The Gifts Part 78
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
There is much to love about the word of God. One of the things I personally cherish most about the Bible is the simplicity, with which it is presented, wherein even a child could understand its meaning, while simultaneously being so layered in profundity that it challenges even the most astute and intellectual of minds.
Via the word of God, we receive direction for our lives, and come to understand the purpose of past events, the meaning of present events, and even get a glimpse into what the future holds. The Bible is limitless in the light that it puts forth, the understanding it makes available, and the knowledge that it provides to the children of God. Though the world might mock and scoff, though those who are perishing might consider the Bible and the message of the cross foolishness, to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
We cannot live with the expectation that those around us will ever understand the deeper things of God as long as they remain in darkness. Try as one might to explain the power of God, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the presence of Christ in one’s heart to the natural man, he cannot receive these things, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. As such, our duty as believers and bondservants of Christ is not to explain the mysteries of the spiritual to the unbeliever, it is not to begin dissecting bowls, and plagues, and trumpets, or attempting to identify the beast of Revelation, our duty is to present the message of the cross, the message of repentance, and the person of Jesus to them, in the love that ought to be characteristic of every believer.
I mention this only because I’ve gotten an inordinate amount of mail on the topic, wherein certain individuals with the best of intentions sat down with their unsaved kin and began to tell them of end time prophecy and the rise of the Antichrist. We can’t put the cart before the horse, nor can we draw water before we have an empty vessel to put it in. Knowing that the natural man can neither receive, know or understand these things because they are spiritually discerned, our chief duty is to point the way to the One that can renew their mind and heart, that can transform them to the point that they too will begin to discern spiritually.
This last verse in the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians is a succinct lesson in what God desires His servants to know concerning His values, those often overlooked virtues that are necessary for our sanctification and happiness.
Faith, hope and love, these are three evident attributes in every individual that dwells in Christ. The absence of any of these three attributes or virtues will inevitably impair one’s spiritual journey sooner or later. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a healthy, vibrant, power filled Christian life without these three godly attributes. If we have no faith, then we have no Gospel, and we have no Savior. If we have no hope, then we have no life to come, no inheritance, and no peace concerning the finality of this present life on earth. If we have no love, then we have nothing in our hearts that resembles God.
By faith we are saved, by hope we do not fear for tomorrow, and by love we forget about ourselves. If faith and hope are for our own benefit, for our own edification, for our own comfort, love is for the benefit, edification and comfort of those around us. Love seeks out the broken hearts; love seeks out those who are hurting and gives of itself unconditionally. Love places itself in the service of Christ, and whatever Christ may ask of it, love does it without complaint or the expectation of remuneration.
Through love we know more of God than through all the other gifts that are available to us. Faith and hope bring us to Him, but love allows us to know His heart because God is love. Because God is love, it is also love that motivates Him. Love compelled God to send His Son Jesus, and love compelled Jesus to be born in a manger in Bethlehem, and die hanging on a cross on Golgotha. Love, to this day, compels God to call out to those who would hear, to plead with those headed toward destruction, to reveal His grace to mankind, and offer a means by which fallen man can be reconciled unto Him.
Much and more could be said about these three great pillars of the heart, and though we might possess all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, if these three are not evident in our lives, we are still lacking and incomplete. Faith sanctifies us, hope makes us resilient, and love gives us joy. Faith receives and possesses, love gives, and hope waits patiently. Faith strengthens the heart, love makes the heart feel, and hope expands it. Faith clings to that which it has received, love gives that which it has received, and hope lays claim to that which it has not yet received. Faith allows us to overcome the world, love to serve, and hope to deny the things of the world.
Although they might seem at odds with each other at times, faith, hope and love work in concert, growing us, molding us, chiseling us into becoming more like Jesus every day.
Faith ceases its labors when we come to possess that which we desired; hope ceases its labors when we have come into the fullness of that which was promised; love however never ceases for god Himself is love.
May we have love in abundance, and do all that we do as unto God out of love, for love continues its journey long after duty has expended its resources.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 172
The Gifts Part 77
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
For now, we know in part, we see in part, we understand in part, we prophecy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, and we see Him face to face, we shall know just as also we are known.
For now we see in a mirror, we look into the word of God, but on that great day when He returns we will see the Word face to face. On that day our understanding will no longer be limited, our sight will no longer be dimmed, our knowledge will no longer be partial, we will know, just as we are known, and the word of God tells us that we are known fully, completely, to the farthest depth of our heart and soul.
These vessels of clay are too weak and fragile to carry the weight of all the treasures that wait beyond the veil. We cannot know, understand or see fully until we are transformed in the blink of an eye, without corruption, without limitations, without inadequacies.
No matter how trained in matters of the spiritual, our minds are too limited to grasp the limitlessness of the things of the Kingdom of God which is to come. Yes, I know, by some men’s estimation we are as little gods and as such can pierce, perceive and process the mysteries of eternity as readily as the one true God, but you and I both know that we are woefully ill equipped to even begin unraveling the mysteries of the Kingdom and all that it contains.
Just because we like to feed the flames of our foolish pride by thinking ourselves miniature deities, or little gods, thinking oneself a certain thing does not necessarily make them so. All the nonsensical clichés we’ve taken to like fish to water, from ‘if you can dream it, you can be it’ to ‘grow into your vision of yourself’ to ‘positive thoughts bring positive results’ comforting as they might be to the flesh, still have their limitations and save for a complete mental breakdown, none of us really believe we are little gods, even if ‘gods’ is spelled with a lower case ‘g’. We are the clay, He is the potter. We are creation, He is creator. We are the work of His hands.
Look into any mirror nowadays, and you will realize the reflection staring back at you is anything but dim. Looking at Paul’s words through the prism of an individual born of this generation one might consider that they are somehow out of place. We look into mirrors all the time and we don’t see dimly. Our reflections are crisp and clear, so much so that often times we would wish for something that would more kindly and less vividly reflect the wrinkles that appear as we age. When Paul wrote these words however, mirrors as we know them did not exist. During those days, men would use polished pieces of metal, whether bronze, silver or copper to look upon their reflections, and that which they saw in the polished piece of metal was indeed dim, unfocused, and unclear.
Taking into account what it was he referred to as a mirror, Paul’s analogy is spot on, and leaves nothing to be desired. We see dimly, we see in part, that which we see is often clouded and ill defined, and it is for this reason that we walk by faith, and not by sight.
Paul divides this verse into two distinct timelines, speaking of the present, the now, and speaking of a future time which he refers to as then. In order to see Him face to face then, we must now live in obedience of God and His word. It is often said that the future is the offspring of the present, and that which we do in the present determines the outcome of the future.
Even though in the present, in the now we see in a mirror, dimly, even though in the now we cannot perceive or process the realities waiting beyond the veil, we have a true and lasting promise that our race will not have been run in vain, that there is a prize waiting for us at the finish line, and that our Lord, our Savior, and our King is waiting for us with arms wide open.
Then, we will have our heavenly bodies, then, we will be able to carry the weight of all the heavenly treasures that await, then, we will know fully, and understand fully, and in so doing, fall at His feet and praise Him and glorify Him for all eternity.
I believe that even now we have but a rudimentary understanding of what it is that Jesus did for mankind. Even now we have a but a rudimentary understanding of what it is He sacrificed, and how much He suffered that you and I might be reconciled unto God. When we see Him face to face however, we will know fully and not just in part, we will understand completely and not just theoretically, and love Him all the more, and thank Him all the more, and praise Him all the more.
The day approaches when we will know Him just as we are known by Him, in the fullness of His majesty, in the fullness of His glory, in the fullness of His authority, in the fullness of His divinity. Until that blessed day however, we must remain ever faithful, ever obedient, being doers of the word of God and keeping our eyes firmly affixed upon the Christ who stands before us.
James 1:23-25, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
For now, we know in part, we see in part, we understand in part, we prophecy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, and we see Him face to face, we shall know just as also we are known.
For now we see in a mirror, we look into the word of God, but on that great day when He returns we will see the Word face to face. On that day our understanding will no longer be limited, our sight will no longer be dimmed, our knowledge will no longer be partial, we will know, just as we are known, and the word of God tells us that we are known fully, completely, to the farthest depth of our heart and soul.
These vessels of clay are too weak and fragile to carry the weight of all the treasures that wait beyond the veil. We cannot know, understand or see fully until we are transformed in the blink of an eye, without corruption, without limitations, without inadequacies.
No matter how trained in matters of the spiritual, our minds are too limited to grasp the limitlessness of the things of the Kingdom of God which is to come. Yes, I know, by some men’s estimation we are as little gods and as such can pierce, perceive and process the mysteries of eternity as readily as the one true God, but you and I both know that we are woefully ill equipped to even begin unraveling the mysteries of the Kingdom and all that it contains.
Just because we like to feed the flames of our foolish pride by thinking ourselves miniature deities, or little gods, thinking oneself a certain thing does not necessarily make them so. All the nonsensical clichés we’ve taken to like fish to water, from ‘if you can dream it, you can be it’ to ‘grow into your vision of yourself’ to ‘positive thoughts bring positive results’ comforting as they might be to the flesh, still have their limitations and save for a complete mental breakdown, none of us really believe we are little gods, even if ‘gods’ is spelled with a lower case ‘g’. We are the clay, He is the potter. We are creation, He is creator. We are the work of His hands.
Look into any mirror nowadays, and you will realize the reflection staring back at you is anything but dim. Looking at Paul’s words through the prism of an individual born of this generation one might consider that they are somehow out of place. We look into mirrors all the time and we don’t see dimly. Our reflections are crisp and clear, so much so that often times we would wish for something that would more kindly and less vividly reflect the wrinkles that appear as we age. When Paul wrote these words however, mirrors as we know them did not exist. During those days, men would use polished pieces of metal, whether bronze, silver or copper to look upon their reflections, and that which they saw in the polished piece of metal was indeed dim, unfocused, and unclear.
Taking into account what it was he referred to as a mirror, Paul’s analogy is spot on, and leaves nothing to be desired. We see dimly, we see in part, that which we see is often clouded and ill defined, and it is for this reason that we walk by faith, and not by sight.
Paul divides this verse into two distinct timelines, speaking of the present, the now, and speaking of a future time which he refers to as then. In order to see Him face to face then, we must now live in obedience of God and His word. It is often said that the future is the offspring of the present, and that which we do in the present determines the outcome of the future.
Even though in the present, in the now we see in a mirror, dimly, even though in the now we cannot perceive or process the realities waiting beyond the veil, we have a true and lasting promise that our race will not have been run in vain, that there is a prize waiting for us at the finish line, and that our Lord, our Savior, and our King is waiting for us with arms wide open.
Then, we will have our heavenly bodies, then, we will be able to carry the weight of all the heavenly treasures that await, then, we will know fully, and understand fully, and in so doing, fall at His feet and praise Him and glorify Him for all eternity.
I believe that even now we have but a rudimentary understanding of what it is that Jesus did for mankind. Even now we have a but a rudimentary understanding of what it is He sacrificed, and how much He suffered that you and I might be reconciled unto God. When we see Him face to face however, we will know fully and not just in part, we will understand completely and not just theoretically, and love Him all the more, and thank Him all the more, and praise Him all the more.
The day approaches when we will know Him just as we are known by Him, in the fullness of His majesty, in the fullness of His glory, in the fullness of His authority, in the fullness of His divinity. Until that blessed day however, we must remain ever faithful, ever obedient, being doers of the word of God and keeping our eyes firmly affixed upon the Christ who stands before us.
James 1:23-25, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 171
The Gifts Part 76
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
Although many within the house of God today insist that raising a hand, saying a prayer, throwing a few bucks in the offering plate, then getting on with the rest of your life is all that’s required of a child of God, in a roundabout way Paul is telling the church at Corinth, and by association every believer, that perpetual spiritual infancy is detrimental to one’s wellbeing.
We were all children, we all spoke as children, we all understood as children, we all thought as children, but as we grew, as we matured, as we became adults we put away childish things.
I see every area of my life differently today than I did thirty years ago, I understand things differently, I think about things on a whole different scale, because the way of things is that as we grow and mature we change and do away with those things that we once enjoyed out of immaturity and childishness.
Granted, society today is trending toward keeping people in the same infantile state in perpetuity, encouraging them to essentially play with the same toys as they did in their youth, only more expensive versions of them. Fully grown men, who should have by now put away childish things, are still spending hours on end playing video games, attempting to jump off homes using table cloths as makeshift parachutes, sticking fireworks in watermelons just to see them blow up, and scores of others things that should have been abandoned with the onset of facial hair.
I think the most attractive thing about remaining childlike in words, thoughts and understanding is the lack of accountability and responsibility that is implied. When you’re a child and think as a child there are no bills to pay, there is no grocery shopping to be done, there is no laundry to fold, life is good and absent responsibilities of any kind save for going to school. You know that someone will have made breakfast and packed you a lunch, you know that as evening approaches dinner will be ready, and you only begin to understand the struggles your parents went through to put that food on the table once you grow up, move out, get married, and have a family of your own.
Some people never want to grow up, some people never do, and refusing to mature is as debilitating spiritually as it is emotionally or physically. Although immaturity might not seem like such a bad thing to most people, when we dig down to the root of certain issues we see that immaturity or some version thereof was the cause of it. I have seen marriages fall apart due to immaturity, because either one or both of the individuals in question still thought as children, and understood as children.
On the one hand the wife thought she was a princess, that she was supposed to be put on a pedestal, and have every want catered to, and on the other hand the husband thought his wife was a substitute for his mother, who was only there to cook and clean and make sure he gets off to school on time. For someone stuck in an immature understanding, the notion of husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church, or of wives submitting to their husbands is as baffling, mystifying, and bewildering as calculus to a chimpanzee. This is just one of many examples that I can share whose root cause was a childish mentality, and a childish understanding of this present life.
When I was a child I spoke as a child; I didn’t have to weigh my words, I didn’t have to measure them, I didn’t have to guard my tongue, I didn’t have to wonder if I was hurting someone’s feelings with the words I was saying. You will never find a more brutally honest creature on the face of the earth than a child. My niece is seven going on forty, and she notices everything. If I let my beard grow out a few days and I happen to visit she’ll dutifully point out that I look homeless, If I gain a little winter weight she’ll dutifully point out that I’m getting fat again, and it’s not because she’s mean spirited or trying to hurt my feelings, she is a child, and speaks as such.
When it comes to lack of guile, innocence, ability to trust, or dependence on one’s parents, it is good to be childlike. When it comes to words and thoughts and understanding however, it is mandatory that we grow and mature as any child eventually does.
This was the essence of Paul’s issue with the church at Corinth. Like any children would, they wanted the new toys, they wanted to possess them, and play with them, and show them off to the other children in the hopes that the other children would be jealous. Because they lacked maturity, because they lacked understanding those of the church of Corinth had not learned to respect the work of God, go about it reverently, keep themselves away from sin, or even discern between good and evil. These were concepts that required maturity, and maturity was something that the Corinthians lacked.
Rather than be united in love and purpose, the Corinthian church had degraded to the point that they were all playing ‘the apostle I follow can beat up your apostle’ or ‘my gift’s better than your gift’, utterly dismissing the deeper things of God, or the standard to which God had called them.
Sin was running rampant, division was abundant, the work of God was being ignored and disdained, yet those of Corinth continued to cling to their childish thoughts, words and understandings.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
Although many within the house of God today insist that raising a hand, saying a prayer, throwing a few bucks in the offering plate, then getting on with the rest of your life is all that’s required of a child of God, in a roundabout way Paul is telling the church at Corinth, and by association every believer, that perpetual spiritual infancy is detrimental to one’s wellbeing.
We were all children, we all spoke as children, we all understood as children, we all thought as children, but as we grew, as we matured, as we became adults we put away childish things.
I see every area of my life differently today than I did thirty years ago, I understand things differently, I think about things on a whole different scale, because the way of things is that as we grow and mature we change and do away with those things that we once enjoyed out of immaturity and childishness.
Granted, society today is trending toward keeping people in the same infantile state in perpetuity, encouraging them to essentially play with the same toys as they did in their youth, only more expensive versions of them. Fully grown men, who should have by now put away childish things, are still spending hours on end playing video games, attempting to jump off homes using table cloths as makeshift parachutes, sticking fireworks in watermelons just to see them blow up, and scores of others things that should have been abandoned with the onset of facial hair.
I think the most attractive thing about remaining childlike in words, thoughts and understanding is the lack of accountability and responsibility that is implied. When you’re a child and think as a child there are no bills to pay, there is no grocery shopping to be done, there is no laundry to fold, life is good and absent responsibilities of any kind save for going to school. You know that someone will have made breakfast and packed you a lunch, you know that as evening approaches dinner will be ready, and you only begin to understand the struggles your parents went through to put that food on the table once you grow up, move out, get married, and have a family of your own.
Some people never want to grow up, some people never do, and refusing to mature is as debilitating spiritually as it is emotionally or physically. Although immaturity might not seem like such a bad thing to most people, when we dig down to the root of certain issues we see that immaturity or some version thereof was the cause of it. I have seen marriages fall apart due to immaturity, because either one or both of the individuals in question still thought as children, and understood as children.
On the one hand the wife thought she was a princess, that she was supposed to be put on a pedestal, and have every want catered to, and on the other hand the husband thought his wife was a substitute for his mother, who was only there to cook and clean and make sure he gets off to school on time. For someone stuck in an immature understanding, the notion of husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church, or of wives submitting to their husbands is as baffling, mystifying, and bewildering as calculus to a chimpanzee. This is just one of many examples that I can share whose root cause was a childish mentality, and a childish understanding of this present life.
When I was a child I spoke as a child; I didn’t have to weigh my words, I didn’t have to measure them, I didn’t have to guard my tongue, I didn’t have to wonder if I was hurting someone’s feelings with the words I was saying. You will never find a more brutally honest creature on the face of the earth than a child. My niece is seven going on forty, and she notices everything. If I let my beard grow out a few days and I happen to visit she’ll dutifully point out that I look homeless, If I gain a little winter weight she’ll dutifully point out that I’m getting fat again, and it’s not because she’s mean spirited or trying to hurt my feelings, she is a child, and speaks as such.
When it comes to lack of guile, innocence, ability to trust, or dependence on one’s parents, it is good to be childlike. When it comes to words and thoughts and understanding however, it is mandatory that we grow and mature as any child eventually does.
This was the essence of Paul’s issue with the church at Corinth. Like any children would, they wanted the new toys, they wanted to possess them, and play with them, and show them off to the other children in the hopes that the other children would be jealous. Because they lacked maturity, because they lacked understanding those of the church of Corinth had not learned to respect the work of God, go about it reverently, keep themselves away from sin, or even discern between good and evil. These were concepts that required maturity, and maturity was something that the Corinthians lacked.
Rather than be united in love and purpose, the Corinthian church had degraded to the point that they were all playing ‘the apostle I follow can beat up your apostle’ or ‘my gift’s better than your gift’, utterly dismissing the deeper things of God, or the standard to which God had called them.
Sin was running rampant, division was abundant, the work of God was being ignored and disdained, yet those of Corinth continued to cling to their childish thoughts, words and understandings.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 170
The Gifts Part 75
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:10, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”
For the proponents of cessation, this is most often the verse that is used to make their case. The reason this particular verse is so often quoted by those who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no more, is due to the misidentification of ‘that which is perfect’, because they believe that Paul is referring to the canon of scripture, the Bible, as being ‘that which is perfect.’
Although the proponents of cessation defend their interpretation vociferously, there is no scripture that supports their interpretation as to the Bible being ‘that which is perfect’ that Paul was referring to.
So what is ‘that which is perfect’ that is yet to come? Jesus of course, and throughout this exegetical detour, I will prove this truth out biblically.
Once again, our duty as followers of Christ is to defer to the gospel, to defer to the word of God, and not make up doctrines that will fit our preconceived notions. Due to certain denominational guidelines, there are an untold number of souls that continually attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole, and though it doesn’t quite fit properly they force it, and pound it, and twist it in, until there is some semblance of cohesion.
In my younger days, shortly after I came to America, I was informed by a ruddy cheeked elementary school teacher with a lisp that it was unhealthy for a child not to have a hobby. At the time I did not realize that collecting aluminum cans and empty bottles to take to the recycling center so I could help put food on the table was sort of like a hobby, so wanting to fit in with my new adopted nation, I decided I would get myself a new pastime. Granted, I didn’t have time for leisure pursuits even though I was barely ten years old, because life was hard, and between school, homework, and scouring the neighborhood for cans and bottles, the day was spent.
Nevertheless, after saving up my nickels and dimes for what seemed like an eternity, I went down to the local store, found the hobby section, and proceeded to purchase a five hundred piece puzzle, which upon its completion would be an old fashioned sailing ship.
I ran home, found a place in the corner of the living room where I knew there wouldn’t be much foot traffic because seven people in a two bedroom apartment makes for a busy place, and got to work on my new hobby. A few hours went by and as I inspected the work of my hands I realized with horror that the half-finished puzzle before me looked nothing like the picture on the box. Pieces of the cannon were dispersed throughout the sail, the ship looked nothing like a ship, and it was because I was forcing pieces of the puzzle where they had no business being just because they seemed to fit if only I forced them in just a little. That was my first and last foray into puzzle building, as well as my singular attempt at getting a hobby, but the lesson I learned from those few frustrating hours is one that has stayed with me throughout the years.
Each piece of a puzzle has its own unique and appropriate place, and if you attempt to force a piece where it doesn’t belong, it will ruin the whole.
Sin brought corruption and darkness into the heart of man. Jesus, the Christ, came from His heavenly glory, took on a body of flesh, and paid for man’s redemption with His own precious blood. Through Christ and His sacrifice we were given the opportunity to be free from the bondage and shackles of sin.
With His first coming, Christ paid the price for our redemption and established His Church. With His second coming, He will forever do away with the reign of the enemy and of sin, and a new age will begin. This is what the apostle Paul is referring to when he says ‘but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with.’
Due to sin’s reign upon the land, while still in flesh, man will forever be limited in his knowledge, man will forever know in part. The human mind can never know completely, for by its very nature it is limited.
When Christ returns however all that which is in part will be done away with. Tongues will cease, partial knowledge will cease, the struggles of faith will cease, miracles will cease, as will all the means of grace which God employs in aiding mankind to come to the knowledge of Christ, for in the Kingdom of Holiness, all things will be complete. This is the goal toward which all the saints aspire, and having reached their goal, having laid claim to the prize, the race is complete.
There will come a day when the reality of the Kingdom will do away with shadows and symbols, when it will do away with partial knowledge and partial understanding. That day will be the day of our beloved Lord’s return, the day in which He will come to claim His Bride, that which is rightfully His. When that which is perfect is come, when the Son of Man returns, when Christ the King will appear, that which is in part will be done away with.
For now, we still need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we still need the power of God, we still need all that God says we have at our disposal for the battle is not over, the race is not won, and that which is perfect has not come.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tongues continued...
1 Corinthians 13:10, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”
For the proponents of cessation, this is most often the verse that is used to make their case. The reason this particular verse is so often quoted by those who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no more, is due to the misidentification of ‘that which is perfect’, because they believe that Paul is referring to the canon of scripture, the Bible, as being ‘that which is perfect.’
Although the proponents of cessation defend their interpretation vociferously, there is no scripture that supports their interpretation as to the Bible being ‘that which is perfect’ that Paul was referring to.
So what is ‘that which is perfect’ that is yet to come? Jesus of course, and throughout this exegetical detour, I will prove this truth out biblically.
Once again, our duty as followers of Christ is to defer to the gospel, to defer to the word of God, and not make up doctrines that will fit our preconceived notions. Due to certain denominational guidelines, there are an untold number of souls that continually attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole, and though it doesn’t quite fit properly they force it, and pound it, and twist it in, until there is some semblance of cohesion.
In my younger days, shortly after I came to America, I was informed by a ruddy cheeked elementary school teacher with a lisp that it was unhealthy for a child not to have a hobby. At the time I did not realize that collecting aluminum cans and empty bottles to take to the recycling center so I could help put food on the table was sort of like a hobby, so wanting to fit in with my new adopted nation, I decided I would get myself a new pastime. Granted, I didn’t have time for leisure pursuits even though I was barely ten years old, because life was hard, and between school, homework, and scouring the neighborhood for cans and bottles, the day was spent.
Nevertheless, after saving up my nickels and dimes for what seemed like an eternity, I went down to the local store, found the hobby section, and proceeded to purchase a five hundred piece puzzle, which upon its completion would be an old fashioned sailing ship.
I ran home, found a place in the corner of the living room where I knew there wouldn’t be much foot traffic because seven people in a two bedroom apartment makes for a busy place, and got to work on my new hobby. A few hours went by and as I inspected the work of my hands I realized with horror that the half-finished puzzle before me looked nothing like the picture on the box. Pieces of the cannon were dispersed throughout the sail, the ship looked nothing like a ship, and it was because I was forcing pieces of the puzzle where they had no business being just because they seemed to fit if only I forced them in just a little. That was my first and last foray into puzzle building, as well as my singular attempt at getting a hobby, but the lesson I learned from those few frustrating hours is one that has stayed with me throughout the years.
Each piece of a puzzle has its own unique and appropriate place, and if you attempt to force a piece where it doesn’t belong, it will ruin the whole.
Sin brought corruption and darkness into the heart of man. Jesus, the Christ, came from His heavenly glory, took on a body of flesh, and paid for man’s redemption with His own precious blood. Through Christ and His sacrifice we were given the opportunity to be free from the bondage and shackles of sin.
With His first coming, Christ paid the price for our redemption and established His Church. With His second coming, He will forever do away with the reign of the enemy and of sin, and a new age will begin. This is what the apostle Paul is referring to when he says ‘but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with.’
Due to sin’s reign upon the land, while still in flesh, man will forever be limited in his knowledge, man will forever know in part. The human mind can never know completely, for by its very nature it is limited.
When Christ returns however all that which is in part will be done away with. Tongues will cease, partial knowledge will cease, the struggles of faith will cease, miracles will cease, as will all the means of grace which God employs in aiding mankind to come to the knowledge of Christ, for in the Kingdom of Holiness, all things will be complete. This is the goal toward which all the saints aspire, and having reached their goal, having laid claim to the prize, the race is complete.
There will come a day when the reality of the Kingdom will do away with shadows and symbols, when it will do away with partial knowledge and partial understanding. That day will be the day of our beloved Lord’s return, the day in which He will come to claim His Bride, that which is rightfully His. When that which is perfect is come, when the Son of Man returns, when Christ the King will appear, that which is in part will be done away with.
For now, we still need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we still need the power of God, we still need all that God says we have at our disposal for the battle is not over, the race is not won, and that which is perfect has not come.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 169
The Gifts Part 74
Tongues continued...
The church at Corinth had started to practice what is still being practiced by some today, they had started focusing exclusively on one or two gifts of the Holy Spirit, wielding them absent the love required of every servant of God. It is only when love is present within a congregation that it can be united as one body, with one purpose, and one goal. When love is lacking or altogether absent, there is an overwhelming tendency to separate the body into two classes. The ruling class, those who would lord over the fellowship and in their own eyes can do no wrong, and the rest, who are responsible for keeping the ruling class living the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.
We see this in many churches today, regardless of denomination, wherein ‘the bishop, the elder, the prophet’, or whatever new titles they are claiming nowadays live lives Middle Eastern oil sheiks would be envious of, while their congregants, barely subsisting, are repeatedly warned that if they don’t continue to finance the mansions, and the jets and the ridiculously overpriced cars, God will punish them and remove His favor. Although shameless greed might be the symptom in such men, the underlying cause is absence of love for the brethren. If I truly love someone, I will not attempt to fleece them, I will not attempt to increase my net worth or the number of cars I own at their expense. If I truly love someone, I will sacrifice of myself, lay aside my own needs in order to see theirs met, and live my life in such a way wherein the world will know that we not only speak of the kingdom to come, but believe with all our hearts that it is on its way. It’s strange how some men preach on heaven, yet by their actions and conduct one concludes that they have no desire to go there any time soon.
Let’s face it, God never promised us vacation homes, second and third residences, or ski lodges when we get to heaven, He promised us one home with Him, so most evangelists and famous preachers would actually have to downsize drastically. Maybe that’s why so many are intent on focusing on this spinning rock with such laser like focus, maybe that’s why they’re preaching on the material world rather than the Kingdom so passionately. They’ve built their kingdoms here on earth, they’ve amassed and hoarded all that they could and now they are hesitant to leave it all behind.
Do I believe in giving to ministry and to the work of God? Yes, of course I do! It is love that compels us to give, it is love that compels us to reach out to the hungry and the hurting and hopeless, but don’t confuse helping an individual acquire a new private jet with the true and undefiled worship of caring for the widow and the orphan.
Since the word of God tells us that He is love, we are more readily able to perceive Paul’s meaning when he says that love never fails. All things pass away, all things fail but love cannot for God is love and He is eternal.
1 Corinthians 13:9, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”
We know in part; a simple yet profound truth. Because we know in part we prophesy in part, and no matter how hard we try, no matter how exalted an opinion we might have of ourselves, while we are still in these bodies of flesh we will forever be limited in our understanding. Man in general would be a humbler creature if he would keep the knowledge that he is limited, or that he knows only in part, close to his heart.
Whenever we get the urge to glory in our knowledge, whenever we get the urge to glory in our understanding, may we remember that our knowledge and understanding, no matter how vast they might be, are still in part when compared with the knowledge and understanding of God.
The fact that we know in part does not mean that what we know is wrong or misleading, because that which we have been given to know was given by the Holy Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit of God would never lead us astray, or direct us down a wrong path. God does not lead us to deception, for He has revealed the Christ to us, who is the way, the truth and the life. It is also God who promised us that when we see Him face to face, we will see Him as He is, for we will be like Him.
Although we know in part and prophesy in part, we have complete assurance in the truth of God’s holy word, we have complete assurance in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have complete assurance in the work of the Holy Spirit. The mind might attempt to lead us astray, as might the heart, the enemy of our souls even more so, but the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit will never lead us astray.
It is when we discount the words and teachings of Christ, and it is when we discount the urging of the Holy Spirit, giving heed to our own flesh and to our own hearts instead, that we are led astray and caused to wander in the spiritual desert. With partial knowledge we attempt to reason out the whole, with partial prophecy we attempt to ascertain and conclude that which was not given us to know. It is a dangerous thing to desire to know more than was given us to know, and in our frustration attempt to draw conclusions that God has not drawn. Some things will remain a mystery until we see Him face to face, and we must make our peace with this truth.
Trust Jesus completely, for He desires your sanctification, He desires your transformation and all that He does has this end in mind.
Though we may know only in part, by faith we have all of Jesus in us, and as such we have life. We live because He lives, for He is our life, and in Him we move and have our being.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tongues continued...
The church at Corinth had started to practice what is still being practiced by some today, they had started focusing exclusively on one or two gifts of the Holy Spirit, wielding them absent the love required of every servant of God. It is only when love is present within a congregation that it can be united as one body, with one purpose, and one goal. When love is lacking or altogether absent, there is an overwhelming tendency to separate the body into two classes. The ruling class, those who would lord over the fellowship and in their own eyes can do no wrong, and the rest, who are responsible for keeping the ruling class living the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.
We see this in many churches today, regardless of denomination, wherein ‘the bishop, the elder, the prophet’, or whatever new titles they are claiming nowadays live lives Middle Eastern oil sheiks would be envious of, while their congregants, barely subsisting, are repeatedly warned that if they don’t continue to finance the mansions, and the jets and the ridiculously overpriced cars, God will punish them and remove His favor. Although shameless greed might be the symptom in such men, the underlying cause is absence of love for the brethren. If I truly love someone, I will not attempt to fleece them, I will not attempt to increase my net worth or the number of cars I own at their expense. If I truly love someone, I will sacrifice of myself, lay aside my own needs in order to see theirs met, and live my life in such a way wherein the world will know that we not only speak of the kingdom to come, but believe with all our hearts that it is on its way. It’s strange how some men preach on heaven, yet by their actions and conduct one concludes that they have no desire to go there any time soon.
Let’s face it, God never promised us vacation homes, second and third residences, or ski lodges when we get to heaven, He promised us one home with Him, so most evangelists and famous preachers would actually have to downsize drastically. Maybe that’s why so many are intent on focusing on this spinning rock with such laser like focus, maybe that’s why they’re preaching on the material world rather than the Kingdom so passionately. They’ve built their kingdoms here on earth, they’ve amassed and hoarded all that they could and now they are hesitant to leave it all behind.
Do I believe in giving to ministry and to the work of God? Yes, of course I do! It is love that compels us to give, it is love that compels us to reach out to the hungry and the hurting and hopeless, but don’t confuse helping an individual acquire a new private jet with the true and undefiled worship of caring for the widow and the orphan.
Since the word of God tells us that He is love, we are more readily able to perceive Paul’s meaning when he says that love never fails. All things pass away, all things fail but love cannot for God is love and He is eternal.
1 Corinthians 13:9, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”
We know in part; a simple yet profound truth. Because we know in part we prophesy in part, and no matter how hard we try, no matter how exalted an opinion we might have of ourselves, while we are still in these bodies of flesh we will forever be limited in our understanding. Man in general would be a humbler creature if he would keep the knowledge that he is limited, or that he knows only in part, close to his heart.
Whenever we get the urge to glory in our knowledge, whenever we get the urge to glory in our understanding, may we remember that our knowledge and understanding, no matter how vast they might be, are still in part when compared with the knowledge and understanding of God.
The fact that we know in part does not mean that what we know is wrong or misleading, because that which we have been given to know was given by the Holy Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit of God would never lead us astray, or direct us down a wrong path. God does not lead us to deception, for He has revealed the Christ to us, who is the way, the truth and the life. It is also God who promised us that when we see Him face to face, we will see Him as He is, for we will be like Him.
Although we know in part and prophesy in part, we have complete assurance in the truth of God’s holy word, we have complete assurance in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have complete assurance in the work of the Holy Spirit. The mind might attempt to lead us astray, as might the heart, the enemy of our souls even more so, but the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit will never lead us astray.
It is when we discount the words and teachings of Christ, and it is when we discount the urging of the Holy Spirit, giving heed to our own flesh and to our own hearts instead, that we are led astray and caused to wander in the spiritual desert. With partial knowledge we attempt to reason out the whole, with partial prophecy we attempt to ascertain and conclude that which was not given us to know. It is a dangerous thing to desire to know more than was given us to know, and in our frustration attempt to draw conclusions that God has not drawn. Some things will remain a mystery until we see Him face to face, and we must make our peace with this truth.
Trust Jesus completely, for He desires your sanctification, He desires your transformation and all that He does has this end in mind.
Though we may know only in part, by faith we have all of Jesus in us, and as such we have life. We live because He lives, for He is our life, and in Him we move and have our being.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 168
The Gifts Part 73
Tongues
We have discussed at length seven of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and as such today we begin our discussion of the eighth gift on the list that Paul outlines, the gift of different kinds of tongues. As with the gift of prophecy, there is much confusion within the congregation of God when it comes to the gift of tongues. The word of God clearly tells us that it is a viable gift, one of the nine gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon individual believers, and it was also the first gift that was received en masse on the day of Pentecost when the power fell, as all who were present in the upper room began to speak in other tongues.
We will discuss this gift as we have discussed all the other gifts thus far, not via the prism of personal interpretation, not via the prism of a given denomination, but via the prism of the word of God. It is only by understanding certain truths in the light of scripture that we can avoid confusion within the household of faith, and be certain of the foundation upon which we stand. The words of men are mere wind, moved to and fro upon the currents, ever changing direction ever changing meaning, but the word of God remains the same from age to age an generation to generation. When we come to an understanding or draw a conclusion based upon the word of God we are certain that it is right, and true, and lasting.
It is not my personal experience, or another’s personal experience that determines doctrine, it is not personal experience that determines dogma, but the word of God and its teachings. Our personal experiences only serve to confirm Biblical truth and the fact that we are living within the parameters of what the word of God has already delineated as such. If we are people of the Book, if we are followers of Christ and adherents to the teachings of the Bible, then our doctrine and our beliefs must be in harmony with it.
As such, the first thing I must point out, is the fact that nowhere within the annals of scripture does it say that the gifts, including the gift of different kind s of tongues, will cease before the day our Lord returns and we see Him face to face.
Even before we get into the specifics of what the gift of tongues is, how it is vital to the congregation of God, how it is that via this gift we speak to God and not to men, we must establish its availability and Biblically prove out that it is still among us.
Taken out of context, there is one verse in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that would intimate that tongues will cease, but in the selfsame verse it also says that knowledge will vanish away. Knowing that the earth itself will one day pass away, as per the word of God, the issue really isn’t if, but rather when this will occur.
Due to either inattentiveness, laziness, or a refusal to study the word of God for fear that it might contradict a previously held denominational edict, those who vociferously declare that tongues have ceased because Paul said so, are disingenuous in their declarations, because in the selfsame chapter in which Paul says tongues will cease, he also tells us when they will cease.
As such, before we get into our discussion of the gift of tongues itself, I want to exegetically go through the handful of verses in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that seem to be at the heart of the controversy concerning the cessation of the gift of tongues in particular and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in general.
1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
Well, that settles it, it’s right there, black and white, tongues will cease! Not so fast. In the same verse Paul also says that prophecy, which we have come to know is the exhortation, edification and comfort of the brethren, as well as knowledge, which God Himself said His people perish for lack thereof, will also fail or vanish away.
As I said, I am not disputing that prophecy, tongues and knowledge will fail, cease or vanish away, it is after all in the Bible, the question of the hour is when will these things no longer be? In his God given wisdom, Paul continues, as we will see in subsequent teachings to tell us when these things will cease, and it is the answer to the question of ‘when’ that is the key to this mystery and fabricated controversy within the household of faith.
In order to understand what prompted Paul’s writing, we must understand the mindset of the individuals that made up the church of Corinth. Paul was, after all, writing this letter to them, and he was addressing issues that he knew existed within the congregation at Corinth.
Although Paul places the gift of different kinds of tongues next to last on the list of the gifts to which the children of God have access, the gift of tongues was one greatly desired within the church of Corinth, and it was a point of pride and accomplishment among them. Likewise, knowledge was greatly desired by those of the church of Corinth, and just as tongues was a point of pride, knowledge was also viewed as an accomplishment.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul is attempting to correct them, and remind them that absent love, though they might speak in tongues, and have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, they are as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Paul is neither negating or denying the existence of the gifts, he is not denying speaking in tongues, what he is doing is extoling the virtue of love, reminding them that it is a necessary component of a healthy and vibrant spiritual life.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tongues
We have discussed at length seven of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and as such today we begin our discussion of the eighth gift on the list that Paul outlines, the gift of different kinds of tongues. As with the gift of prophecy, there is much confusion within the congregation of God when it comes to the gift of tongues. The word of God clearly tells us that it is a viable gift, one of the nine gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon individual believers, and it was also the first gift that was received en masse on the day of Pentecost when the power fell, as all who were present in the upper room began to speak in other tongues.
We will discuss this gift as we have discussed all the other gifts thus far, not via the prism of personal interpretation, not via the prism of a given denomination, but via the prism of the word of God. It is only by understanding certain truths in the light of scripture that we can avoid confusion within the household of faith, and be certain of the foundation upon which we stand. The words of men are mere wind, moved to and fro upon the currents, ever changing direction ever changing meaning, but the word of God remains the same from age to age an generation to generation. When we come to an understanding or draw a conclusion based upon the word of God we are certain that it is right, and true, and lasting.
It is not my personal experience, or another’s personal experience that determines doctrine, it is not personal experience that determines dogma, but the word of God and its teachings. Our personal experiences only serve to confirm Biblical truth and the fact that we are living within the parameters of what the word of God has already delineated as such. If we are people of the Book, if we are followers of Christ and adherents to the teachings of the Bible, then our doctrine and our beliefs must be in harmony with it.
As such, the first thing I must point out, is the fact that nowhere within the annals of scripture does it say that the gifts, including the gift of different kind s of tongues, will cease before the day our Lord returns and we see Him face to face.
Even before we get into the specifics of what the gift of tongues is, how it is vital to the congregation of God, how it is that via this gift we speak to God and not to men, we must establish its availability and Biblically prove out that it is still among us.
Taken out of context, there is one verse in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that would intimate that tongues will cease, but in the selfsame verse it also says that knowledge will vanish away. Knowing that the earth itself will one day pass away, as per the word of God, the issue really isn’t if, but rather when this will occur.
Due to either inattentiveness, laziness, or a refusal to study the word of God for fear that it might contradict a previously held denominational edict, those who vociferously declare that tongues have ceased because Paul said so, are disingenuous in their declarations, because in the selfsame chapter in which Paul says tongues will cease, he also tells us when they will cease.
As such, before we get into our discussion of the gift of tongues itself, I want to exegetically go through the handful of verses in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that seem to be at the heart of the controversy concerning the cessation of the gift of tongues in particular and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in general.
1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
Well, that settles it, it’s right there, black and white, tongues will cease! Not so fast. In the same verse Paul also says that prophecy, which we have come to know is the exhortation, edification and comfort of the brethren, as well as knowledge, which God Himself said His people perish for lack thereof, will also fail or vanish away.
As I said, I am not disputing that prophecy, tongues and knowledge will fail, cease or vanish away, it is after all in the Bible, the question of the hour is when will these things no longer be? In his God given wisdom, Paul continues, as we will see in subsequent teachings to tell us when these things will cease, and it is the answer to the question of ‘when’ that is the key to this mystery and fabricated controversy within the household of faith.
In order to understand what prompted Paul’s writing, we must understand the mindset of the individuals that made up the church of Corinth. Paul was, after all, writing this letter to them, and he was addressing issues that he knew existed within the congregation at Corinth.
Although Paul places the gift of different kinds of tongues next to last on the list of the gifts to which the children of God have access, the gift of tongues was one greatly desired within the church of Corinth, and it was a point of pride and accomplishment among them. Likewise, knowledge was greatly desired by those of the church of Corinth, and just as tongues was a point of pride, knowledge was also viewed as an accomplishment.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul is attempting to correct them, and remind them that absent love, though they might speak in tongues, and have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, they are as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Paul is neither negating or denying the existence of the gifts, he is not denying speaking in tongues, what he is doing is extoling the virtue of love, reminding them that it is a necessary component of a healthy and vibrant spiritual life.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 167
The Gifts Part 72
Discerning of Spirits continued...
So why is it that after all this time we’re still discussing the gift of discerning of spirits? Why haven’t we moved on to the next gift on the list by now? Because as I said during the introduction of our discussion on the gift of discerning of spirits, given the times we are living in, knowing what the word of God says the spiritual climate will be like, it is one of the most necessary gifts for today.
Deception, apostasy, and individuals departing from the faith are repeatedly mentioned throughout the word of God within the context of these end times, and just because it is an uncomfortable topic, just because it puts us ill at ease it doesn’t mean we can ignore it, or bypass it. We have been forewarned of what we are seeing with our own eyes. Time and again, in His love and mercy God has revealed what is to come through His Holy Spirit, and if we hope to be among those still standing at battle’s end, we must possess the weapons of warfare which have been made available to all believers and children of God.
1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”
In his letter to Timothy, Paul is quick to make the distinction between what is his counsel, and what is of a divine, and prophetic nature. Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son, and the bond of brotherly love between these two men was undeniable. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, exhorting him, counseling him, but also including prophetic words and insight as the Lord led, as well as writing down that which the Spirit had shown him concerning the latter times.
Paul’s declaration concerning the fact that it is the Spirit, who explicitly speaks of the latter times, is forceful and absent of ambiguity.
What the Spirit was speaking concerning the latter times, is first, that some will depart from the faith. Now in order to depart or remove yourself from some place or some thing, you must have first and foremost been in it. The troubling thing about Paul’s prophetic utterance concerning the latter times is not that those of the world would give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, but rather those who were once in the faith will depart from it and give heed to such things.
To those who believe that once you come into the faith God keeps you in a chokehold so you could never wiggle away, it’s not me you have to contend with, it is the word of God. In the latter times, some will depart from the faith, and rather than follow the narrow path, rather than seek after righteousness and holiness, rather than humbly obey the Lord their God, they will give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. As a direct result of having given heed to these deceiving spirits, and these doctrines of demons, the aforementioned individuals who departed from the faith will speak lies in hypocrisy and have their conscience seared with a hot iron.
Just as fire destroys the nerve endings in skin deadening it, and rendering it unfeeling, sin destroys the nerve endings of the conscience, deadening it and rendering it unfeeling. When one’s conscience is seared, their moral compass has gone haywire, and the notion of sin is no longer a reality in their lives.
There are those who have departed from the faith, who have given heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, who have had their conscience seared with a hot iron, who practice that which the word of God forbids, yet because of their fallen state, because of the deception and delusion they are under they claim it is Christian liberty allowing them to live in sin and not the fact that they have been deceived.
The God who changes not is still as holy a God as He ever was, He is still as righteous a God as He ever was, and He is still as jealous a God as He ever was. Men change, God doesn’t, and as such His standard remains the same from generation to generation.
If the word of God forbids it, it’s not legalism; it’s obedience to the word of God. If the word of God calls it sin, abstaining from it is not self-righteousness, it is submission to the authority of scripture. In the Master’s house we must acquiesce to the Master’s rules, and follow them to the letter. The Body of Christ does not belong to a man, neither does a given congregation, it belongs to God for He is the head of the body, and as such we must do as He commands and not as we would will. The Body of Christ belongs to Christ, and we will give account for that which we do within His Body. We will not give account to the Board of Elders, we will not give account to the deacons, we will not give account to the denominational commission, we will give account to the King upon His return, and He will judge righteously all that we did in His name.
It is because discernment is lacking or in some cases wholly nonexistent that so many are swayed and turned away from the truth, and confusion concerning even the most basic tenets of the faith has reached an apex in our day and age.
Love the Body of Christ, love the brethren, love your soul enough to take the time and evaluate that which you receive as gospel truth in your heart.
Knowing that deception is prevalent, knowing that the days in which we live will be marked by an abundance of false doctrines, false teaches and false prophets, the gift of discerning of spirits is a paramount necessity in every congregation and every body of believers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Discerning of Spirits continued...
So why is it that after all this time we’re still discussing the gift of discerning of spirits? Why haven’t we moved on to the next gift on the list by now? Because as I said during the introduction of our discussion on the gift of discerning of spirits, given the times we are living in, knowing what the word of God says the spiritual climate will be like, it is one of the most necessary gifts for today.
Deception, apostasy, and individuals departing from the faith are repeatedly mentioned throughout the word of God within the context of these end times, and just because it is an uncomfortable topic, just because it puts us ill at ease it doesn’t mean we can ignore it, or bypass it. We have been forewarned of what we are seeing with our own eyes. Time and again, in His love and mercy God has revealed what is to come through His Holy Spirit, and if we hope to be among those still standing at battle’s end, we must possess the weapons of warfare which have been made available to all believers and children of God.
1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”
In his letter to Timothy, Paul is quick to make the distinction between what is his counsel, and what is of a divine, and prophetic nature. Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son, and the bond of brotherly love between these two men was undeniable. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, exhorting him, counseling him, but also including prophetic words and insight as the Lord led, as well as writing down that which the Spirit had shown him concerning the latter times.
Paul’s declaration concerning the fact that it is the Spirit, who explicitly speaks of the latter times, is forceful and absent of ambiguity.
What the Spirit was speaking concerning the latter times, is first, that some will depart from the faith. Now in order to depart or remove yourself from some place or some thing, you must have first and foremost been in it. The troubling thing about Paul’s prophetic utterance concerning the latter times is not that those of the world would give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, but rather those who were once in the faith will depart from it and give heed to such things.
To those who believe that once you come into the faith God keeps you in a chokehold so you could never wiggle away, it’s not me you have to contend with, it is the word of God. In the latter times, some will depart from the faith, and rather than follow the narrow path, rather than seek after righteousness and holiness, rather than humbly obey the Lord their God, they will give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. As a direct result of having given heed to these deceiving spirits, and these doctrines of demons, the aforementioned individuals who departed from the faith will speak lies in hypocrisy and have their conscience seared with a hot iron.
Just as fire destroys the nerve endings in skin deadening it, and rendering it unfeeling, sin destroys the nerve endings of the conscience, deadening it and rendering it unfeeling. When one’s conscience is seared, their moral compass has gone haywire, and the notion of sin is no longer a reality in their lives.
There are those who have departed from the faith, who have given heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, who have had their conscience seared with a hot iron, who practice that which the word of God forbids, yet because of their fallen state, because of the deception and delusion they are under they claim it is Christian liberty allowing them to live in sin and not the fact that they have been deceived.
The God who changes not is still as holy a God as He ever was, He is still as righteous a God as He ever was, and He is still as jealous a God as He ever was. Men change, God doesn’t, and as such His standard remains the same from generation to generation.
If the word of God forbids it, it’s not legalism; it’s obedience to the word of God. If the word of God calls it sin, abstaining from it is not self-righteousness, it is submission to the authority of scripture. In the Master’s house we must acquiesce to the Master’s rules, and follow them to the letter. The Body of Christ does not belong to a man, neither does a given congregation, it belongs to God for He is the head of the body, and as such we must do as He commands and not as we would will. The Body of Christ belongs to Christ, and we will give account for that which we do within His Body. We will not give account to the Board of Elders, we will not give account to the deacons, we will not give account to the denominational commission, we will give account to the King upon His return, and He will judge righteously all that we did in His name.
It is because discernment is lacking or in some cases wholly nonexistent that so many are swayed and turned away from the truth, and confusion concerning even the most basic tenets of the faith has reached an apex in our day and age.
Love the Body of Christ, love the brethren, love your soul enough to take the time and evaluate that which you receive as gospel truth in your heart.
Knowing that deception is prevalent, knowing that the days in which we live will be marked by an abundance of false doctrines, false teaches and false prophets, the gift of discerning of spirits is a paramount necessity in every congregation and every body of believers.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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