Notes for Commentary on Episode #27
Assurance of our destiny, including our calling and purpose, can only take place as we draw near to Almighty God.
- This is to be certain in the mind that we are on the right path in our walk with God
- It is much easier to walk in faith when we can eliminate self-doubt or uncertainty
So the practical matter is to learn how to gain such assurance and remove the self-doubt.
Self-doubt causes us to become double-minded, and scripture addresses this state of mind, and it is never a good state to be in.
James addresses this as he says we must act in faith, including our communications with God. The writer of Hebrews even told us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:5-8 ESV
This passage is not merely a warning, it also has teaching for us to put into practice. And the lessons here point toward drawing near to God.
- First, God will give wisdom to those who lack wisdom and ask Him for it.
- This, to me, appears to be a promise
- As I continue saying, with each promise there is a condition to be met for the promise to be fulfilled
- The condition here is the request must be made in faith
- Having no doubt
- Doubting in what is being asked for
- Doubting in whether God will give it
- Doubting in being able to receive it
- Having no doubt
- Second, we are taught what lack of faith is
- To have doubts in the action being undertaken
- Like a wave being tossed about with no firm foundation
- Being double-minded
- Unable to settle on one thing to believe fully
- Unstable, going back and forth between two or more opposing thoughts on a matter
- To have doubts in the action being undertaken
- Third, is the warning, the unstable one, or double-minded one, should not expect to receive anything being sought after
- This is like a self-fulfilling prophecy
- Position one is to receive wisdom
- Position two is to not receive the wisdom
- In this case position two will most often come to pass
- This is like a self-fulfilling prophecy
So, the real lesson here is that we need to learn what the mind of God is in a matter, and we need to come into full agreement with Him.
- In this case, God’s mind is to give wisdom to those who ask for it in faith
- It is told to us in Scripture, where we learn the mind of God in a matter
- Therefore I need to agree with Him that He will do what He said He will do, then I need to do it as He said it ought to be done
- Ask in faith
Most of the life of a Christian is fought on the battleground of the mind.
- Beliefs are established
- Incorrect beliefs need to be removed and replaced
- The truth of beliefs is measured against the mind of God in a matter
- What does Scripture say?
- Scripture reveals the mind of God
- What does Scripture say?
- Our actions must align with proper and truthful beliefs
See episode #16, “Identity in Christ, Who God Says I Am”. This is crucial in the battle of having proper beliefs and a proper relationship with God.
Jesus came to redeem us and to restore us.
- To redeem is to buy back, such as going to a pawn shop to buy back the item given to them in exchange for something else, usually cash
- Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, purchased us with His very life, experiencing death on the cross
- In this, we were set free
- from the law of sin and death
- from the penalty we deserve for our sin
- from our captivity under the evil one
- In this, we were set free
- To restore is to put back to a former state or to an original state
- Man was free from the law of sin and death at the time of creation
- Sin entered life, and death with it
- Man was the possession of God at the time of creation
- Sin in life separated man from God
- Through Christ, man was restored to a proper relationship with God and delivered from the law of sin and death
- Man was free from the law of sin and death at the time of creation
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 ESV
Once again, this looks like a promise to me.
- Being set free from the law of sin and death
- The condition?
- In Christ Jesus
- This promise is for those who have acknowledged the truth of the work of Christ on the cross, and have surrendered their lives to Him, receiving the promise in place of the curse
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ESV
Our victory is in Christ Jesus.
- Do we have this foundational believe?
- Are we single-minded on the matter?
- Those in Christ Jesus are delivered from the second death
- Those in Christ have been delivered from the power of the law to bring condemnation
- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Such is the benefit of salvation. Understanding this and fully believing this, without doubt, being single-minded is the beginning of being conformed to the image of Christ. This is the destiny for every believer, to be conformed to Christ, thereby glorifying the Father. The relationship between the Father and the Son is being made available to us because of the great love the Father has for us.
We are to live the kingdom life here and now. Jesus tells us as much as He taught His disciples to pray.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 ESV
This is not wishful thinking, but a statement of faith. In the book, “A Prayer to Our Father”, Nehemiah Gordon and Keith Johnson explore the Hebrew origins of the prayer. They write that the phrasing of the Hebrew Matthew would read like this: “May your kingdom be blessed. Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth.” These are declarative statements, not wishful thoughts. I quote from page 120 of the book:
The phrase “may your kingdom be blessed” reflects an entirely different concept of the kingdom than that contained in the phrase “thy kingdom come.” The Hebrew is not speaking about a
future end-times kingdom but a present-day kingdom, one in the here-and-now. The Hebrew is saying: O, Father, may your present-day kingdom be blessed!
King David recognized this truth as well as shown in his prayer in the assembly.
Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and
the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-11 ESV
Jesus instructed His disciples in this area as well as He sent them in pairs out to the surrounding towns.
“Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Luke 10:8-9 ESV
We, the disciples of Christ, are carriers of the kingdom of God. As such, the kingdom of God is near, at hand. It is in the present, the here and now. We are to live the kingdom life, walking in good works. Jesus preached it.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 ESV
Jesus instructed His disciples to preach it.
“And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Matthew 10:7 ESV
If your belief is that the kingdom of heaven is off somewhere in the future, perhaps after the end of the age, in eternity, then you have a misguided belief that needs to be replaced with the truth, the mind of God in the matter. The kingdom of heaven is in the here and now, and we should be living the kingdom life here and now. Especially through observing the words of Jesus.
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or
‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Luke 17:20-21 ESV
Eternal life is another story, though in a sense there is a similarity to it. When does eternal life begin? Does it begin after physical death? What of those who won’t experience physical death? Does it begin after the judgment? What of those who have already died in faith? Is it also to be lived in the here and now? What about sin?
When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over
all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
John 17:1-3 ESV
This appears to be the here and now, knowing the Father. Are we able to receive this word? We all have ideas of what eternity will be like. Are we willing to continually change our perceptions as truth is revealed to us? The religious answers and teachings just won’t do. What does Scripture say, and what is Holy Spirit revealing to us? We need to change our thoughts and ideas to align with those of God. We must conform to Christ Jesus. This is one step in gaining the mind of Christ.
We have received the promise of eternal life within our salvation. The Holy Spirit is that promise. The promise is in the here and now, from God, who does not and cannot lie.
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until
we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV
The promise has been given to those who believe, the guarantee of our inheritance, which is eternal life. Holy Spirit dwells within us and will be with us forever.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 ESV
This passage begins with the condition, the keeping of the commandments which displays love for Jesus. The promise in the fulfillment of the condition is the being given of another Helper, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, Jesus said, will dwell with us and be in us.
Technically, we have not realized the fulfillment of eternal life. We have not acquired possession of it. However, in faith, knowing that God will do what He says He will do, we can begin living with the attitude of eternal life now, relying on the promise of Holy Spirit which, as believers, we have received.
Jesus said in His prayer, “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” We are to be developing a relationship with almighty God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit. We ought to be constantly deepening that relationship in intimacy as we grow to be more like Christ. We ought to live now as though we have acquired possession of eternal life.