Again, this morning, as I think about the cause and effects of these new movements, I look at the Body of Christ, as a whole, who has no one to blame but ourselves.
We have either financed or supported these false teachers, or we have neglected to finance and support teachers of the truth. Either way, we have collectively become a living message. But is it the truth? Are we witnesses for the Living Christ? Are we living in the light of the Gospel? Are we seeking God’s will, daily, in all that we do?
Are we truly following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, daily, who will lead us into all truth, or are we following after our own selfish desires and our own will? One cannot bypass the daily work of the cross of Jesus Christ, in their lives and following after their own worldly, carnal desires.
One cannot bypass God’s method and plan for mankind, that of making Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This requires taking up our own cross, daily, dying out of our own passions, desires, and worldly influences. Nothing less will only open doorways into Satan’s deceptive ways. There is no other way to God, the way of the cross of Calvary of Jesus. This is the only way. We overcome Satan and his deceptive ways, by the blood of Jesus and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Christ in us.
Simply put, when we surrender our heart; mind, souls, and spirits to our Savior, Jesus, His blood washes away our sin, and we receive a new Spirit, new desires to follow Him. We begin a new life in Him. As we daily follow this new life, this new spirit leads us into the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His will, and His work fulfilled in the believer.
Another aspect of false teaching is, of course, the teaching that demands that it is always God’s will to heal you instantly or when we command it and it is always God’s will for you to be rich, their prosperity teaching. Remember, it is always the work of God, Jesus in us, that any and all healing comes from. I do believe God wants us to be healed of our various ailments, including sickness and diseases. We are to always ask in faith, believing for the end results that of healing of our bodies. Yes, He is “the God that healeth thee”!
Let me add, throughout the years, I have experienced various healing in my own body. I have seen healing in family and friends when they have prayed with faith, believing, the Word of God, and His promises.
God has given the church the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. When used properly, given by God and distributed by the Holy Spirit, we, the church, will see great results. But I believe the utmost importance to God is the salvation of the souls of all mankind. God wants a relationship with His creation, and that will only come when we have a personal relationship with Jesus, accepting Him as our personal Savior.
Let me say, Eternal Life with God is to be the ultimate goal of every human being, for we all will die one day and meet our maker at judgment day. Now is the time to say yes to Jesus.
Now, with that said, more of the false teaching that says if you are a “little god”, and have all the power of Jesus, then these things ought to be at your command: teachings such as, if you, “plant a seed of money into a ministry,” that God will give you a big harvest. I do believe God takes care of His children.
This false teaching is probably the one that is the most visible one over the past few years. If you give to (their) ministry, what they will do is pray a prayer of blessing of 100-fold or 1000-fold, a blessing because you gave to the ministry. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to support and give to the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible does speak on giving as unto God. Supporting your local church, which supports ministries (missionaries, local outreach, etc.), and reaches outside of your community is a good investment into the kingdom of God.
Not only do these various teachers say that we will have what we say – because our authority is in our words – they say this is true even if what we say is wrong or bad. If you say bad things, they will happen or come to pass. In other words, are we to believe that we can use the authority we have in Christ to do bad things? If you really are a little god, and we do have the power to create reality with our words, then this is true – this is exactly what these people teach. We in ourselves cannot create such things. In our finite wisdom or knowledge, we cannot create something out of nothing. Only God creates something out of nothing. Yes, our words are important, for it can, you might say, kill the spirit of encouragement.
Yes, God has given us wisdom and knowledge to create, but it comes from something that is already created. In other words, we take a piece of wood and create a sculpture or take a clump of clay and make a sculpture. God can only take nothing and makes it into something. When we pray, God works out the answer, being through the various gifts of the Spirit, word of wisdom, knowledge, healings, miracles, etc. Again, we are the vessel that God works in, and creative power flows through us by the working of Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are the instrument God uses, but He is the Creator that creates and makes it happen. But this simply takes me back to the point I’ve been trying to make: Yes, God truly wants to work in you, through the power and authority of His Son, Jesus.
Let’s make it perfectly clear. It is God’s will for any power that comes through you to be according to Christ in you. As Christ is in you, so will His power work through you, not according to what you have done, but according to the righteousness of Christ in you. Somehow, in all of this, these teachers have completely lost sight of the very meaning of the cross and Christ in us. In fact, I don’t think they ever knew the meaning of Christ in us. Without the cross, Calvary and Christ, there would be NO New Spirit in the believer. There would be NO Eternal Life with Christ after death. His shed blood and His resurrection brought this all about the reality of Christ in us and Eternity with Him.
Mankind was headed toward eternal damnation, a soul forever lost, BUT God through His love and grace made a way through His Son, Jesus; simply, believe in His plan of salvation and you shall be saved. Forever with Him.
This is “Christianity”, Christ in us means change IN US. It means the work of the Cross in us. It means being made weak in ourselves, surrendering our own will unto His will. Unless that is going on daily, there can be no authority flowing through us. Christ in us, made into His likeness.
Another misunderstood scripture is in Revelation 3:21 that states, “to him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne.”
Once again, we see that authority is dependent upon something. Jesus says it is dependent upon OVERCOMING. But overcoming WHAT? Many of the various movement teachers would say that in order to exercise the authority of Christ, we need to overcome the unbelief that would suggest we cannot exercise the authority of Christ. But the problem is, as I have stated before, they make faith a force rather than a relationship with God. And their teaching on positive confession makes believing, sound more like self-brainwashing than the result of a revelation of Jesus Christ in the believer.
Being born-again, is simply receiving a new spirit of righteousness to live a holy and pure life. This experience truly will change the believer, for you might say, it changes the DNA spiritually speaking of every believer with that of a new spirit. This can only come through that of receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ into your heart, body, and soul. We are made in Him, in Christ. A new spirit to do right live right. We cannot make our spirit anew, only Christ can, and then it is always Him in us working through us.
Are you getting this? Yes, Christ Jesus living in us and Him, working through us, as a believer. The revelation of Jesus Christ is that of Him crucified, to bring us eternal life and a new spirit within the believer. Christ in us is the hope of glory!
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