What Is the UNPARDONABLE SIN (Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit)?
Let’s read the two most informative accounts of when the Lord detailed the unpardonable sin:
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Mark 3:22–30
Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 12:22-32
Whether or not these two accounts are discussing the same episode or two different-yet-similar episodes is irrelevant. In both cases Christ was talking to religious leaders who weren’t actually in touch with God and were in reality children of the devil, as revealed elsewhere (John 8:44). They saw evidence of Jesus driving out demons from afflicted people and attributed it to the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebul.* He then explains the illogic of such reasoning—the absurdity that satan’s power could be overthrown by satan’s aid—but adds that anyone who speaks against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven, whether in this age or the eternal age to come. “They are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29).
* Beelzebul (or Beelzebub) had once been the name of a Canaanite idol, “the lord of the high place,” but by the time of Christ it was used by Hebrews in reference to the “lord of dung,” the ruler of the Underworld, satan, aka the devil.
We know that Christ was “full of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and this empowered him to exorcize demons and execute other miracles. So when the Teachers of the Law and Pharisees said he was driving out evil spirits by the prince of demons they were, in essence, calling the Holy Spirit an evil, unclean spirit, which is slander. This was speaking against the Holy Spirit, aka blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a transgression that is unpardonable. It’s an eternal sin. Why? Because these people’s hearts were so hardened with unbelief that they attributed something clearly done by the power of God to satan! How spiritually blind and dull could they be? These are the same people who, a little earlier, objected to the Messiah’s amazing healing of a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath and thus plotted to murder him (Mark 3:1-6).
So the unpardonable sin is unbelief so gross that the person attributes an obvious work of the Holy Spirit—aka God—to the devil or demons. Their eyes have become so tightly closed to the light that it has become darkness and good has become evil. This is such imbedded unbelief that the person is incorrigible. In other words, someone who commits the unpardonable sin isn’t someone who is concerned that they committed such a transgression.
Anyone who’s concerned that they committed the unpardonable sin did not commit it. The very fact of their concern is proof that they didn’t. Any person who wants to make things right with his/her Creator did not commit the unpardonable sin. “The blood of Jesus… purifies us from all sin” for anyone who’s penitent (1 John 1:7-9). Those who commit the unpardonable sin, by contrast, want nothing to do with the truth—reality—which includes the LORD, the Almighty Creator (John 14:6).
Be Careful About Presuming Someone Has Committed the Unpardonable Sin
We need to be careful: Just because someone puts on the airs that they’re radically against God and truth, it doesn’t automatically mean they’ve committed the unpardonable sin and cannot be reached. For instance, Paul was formerly a Pharisee named Saul who fiendishly opposed Christians in the 1st Century to the point of apprehending believers to be imprisoned or executed (Acts 8:1-3) and even tried to get them to blaspheme (Acts 26:11). Despite being a “blasphemer and a persecutor,” Saul was shown mercy because “he acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13) and thus the Lord was able to reach him on the Road to Damascus and he became the most strategic vessel for Christianity in the New Testament era (Acts 9:1-30).
The only way Paul would’ve committed the unpardonable sin is if, when he saw the (literal) light on the Road to Damascus (in other words, when he experienced clear evidence of the truth), he willfully closed his eyes & ears to it and continued on with his gross persecution of the Church. In such an event, he wouldn’t have even recognized his actions as sin and therefore wouldn’t seek forgiveness, but would’ve gone on stubbornly thinking he was doing the work of God with an undisturbed conscience. You see, people who commit the unpardonable sin no longer have a functioning conscience because it has been seared as with a hot iron and their hearts are thus hopelessly hardened (1 Timothy 4:2).
A good modern example would be Blackie Lawless of the shock rock/metal band W.A.S.P. Few other people would seem as far away from God as Blackie, but here’s what he said after reconciling with his Creator:
“I went to church in my teens and I went because I wanted to. I left in my late teens and came to California and studied the occult for three years. I went as far away as you could possibly go. I realized there was no truth and then I wandered around bumping into walls for the next 20 years, thinking I was mad at God. I realized that I wasn’t mad at God but I was mad at man for the indoctrination I received.
For me I had to settle this issue once and for all because I am not going to walk around with this anxiety of what’s going to happen to me and where I’m going, I got to know the truth. I got the Bible and I started reading and I thought I was going to disprove this thing once and for all.
I discover that it’s 66 books written by 40 different authors spread out over 2000 years in three continents. Most of these people didn’t know each other. I’m also aware that people think the Bible is written by man even if the Bible is inspired by God. I thought I would prove it isn’t true reading from an attitude of extreme prejudice. The more I read I realized that people weren’t just answering each other’s questions—they were finishing each other’s sentences. When I realized that, I recognized I was looking at the supernatural. I finally realized I was reading the Living Word of the Living God. And I was coming from a perspective of extreme prejudice, trying to disprove it. I’ll say this in short: it’s beyond impossible that men could have written this.”
Conversions of radically anti-Christian individuals like Saul and Blackie show that we have to be very careful about assuming that someone has committed the unpardonable sin. Christ obviously discerned by the Spirit that these religious Hebrews who said he was driving out demons by satan were so hardened by their unbelief that they were hopeless.
Insights From Luke’s Account
Now let’s consider what Christ said in Luke’s account about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
Luke 12:8-10
The Lord says here that those who disown Him to people on Earth will be disowned by Christ in Heaven (cf. Matthew 10:33). In other words, these are individuals who deny the truth, which is Christ (John 1:1-4 & 14:6). He immediately follows this up with the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. These sins are technically different and yet they both result in the Lord holding the sin against the individual and not forgiving him/her. This reveals a connection: Both offenses have to do with gross unbelief that stubbornly rejects the truth despite glaring evidence to the contrary.
With that in mind, you could say that every soul rejected by God on Judgment Day and discarded in the lake of fire to suffer the second death will have committed the unpardonable sin (Revelation 20:11-15, Hebrews 10:26-27 & Matthew 10:28). Every such person had been exposed to the truth one way or another in their lives, but rejected it in preference to their pet sin or godless ideology. Thus they are thrown away in the lake of fire where they reap the wages of their sin (Romans 6:23).
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven”
How do we explain this statement by the Lord in verse 10? Answer: People in Israel were understandably uncertain about the carpenter’s son, Jesus, being the prophesied Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15,18) and his identity would gradually dawn on many of them. You could say that the true nature of “the son of man” was veiled in his humanity & humility and thus people could’ve easily failed to grasp his identity. The same goes for other people up to this day. Thus a person’s statements against Christ based on false, fragmentary or conflicting information would be understandable and forgiven, assuming s/he is penitent.
It is true that Peter denied knowing Jesus out of fear for his life (Matthew 26:69-75) but—while his lips turned traitor for the nonce—his heart did not apostatize, not to mention he was repentant (Luke 22:31-32), which paved the way for the Spirit’s healing favor and thus Peter became a mighty apostle for the Lord. The saying “You’ve got to lose to know how to win” applies.
The Holy Spirit, however, is the invisible Divine Power on Earth strategic to human redemption seeing as how the Spirit:
- convicts us of our need of salvation (John 16:7-11),
- draws us to the Lord (John 6:44),
- gives us spiritual rebirth (John 3:6 & Titus 3:5),
- indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16 & 2 Corinthians 6:16),
- empowers us (Romans 8:11 & Acts 1:8)
- and guides us on a daily basis (John 16:13).
Hence people with hardened hearts of unbelief who badmouth the glaring work of the Spirit of God have committed an eternal sin and are thus irredeemable.
Additional Insights
Let’s end with four further points relating to the unpardonable sin:
- The difference between the unpardonable sin and the “sin that leads to death” (1 John 5:16 & Hebrews 6:4-6) is that the unpardonable sin applies to spiritually un-regenerated people (keeping in mind that the Judaic religious leaders weren’t spiritually reborn) whereas the “sin that leads to death” applies to seasoned born-again believers who willfully turn away from the LORD; that is, they commit apostasy. Of course, those who commit the “sin that leads to death” are also arguably committing blasphemy of the Holy Spirit since they foolishly chose to reject the Spirit who had been indwelling/guiding them.
- In addition to gross unbelief, the unpardonable sin is slandering God since it slanders the Holy Spirit as the devil (or a devil). Keep in mind that ‘devil’ literally means “slanderer” and so one of the key marks of a person who follows the devil is slander.
- The fact that there is an unforgiveable sin disproves the doctrine of Universalism, which argues that everyone will eventually be forgiven and redeemed. ’Nuff said.
- People who are guilty of committing the unpardonable sin always do so due to their embracing the flesh and false beliefs. For instance, the religious leaders of Israel slandered Christ as being possessed by the prince of demons because they were envious of his great works and jealous of his increasing following (Matthew 27:18). Today a lot of people blaspheme the Holy Spirit because of their unrepentant commitment to satanic ideologies, e.g. the secular religion of LIEberalism.
To close, the unpardonable sin is deliberately closing one’s eye to the light and absurdly calling good evil despite glaring evidence to the contrary. It’s wantonly ascribing the activity of the Holy Spirit to a demonic agency. The person who does so is incorrigibly lost by his/her own stubborn volition. Any person concerned about committing the eternal sin did not commit it because their very concern is proof that they didn’t. Anyone open & willing to make things right with God can (Proverbs 28:13 & Isaiah 1:18).
Related Topics:
What is the “Sin that Leads to Death” in 1 John 5:16?
God Deals with People According to the Light they Have
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (while Not Being SINLESS)
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
What Is the “SIN THAT LEADS TO DEATH” in 1 John 5:16?
Let’s read the passage in question:
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.
The topic is a fellow believer seen committing a sin and the reader being encouraged to pray for him/her, which is encouraged elsewhere in Scripture as well (James 5:15 & Galatians 6:1). Then John adds that he’s only talking about a believer whose sin does not lead to death followed by the fact that there is a sin that leads to death and it’s useless to pray for that person. Notice that he doesn’t say you can’t pray for this individual, he just implies it’s useless to do so.
First of all, John is not referring to physical death here even though there is evidence in the New Testament of genuine believers receiving the judgment of premature physical death due to their sinful actions (1 Corinthians 11:28-32 & Acts 5:1-10). This does not mean they’re not saved, but they’ll have to answer for their sin at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). How do we know for sure that John’s not referring to physical death? A few reasons:
- ‘Context is King’ is a hermeneutical rule and physical death does not fit the context. For instance, the antithesis of death is life and the seven times that John uses ‘life’ in chapter 5 all refer to either eternal life or spiritual life and not solely physical life. Verses 11-12 are a good example. Moreover, in the very verse in question—John 5:16—John refers to ‘life’ and it’s clear he’s talking about spiritual life (in the sense of fellowship with God) since the person in question is already physically alive.
- The only other time John refers to death in this entire epistle—twice in John 3:14—he’s clearly referring to spiritual death and the corresponding eternal death.
- The idea of physical death wouldn’t ‘work’ in regards to John’s instructions in the verse. To explain, John implies that we shouldn’t pray for the believer who has committed the sin that leads to death. If John was referring to divine discipline in the form of physical death, how would we know if a brother or sister has committed a sin that has incurred the judgment of physical decease? For instance, in the case of 1 Corinthians 11:28-32 some believers were getting sick and some dying because, as Paul put it, they “eat and drink judgment on themselves.” The answer is that we wouldn’t know and thus we would apply the aforementioned verses on praying for those who have sinned and are sick (i.e. James 5:15 & Galatians 6:1). The exception of course would be if the Holy Spirit informed you specifically not to pray for a certain believer who has sinned because it has incurred the judgment of premature death. But, let’s be honest, how many believers then or now are able to discern the Spirit’s leading with accuracy concerning something which would compel the person to disregard the clear teaching of Scripture in such matters (that is, praying for those who have sinned and are now sick)?
So John was talking about a sin that a believer can commit that leads to spiritual death & the corresponding eternal death. What sin is that? The book of Hebrews explains:
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6
The topic of these verses is believers who have “fallen away” even though they had once been enlightened to the truth of the message of Christ, tasted of the heavenly gift (Titus 3:5), were filled with the Holy Spirit, had fed well upon the word of God and evidently had experience with the gifts of the Spirit. If a believer experiences all of this they obviously have some degree of spiritual maturity. In other words, we’re not talking about a Christian slipping into sin or struggling with sin (1 John 1:8-9 & Isaiah 1:18), but rather someone who knows the truth and has walked with the Lord as a mature believer to some measure, but has willfully chosen to turn away from the faith in outright denial and rebellion.
This is the sin of apostasy, which means the abandonment or renunciation of one’s faith. This is why the sin is referred to as “fallen away” and not merely falling down. Believers who fall down can get right back up and continue moving forward (Proverbs 24:16) whereas those who willfully fall away have abandoned the road of Christian faith altogether and have set a new course that doesn’t include the LORD or the rightly-divided Holy Scriptures.
This is what John was talking about in 1 John 5:16—apostates—since he was earlier addressing those who had left the worldwide Church (which is different from leaving a particular assembly) and deny that Christ is the Messiah (1 John 2:19 & 2:22). Don’t pray for apostates like this because it’s useless seeing as how it is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). Again, John was talking specifically about those who were reasonably spiritually mature, not young believers struggling with a sin problem, like many of us have done with reoccurring relapses.
I’ll give you a modern example. A dozen years ago Carol & I were part of a fellowship wherein a new family joined the assembly and the husband, who was in his late 30s, was an experienced praise & worship leader. He shortly became one of three such leaders and he would effectively lead the congregation in praise & worship. A year and a half later the Lord called Carol & me out of that fellowship to serve elsewhere, but I eventually reunited with the man a few years later. We would have friendly chats now and then, mostly on Christian doctrine and current issues; sometimes debates.
Everything was great until he started becoming increasingly contentious, arguing for the sake of arguing, which I found curious (and reveals a lack of the peace of God). Then one day he dropped a bomb by saying that the Holy Scriptures were written by the devil, blah, blah, blah. It was a bunch of gobbledygook, but he was totally serious. I couldn’t believe it. This was once a formidable man of God who led the Lord’s people in praise & worship. Now he’s outrageously contentious and blathering about God’s Word being of the devil. Go figure.
I bring this sad story up because this man is a modern example of an apostate—someone who has left the Christian faith altogether and is actively preaching gross error. It’s useless to pray for him since he was a relatively mature believer in a leadership position who had chosen to turn away from the faith. This is the sin that leads to death, as John put it.
Let me hastily that, if you’re in a situation where it appears a seasoned believer has committed the sin of apostasy and you feel led of the Spirit to intercede for him/her then, by all means, do so.
Related Topics:
What is the Unpardonable Sin (Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit)?
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (while Not Being SINLESS)
God Deals with People According to the Light they Have
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
When You Should ASK and When You Should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND
Christ spoke of both speaking in faith and asking for things in prayer in the same breath:
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)
There was a mountain nearby and the Messiah spoke of it in a figurative sense, as if it were an obstacle or hindrance in one’s life. Jesus said that you can speak to such an obstacle by faith and what you speak will come to pass, assuming you believe.
NOTE that Christ mentions speaking three times and faith (belief) once. In other words, if you’re having trouble believing for something then keep speaking in faith and it will have positive impact on your belief since words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21 & Matthew 12:37). You can learn more here.
After talking about speaking in faith, the Lord goes right into the topic of asking for things in prayer, which is petition. While the two are different they’re obviously somewhat linked. They’re both forms of spiritual warfare or prayer, but one involves speaking in belief in the sense of demanding something by faith and the other involves requesting. So when should you speak in faith (demand) for something and when should you ask for it? The answer lies in comparing a couple of statements by Jesus in the Gospel of John:
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works [miracles] themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:11-14
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
John 16:23-24
In both of these passages Christ is talking about asking for things. The same Greek word is used in both verses, as well as Mark 11:24 above, which is aiteó (eye-TAY-oh). This word can mean ask in the sense of making a request, yet it can also mean demand in the sense of speaking in faith. The context will determine the proper meaning.
For instance, in the first passage, John 14:11-14, the Lord was talking about performing “works,” aka miracles, and says that believers will do these same works — and even greater works — because he was going to be resurrected and sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven (Acts 2:33). As such, he was talking about speaking in faith — demanding — in order to receive a miracle. A few examples in the New Testament include when Christ commanded the paralyzed man to get up and walk home (Matthew 9:6-8) and another occasion with an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:8), as well as Peter’s similar miracle concerning a lame man at the Temple gate (Acts 3:6).
A miraculous healing in my own life required speaking in faith. I needed knee surgery in 2013, but didn’t want to go that radical route for understandable reasons. So Carol & I prayed over my knee every day, speaking in faith for a healing. It took about three months, but the healing manifested and I was out skiing slopes in New York the following winter. This shows that sometimes perseverance is necessary in order to receive the miracle for which you’re speaking in faith; and not just to receive your healing, but to maintain it as well (Hebrews 6:12). For details see this video.
I was simply speaking in faith as Jesus instructed in Mark 11:23 — and adding perseverance — whereas Jesus and Peter in the above three examples were presumably operating in the gifts of the Spirit; nevertheless, both methods require speaking in faith, aka demanding the miracle in question.
When there’s a need for a healing miracle you don’t ask since healing is an important part of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24); and it is God’s will that the person be healed. How can I say that with certainty? Because Christ was Immanuel — “God is with us (in the flesh)” (Matthew 1:23) — and so what the Messiah did during his ministry on Earth reveals God’s will to us. For instance, people needing serious healings would approach Jesus and ask “if you are willing.” The Lord never responded “No, it is not my will”; rather he plainly said it was his will (Mark 1:40-41 & Matthew 8:1-3).
I repeat, healing is part of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:24), which is one of several reasons why it’s “good news.” The Bible promises a minimum of 70-80 years of life (Psalm 90:10) so, if you’re under that age, you can claim this promise by faith (2 Corinthians 1:20). Even if you’re over 80 you can believe and receive in faith in your awesome covenant with God simply based on your righteous desire (Mark 11:24, John 14:14, John 16:24).
Chew on these Scriptures (Matthew 4:4) and you’ll have increasing insight on when to ask for something in prayer petition and when to speak in faith for a miracle; always be led of the Spirit (John 14:26 & Romans 8:14). Amen.
Related Topics:
When You should Pray “If it be Your Will” and When Not to
Should I get the Surgery or BELIEVE for Healing?
Faith — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
Spiritual Warfare — Do You know What You’re Fighting For?
What are the Nine Gifts of the Spirit?
If Healing Comes by Faith, Why Use Anointing Oil, Handkerchiefs, etc.?
Praise & Worship—What’s the Difference? Why are they Important?
Provision, Money and “Prosperity”
When You Should Pray “IF IT BE YOUR WILL” and When You Shouldn’t
Right before Christ was apprehended, abused and crucified for the sins of humanity, he prayed this prayer:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42
The Messiah was not petitioning Father God for a financial need or healing here, but rather he was seeking the Father about direction, which involves consecrating one’s life to fulfill the LORD’s will. Christ on Earth was both God and man (Philippians 2:6-8). Being God, the Son, he knew that he was called to die for humanity (John 3:16) and that the next twelve hours of his earthly life were going to be an excruciating challenge, to say the least. Thus, being part man, he understandably sought the Father in regards to the possibility of another way — an easier way — yet ended his prayer with “yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Whenever you are seeking the LORD for direction, your flesh is naturally going to want to take the less grueling direction, yet God’s plan for your life may involve challenges and difficulties that your human side is understandably going to be resistant toward. Thus when praying for direction and consecration of your life you can request what you desire, which is usually the comfortable route, but your ultimate attitude must be “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” Why? Because you’re a servant while God is your LORD (Luke 17:7-10 & Philippians 1:1), you are a son/daughter while God is the spiritual Parent (Romans 8:15 & Matthew 23:9).
The prayer of petition, however, is a different matter. Petition refers to requesting something and must be based on the promise of God’s Word, not to mention what you ask for is received through faith:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15
For instance, we know in the Scriptures that God promises to supply our needs and even righteous desires (Matthew 21:22, John 14:14 & 16:23-24), as well as healing when needed (1 Peter 2:24, Mark 1:40-41 & Matthew 8:1-3), thus we can pray for such things and receive them by faith. Notice how Christ emphasized the importance of faith for answered petition:
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24
With the prayer of petition you don’t include the phrase “if it be thy will” because you’re praying based on the promise of Holy Scripture and you receive what you seek by faith. You must be sure it’s the LORD’s will based on the promise of God’s Word because, otherwise, you’ll likely doubt that God wants you to have what you’re seeking and this will hinder faith and sabotage your spiritual warfare. For instance, you’ll be apt to reason: “Maybe it’s not God’s will for me to be healed.” When you think like this, you inhibit faith and thus won’t get what you’re seeking.
I should add that I specified righteous desires above to distinguish them from fleshly, worldly desires (James 4:3-4).
If you’re struggling with faith to believe for answers in prayer petition, the answer is to:
- Increase your faith, which comes by drawing nearer to the Living Word in relationship (John 1:1 & 6:51).
- Increase your knowledge of the written word and the covenant promises thereof (Romans 10:17 & 2 Corinthians 1:20).
You can learn more about doing both in this video. Also see the relevant topics listed below.
Allow me to close with this thought: As you grow spiritually you’ll spend less-and-less time on petitioning for needs because such things will automatically be supplied as you put God first in your life — first, not only (Matthew 6:33). This will free you up for other, more important types of prayer, like praise & worship, simple communion, intercession and spiritual warfare, all of which you can learn more about from the links below.
Related Topics:
When You should ASK and when You should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND
Should I get the Surgery or BELIEVE for Healing?
Faith — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
Spiritual Warfare — Do You know What You’re Fighting For?
Praise & Worship—What’s the Difference? Why are they Important?
Provision, Money and “Prosperity”
What Sin Did HAM Commit Against His Father Noah?
Let’s read the passage in question:
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.
24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,
“Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers.”26 He also said,
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s territory;
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”Genesis 9:18-27
Ham’s transgression was not that he unintentionally saw Noah naked, but rather that he didn’t respectfully cover-up his father’s dubious behavior; instead he ran out and tattled to Shem and Japheth with the likely intent of gossipy ridicule. His brothers, by contrast, dealt with the awkward situation with reverence and love, which brings to mind a few verses:
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
Proverbs 10:12
Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Exodus 20:12
Ham didn’t conceal his father’s embarrassing situation, but rather disrespectfully gossiped about it. Meanwhile his brothers honorably covered-up the matter, literally and figuratively. The moral is that we should not be gung-ho about exposing an individual’s faults, how much more so when the person in question is one’s father? The same applies if someone’s your spiritual father or mother (1 Corinthians 4:15).
This does not mean that we should ignore offenses as there is a time & place for confrontation and correction, which holds people accountable to negative behavior. Yet, even then, Christ said to handle it privately on the initial confrontation and not to gossip about it (Matthew 18:15-17).
So it’s not what Ham saw that caused Noah to overlook him with his fatherly blessing and curse Canaan, but rather what he foolishly did about what he saw.
Related Topics:
Why Gossip & Slander are so EVIL
How to Confront & Correct (and How NOT to)
What Happened to the Hebrews are WARNINGS for New Covenant Believers
How to keep yourself BLAMELESS (while not being SINLESS)
Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?
Insights on OFFENSE & FORGIVENESS from Joseph’s Story
Why You should always FORGIVE when the Offender is Repentant
What Happened to the Hebrews in the Old Testament Are WARNINGS FOR BELIEVERS
The New Testament refers to our Hebraic forefathers who escaped slavery in Egypt:
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
1 Corinthians 10:5-11
As you can see, what happened to the Hebrews who escaped slavery in Egypt yet continued to live in sin was chronicled as sobering “examples” and “warnings” for us — New Covenant believers — so that we would not foolishly walk in the same transgressions and suffer accordingly. Four particular sins and the corresponding tragic occasions are named:
- Idolatry: This means worshiping something above the LORD, which doesn’t have to be a literal idol; it could be something like mammon (money). Paul got this example from Exodus 32 where the Israelites — barely out of Egypt — fell into gross idol worship. For insights on modern-day idolatry and how to walk free see this article.
- Sexual immorality: This includes all forms of sexual sin — fornication, adultery, homosexuality and so forth. This also refers to what took place in Exodus 32. The figure of 23,000 deaths is a combination of the 3000 killed by the Levites at Sinai for instigating the mass orgy (verse 28) and the participators who died from the subsequent plague (verse 35). For insights on how to walk free of any type of sexual lust see this article.
- Testing Christ: This refers to questioning the goodness and plan of the Almighty, who created us, leads us, protects us and provides for us. This example comes from Numbers 21:4-9 where the Israelites became impatient and frustrated due to Moses’ circuitous route to the Promised Land where they proceeded to speak “against God and against Moses” (verses 5 & 7). Thus the LORD sent venomous snakes against the rebels and killed them (verse 6). The only way those bitten could live was to look at a snake on a pole made by Moses at the LORD’s instructions, which foreshadowed Jesus’ death on the cross (Numbers 21:8-9).*
* Why would Christ be pictured as a snake on the cross? Because, although Jesus didn’t sin, he was made “sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB).
Two significant things bear noting from this account: First, the attacking snakes were types of the devil & filthy spirits (Luke 10:19). How’s this apply to us? Simple: Unbelief and the corresponding disobedience hinders protective angels and looses evil spirits (“snakes”). Secondly, Paul by the Spirit says that the Israelites tested “Christ” whereas the Old Testament account in Numbers specifically says they spoke against “God” and the “LORD” (verses 4 & 7). You see, Christ is the LORD, albeit the Son, not the Father. The Israelites were speaking against The Angel of the LORD whose job was to lead them through the wilderness and into the Promised Land (Exodus 23:20-23). Thus the Israelites “spoke against the LORD,” which “tested Christ.” Chew on that.
- Grumbling: This means complaining — murmuring and muttering in smoldering discontent — which includes complaining against God’s will, his Word and his leading, not to mention his God-anointed servant-leaders, like Moses & Aaron were to the Israelites. Paul says that those who obstinately grumbled were “killed by the destroying angel.” This refers to Numbers 16 where Korah, Dathan & Abiram and their 250 followers grumbled against the LORD and his chosen leaders (verse 11). It also includes the thousands of Israelites who grumbled the day after these rebels were slain by the LORD, which brought about the death of 14,700 more Israelites. These complaining rebels “were killed by the destroying angel”!!
Do you want to be slain by the destroying angel? Of course you don’t. So don’t grumble against the LORD, his Word, his will or his anointed servant-leaders. For anyone who would argue that this doesn’t apply to New Testament believers and our assemblies, the above passage plainly says otherwise (Corinthians 10:5-11).
This doesn’t mean, of course, that you should tolerate abuse from ministers (abuse is the misuse of power). In the case of Numbers 16 Moses & Aaron were not guilty of abuse. As a matter of fact, Moses was the humblest, godliest man on the face of the Earth at the time (see Numbers 12:3-8), which is in contrast to some modern arrogant “ministers” (‘minister,’ by the way, means “servant”). If you have legitimate evidence of abuse by spiritual leaders, pray about it and confront the person as led of the Spirit, as humbly as possible. If the person is unrepentant then get one or two witnesses for support in a follow-up confrontation. Christ Himself instructed us to do this (Matthew 18:15-17). If the “minister” remains obstinate about his/her abuse then do what the Messiah adamantly instructed: “Leave them; they are blind guides” (Matthew 15:14).
More on the Application of 1 Corinthians 10:5-11
Needless to say, 1 Corinthians 10:5-11 is a sobering passage and we need to regularly examine ourselves to see if we’re honestly in the faith and repent as necessary (2 Corinthians 13:5).
The four transgressions listed — idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God and grumbling — are common sins (1 Corinthians 10:13). All believers miss it now & then and anyone who says they don’t is a liar (1 John 1:8). But servant-leaders are supposed to be spiritually mature and therefore freed-up from the bigger sins (1 Timothy 3:1-7). After all, if they aren’t free from sin how can they help others walk free?
Regardless, all believers must learn to daily “put off the old self” — the flesh — and “put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:22-24). This is a process that requires “keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8), meaning humbly ’fessing up when you miss it, which keeps God’s grace and forgiveness flowing in your life (1 John 1:9). Theologians refer to this process as sanctification, which means purification. It’s a purification of the mind that naturally occurs as believers grow spiritually (Romans 12:2).
Let’s close by taking another look at the last two sins listed in 1 Corinthians 10:9-10:
- Testing Christ. Believers commit this sin when they speak against the LORD, his Word or his genuine servant-leaders. This automatically ties-up angels because angels only obey the voice of God’s Word. If believers are speaking against God’s Word, angels have nothing upon which to act. Instead, evil spirits — “snakes” — will be released to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). (You can read scriptural details about this here and here). If you don’t want this happening in your life then don’t speak against God’s Word, his will or his genuine servant-leaders (however, if a servant-leader is living in sin or is abusive, it needs to be addressed through intercession, confrontation and correction, although not gossip/slander).
- Grumbling. Amazingly, Korah and his fellow rebels grumbled against the LORD and Moses for delivering them from the bondage of Egypt (!), which they outrageously referred to as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Numbers 16:12-13). I say “outrageously” because this was how God described the Promised Land he wanted to give the Israelites (Exodus 3:8). They also complained about being taken from Egypt to be killed in the desert. After Korah & his rebels were judged and wiped off the face of the Earth, thousands of Israelites complained about it and thus 14,700 were killed by “the destroying angel” via a plague that came out from the LORD (Numbers 16:46). The Bible applies this Old Testament account to New Testament believers. Needless to say, if you don’t want to be “killed by the destroying angel” then don’t be a grumbler.
Related Topics:
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
How to keep yourself BLAMELESS (while not being SINLESS)
What does “They Shall Take Up Snakes” Mean?
ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
What Is a DEACON?
The Greek word for ‘deacon’ is diakonos (dee-AK-on-os) and literally refers to anyone who performs a service. The deacon is a position in the body of Christ that refers to those officially designated to perform service-oriented tasks at fellowships subordinate to the fivefold ministers in servant-leadership thereof, such as ushers, greeters, secretaries, custodians, sound operators and guards.
These services are “helps ministry” and vary depending on the unique demands of the particular ministry, culture, time period and needs of the people therein. For instance, sound operators are a fairly new position in the scope of Church history.
Notice what the apostle Paul instructed his protégé Timothy on the deacon position:
In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons…
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:8-10,12-13
Not just anyone who says they’re a Christian can be a deacon. They must first be evaluated by servant-leaders in the ministry and proven to be respectable, honest, not drunkards (or druggies), not lovers-of-money, faithful to his/her spouse and able to effectively manage his/her household. These general qualifications would apply to anyone functioning in a service-oriented position at an assembly. After all, would you want the sound operator or camera person at your fellowship to leave the service and commit adultery or fraud on their off days? Obviously not.
How do you distinguish an official deacon from a believer at the fellowship who’s simply serving in some manner, like serving coffee or distributing food? You could say that the latter, while not an official deacon, is a deacon in spirit; and will likely become a deacon before too long.
Paul’s instructions on deacons in the context of 1 Timothy (above) refer specifically to the church in Ephesus that Timothy was pastoring, which was located in what is today western Turkey. While this cultural context called for deacons to be male in that particular region & time period, it does not exclude the possibility of female deacons in every assembly throughout the Church Age since Phoebe was a deacon at the church in Cenchrea (Romans 16:1); and Euodia & Syntyche were deacons as well (Philippians 4:2-3).
As such, Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 3 cannot be interpreted to mean that all deacons must be male during the Church Age. Remember, “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 ESV).
If you’re a fivefold minister and live in a part of the world where it’s best to only have males in deacon positions, like Timothy’s situation in Ephesus, then — by all means — do so as led of the Spirit, otherwise having female deacons isn’t an issue. The most important thing is that the person in the deacon position be qualified for it, whether male or female.
Speaking of the gender of deacons, I’ve been to myriad assemblies over the last several decades since turning to the Lord in 1984, and I’ve noticed that certain deacon positions tend to involve males and others females, with some featuring both. For instance, I’ve rarely seen a female usher, but every secretary I’ve known in the church has been female.
Meanwhile greeters and sound operators tend to be both. And, while most security guards might be male, I’ve seen formidable female ones. Jeanne Assam, the strategic security guard at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs during the 2007 shooting incident, is a good example.
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Related Topics:
Church of Christ — What Is It?
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
When Did the New Testament Start? When Did the Church Begin?
The Four Stages of Spiritual Growth
Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)
The apostle Paul prayed that the Philippian believers would be blameless and encouraged it:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16
David is hailed in Scripture as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and he put an emphasis on keeping himself blameless before the LORD:
22All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
Psalm 18:23
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 19:13
Obviously being blameless is linked to keeping oneself from sin, and specifically “willful sins,” but how exactly can we keep ourselves blameless when other passages clearly show that even the best of us will miss it now and then? Here are three examples:
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
“…for there is no one who does not sin…”
1 Kings 8:46
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8
These passages show that we’re all going to miss it here and there, even those of us who are spiritually mature and walk in the spirit on a day-to-day basis (although of course spiritual leaders should be freed-up from the bigger sins, as observed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7). That’s why 1 John 1:8 goes on to say:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
This is the key to keeping yourself blameless before the LORD. When you inevitably miss it, be honest about it and ’fess up to your Creator. And God will be faithful & just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, which means you’ll once again be righteous in the Lord’s sight and even “free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22). This is what the Bible calls “keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8). It’s crucial to keep yourself blameless before your Maker in this manner.
Interestingly, only humble people can do this because it takes humility to honestly admit that you’ve missed it and confess accordingly. Proud people, by contrast, have a very difficult time admitting that they’ve made a mistake, how much more so disclose that they’ve sinned? This explains something that Scripture emphasizes repeatedly: “God opposes the proud but shows favor [grace] to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 & Proverbs 3:34).
Put simply, arrogance repels God while humility attracts God (Isaiah 66:2).
You could say that the LORD is only close to the humble and this explains why only humble people are greatly used of God, like Moses (Numbers 12:3) and David (1 Samuel 18:23). While humility is meekness, it’s not weakness.
If you know someone who’s involved in ministry that 1. constantly boasts, 2. regularly puts people down (to elevate himself/herself) and 3. refuses to ever admit making a mistake, you can be sure that he/she is not close to God regardless of the airs they put on.
Understanding “Willful Sins” and Keeping Yourself Blameless
As noted above, David prayed:
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 19:13
You cannot be blameless before the Lord if you’re walking in “willful sins,” which David equals to “great transgression.” You see, there’s a difference between a person struggling with a certain sin, yet humbly keeping with repentance, and a person who regularly engages in willful sin. The word ‘willful’ in the Hebrew is zed (ZAYD), which means arrogant, proud, presumptuous or insolent. In other words, people who commit a willful sin know it’s a sin but still do it and aren’t sorry about practicing it. This is “great transgression” in God’s eyes and will eventually incur judgment if the individual continues to walk in it with no care of repentance.
Let me stress that the LORD is greatly merciful and compassionate (Psalm 145:8, 103:8 & Jonah 4:2). In other words, God sympathetically understands the human struggle with the flesh — relapsing — and wants to set people free. If you’re struggling with a certain sin, rejoice, there is deliverance, which you can read about here. Yet Scripture also says:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8
The LORD knows the difference between someone struggling with a sin, missing it, and getting back up with a penitent heart (Proverbs 24:16) as opposed to someone brazenly walking in willful sin. The former person keeps the flow of God’s grace pouring into their lives while the latter individual will eventually reap divine judgment in the form of some manner of destruction.
You see, God treats us according to the light we have (John 9:39-41, John 15:22 & John 15:24). He expects us to live up to our level of knowledge and understanding. If you’re a pint, live up to being a pint; if you’re a gallon, live up to being a gallon. The Pharisees & other Judaic leaders were very learned in the Holy Scriptures that existed up to that point (John 5:39) and so the LORD expected them to live up to the great knowledge and understanding they had, which explains why Christ openly rebuked them on appropriate occasions, calling them “hypocrites” (fakes), “blind fools,” “snakes” and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:13-33). Someone who’s steadily growing spiritually, even while missing it here or there and honestly keeping with repentance, is a different story.
Walking in willful sins and not keeping oneself blameless before the Lord explains Paul’s statement to the believers at Corinth, some of whom were partaking of the Lord’s Supper while engaging in willful sins, which brought judgment in the form of physical ailments and even premature death:
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:28-32
You’ll rarely hear passages like this taught at church services for obvious reasons, but it ties into keeping oneself blameless before God.
Earlier we saw how Paul linked walking blameless before God to doing “everything without grumbling or arguing” (Philippians 2:14-16). Grumbling means “to mutter, whisper or murmur with smoldering discontent.” Here’s what the apostle said about grumblers when writing to believers at Corinth (believers, not unbelievers):
10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
1 Corinthians 10:10-11
Those “killed by the destroying angel” refers to Numbers 16 where Korah, Dathan & Abiram and their 250 followers grumbled against the LORD and his chosen leaders (verse 11). It also includes the thousands of Israelites who grumbled the day after these rebels were slain by the LORD, which brought about the death of 14,700 more Israelites. These complaining rebels “were killed by the destroying angel” and Paul said that these examples were chronicled “as warnings to us.” Obviously, if a believer wants to be blameless before God he/she can’t be a constant grumbler, which does not mean ignoring legitimate issues that should be brought up and corrected when appropriate (Proverbs 9:7-9 & 27:5-6).
Paul linked blamelessness to not being a contentious person as well (Philippians 2:14-16). A contentious person is someone who likes to quarrel about anything and everything on a regular basis. These are angry, miserable people who lack godly peace and constantly try to drag others into the darkness of unprofitable arguments (1 Timothy 6:4, 2 Timothy 2:14, Proverbs 20:3 & 27:3).
Also consider the issue of gossip/slander. At some point in spiritual growth, God expects us to remove this sin from our walk. It’s a matter of keeping oneself blameless. If a believer knows the truth yet continues to arrogantly engage in gossip & slander you can be sure s/he will reap judgment. Paul says “This is why many among you are weak and sick.” Why? Because they were engaging in willful sins with no concern of penitence; thus they reaped judgment. These people no doubt prayed for healing concerning their weakness/sickness, but their faith didn’t ‘work.’
This explains why Paul encourages believers to “examine themselves” in the above passage (1 Corinthians 11:28) and elsewhere (2 Corinthians 13:5). When a curse comes upon you (Deuteronomy 28), the first thing you should ask is if you brought it upon yourself through a willful sin. If so, then honestly ’fess up and God will forgive you, then fight the good fight of faith and receive your healing or deliverance (1 Timothy 6:12).
If this is new to you I encourage you to study up on spiritual warfare and then put what you understand into practice.
Let me close with how David — “a man after God’s own heart” — was diligent to keep himself blameless before the Lord:
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Psalm 19:13
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.Psalm 51:9-12
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Related Topics:
How God Sees YOU (video)
God Deals with People According to the Light they Have
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Understanding the Fear of the LORD
Spiritual Warfare — Do You know What You’re Fighting For?
Handing an Unrepentant Believer Over to Satan (?)
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Why Does 1 Chronicles OMIT David’s Adultery & Murder?
When the Old Testament historical book 1 Chronicles details the era in David’s reign involving his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband (detailed in 2 Samuel 11:1–12:23) it omits these transgressions altogether, choosing instead to focus on David’s victories over the Ammonites, as shown in 1 Chronicles 20:1-3. Why?
Answer: Because the historical books of Samuel & Kings focused on telling the good, the bad and the ugly of Israel, which informed the Hebrews how they ended up in exile. Chronicles, by contrast, was originally written to the Jews returning to the Promised Land after 70 years of exile who needed to know if they still fit into God’s plan. In other words, they didn’t need to know the sordid details of their national history at that particular time. They needed encouraged about their national identity and history, not ashamed and deflated.
Think about it like this, have you ever shared a story from your past, but downplayed your flaws and transgressions? Most of us have. That’s basically what the book of 1 Chronicles does with King David.
Related Topics:
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
Berean Spirit — What is it? How Do You Cultivate It?
What Does “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory” Mean?
To understand what the phrase “Christ in you, the hope of glory” means, let’s read it in context of Paul’s letter to the believers at Colossae:
I have become its [the Church’s] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
Colossians 1:25-28
“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (verse 27) is the “mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations” but now is revealed to people through the awesome Christian message (verse 26). It refers to the Lord being in the believer through spiritual regeneration via the seed of Christ (1 John 3:9, 1 Peter 1:23 & Titus 3:5), as well as the permanent indwelling Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), which is the seal and hope of all glorious things to come (2 Corinthians 1:22 & Ephesians 1:13-14). The latter includes:
- Acquiring intrinsic immortality (2 Timothy 1:10);
- The bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44);
- And inheriting the new heavens & new earth (2 Peter 3:13).
Related Topics:
What Is the MYSTERY OF THE AGES?
The Fountain of Life Within (video)
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Second Coming of Christ — Rapture and Return to Earth
Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers