Recently I was doing a study on Ephesians 3:20, one of my favorite verses,

“Now to God Who, by consequence of the action of His power that is at work within you, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that you dares ask or think, infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. (Amp)

The main phrase in the Greek is more accurately translated “superabundantly above the greatest abundance.”  Let your mind try to fully fathom that concept.  Whatever your need, whatever your desire, God’s power in you is able to do in supernatural levels of abundance beyond the best you can imagine for an answer!

Adams Clarke Commentary explains it well-

We can go beyond the limits of all human descriptions; we can imagine more than even God has specified in His word; and can feel no bounds to our imagination of good: and after all, God is able to do more for us than we can ask or think; His ability here is so necessarily connected with His willingness, that the one indisputably implies the other; for, of what consequence would it be to tell the Church of God that He had power to do so and so, if there were not implied an assurance that He will do what His power can?

Stated more simply, God would not bother to tell you that His power in you can do supernatural levels of abundant provision, intervention, revelation, wisdom, etc., beyond what you can possibly imagine unless He meant that He was willing to do exactly that in whatever area of your life you desire and/or need to be revolutionized.  He is challenging you to ask and believe for exactly that!  

Realizing this, we usually ask and believe far below the power and willingness of the power of God.  William Burkitt says, ”O! how narrow, short, and poor are our prayers, compared with the power of God!”

 Now come back to my original question to you. 

What do you need God to revolutionize in your life now?  What do you desire Him to transform now?  Imagine the highest you can imagine, then by faith realize that God’s power within you is able to do that; He’s told you to dream, believe, and ask it because He delights to give you infinitely beyond it!

• Self Esteem
• Forgiving Yourself
• Balance in Self Sacrifice and
• Rest

Merton on Self Esteem:

We cannot achieve greatness unless we lose all interest in being great. If we pay too much attention to [our idea of greatness], we will be lured out of the peace and stability…God gave us, and seek to live in a myth we have created for ourselves. We are truly ourselves when we lose the futile self consciousness that keep us constantly comparing ourselves with others in order to see how big we are.

We all seek to imitate one another’s imagined greatness….If I do not know who I am, it is because I think I am the sort of person everyone around me wants me to be. Perhaps I have never asked myself whether I wanted to become what everybody else seems to want to become. Perhaps if I only realized that I do not admire what everyone seem to admire, I would really begin to live after all.

Every man has a vocation to be someone: but he must understand clearly that, in order to fulfill his vocation, he can only be one person: himself…What does this mean? In order to be what we are meant to be, we must know Christ, and love him, and do what he did. Our destiny is in our own hands since God has placed it there, and has given us the grace to do the impossible. It remains for us to take up courageously and without hesitation the work he has given us, which is the task of living our own life as Christ would live it is us.

We can either Love God because we hope for something from Him, or we can hope in Him knowing that he loves us. Sometimes we begin with the first kind of hope and grow into the second.

Merton of Forgiving Yourself

It is true that we make many mistakes. But the biggest of them all is to be surprised at them: as if we had any hope of never making any. Mistakes are part of our life, and not the least important part. It is by making mistakes that we gain experience, not only for ourselves but for others.

My successes are not my own. The way to them was prepared by others. The fruits of my labors are not my own: for I am preparing the way for the achievements of another. Nor are my failures my own. They may spring from the failure of another, but they are also compensated for by another’s achievement. There for the meaning of my life is…only seen in the complete integration of my achievements and failures with the achievements and failures of my own generation.

Merton on Rest

We do not live merely in order to “do something” no matter what…We do not live more fully merely by doing more…On the contrary, some of us need to discover that we will not begin to live more fully until we have the courage to do and see and taste and experience much less…There are times, then, when, in order to keep ourselves in existence at all we simply have to sit back for a while and do nothing. And for a man who has let himself be drawn completely out of himself by his activity, nothing is more difficult than to sit still and rest.

Balance in Self Sacrifice

The saint, therefore, is sanctified not only by fasting when he should fast but also by eating when he should eat. He is not only sanctified by his prayers in the darkness of the night, but by the sleep he takes in obedience to God, who made us what we are. Not only his solitude contributes to his union with God, but also his supernatural love for his friends and his relatives and those with whom he lives and works.

All Quotes are Excerpts from Thomas Merton’s book, No Man Is an Island.

A main key in attaining the highest level of spirituality or spiritual life is eliminating religious peripherals to focus on a deeper understanding of God’s person.

Those of us who are spiritually minded desire to go past all the peripherals and live at a depth of spiritual experience that few people ever attain, a level of spirituality that is fulfilling and brings wholeness.

To attain the highest level of spirituality, first become aware of what things are religious peripherals that may be keeping your focus from the depth you really desire.

Let me clarify before explaining this point that I am not minimizing the value of various religious ceremonies, traditions, rites, or liturgy in anyone’s religion. Depending on one’s personality, they can hold great value emotionally as well as aid in spiritual focus and sense of community. What is important here is to have a full realization that religious ceremonies or rites are not “in themselves” the focus of one’s spiritual experience. They are aids or tools. The actual focus is to know God’s person, to daily experience a progression of more deeply and intimately understanding the aspects of His personality. Just as we are spirits in physical bodies, with the spirit being the person that everyone else gets to know, so God is Spirit; your spiritual focus is to progressively grow in your understanding of His person through interactive communication with Him, the same as you grow in relationship with any other sentient person.

The Apostle Paul, well-known for authoring a large part of the New Testament, described this experience of not being distracted by the peripherals of one’s true spiritual focus.

Paul discusses his rich religious heritage which he says, by outward appearances, would give him great spiritual advantage (Philippians 3:4-7), “circumcised at eight days old, of the nation of Israel, a son of Hebrews, of the religious sect of the Pharisees, known for outstanding zeal, and by the standard of the Law of Moses-blameless.” Yet Paul states that these things, though they have value, are not to be one’s main focus in attaining the spirituality we each desire. Paul counts them all as loss compared to the pricelessness of growing in his understanding of God’s person.

This quote very effectively describes how to focus your spiritual passion on attaining an intimate knowledge of God’s person:

I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege – the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth and supreme advantage – of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly…For my determined purpose is that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly. Phil. 3:8,10 Amplified

Notice the 2 steps Paul describes as necessary for true spiritual attainment:

1. Counting everything else as a loss when compared to progressively knowing God’s person.
2. Making it one’s determined purpose, a specifically focused driving purpose, to intimately know and understand God’s person.

Lastly, to implement this concept, realize that even in the spiritual realm, there is a difference between knowing “about” a person and actually “knowing” the person.

One can know about a famous person, all kinds of facts, dates, and experiences that person has had. But that kind of knowledge “about” someone lacks a true intimate knowledge of his or her person. On the other hand, those who daily interact with him or her on a personal level are the ones who progressively develop a true intimate knowledge and understanding of their personality.

Take this mental picture and apply it to your own spiritual experience. Ceremonies, rites, etc. are tools but do not let them become your main focus; if you do, your spiritual experience will lack the living, intimate depth that you desire and can receive. Make it your determined purpose to focus on “progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with God, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person.”

Many People are on a Search for Personal Power.

No one wants to feel helpless. It is even common for people involved in spiritual searches through a variety of religions to be motivated by a desire for spiritual personal power. The validity of a search or desire for power is often questioned. Everyone has seen situations in which power corrupts. One may wonder whether power can ever be good. In this post, we’ll discuss that question, as well as the safeguards and motivations for power.

The Validity of Power

There is a type of power that we are all to experience, a power that is to be influential in each of our realms of existence. Though this is revealed through several quotes, I’ll use the most direct one first.

I pray that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which God has called us…His immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing power in and for us who believe. It is the same mighty power He used when He raised Christ from the dead. Eph. 1:18-20

This quote is by the apostle Paul, author of the majority of the New Testament and considered by theologians to be the greatest leader in the Early Church. His prayer was that each person would have a greater understanding (some translations “enlightened”) to know that the same immeasurable power that raised Jesus from the dead is a power that is “in” us and “for” us who believe in God. A limitless power that can return a dead, decaying body to life inside us, and for us to use, is beyond most people’s hope or expectations.

In another place, Paul speaks of his own personal search to know the resurrection power of God:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. Phil. 3:10

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. 1 Cor. 2:4

If these quotes by the apostle Paul do not eliminate your doubts as to whether or not God intended us to have power, here are three quotes  from Jesus Himself.

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” Matt. 22:29

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions [referring to evil spiritual forces] and to overcome all the power of the enemy [satan]; nothing will harm you. Lk. 10:19

I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do…I have sent them into the world, just as You sent Me into the world. Jn. 17:4

In the first quote, Jesus was telling religious leaders that they were in doctrinal error due to a lack of knowledge in both the Scriptures and the power of God. In the next quote, Jesus expresses to His followers that His delegated power in them can overcome the spiritual powers of evil forces. It takes power to overcome power. Lastly, in John 17, Jesus is praying to Father God, saying that He completed the work He was supposed to do on earth and is sending people to do the same work that He did, “just as You sent Me…”

The Purpose of Power

The purpose that God intends for His limitless power, resurrection power, to be in us and for us, is in itself a type of safeguard, though we will discuss that in a moment. Power’s purpose is to continue doing for people what Jesus did for people while here on earth. Jesus said,

I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. Jn. 13:15

What was the whole course of Jesus’ public life? Healing all that were sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, forgiving sins, restoring ruined lives, healing broken hearts. (Lk. 4:36; 6:19; Acts 10:38; Matt. 4:24;15:30)

Even during his time of public travel, Jesus gave His power to those closest to Him and sent them out to do the same things He was doing. See here:

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Lk. 9:1

They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Mk. 6:13

The Proof of Pure Power

What then is the proof that someone is using power in a pure way, as opposed to a corrupt way? The proof is, first, in their lifestyle and, second, in the consistency of it. Is the person’s lifestyle replicating or reproducing the positive effects on humanity that the power of Jesus did? If so, is the person doing good with consistency as Jesus did?

Jesus made an outstanding statement regarding the opportunity for His power to work through us, but it is conditional.

I will do for you whatever you shall ask in My Name. If you really love Me, you will obey My commands. Jn. 14:14,15

God is willing to let His resurrection power work through us, doing whatever good we ask, as long as we truly love Him, which is shown by living in obedience to His commands. God’s commands are intended for the provision and protection of a happy, fulfilling, and effective life for each of mankind. Any desire, thought, or action that would violate an “abundant” life for yourself or another person would be in violation of God’s commands. Limitless power is not safe in the hands of someone who violates God’s principles; therefore, God makes the stipulation that His willingness to do whatever we ask is based on obedience to His type of lifestyle, one that provides and protects.

The commitment to using power to live in the same lifestyle as Jesus, having the same effects as Jesus on mankind, is in itself a safeguard over the use of power:

For God called you to do good…He is your example, and you must follow in His steps. 1 Pet.2:21

You must “follow in His steps” by following Jesus’ lifestyle example of doing good, not harm, of healing and restoring lives through the use of God’s power.

Power’s Ultimate Safeguard

Finally, the ultimate safeguard over a misuse or corruption of power is the law of love. A motivation of love for mankind is to be the ultimate, guiding principle for thoughts, words, and actions. That is why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is loving God and then mankind, that all the commands of God could be kept by obeying the guiding principle of love (Matt. 22:36-40).

Love is often defined by people in many different ways. However, Jesus made clear how He defines love:

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples-when they see the love you have for each other. Jn. 13:34

Living by a motivation of love means that one lives the same loving lifestyle that Jesus did, one that was healing and restoring to people’s lives, not destructive.

God desires His limitless resurrection power to flow through us, influencing the realm of each of our existence, just as Jesus did. As we follow His lifestyle through a motivation of love, we can see God’s power in and for us bringing phenomenal healing and restoration to our own lives, and the lives of those around us.

The first step in activating the Law of Abundance is knowing it is God’s plan for you.

To activate the Law of Abundance in the spiritual realm, it must be accomplished through faith. Faith is what activates spiritual laws. Unless you understand that abundance is a spiritual principle and God’s desire for your life, you will not be able to believe, or have faith, to activate it. There are far more passages in Scripture that discuss abundance than would be practical to include here, but I’ll give you a few main quotes that make the spiritual Law of Abundance plain.

I will bring health and healing to my people and let them enjoy abundant peace and security…They will bring me renown, joy, praise, and honor before all who hear of the good things I do for them. People will be in awe and tremble and the abundant prosperity and peace I will provide. Jeremiah 33:9

I will give them all the prosperity I promised them…. I will restore their fortunes. Jeremiah 32:42,44

[Regarding tithes] “Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pest from devouring your crops and the vines will not cast their fruit. All people will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10

All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed. Isaiah 61:9

They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God…Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Isaiah 35:2,5

Realizing why the Law of Abundance in your life is important to other people will increase your faith to activate it.

Obviously, abundance is important to you so that your needs are met. Vast amounts of Scripture verify that God wants your needs met. But it is crucial for the Law of Abundance to be activated in your life for 2 other reasons as well.

First, God desires that you have enough abundance that you are able to give good things to others in need. See these quotes:

I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing (dispensing good to others)…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:2,3

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you are always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, self-sufficient–possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (Amplified)

Second, God desires you to live in abundance so that people will realize that He is good above and beyond what humans are capable of and takes “abundantly” good care of His people. Take careful notice of the phrases referring to this from the first set of quotes in this post:

They will bring me renown, joy, praise, and honor before all who hear of the good things I do for them.

All people will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land.

All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.

They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God

When you realize that the abundance promised from God is not just spiritual, that other people have to see it in the physical world so that they realize it is a blessing on you from God, you then in faith should be able to believe God to do what He promised, bringing visible abundance into your life. Why? Just for selfish purposes? No, so that “all peoples of the earth are blessed through you” and that “renown, joy, praise and honor” go to God because of the abundance He has given you.

Activate the Law of Abundance by acting on your faith now.

One time when I was meditating before God on the principle of faith, He impressed upon me a concept that is often lacking when one wants to act in faith on a promise of God. It is the concept of imminence. Imminence means that something is definitely going to take place and could take place at any moment. It is a concept in Scripture used to refer to the second coming of Christ to the earth. To believe that His return is imminent, is to believe that it is definitely going to take place at any moment.

For you to act on faith with any promise of God, including the Law of Abundance, you must believe that the fulfillment is imminent — that it will definitely take place. I have heard people of great faith say, “The proof of your faith is rest.” There is a great deal of truth to that. If you begin to have faith that God will provide for you the abundance He promises, if you believe that abundance is imminent — will take place at any moment — you will feel at rest, rather than being filled with fear, worry, or doubts. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Remember that the term for “salvation” in the original Greek is all encompassing to your life, including “deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, health, welfare, rescue, safety.”

Do not allow religious tradition to tell you that abundance is not God’s will or plan for you now. Confess to yourself and to God that you believe Him when He said that now is the day of your salvation in all those areas listed in the above definition. Activate the Law of Abundance now in your life. Believe now that abundance is imminent because God Himself said that His favor and salvation for you are now.

Readers often ask why they themselves or family members have not received their healing.

Before getting into the main part of today’s post, I want to express some basic points regarding the many questions I receive about a lack of healing. Understand that no one could possibly answer all the questions concerning why a person’s healing did not take place. However, I do not take lightly the fear and discouragement that comes to many people over a lack of healing. It is my desire that no one becomes discouraged or loses heart while seeking God for healing; neither should anyone’s faith be destroyed due to a family member who was not healed.

I’ve posted previous articles on what God says in scripture about His desire for us to be healed. It is not possible for anyone to know all the factors involved in why someone did not receiving healing, especially someone other than the person who is suffering. Rather than trying to explain reasons that no one other than God Himself knows, these articles, instead, are to get our focus on what truth is available to us to know and understand about healing based on what God has expressed in scripture. It is of absolute necessity to both your emotional health and spiritual well-being not to base your understanding, belief, or doctrine of healing on what you or someone else experienced. You cannot know all that has taken place to cause sickness or prevent healing in both the natural and spiritual realms. It is essential that your understanding of healing is based on what God says about His desires and involvement in healing as seen in scripture. Second, one also does not want to be harmed and prevented from receiving healing due to holding on to erroneous religious traditions. This post today is to remove from our minds some of the common misconceptions about healing that have been spread through religious traditions for centuries.

The first common misconception in need of attention is that sickness is a necessity for a believer, that since Jesus suffered on earth, we must suffer with sicknesses.

The quote religious tradition uses to support this idea is 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer with Him [Jesus], we will reign with Him.” Two points are important in removing the misconception from this verse. First, yes, Jesus did suffer on this earth but the suffering was from religious persecution, not from illness or disease. Second, the apostle Paul is the person writing this quote in 2 Timothy and he is also referring to religious persecution, not sickness. Here is the context:

2 Tim.2:9-12 I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we suffer with Him, we will also reign with Him.

A second common religious tradition is that God causes someone’s illness or delays/refuses his healing as a form of discipline or to cause personal and spiritual growth.

There is a fine line here in realizing the difference between truth and religious tradition in this statement. It is absolutely true that mankind as a whole usually experiences greater personal and spiritual growth during a time of suffering; suffering causes us to re-evaluate and adapt. The fine line here is that, because a person can learn from suffering or difficulties, it does not mean that God is the one causing them. As the old saying, “Hindsight is 20-20.” In retrospect, if we are honest with ourselves, we can see that most of our troubles in life, and even often our illnesses, were brought into being by poor choices, such as acting on impulse, or being in a harmful relationship, or not taking care of one’s body.

The quote that religious tradition often uses to say that sickness is discipline is from Hebrews 12:6, “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens [disciplines].” Religious tradition will apply this quote to sickness and say that God either caused the sickness or is not healing the sickness so that you will have personal/spiritual growth. There are again two important points to notice in this context. First, the discussion from Heb.12:1-13 uses an illustration comparing an earthly father’s discipline of the child he loves to the loving discipline of Father God to His children. Notice love is involved, not the abuse some people have experienced as children by out-of-control fathers or substance abuse situations. Second, the Greek word used here for “discipline” is “paideuo,” and it literally means to train up a child, educate, instruct, learn, teach.(1) A loving parent disciplines a child in a way that does educate and benefit; no wise, loving parental discipline involves giving one’s child a disease. The thought is ludicrous! It is just as absurd to suggest that the all-wise, perfectly loving Father God would give His child a disease as discipline. Think of the person in your realm of knowledge that you believe to be the most wise, successful parent; then realize that God’s discipline of His children is unfathomably more wise, loving, and successful than that of any human parent. When some family members were in a car accident a few years back, a few well-meaning people kept saying that they hoped my family members had learned what God was trying to teach them. Realize, no wise parent would discipline his child by causing the child to have a critical car accident. Neither would God in all His wisdom. Let’s put this religious tradition to an end. Does that mean we have an explanation for all of life’s tragedies? No, but neither does it mean the blame should be put on God for them.

The apostle Paul’s reference to a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7) has often been use in religious tradition to support the idea of God giving His children diseases or other ailments.

The phrase “thorn in the flesh” is a metaphor that has literally been in use for 1000’s of years. It does not refer to a physical or “fleshly” sickness. Around 1400 BC, the book of Numbers records God using this metaphor while speaking to the people of Israel, warning them against the possible “torment” from their ungodly enemies. The Hebrew for “torment” is “tsarar,” meaning “adversary, enemy, besiege, oppress, distress, trouble.”(2) It says,

If you don’t kill the Canaanites when you possess the land, they will become thorns in your side. They will torment you. Num.33:55

The purpose here is not to get involved in a discussion about war, but to point out the fact that this phrase is a metaphor and not referring to a physical sickness. There is also insight to be gained from two of the Greek words in Paul’s quote from 2 Corinthians. The Greek term for “messenger” is actually “angel.”(1) Paul is saying that an “angel from satan,” or an evil spiritual messenger is tormenting him. Anyone studying Paul’s life can see where that is obvious, as he suffered frequently from beatings, riots, and imprisonments. Forces of evil were always causing him some form of religious persecution.

More importantly, God describes good and perfect gifts as having their source in Him, not harm.

In James 1:17, God says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father…who does not change.” The Greek word for “good” means beneficial.(1) The Greek term for “perfect” refers to having completeness in a various aspects of one’s life, such as one’s labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.(1) Good and perfect do not describe physical harm, damage, or disease. It is also significant that the context says God does not change, as people do. He cannot be the source of good and perfect in the past and then change to be the source of harm.

Jesus’ own example of God’s character was one of healing and restoration.

Scripture describes Jesus as being the “image of the invisible God (Col.1:15),” or in other words, a visible representation to us of the unseen God. Jesus Himself said, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father (Jn.14:9).” Why is this important to us? Because the pattern of Jesus entire ministry was one of healing and restoration, “Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).” Numerous scriptures describe this. (You can see a list in the “Does God Want to Heal Me?” post referenced below.) Jesus came to be an illustration of the heart, mind, and character of God and His life was one of healing and restoration. This is probably the most important point of all against the religious traditions of God bringing disease or bodily harm to people.

Providing this information on the erroneous nature of some religious traditions will not give you the answers to all your “why” questions when it comes to a lack of healing, but it will bring you peace and relief — if you allow it — to know that God is not the one fighting against you. He desires His activity in your life to be that of healing and restoration, as Jesus illustrated for us.

Click Here to go to Other Informative Posts on Healing:

Does God Want to Heal Me?

Why Doesn’t God Heal Me?

1. Greek definitions are from Strong’s Dictionary of New Testament words.
2. Hebrew definitions are from Strong’s Dictionary of Old Testament words.
3. List of 3 common religious traditions regarding healing were taken from Faith Food, May 12th article, Kenneth Hagin. Research in the Greek and Hebrew terms as well as post discussion is provided by ReceiveHealing.com

Feelings of guilt hinder the quality of our relationships, both in the natural and spiritual realms. God desires that you live your life in confidence, free from guilt.

Guilt is a hindrance in any relationship. A person does not act according to the giftings of his personality, the best that he is capable of, when suffering from guilt, because it is a form of fear. It makes the person fear another conflict with that person or fear failure when facing a similar type situation as in the past. Guilt also often causes one to give in to manipulation from controlling people’s selfish desires, even when the decision is against his better judgment.

In one’s relationship with God, guilt also keeps a person from interacting in a healthy manner and, thus, relating to God with the confidence in which He desires us to interact with Him. If you feel that you have not already received forgiveness from God for past failures, or are struggling with the feeling that God is holding the past against you, please read the post, Hold on to Forgiveness Instead of Failure, before finishing this article. This post will deal with God’s descriptions of interacting with Him through a perspective of guilt-free confidence.

God clearly expresses His desire that each of us enjoy a favorable relationship with Him.

In the following quote from Romans 5:1,2,5, God states that He desires us to grasp the fact that we can “hold [on to] and enjoy” a relationship of peaceful reconciliation with Him.

Rom. 5:1,2,5 Since we are acquitted and given a right standing with God through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy through Jesus. Through Him we have by faith into this state of God’s favor in which we firmly and safely stand. Let us rejoice in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God…..Such hope never disappoints us…

The easiest way to cover the wealth contained in this quote is to list the various points based on the meaning of the key words in the original Greek with which they were written.

1. The Greek word for the phrase “peace of reconciliation” is “eirene,” containing the emotional states of quietness and rest as well as “set at one again” or reconciled.(1) Reconciliation is defined as either “restoring harmony in a friendship”(2) or “re-establishing a close relationship.”(3) God wants us to grasp the fact that, as far as He is concerned, there is rest and harmony in the close relationship between you and Him, and He wants you to live in the enjoyment of that fact.

2.You may think, “How can I feel such harmony between myself and God after all my failures?” The first phrase in the quote explains how. “Faith” in God gives you a right standing with Him. In the Greek, “faith” or “pistis” is your “moral conviction of the truthfulness of God, especially reliance upon Christ for salvation, as well as constancy in such profession.”(1) The Romans 5 quote is part of a discussion in chapter 4 on Abraham being the father of faith because he “believed God and it was credited to his account as righteousness and right standing with God (Rom.4:3,22;Gen.15:6).”

3. Your faith (reliance, continual trust) in God’s forgiveness allows you to be “acquitted” by God of your past failures, just as when a jury “acquits” an accused person, freeing him of all guilt. The discussion in Romans 4 on Abraham ends by saying, the words about Abraham’s faith giving him a right standing with God were not written for his sake alone, “but for our sakes, too. Right standing with God will be granted to us also who believe, trust in, adhere to, and rely on God who raised Jesus from the dead, who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds…absolving us from all guilt before God.”

Let’s focus back on our original quote and paraphrase it, “Because of your faith or trust in God’s acquittal or removal of our guilt, He desires you to grasp the fact that you can enjoy a restored, close harmonious relationship with Him.”

4. The “state of God’s favor” in which you firmly and safely stand by faith is the word often translated as “grace.” The Greek for “grace” is “charis,” meaning “graciousness of manner or actions, especially the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; benefit, favor.”(1) To paraphrase, God desires you to realize that He is expecting you to live enjoying a favorable relationship with Him in which you benefit from His gracious attitude and actions toward you.

5. In God’s perspective, you “firmly and safely stand” in this gracious, guilt-free relationship with Him. Let your mind grasp hold of the peace involved when you realize that your standing in a relationship with someone is firm and safe. The Greek for “stand” is “histemi,” a prolonged form of the root word, meaning to abide or continue.(1) Again, God’s perspective is that the relationship between you is a gracious one that will continue to be safe and firm; it is lasting. Allow yourself to enjoy the incredible peace and satisfaction from a firm, safe relationship with God.

6. The next sentence in the Romans 5 quote says, “Let us rejoice in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.” It is good to remind you here that the term “hope” in scripture is not like the typical concept in English. In English, the term “hope” implies wishful thinking of something that may never happen. The Greek term used in this sentence, “elpis,” means to confidently anticipate or expect; it also contains the idea that you feel pleasure because of the confidence that what you are anticipating will actually happen.(1) God wants you to rejoice because you can live each and every day confidently anticipating, expecting to enjoy a lasting relationship with God in which you experience all the glories, all the wonders that exist in His person.

7. The last part of the quote, verse 5, says “Such hope never disappoints us…” What a phenomenally wonderful thought — a relationship in which you will not be disappointed. When you by faith accept God’s forgiveness or acquittal of your failures, you enter a relationship with Him of guilt-free confidence. That is where God desires you to exist. He desires you to grasp hold of that fact, enjoy it, live in confident anticipation that a harmonious relationship with God of favor, graciousness, and benefits is also a firm, safe, and lasting relationship in which you can daily experience all the glories existing in His personality. No wonder He tells us that we will not be disappointed!

Let’s wrap up by briefly looking at 2 benefits from a guilt-free, confident relationship with God.

When you exist in a guilt-free relationship with God, it changes how you communicate with God in prayer.

Look at this beautiful quote from Heb 4:15,16 about confidence in your relationship with God.

For we do not have a High Priest [reference to Jesus] who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need, appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it.

Remember what I said about guilt in the beginning of this post? Guilt is a type of fear that keeps you from living at your best in a relationship. When you realize that God has removed your guilt and you live in a firm, safe relationship with Him, that confidence changes all your conversation with Him. You freely come to God with your needs, feeling confident in His help. The word “confidence” in the Hebrews 4 quote is the Greek term, “parrhesia,” meaning “outspokenness, bluntness, boldness of speech, freely, openly, plainly.” A clear understanding of your relationship with God will cause you to be confident enough to talk freely and plainly with God about your needs, desires, and dreams.

When you exist in a guilt-free relationship with God, it changes the level of prayers that you see answered.

Remember in Matthew 9:29 what Jesus said regarding results from our prayers, “According to your faith it will be done to you.” When you realize that you have a firm, safe relationship with God upon which you trust and rely, such confidence greatly increases your faith. You believe in God’s loving care for you. You believe that He listens to your prayers and follows through with the promises to you that you see in scripture. As a result, you freely come to God with your needs, feeling completely confident in His help or having “faith”, and thus receive the answers to your prayers. According to your faith – your trust and reliance on the relationship with Him – the answers to your prayers take place.

1. Greek definitions were taken from Strong’s Dictionary of New Testament Words.
2. Meriam-Webster Dictionary
3. thefreedictionary.com

]]> http://receivehealing.com/blog/390/guilt-free-confidence/feed/ 0 http://receivehealing.com/blog/334/divine-revelation-is-it-reality/ http://receivehealing.com/blog/334/divine-revelation-is-it-reality/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:17:48 +0000 R.H. http://receivehealing.com/blog/?p=334 Reading Level: Impassioned

The amount of error and/or hoaxes seen in society by all of us are enough to make one question whether or not God speaks to mankind.

Yet, the level of difficulty in various seasons of life make a person desire someone more powerful, more knowledgeable than himself to look to, interact with, and rely on. I came across a great quote last week regarding this:

Happy, blessed, fortunate, enviable is he who has the God of special revelation for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. (Ps.146:5, Amp)

It is quite fitting, as a person is absolutely happy, blessed, fortunate, and to be envied who has God Almighty providing special revelations of wisdom, insight, and direction to help him through life. The Hebrew word here for “hope” means expectation. Not many of us can say that we live in that state, whose “expectation is in the Lord his God of special revelation.”

Why do most people not expect divine revelation?

Other than the apparent faux pas or hoaxes that bring discredit to the concept of divine revelation, the idea I heard most quoted while growing up in religious circles was this one:

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him… (1 Cor.2:9)

People use this quote to say that God does not speak. This is one of those instances that prove how important it is to study the written Words of God for yourself and not go by what you hear. Notice the “…” at the end of the above quote. It is because it is only part of a sentence. People in religious circles usually never quote the full sentence which goes on to say-

…but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor. 2:10)

The concept of us not knowing the plans of God or “will of God” for our lives sounds logical if one only know the first part of that sentence. It is helpful to refer here to another quote from Jn.10:27, which says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Why would Jesus say that those who seek God listen to His voice if God does not speak to mankind? Obviously, God Himself does say that He speaks to mankind of His plans and purposes for our lives.

How does divine revelation come?

We are not solely physical beings; we are physical beings in which lives an eternal spirit created by God. The communication takes place between your spirit and God’s Spirit. God says,

The Spirit will announce and declare to you the things that are to come-that will happen in the future. He will honor and glorify Me; He will take, receive, draw upon what is Mine and will reveal, declare, disclose, transmit it to you. (Jn. 16:13,14 Amp)

The Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth. (Jn.16:13)

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (Jn. 14:26)

So, yes, God’s Spirit does communicate with your spirit. If you have never thought it possible before, you may have either tuned it out or not recognized it, thinking the ideas were just your own thoughts.

God’s Spirit does speak guidance and wisdom to mankind so that one can live an effective, fulfilling life. Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Again, scriptures emphasize that the Spirit of God does teach you the will of God, i.e. His plans and purposes, for your life. God does also reveal spiritual truths or insights-

We pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, and clear knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things. (Col. 1:9)

Why does divine revelation appear not to happen for you or others you know?

First, there is the above mentioned point, that if you did not realize that God speaks or reveals truths to mankind, you may have “tuned out” or unintentionally ignored the thoughts, not realizing that they were from God–thinking they were just random thoughts of your own.

Second, there is the aspect of expectation. In the very first quote of this post from Ps. 146:5, it says that the God of special revelation is the help of those whose hope or expectation is in God; in other words, special revelation of the help a person needs comes to those who are expecting it. This is in agreement with a main concept Jesus taught, that “According to your faith it will be done to you (Mt. 9:29).” As in the philosophy of the Law of Attraction, if you are not expecting something good, you will not be aware of the opportunities when they become available. In this case, if you are not expecting God to speak, you would not hear direction from God because your lack of expectation keeps you from listening for it.

How do people get off track with divine revelations?

Your mind can have many “voices” which sometimes can be distracting to the voice of God’s Spirit. It is similar to the term of when one’s “mind is racing.” All kinds of thoughts can run through your mind at once, some being your thoughts, others being the thoughts of family and friends, the voice of God’s Spirit, and even voices of evil.

First, remember that discernment is learned. Jesus said that His sheep know His voice (Jn.10:4). Just as an animal learns the voice of its master through the experience of communication, you learn God’s voice through the experience of communication during prayer and study of the scriptures, God’s written words.

Second, realize that, as God is perfect, He will not and cannot contradict Himself. What He speaks now will not contradict what He has already been spoken. Obviously, there has to be a standard greater than yourself as a guide. Scriptures say in 2 Cor. 10:12, “When they compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” That is why knowledge of the scriptures is key, so you compare what you hear in your spirit to what God has revealed about His character in the written Word. If thoughts in your mind contradict the character of God or His instructions for living, those thoughts are not the result of divine revelation.

Third, divine revelation will have positive, healing, restorative results. Let’s look a little more specifically at this point.

What are the results of divine revelation?

If the thought is not a divine revelation but off track, the results of acting on it will not be positive. These quotes are samples of what God says are the results of acting on divine revelation of God’s will and purposes for you:

Acquaint now yourself with Him, agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will, and be at peace; by that you shall prosper and great good shall come to you. Job 22:21

And all your spiritual children shall be disciples taught by the Lord and obedient to His will, and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children. Is.54:13

And know and understand His will and discerningly approve the better things and have a sense of what is vital.. Romans 2:18

I could put many more similar quotes here, but the point is clear that the results of divine revelation will bring peace, prosperity, great good, undisturbed composure, and a discernment of what is best and vital in life. These are results that are in line with the character of God as well as with His written Word.

Does divine revelation take place? Yes, it does. It is the purpose of your spirit, communication with the Spirit of God. If you have never expected it, now is a good time to begin receiving special revelations that bring you a happy, blessed, fortunate, and enviable life!

Joy is usually defined as a lasting contentment or fulfillment in life. It is something we all want. The question is, where do we find it?

Most people would agree that joy must be a matter of the spirit.

Happiness is usually defined as short term enjoyment that comes from positive, surrounding events. This is in contrast to joy, which is considered lasting because it is not derived from circumstances but from your inner self, your spirit. The meaning of the common Greek word for joy–chara-consists of calm delight and exceedingly joyful. The Greek word for complete-pleroo-is usually combined with the term for joy; it literally means to “cram full a net,” or figuratively to “satisfy, fill up, fulfill, supply.” This gives us the visual picture that joy is lasting like a calm delight, yet excessive, like an overflowing fishing net, bringing complete satisfaction and fulfillment to our lives. It supplies completely what we desire most in life, yet it comes from within.

You can find your spirit’s source of joy.

Your spirit, the eternal part of you, comes from the eternal Spirit of God. Since your spirit was created by God, did God intend for your spirit to exist in a state of joy? Absolutely. God describes His desire for your joy this way:

I say these things…so that My joy made be made full and complete and perfect in you and you may experience My delight fulfilled in you, that My enjoyment may be perfected in your own soul, and you may have My gladness within you filling your heart. Jn. 17:13

What is significant in this quote is that God states that He desires the source of our joy, delight, enjoyment, gladness to be derived from His joy, delight, enjoyment, gladness.

What aspects of your spiritual existence are the source of joy?

This is in no way a complete list, but it should give you several points to ponder.

Joy from Receiving

One usually thinks about the joy of giving to others, but God desires that His giving to each of us evokes joy.

Now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy, gladness, delight may be full and complete…For the Father Himself tenderly loves you. Jn. 16:24,27

Joy from Interaction

Seeing God’s interaction in one’s life is a source of joy. Remember, in the quote prior, that God does expect you to ask Him for what you need and/or desire.

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. Ps. 92:4

Joy from a Loving Relationship

Joy comes from the knowledge of God’s love for you. This knowledge should also be your basis for a healthy, unchangeable self-esteem. This quote below uses the same 2 Greek words again for “joy” and “complete.”

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Jn. 15:9-11

Joy from Trust

The ability to trust in the relationship existing between your spirit and God’s Spirit is another source of joy. The word here translated as trust is the same one usually translated “faith.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Rom. 15:13

Joy from Guidelines

Even as children feel more safe and secure when raised within a set of guidelines, the guidelines God provides for your life is intended to produce a successful, abundant life, thus being a source of joy.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Ps. 19:8

Joy from God’s Person

Just as you derive joy from spending time in the presence of an earthly person whom you love, spending time in God’s presence (or with His person as this Greek word implies)-your spirit communicating with His Spirit-also evokes a lasting joy. Two points to notice from this quote: First, it again mentions the benefit of His guidelines as being the paths of life and, second, the phrase “fill me with joy” are the same Greek words mentioned above which are usually translated “complete” and “joy.”

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28

Joy from Comfort

Amid all the struggles that exist in this life, comfort is necessary to continue in a state of joy. God refers to Himself as the “Father of compassion and the God of ALL comfort, who comforts us in ALL our troubles…(2 Cor. 1:3,4)” In the greatest times of anxiety, look for His comfort to bring continuity to your state of joy.

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Ps. 94:19

Greek definitions are from Strong’s Dictionary of New Testament Words.

Whether you need encouragement or want some ideas upon which to meditate, this poem is worth reading.

A website out of Amarillo, TX, took this collection of verses, wrote out the main points in simple English, and arranged them into this moving poem. Receive from it whatever you need today. A link to their site is at the end of the post.

You may not know Me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in My image. Genesis 1:27
In Me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are My offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in My book. Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know Me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16
And it is My desire to lavish My love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are My child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from My hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40
For you are My treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
If you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to My heart. Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love My Son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, My love for you is revealed. John 17:26
He is the exact representation of My being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of My love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of My son Jesus, you receive Me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from My love again. Romans 8:38-39
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
To all who receive Me, I give the privilege of being My child. John 1:12

A Father’s Love Letter by The Father Loves Our City