6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Imagine someone turning to you during a sermon and saying, “Why are you thinking that way about the preacher right now?”
The fact that our thoughts are open to God’s knowledge can be very disconcerting. We are told to bring every thought into obedience to Christ, a command that once again proves to us our inability to obey Him without His help. Remember what Joshua said to the Hebrews as he doubted their ability to keep their promises to God.
Joshua 24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
And what Jesus said to his disciples.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Now, keep that in mind as you ponder this from Paul.
2Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Try to wrap your mind around that when you hear Jesus respond to the thoughts of the scribes. Its time to understand that God sees things from the other side also through the inside, not by necessity looking down from a throne like in Greek mythology. God can see what is going on in your spiritual heart and thoughts much more simply through your spirit.
Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Instead of always thinking of a work of God as something showering down on us as it was with the ancient Hebrews we need to also remember that what we want from God He can and will provide us from inside of us through His connection with our physical and mortal bodies in this world. We often, in our flesh, and from our failure to realize that the church and the Hebrews under the Law operate under much different circumstances fail to realize the spiritual nature of His dealings with us.
If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit as in Ephesians 5;
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
It doesn’t happen now as in the early days of the apostolic church …
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Jewish believer in the early church was surrounded by signs and “infallible proofs” because...
1Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
The believer within the church does not bear the proof of the Holy Spirit indwelling them by performing the sudden and instantaneous ability to speak in foreign languages and offering gifts of healing by the laying on of hands. Charismatic Christians still have diseases that aren’t healed by Benny Hinn. They still die of sudden illnesses like heart attacks or suffer long as in a cancer. No preacher’s handkerchiefs or aprons applied to the sick will make them get up (Acts 19:12). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not proven by a great and amazing defiance of physical laws on the believer’s part today.
The believer today displays proof of the Holy Spirit being inside of him by what the Bible aptly calls “the fruit of the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The signs of God to the Jewish people under the Law were from without. The signs of God to a believer under Grace come from within. God can heal anyone He chooses and He doesn’t need a “man of God” to be His vehicle. If it is within His will to heal you, you will simply be healed after much prayer and humbling. You will only be healed if your healing will result in glory for God to shine His light on others to draw them to Him.
So, remember that God knows every thought and God is aware of what is happening inside of your body and your mind at all times. Don’t be surprised at the judgment seat of Christ when He shows to have known your darkest thoughts and desires as well as your best intentions and hopes.
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
No comments:
Post a Comment