The Gifts Part 69
Discerning of Spirits continued...
Although in the aforementioned scripture passage it is clear when the Spirit of God was at work, as well as when the spirit of Satan was at work, some have queried where I saw the spirit of man at work in this entire exchange.
Other than Peter giving his opinion as to what ought to happen to Jesus rather than what Jesus said would happen, there was another point wherein the spirit of man intervened, seeing Christ with the limited understanding characteristic of mankind, presuming that He was perhaps John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Of all the varied opinions that the men of His time had concerning Jesus within the context of the aforementioned scripture, none had been that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God, for only the Father could reveal this truth as He had done to Peter.
We have struggled for acceptance from the world for so long, that we are quick to accept any morsel they throw our way. Though the world by and large does not believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, we are more than content with the world thinking Him a good teacher, a prophet, a man of upright and moral character, a revolutionary, or a proponent of human rights. We believe that if we can convince the world that Jesus was a good man, then we will have some sort of common ground, a unifying principle of sorts, wherein we can agree to disagree about the larger issues such as Him being the Son of God.
Sadly, it is the household of faith that compromises time and again, it is the household of faith that gives up ground, it is we who act injuriously toward Christ by denying Him before men, and being silent as to His divinity for the sake of a feigned peace and cohesion.
When we acquiesce, and as children of God begin to echo the world and say that Jesus was a good man, a great teacher, a moral revolutionary but nothing more, when we cease to trumpet the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, it is not the Spirit of God leading us and guiding us, it is the spirit of man, for the spirit of man neither has eyes to see, nor ears to hear the mysteries of God.
Even in our day to day lives it is wise to use discernment, for not every thought that pops into our head is divinely inspired, and not every word that is on the tip of our tongue is a message from God. We must distinguish between thoughts and words that originate from the spirit of man, and thoughts and words that originate from the Spirit of God.
I once knew a man who believed that every morning God told him what to wear, essentially laying out his wardrobe, because the thought would pop into his mind that a certain shirt went well with a certain pair of pants. Throughout our conversation I couldn’t help but think that God would probably have a keener eye when it came to color palates and wardrobe selection, but in the end, when my patience started to run thin, I simply said, ‘you confuse the spirit of man, and the Spirit of God sir, and it is folly to do so.’
He then asked why I would say such a thing, and I proceeded to explain that if it’s cold outside, it’s not Spirit of God telling me to put on a warmer coat, it is human reason, it is logic, it is the intelligence with which we were born into this world. It is the selfsame reason and logic that leads some of the world to say that Jesus was a good man, a noble man, a good teacher, and a man of upstanding moral clarity because they cannot deny the life He lived while He walked the earth, nor the teachings He left behind from His three years of ministry.
When coming to believe that Jesus is Lord and King, that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the redeemer of mankind, the only way to salvation, the only truth, and the only life, it is no longer reason or logic that leads us to this conclusion but the Spirit of God working in us.
Although the spirit of man might conclude that Jesus was a good person, a good teacher, or even a prophet, the spirit of Satan or the spirit of Antichrist, makes no such concessions, its purpose being to undermine the work of God, to undermine the authority of Christ, and to sow chaos and confusion among the congregation of God.
You can know what spirit an individual is operating under, whether the spirit of man, or the spirit of Satan by the way in which they portray Christ. Those operating under the spirit of Satan will be vitriolic of their hatred of Christ, and by extension His followers, they will be vociferous in their proclamations, desiring to see the eradication of anything having to do with Jesus. One need only assess the current climate to realize that those operating under the spirit of Antichrist are growing in number, and their intentions are anything but veiled.
In order to stand, in order to endure to the end, in order for the children of God to remain as lights in the darkness, we must be firm in our convictions concerning the Christ, rejecting offhand those who have crept into the congregation of God attempting to play the ‘what if’ game when it comes to the divinity, identity, and singularity of Jesus.
‘What if Jesus isn’t the only way into the kingdom of God? What if Jesus isn’t the only begotten Son of God? What if Jesus was merely a good man, or a prophet? What if Jesus isn’t the only way? What if Jesus isn’t the only truth? What if Jesus isn’t the only life?’
Blood of Jesus! Rebuke the spirit of Satan, rebuke the spirit of Antichrist, and he will flee from you. There is no room for compromise on this issue. Either Jesus was everything He claimed to be, or He was the most ruthless, heartless, and deceptive man to ever walk the earth.
I write these words because the battle against Christ will only intensify, and those playing the ‘what if’ game within the household of faith will continue to multiply in number.
Be wise! Be vigilant! Be discerning!
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Postscript: Kim, I fear you judge me harshly, and unjustly. I did post your comments, I did answer your questions, if you check you'll see. Since I get about thirty spam comments a day, I do have to monitor them, because I wouldn't want anyone thinking I was trying to sell them timeshares, investment opportunities, or other less savory things. Alas, farewell.
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