Sunday, August 27, 2023

#2 The Language of Faith

 

#2 The Language of Faith

 

Everything the Israelites had murmured and complained about was God’s judgement upon themselves. Nu. 14:28 Their discontent, lack of faith and lack of fear of God brought about murmuring and complaining against God as they approached Moses and Aaron [God’s anointed].  They spoke their own judgements by the power of their own words.  

Isn’t it true that when we accuse another, we end up having little room for God’s love in our hearts? And, when we accuse another how can we be in His will?

Were they judging God? We know they were tempting God. Not because Moses and Aaron were “gods” but because they were God’s called to bring the Israelites into their promise land.

Not to judge another begins within us. When we do this, it doesn’t really matter what the other person says about you, no matter how the words may burn. If we judge ourselves, we won’t be judged. David wrote in the Psalms about judging and confessing his sins and always asked forgiveness.  This is a good habit to develop for all those who believe in the blood of the Lamb and the mercies and grace of God.  

I am not talking about judging righteously. If we didn’t judge righteously our country would be in an extreme case of lawlessness, which seems to be the case where we are today. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites. They would say one thing and do another.

The Israelites sinned when they spoke against God’s anointed and, God dealt with them, but He never stopped forgiving and loving them. Their spoken judgements were commissioned by God to land upon their own heads.

Moving ahead a couple of thousand years, consider the man whose name was Saul, a well-known Pharisee in the New Testament. He thought he was doing God’s will as he persecuted the Christians and put many to death.  On the way to Damascus a light [some say it was lightning] surrounded him from heaven, and he fell to the ground, and he heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord? Jesus said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Rd Acts 9:3-5

How could he be persecuting Jesus when he was persecuting The Body of Christ? Because Jesus’s prayer in John 17 has come to pass. All those who believe are one in Christ, just as He is one with the Father. His Holy Spirit lives within us, the righteousness of Jesus Christ and that is the Kingdom of God.

I have said this many times before, but it is always worth repeating, Saul had to be blinded to see the truth. He repented and confessed Jesus as his Messiah and was born again and became known as St. Paul. When he was persecuting the Christians, he was persecuting Jesus Himself. Remember Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul was forgiven and used mightily in God’s work. He discovered the true love of God through Jesus. Then, he discovered that he was chosen to be an example of longsuffering:

“But mercy was shown me in order that in me as the foremost of sinners Christ Jesus might display the fulness of His long-suffering patience as an example to encourage those who would afterwards be resting their faith on Him with a view to the Life of the Ages.” 1Tim. 1:16 Berean.

 

Just as the Israelites had blindly spoken against God’s anointed, they were complaining against God Himself [tempting God] and wanted to see them stoned.  Saul strived to persecute as many Christians as possible. Not only was he blinded spiritually but also physically so much so that God used His experience to be able to see the truth.

When we go through our trials, God uses all things involved and touches many areas of our lives and others too.

There are some of us who carry our faults around just being who we are, and they can be hard to love, but I believe if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, He will always expose to us what we need to clean up within ourselves before we blame others for our faults. Are we sensitive to His voice?

Remember Jesus’s words:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam that is in thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Mt.7:1-5 KJV

This is a command from Jesus giving us God’s simple process of sowing and reaping. I can tell you firsthand early in my Christian walk I found out something about another believer and was appalled over what she did within the thoughts of my heart. I did not speak it but thought it. Later, I walked through the very thing I judged her over. God did not stop loving her or me, but this is one of His ways of teaching us not to judge others. Perhaps at the time I must have felt “I would never do that.”  Oh, really? The only goodness any of us have inside of us is Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit.  We have a good Father who will not allow us to get away with any self-righteousness nor any judgement towards another. And no one is exempt. As a very young believer I listened to the different ministers sitting in my living room, judge my past.  I later discovered they all ended up walking through the very same judgements they spoke upon me before I was born-again.

I call it tough love. God loves us so much we are shown where we are in this walk of love and faith then, gives us room in our lives to plow through it. No one ever said it would be an easy row to plow, but the Bible gives us plenty of promises to stand upon and pray while we are here.

Too many times, believers become Job’s friends when as he was suffering had told him how God felt about him and giving him advice. Oh, they even knew why he was so sick. Read it for yourselves. Their “friendly advice” angered God.

It is too easy for us to misuse our tongues. How many of us speak before we take the time to think first? Not one of us is innocent of this problem. The consequences can be heavy. If we keep thinking about how wrong another believer is in his ministry, sooner or later we will speak it. I ask you, why do we feel the necessity to speak it? If a brother or sister has headed the wrong way and you are convinced, they are in the wrong, why not go to them in faith, love and talk to them? If you cannot go to them, why not write them a letter? Ask yourself what motivates you to speak against anyone in the Body of Christ?

 Jesus said we would know His sheep by their fruit.  If those whom you judge are in the wrong, I guarantee you that God will take care of it, in His time and in His way.

Our words do count because they are either life or death, fear and doubt or faith and love and our language comes from what we have stored up in our heart. If this were not true, the Bible would not have been written and used by the Holy Spirit to change many lives. Can the holiness of God’s truth live in a heart of unbelief and doubt?  The Israelites ate the fruit they had stored in their hearts and from their unbelief in what God promised, they reaped His judgement from the very words they spoke. They judged God’s anointed.

I ask you, is there anything too great for our God? Nothing is too great or too small, but you must believe that He is and will do it if you ask in faith. And, this is your language of faith, one of love.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father,

I know I have judged others in the past and I ask that You forgive my reckless words. I ask You remind me to guard what I put inside of my heart and cause me to think before I speak. Remind me Father that everyone I see is going through a trial in their lives. Let me be one of empathy and kindness that would reflect your Son’s love in all I do. I ask that Your Holy Spirit stir up a zeal inside of me that would be rid of all lukewarmness and any pride and replaced by The Language of faith and love. Teach me to listen to Your voice and not one of the flesh. Help me see through Your lens the goodness inside of those You love. Teach me to not be so quick to speak and when I do, to give You all praise, honor, and glory and those who have an excellent spirit to return their love in all sincerity.    Thank You Father and it is Your Son’s name; Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.  

 

For those who haven’t accepted Jesus the Christ as their Savior and would like to invite Him into their lives today. Your heart must be willing, repentant and full of belief that He was the complete sacrifice for your sins. Pray with me:

Heavenly Father,

I come to You with a heavy heart and fully admit I have been doing things my way and they just have not worked out. I need Your help Father. I believe You love me, I don’t understand why You gave your love for me but I need it. I know I have sinned. Please forgive me, [name your sins]______. Teach me Your ways and give me insight into Your love. Guide me and direct my life into this new path. I pray in faith and love through Your Son Jesus amen.

 

If you prayed that prayer with the faith of a small mustard seed, you have been born-again. Buy yourself a Bible and begin reading the book of John. Begin to attend a good Bible believing church. Your new friends have been where you are today and will help you get through the rocky times, in love, prayer and faith. Welcome to the family! You are loved!

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