires what is best for me. "The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect [complete] and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1.3-4) The kind of temptation in Genesis 22.1 is the kind that only seeks to better me as a follower of God.
Let us not make an uneducated, ignorant assessment that God is anything other than what He truly is: holy, righteous, pure, and just.

PUTTING HAGAR IN HER PLACE

   Abraham is one the best known characters (though certainly a historical one) in all of Scripture. It is apparent that Abraham was a man of faith that followed the calling of God, though unaware of his destination. Yet, it is evident from the Bible's testimony that even the "greatest" of men make mistakes- even ones relating to God's work. This is one of those examples:

"Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee." (Genesis 16:1-5)
 

I confess that this is more of a Bible study than a blog. But it was a tremendous help to me and I hope it will be to you, as well!

   The promises of God were on Abraham's and Sarah's side. It seems as if around every turn in the path of Abraham's life and ministry there was a promise from God to him and Sarah- a reminder that He had not forgotten him and still vowed to keep that which He had promised. If two people on the face of the planet had God's favor and provisions it was Abraham and Sarah!
   In Genesis 12, God gave Abraham a promise of blessing:

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Vs. 1-3)

 

 God promised to bless Abraham and make a great nation of him. He also promised to bless those who blessed this nation and that, at some point, all the families of the earth would be blessed by Abraham.
   God also gave Abraham a promise of a child in Genesis 13:14-17:

"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee."
 

At the moment this promise was given, Abraham was about eighty years old and Sarah was around seventy. The possibility of having a child at that age did not seem very great. Yet, God promised to do the impossible and give Abraham and Sarah their very own child through child birth. It was something only God could have done.

   Though there is more to the Abrahamic covenant than just these few points, the last promise of emphasis is the promise of multiplication given in Genesis 15:1-6):

"After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."
 

   Though God had clearly given Abraham and Sarah the promise to intervene for them, the rest of our text reveals the unending struggle for God's people: the provocation of the flesh. Hagar was an Egyptian. In Scripture, Egypt is typically a picture of the world or the flesh- as it is in this passage. Yet, in this particular story it is more specifically a picture of humanism.

   Hagar came into the Abrahamic family as Sarah's maid (Vs. 2 and 3). The presence of the servant became a way of life. Though the Egyptian was not to be of the chosen line, she was there to be a servant to Sarah and Abraham. She was not to be at the center of God's plan. She was there to be a worker that would serve toward the greater cause. Hagar is a picture of the flesh lusting against the Spirit.

   Beginning in verse 2, Abraham and Sarah are seen yielding to the flesh rather than trusting in God to fulfill His promise to give Sarah a child. Though Hagar did have a son, it was not the son of promise because it was not done the way that God had commanded.

   Many times, we try to do things in our own power and with own fleshly motives- rather than how God has designed. God has promised that if we go, preach the Gospel, and make disciples, that He will be with us. This is a promise from God. However, often instead of serving because of our promising God, we do it for emotion-sake or hope we might be acknowleged for doing so. To be motivated by the need of the lost to the neglect of a desire to obey God and please Him is humanism.

   We have also changed the Gospel into a humanistic message. Instead of preaching about the holiness of the Judge of all men, we preach about the happiness of all men. Even the emphasis of heaven and hell, to the exclusion of God or separation from Him, is a humanistic approach. It is an attempt to appeal to the flesh of hearers, rather than their true spiritual need. One can scream "repent or perish" all he/she wants. However, until hearers understand why they would perish, they will never see the spiritual need. They have broken the Law of the Righteous Judge and the justice of a thrice-holy God demands their payment- death and separation from God. Hell is just a buy-product of separation from God. We have substituted the appetizer as the main course of our message. It is humanism.

   Yeilding to the flesh always leads to the production of disobedience.

"And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." (Genesis 16:10-12)
 

 Their disobedience to God's command and the notion to attempt this feat according to the flesh resulted in the birth of Ishmael, who is considered by Islamists to be the true son of promise (the Koranic writings pervert this story)- not Isaac. Ishmael was a "wild man." He would be uncontrollable.

   Abraham and Sarah sought a physical birth. Sarah is a picture of the church. As the church, we are in search of spiritual births. Preaching a man-centered gospel produces false converts. Just as Abraham and Sarah took a humanistic approach and saw a "wild man" as a product, many times we take a man-centered approach to preaching the Gospel (we use joy, peace, fulfillment, escape from hell, or even the bliss of heaven as a draw-card). And we wonder why our converts are out living like "wild" people. Our preaching, whether realized or not, is an attempt to stimulate fleshly emotions, and not an effort to appeal to the true spiritual need. It is an attempt to "conceive" spiritual children without the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit, who is the one who actually does the quickening. It is an extra-biblical approach.

   I do not, however, believe that we should leave hell out of our message. But I do think that we need to make it abundantly clear that hell is a buy-product of separation from God. To emphasize a sin that separates from God is to appeal to the spirit- not the flesh. If one cannot be with God in perfect fellowship and communion, all that is left is emnity with God and subsequently Hell.

   God gave Hagar as a servant to Sarah. Yet, Sarah became expectant upon Hagar's ability to produce. Our bodies, our flesh was made to glorify God. Emotion is not a bad attribute (after all, God is the One who gave it to us). Nevertheless, when our spiritual productivity becomes dependent on the flesh (or anything related to it), "the work of God" (which is a spiritual work) becomes servant to the creation of God- our flesh.
   It should also be noted that unrealistic, fleshly expectations are also a pitfall. We have made the salvation of souls the goal- rather than obedience to God's command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. A quick fix is no fix at all in God's work. It follows the same reasoning as the comparison between cloning and child-birth. One is artificial and the other is a living soul. Likewise, aritificial motives and goals force us into taking extreme measures and produces artificial result.

"And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands." (Verse 9)
 

   This is God's plan for Hagar (the flesh): be a servant to Sarah (the church)- not a master. The flesh should be an instrument that serves the spiritual needs of the church. It's time to put Hagar in her place!

   Anytime there is a promise of God there will always be a provision of God. In Genesis 17:7, the Almighty God (El Shaddai) tells Abraham the reason for all three afore mentioned promises (blessing, child, and multiplication):

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."
 

    All aspects of the promises relate to and contribute to the everlasting covenant. God made provision for every promise, including a child:

"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him." (Genesis 17:19)
"For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac." (Genesis 21:2-3)
 

    As far as human instrumentality is concerned, the birth of this child by Sarah was the gateway through which the promises of God (everlasting covenant) would flow. Moses and the Law would come from this line. King David would come from this seed. And ultimately, our Lord Jesus would take a body of this line, as well!

God also made provision for the promise of blessing. Galatians 3:6-7 sheds light on this provision:

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."

 

    Those who put their faith and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins are blessed because of Abraham's faith in God to fulfill that which He had promised. Great things are available to those who trust in the promises of God, rather than their own abilities.

We know of the promises to the Jews. But what to the Gentiles?

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)
 

    Though I believe there to be a definite distinction between Israel and the Church, God has opened the door for the Gentiles to experience the same "blessing" of the "everlasting covenant" that the descendents of Abraham were promised. Christ is the fulfillment of this promise- in both respects.

   God has fulfilled His promises of blessing and children, and has begun to fulfill His promise of multiplication and will continue to do so:

"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:8-9)
 

    Sarah is picture of the church- the body through which the promise of God was to come to pass. When Sarah tried to force the promises of God to come to pass through the flesh/world, the promise remained unfulfilled. The promise was to flow through God's ordained body. The everlasting covenant of Abraham will never reach "all nations" unless it is fulfilled through the body of Christ. God has promised. But as God needed a human instrument in Sarah, He needs us to bring the covenant to all nation- that His promise might be fulfilled. But being a human instrument requires putting Hagar in her place. We must starve the flesh and feed the spirit- especially when it comes to ministry!