Image from here.

I wish I could go to that man in the burn unit and say something to ease his pain but I don’t know what I would say. However, I know what I wouldn’t say:

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Heb 12:7, NIV)

I have just read something that has my blood boiling. There is steam coming out of my ears. Here’s a paraphrase:

You should view every hardship in life as God’s loving discipline. God is sovereign and everything that happens to you – whether good or bad – is for your good. Indeed, it is proof of His love for the Lord disciplines those He loves.

Apparently this is meant to be a comfort to people in pain. Maybe you just lost your wife and kids in a house-fire but be comforted! God did it. Why? Because He loves you.

Sheesh. And we wonder why sinners aren’t running into our churches.

Job 2.0

One year ago I wrote that God was not responsible for Job’s loss no matter what Job 1:21 says. I still get emails on a weekly basis that say, “How dare you contradict the Bible. How dare you say that God is not the author of evil.” How can I say it? Because Jesus said it:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (Joh 10:10)

Isn’t it strange that most Christians would hesitate to tell the burned man that his family and home were destroyed by the devil – “you can’t blame Satan for everything” – yet they are quick to point the finger at our loving Father. “God did it.” But why would God kill three little kids in their sleep? Who can say. God is mysterious.

Forgive me for ranting, but this is insane! It is exactly this sort of madness that makes the church look like a bunch of whackos. This kind of thinking dishonors the name of the Lord. Worst of all, it keeps up passive when we should be taking a stand and fighting back. Instead of resisting the devil so that he flees, we submit to the devil and say, “The Lord is disciplining us. Oh we’re so loved!”

And this is why I am writing. There is a time for enduring hardship and there is a time for resisting the devil and you need to know the difference. As usual, Jesus is our role model. He did not consider sickness a hardship to be endured – He resisted it. Neither did He consider demonic oppression a hardship to be endured – He resisted it. At times He even resisted death by raising a little girl and a dead man. He spoke to storms and said we would speak to mountains. Jesus did all these things to show us how the Father responds to the devil’s work. And yes, I have no problem attributing sickness to the devil:

You know… how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Act 10:38, NIV)

I said I didn’t know what I would say to the man in the burn unit, but Jesus would know. He is the “God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our troubles” (2 Cor 1:3-4). If I was in a position to visit that man I would trust the Holy Spirit to show me what to say and do. Sadly, accidents are a fact of life and innocent children die as a result. But there’s healing for everything. You want to talk about the mystery of God? Then marvel at how He is able to bring good even out of the most awful of circumstances.

Arise shine!

The bad news of dead religion has turned Christians into commentators on the sidelines of life. If something good happens, we congratulate each other for sowing into kingdom principles. If something bad happens, we say the Lord did it because He loves us. This is a nauseating, useless, and demonic theology. Live this way and you will never display the manifold wisdom of God to rulers and authorities in heavenly realms (Eph 3:10).

I don’t normally write reactive posts like this but I just had to vent. I’m heartbroken for that man in the burn unit and I’m heartbroken over a church that gets its theology from Job’s friends.

I began by paraphrasing some bad writing. I’m going to finish by paraphrasing something that’s pure gold. You can then decide which you will trust in.

See Jesus! See the finished work of the cross! Your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. You may have problems and hardships and yes thick darkness is over the peoples. But the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Those mountains are coming down! You may be a worm, little Jacob, but God Himself will help you. He will make you into a threshing sledge with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. (Is 41:13-14, 60:1-2)

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Related posts:
-    Speak to your mountain
-    10 myths about the ministry of the Holy Spirit
-    Life doesn’t have the last word (when you’re walking in the spirit)

“The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it.” (Jn 14:12, MSG)

I suspect the chief reason why many Christians live no different from their unsaved neighbors is they don’t know about the awesome authority that God has given us. So instead of healing the sick, as Jesus instructed us to do, they’re asking God to heal the sick. Instead of proclaiming life over their hurts, they’re complaining and speaking death over themselves.

In this short series on prayer, we have contrasted the Biblical way with the traditional way to pray. In Part 1 we saw that there is a difference between praying with hope and praying with faith. In Part 2 we learned that faith doesn’t move God – He’s already moved! In Part 3 we saw from scripture that answered prayers are sometimes delayed by the devil. The enemy is surely opposed to our prayers, but he’s probably not the main reason why our prayers aren’t answered. No, the hindrance to most of our prayers lies between our ears. The problem is we don’t appreciate what God has already done for us. More to the point, we don’t know how awesome and powerful is the One who now lives within us.

“Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4 CEV)

Who do you think you are?

In Part 3 the punch-line was resist the devil. Here’s today punch-line: Renew your mind and learn to interpret your circumstances through the finished work of the cross. What do I mean by that? I mean it should be normal for you to see yourself as completely forgiven, sanctified, righteous, healthy and prosperous – all because of Jesus. Is this how you see yourself? Here’s a simple way to find out. When you get sick, which of the following statements best describes how you respond?

(1) “I am sick but I’m going to ask God to heal me.”
(2) “I am healthy but the devil’s trying to rob me.”

If you chose response No.1 then you’re starting from a place of defeat. By asking God to do something He’s already done, you are confessing ignorance of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Maybe you’re not sure of what He’s done. Then you had better find out because faith, by definition, is being sure (He 11:1). How can you be sure when you’re unsure? Look at what you’re saying: I am sick… The focus is squarely on your physical condition. Do you know what the King Jimmy Bible calls it when we are more mindful of our physical circumstances than God’s word? Carnal mindedness. And you know what that means, right?

“To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rms 8:6, KJV).

Do you know that you can be in the Spirit yet walk after the flesh? This happens when you put your feelings (what you see and hear etc.) ahead of your faith in God’s word. In effect, you are trusting in your praying performance instead of resting in His finished work. Pray like this and you will reap nothing because your faith is misplaced. Instead of standing on what Christ has done, you’re essentially saying God needs to act again and He won’t unless I first do something. You have more faith in you’re doing than in what Jesus has done.

If you want to release life and peace into our circumstances, be spiritually minded. That doesn’t mean “think spiritual thoughts.” To be spiritually minded means be led by the spirit. Your renewed spirit, like the Holy Spirit, already trusts God regardless of the circumstances. To be spiritually minded is to walk by faith, not by sight. So speak to your condition and say, “By His stripes I have been healed” (1 Pe 2:24).

If you chose response No.2 then you’re starting from the place of victory. You might declare, “As He is so am I in this world. The old man who suffered sin’s curse is dead and buried and I am a new creation. Sin and sickness no longer have dominion over me.” I’m not asking you to deny your physical reality but to have faith in a higher reality. I’m not saying the problem you are facing isn’t nothing; I’m saying that this Jesus who lives in you is Really Something! Here’s Andrew Wommack writing in Grace – The Power of the Gospel:

“I’ve changed. I know now that I’m not the sinner trying to become holy. I am the righteous whom Satan is trying to make unholy. I’m not the sick trying to get well. I am the well that the devil is trying to make sick. I’m not the poor trying to be prosperous. I am the prosperous that the Enemy is trying to make poor. This is a totally different attitude and mindset. But I’ve found it much easier to fight from the position of victory than to try to fight to obtain a position of victory. It’s infinitely easier to release something I already have than to go get something I don’t.” (pp.117-8)

When you’re sick your flesh will pull in one direction (“I need healing!”) but your spirit will pull in the other (“By His stripes I am healed!”). Flesh and spirit are opposed to each other and you will have to choose (Gal 5:17). The carnally minded believer will heed the flesh, but the spiritually minded believer will heed God’s word. This is not a question of having more or less faith – you already have the same measure of faith as Jesus (2 Pet 1:1). This is about putting your faith to work and releasing what God has already given you.

Plant this seed

In this short series I’ve given you some keys on how to pray effectively. I have given you truth in seed form. Perhaps you’ve been blessed reading these posts. Maybe you even clicked the “like” button or forwarded posts to your friends. But understand that nothing will change in your life unless this seed takes root in your heart and grows. It’s now up to you. Are you content to live no differently from your unsaved neighbors? Or do you want to see the Kingdom come and His will done in your world?

Be warned that neither the devil nor your flesh will like what you’ve read here (Ga 5:17). Jesus said the devil is a thief who likes to steal seed (Mk 4:15). Right about now this thief will be suggesting you go visit Facebook or he’ll be reminding you to take care of some task that really needs to get done. He’ll do whatever it takes to get your focus off Christ and the cross. But we are not ignorant of his schemes.

I began this series with Wommack and I’ll finish with him. Here he is writing in Spirit, Soul and Body:

“I’d confess aloud, ‘By His stripes I was healed.’ My body would counter, ‘Oh no you’re not!’ Then I’d answer, ‘Yes I am – the Word says so!’… You will have to overcome the same conflict! You don’t just say, ‘All right, I see the truth. Flesh, I now renounce you and choose to walk by the spirit!’ No, it’ll be a traumatic experience when you turn around and head the other direction. Your mind and emotions have been indulged now for many years. They’ve always said that whatever you see is more real than what’s invisible. There’s going to be a fight.” (p.117)

The good news is it’s a fight you can win, for greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Have faith in Jesus! Speak to your mountains! Heal the sick! Rebuke that storm! Change the world!
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If you missed them, here are the other 3 posts in this series:
1. A better way to pray
2. Speak to your mountain
3. Dealing with unanswered prayer

If you’ve been following this short series on prayer, I’m hoping you can spot at least two things wrong with these statements. First, it is always God’s will to heal the sick just as it is always His will to save the lost. Jesus died to save us and His atonement provides for our forgiveness, healing, deliverance and provision. Second, there’s no power in asking God to do something He’s already done. As we saw in Part 1, Jesus instructed us to “heal the sick,” not “ask God to heal the sick.” And as we saw in Part 2, Jesus wants us to speak directly to our mountains.

On my journey I have discovered that there is a huge difference between the traditional view of prayer and what the Bible teaches. We have already looked at six differences. Here is one more:

Traditional: Sometimes the answer is no
Biblical: God is faithful!

Some people will tell you that God hasn’t answered your prayers because you are not doing enough works. They’ll say you’re out of fellowship with Him or you haven’t pounded the gates of heaven or you haven’t confessed all of your sins. Others will try and manage your expectations with doctrine based on their experience rather than His word. Listen to these sorts of people and I guarantee it’ll neutralize your faith.

We need to rest in Jesus’ promise that whatever we ask in His name we shall receive (Jn 14:13, 16:24). “Ask me,” says Jesus, “and I will do it” (Jn 14:14). What is the key to doing the works and greater works of Jesus? It is simple faith in Jesus Christ (Jn 14:12). But sometimes we pray and there is no immediate manifestation. The sickness lingers. Does that mean God said no? Not according to Matthew 21:22 and John 16:24. Let God be true and every man a liar! God’s faithfulness is the one constant in the equation. He is the Rock on which we stand.

Daniel famously prayed two prayers that were both answered instantly. But the manifestation of one prayer took a few minutes, while the other took three weeks (Dan 9:23, 10:12). What was the variable? Not God! In Daniel’s case there was demonic resistance to the second prayer.

One reason why our problems sometimes linger is because the enemy is challenging our authority. He wants to see how serious we are. What should we do? Should we quit? Should we ask God to take over? No. Be encouraged. The devil will flee when we resist him and we do that by submitting to God and His rock-solid promises (Jas 4:7). That sword in your hand isn’t for decorative purposes. Use it! Here’s Andrew Wommack in his book A Better Way to Pray:

“When I minister healing to someone, I’ll pray for them two, three, four, or more times. I don’t care! I’m willing to pray for them until I rub all the hair off of their head! However, I’m not going back to God and saying, ‘Father, it didn’t work the first time. Let it work now, please!’ No! I believe it happened because God is faithful. He gave, but something’s wrong with our receiver. So I work on it. If the devil withstands one dose of the Holy Spirit, I’ll shoot him again! Just like Jesus did with the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), I pray until I see the answer manifest. You need to get this attitude that God is faithful and He’s already met your need before you ever had it.” (p.125)

Understand that we’re not fighting to get the victory; we’re fighting to enforce the victory that Christ has already won. Satan and sickness were disarmed at the cross (Col 2:15). That’s why we’re called to stand rather than advance (Eph 6:13). We’re not taking ground, we’re holding ground that’s already ours through Christ. So stand firm and declare God’s word over your circumstances. Your tongue holds the power of life and death (Pro 18:21), so proclaim life and grace and health and freedom over your situation.

If the devil’s one variable, guess who’s the other? We’ll find out in the fourth and final part of this series.
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Related posts:

I have had many good teachers but much of what I write here has been inspired by Andrew Wommack’s helpful book, A Better Way to Pray. If you want to dig deeper or if you have questions, I strongly recommend that you get a hold of this book.

In Part 1 of this study I outlined five contrasts between the traditional and Biblical ways to pray. Probably the most important lesson I have learned so far, is that Jesus wants us to speak directly to our mountains.

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:22-24)

When you are faced with a mountain-sized problem, the temptation is to run and tell God all about it. But He already knows about your problem and He’s already provided everything you need to overcome it. Perhaps you need healing. He has already provided it (1 Pe 2:24). Perhaps you need finances. Already done (2 Co 8:9). As usual, your heavenly Father is a million steps ahead of you.

Don’t talk to God about your mountain; talk to your mountain about God! Okay, so what do you say? How do you talk to a mountain? Well you could talk about your mighty King whose name is above every name (Ph 2:9). Your mountain has a name. Cancer has a name. Depression has a name. God has commanded that all these things must bow to the name of Jesus (Ph 2:10). Wommack suggests you could pray like this:

“Father, thank You that Your name is above every name… These things the doctor told me are in my body have names. You are above them all! Thank You that You are greater, stronger, and more powerful than all of this.” (pp.33-34)

Notice how we have begun by focusing on our mighty Father and not the problem. In small groups there is a temptation to gather around our problems, but in that way lies death. We are to gather around the name of Jesus. Sometimes this is not easy! When we’ve heard bad news there is often a battle between fear and faith. We have to strive to enter His rest. But don’t pray while you are full of fear. Fear will get you speaking worry and negativity turning your prayers into words of death. “What he says will happen,” said Jesus. So watch your words and take care where you put your faith.

The best thing to do with your anxieties is cast them on the Lord (Ps 55:22). Fortify your mind by declaring God’s promises to yourself. When I’m battling with a bad report my two favorite words are, “Surely He…” (Is 53:4). He surely did! Praise Him for it. Then when faith has risen in your heart, you are ready to deal with the problem:

“Father, this is so small in comparison to what You’re able to do. I shouldn’t even have to ask, but the doctor did say I’m going to die. So since Jesus has already provided my healing, I’ll just receive it!” (p.34)

Traditional: Faith moves God.
Biblical: Faith moves mountains.

God has supplied everything you need by grace (Eph 1:3). Faith doesn’t move God to do what He’s already done; faith moves mountains. Praise the Lord for carrying all your infirmities on the cross and then command your mountain to bow to Jesus. Jesus said all authority on heaven and earth had been given to Him (Mt 28:18). He has jurisdiction everywhere and there is no place your mountain can hide from His authority. The problem you are confronting may be the result of a generational curse, bad DNA, bad behavior or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Jesus is Lord. Period. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are re-presenting His cross-wrought victory and His irresistible authority:

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Lk 10:19)

Have faith in God and speak to your mountain! “Rebuke with all authority” (Tit 2:15) and send it into the sea.

In Part 3 of this study, I want to look at how we can respond when our prayers seem to go unanswered. Stay tuned!
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Related posts:

If I could go back in time and give that green and keen couple one book to read, it would be Andrew Wommack’s, A Better Way to Pray. It would have led to radical changes in the way we did things. I now know that there is right way and a wrong way to pray. Jesus said as much in Matthew 6:5-8. One way pleases the Lord and results in supernatural transformation; the other way achieves nothing of lasting significance.

I have learned much in my grace walk, but learning how to pray effectively has probably led to the biggest changes in the lives of those I touch. Just the other day I prayed for a man who had come out of a car crash with serious head injuries. He was in a coma heading for death, but I prayed and now he will live. God is good!

I want to list some contrasts between what I learned as the traditional way to pray and what I now understand is the Biblical way to pray. I’m not saying I have discovered the best way to pray, but it is definitely better. As Wommack says, I haven’t arrived – but I’ve left! If you find these contrasts helpful, I recommend reading Wommack’s book. If you can’t afford the book you can read a short article with the same title by Wommack or listen to his MP3 teaching. But the book is worth its weight in gold.

Traditional way to pray: Pound the gates of heaven with persistent prayer (like the widow) until you get your breakthrough.
Biblical way to pray: Ask and you shall receive. Every time.

God is not an unjust judge who must be badgered into responding. He is our good Father who longs to bring justice quickly into our situations (Lk 18:8). It is a mistake to think that God rewards our praying efforts. Jesus said the pagans pray long prayers thinking they will be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them (Mt 6:8). Instead, have faith in a good God who does not need to be begged or cajoled into blessing His children. Here’s Wommack:

“From God’s perspective, praying an hour a day has no value in and of itself!… There is absolutely no virtue in long praying! Jesus normally kept His prayers short. Only twice in the New Testament did He pray all night. Since both are recorded in all four Gospels, you might think it was eight. Really it was just two different occasions… The shorter the prayer, the greater the faith!… ‘HELP!!!’ is a great prayer!” (p.14)

Study the scriptures and you will never find Jesus begging God to heal people. Jesus said “everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:8). What is the condition for receiving? Asking! How many times do you have to ask before you’ve asked? Just once! We must settle it in our hearts that Jesus’ words are true and that whatever we ask for in prayer, we will receive, and quickly (Mk 11:24). Sometimes there may be a delay in the manifestation of the healing (more on this later), but God is never the reason for the delay.

Traditional: Pray with hope.
Biblical: Pray with faith.

Much of what passes for prayer is wishful thinking. “I know God can heal you, I’m just not sure that He will.” Or how about this one, “God wants to heal you, but if He does it now no one will be more surprised than me!” You can pretty much guarantee that these sorts of prayers will change nothing, because they are empty of faith. James 5:15 says “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” If you are not sure that God will answer your prayers, He probably won’t (Jas 1:6-7). You have hope but no faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t yet see (He 11:1).

Traditional: Pray “if it be thy will.”
Biblical: Pray according to His will.

How can we pray in faith if we are uncertain about His will? One of the greatest tragedies of the modern church is that so many are uncertain regarding God’s will for forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and provision – despite the emphatic promises in His word.

“Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment]…” (Is 53:4, AMP)

Praying “Lord, if it be thy will, heal this person” is utterly faithless. He already did! Jesus made full provision for everyone’s salvation at the cross, and that includes healing. He has already carried all our sicknesses and by His wounds you have been healed (1 Pe 2:24). As TJ McCrossan said, the real question is not “God, can you?” but “do you believe?”

If you want to know the Father’s heart, look at Jesus. He healed every sick person who came to Him (Mt 8:16, 12:15, 14:36). He never gave anyone leprosy to teach them character and neither will He make you sick to teach you things. His will for healing and deliverance is inseparable from His will for salvation. He wants everyone forgiven, healed, delivered today! What’s the hold up? We are! A broken creation eagerly waits for the sons of God to rise up in this revelation and enforce Christ’s victory in every place where the kingdom has not yet come.

Traditional: Ask God to forgive/heal/provide/deliver/pour out His Spirit.
Biblical: Thank Him that He has already done all of those things!

If one tragedy is being uncertain of God’s will, another is being unaware of what He has already done. The cross really did change everything! Jesus is not coming back to wave a magic wand over your problem. He already did everything He needed to do at the cross. Here’s Wommack:

“God has already done everything He’s ever going to do! He moved once and for all in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the atonement, God has already forgiven and healed every person who will ever be forgiven or healed. He doesn’t even have to lift his little finger now to cause a healing or salvation! As far as God is concerned, the sins of the entire world have already been forgiven… As Christians, we are to instruct people to believe and receive what God has already done for them through the atonement.” (p.4)

It’s pointless asking God to do something He’s already done. Look at the way Jesus prayed and you will see there was very little asking and a whole lot of thanking and commanding. Jesus has given us clear instructions. He said: “heal the sick” (Mt 10:8). He didn’t say “pray and ask God to heal the sick.” No, you heal them. The problem with that prayer meeting I mentioned above was that we spent all of our time asking God to do something He had commanded us to do. We were passing the buck and denying the finished work of the cross. So how do we heal the sick? A good place to start is by thanking and praising Him for what He has already done.

Traditional: Talk to God about your mountain.
Biblical: Talk to your mountain about your God!

So much of what passes for prayer is complaining to God about our problems. The doctor gives us the sentence of death and we repeat his death-dealing words in prayer. This is not wise:

“Most people who think they’re praying are really just griping, murmuring, and complaining. They are releasing the power of death into their lives through their negativity in prayer. God is not pleased with that!” (p.23)

God doesn’t need to be informed about your problems – He already knows! When we are faced with a mountain-sized problem, the average believer says, “God would you move this mountain for me?” But Jesus told us to speak directly to our mountains and command them to be cast into the sea (Mk 11:22-23).

So how do we speak to our mountains? I’ll look at that in Part 2 of this study.
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Related posts:

(a) servant of God,
(b) a friend of God, or
(c) a son of God?

When Samuel Mathew posed this question on his Facebook page yesterday, I was so surprised at the results, that I had to repost on E2R’s FB page as well. (Before you read on, answer the question for yourself. How do you primarily relate to God? As a servant, a friend or a son?)

So far about 30 people have responded to the FB polls. To my astonishment, less than half picked (c) “son of God.” And so, once again, Facebook has provided a brilliant answer to one of the world’s most pressing questions:

Why is the world still a mess, even though Jesus did everything He came to do, 2000 years ago?

The problem may not be what you think. It’s not legalism, condemnation, or even sin. The root cause of the problem is that the majority of people do not identify with God as their Father. They relate to Him as something other than sons. That is, they have an orphan spirit. Those outside the church are like the prodigal son, while many of those inside the church are like the elder brother. Neither received their father’s love. Both trusted in their own labor and had little confidence in the grace and provision of their loving father.

There may be only two kinds of people in the world: sons and orphans. Which are you? The devil’s plan is to get you confused about your identity. He will try and sow doubt by asking, “if you are the Son of God…” (Mt 4:3). To the degree that you are uncertain about your sonship, to that degree you have an orphan spirit.

I will probably write more about this some other time, but the FB polls have fired me up. I couldn’t sleep for thinking about it. So many of you are evidently victims of identity theft! I can’t stay silent while the devil runs off with your birth certificates, so below are 10 reasons why (c) is the best response to the question above. Even if you serve a God who is your best friend, first and foremost you are a son of God. And this applies equally to the ladies, for we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28).

(I was greatly helped in preparing this list by the excellent series currently being preached by Martin Steel at Harbourside Church. If you want to learn more about the Spirit of Sonship, I highly recommend that you download his podcasts for the Sundays beginning 5 September 2010.)

Top 10 reasons why I am a son of God first and foremost

(1)    The Holy Spirit says so. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rms 8:15).

(2)    Do you really need more reasons? Come on now! Paul thought this was such an important truth that he said it twice. “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, ‘Papa! Father!’” (Gal 4:6, MSG). God Himself calls you son. (You wouldn’t want to call God a liar now would you?) And He makes it possible for you to call Him Papa!

(3)    The Bible says so – in many places (see Gal 3:26, Rms 8:14, Heb 12:7, 1 Jn 3:1 for starters).

(4)    The Old Testament prophets longed for the day when God’s people would be called “sons of God” (Hos 1:10). They thought it applied to the Jews, but Paul says it includes “even us whom He also called” (Rms 9:23). Jesus came to reveal the Father (Mt 11:27). This is what makes the new covenant new. Sonship – not servanthood, not friendship – is the pinnacle of redemption. Not even Adam and Eve were identified as sons! Because of Jesus we have come closer to God than when we started out in the Garden. How awesome is that?!

(5)    We are to be servant-hearted, but not servant-minded. Someone with an orphan spirit readily identifies themselves as a servant of God. It sounds noble, but it insults the cross and the Spirit of grace. Servants work for wages. But we live under grace! Besides, there are no wages (other than death for sin). Sons are shareholders, not employees. We don’t work because we have to, but because we are wholly invested in the success of the family-business.

(6)    A servant doesn’t know his master’s will, has to be told what to do, and then relates to God on the basis of what he does. If he does good, he thinks God loves him more. How sad, how utterly tragic to be enslaved to such a demonic doctrine. A mature son is nothing like that. He has the mind of Christ (1 Co 2:16), is clothed with His righteousness (Is 61:10), and relates on the basis of the Father’s love first shown to him (1 Jn 4:19). A servant waits on God. A son just does what he sees His Father doing (Jn 5:19).

(7)    Servants suffer from performance-anxiety. Even friends may worry thinking they have to pound on doors in the middle of the night merely to borrow something (Lk 11:5). But sons need not worry, for our “heavenly Father knows we need all these things” (Mt 6:32). Our Father – not our master nor our friend – delights to give good gifts to those who ask Him (Mt 7:11). Only sons are secure.

(8)    True, Abraham was a friend of God (Is 41:8) and we are friends if we do what Jesus says (Jn 15:14). This is a good thing and something to treasure. But sonship is better by far! Sons have “full rights” of access that friends lack (Gal 4:5). Sons have an expectation of intimacy that servants and friends do not enjoy. My kids are with me 24/7 (it’s the school holidays). In contrast, I only see and enjoy my friends occasionally. Wouldn’t you rather walk with God enjoying His presence continuously? As a son you have full rights to do so!

(9)    Sons are heirs. I have an inheritance and it’s the entire planet (Rms 4:13). All the cattle on all the hills and all the blessings of Abraham are ours, paid for with Jesus’ blood. Indeed, we are co-heirs with Christ (Rm 8:17). Our share is no less than Christ’s!

(10)    What will it take to fix this broken, poisoned planet? A revelation of the sons of God (Rms 8:19)! In the garden God gave us a planet to keep. We lost it, Jesus got it back, yet we still act like it belongs to the devil. It is OURS! Jesus paid a very high price to redeem it for us. Creation is not waiting for the church to rise up. Neither is creation waiting for God’s servants or His friends to rise up. Instead, creation waits for the sons of God to rise up and say with authority “this is my planet and I’m taking it back!”

If you’re still having trouble wrapping your head around this, look to Jesus. Did Jesus describe God as His (a) Master, (b) Friend, or (c) Father? That’s an easy question! Under the obsolete law covenant, God was Master. Under the Abrahamic covenant, God is our Friend. But under the new covenant in Jesus’ blood, God relates to us as our Father!

And don’t water this down by saying that God is “all of the above.” He’s no more “all of the above” than you are “all of the above” to your own children. My kids will serve many employers and have many friends, but they will only have one earthly father. That’s me! I am thrilled beyond words to be identified as my children’s father because it is my unique privilege. I hope they will be equally thrilled to be identified as their father’s children. It makes my heart soar when they call me Papa. I’m less thrilled when they call me “your majesty.”

He is our Father! Yes I serve Him and yes He is my closest friend. But service and friendship stem from my secure position as His adopted son. There’s nothing I enjoy more than being with Him, knowing Him, walking with Him and talking with Him. Every day with Him is an adventure!

When you have a revelation of your sonship, it will change the way you pray. You will pray for the smallest things, because if it matters to you it matters to Him. But you will also ask Him for big things, because God has promised you the nations! You won’t hold back like a waiter or a friend – you’ll come running in to Papa knowing that He loves to give good gifts to His children.

Paul prayed, and so do I…

“…that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Eph 1:18-19)

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Related posts:
- By which gospel are you saved? The gospel of grace!
- Does God give bad gifts?
- Top 12 blessings in the New Covenant

In Part 1 of this two-part study, we looked at how some have used the Parable of the Persistent Widow to preach a message of human effort. They say, “pray and never give up” as if God were impressed by our many words.

I used to quote this text when preaching on persistence until I realized that I had missed what Jesus was really saying. But it certainly doesn’t help matters when the NIV translates the opening verse of Luke 18 like this:

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (NIV)

This translation naturally leads to thinking in terms of persistence and human effort. It sounds very much like Jesus is saying that the key to breakthrough is to pray and pray and pray. But look at how this verse is translated elsewhere:

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” (KJV)

The Greek word for faint, ekkakeo, means to “be wearied” or “lose heart” or become “utterly spiritless.” Given the context of the poor widow’s plight, perhaps the best translation of Luke 18:1 is this one:

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.” (GNB)

If anyone ever had a good excuse to become discouraged, it was the widow in Luke 18. She was being exploited. She needed justice but thanks to the wicked judge there was none to be had.

Never, ever, ever discouraged

Have you ever been unjustly treated? Then you may know what it means to lose heart and get discouraged. Yet Jesus says it’s possible to never become discouraged. And he should know. Look at all the injustices Jesus had to deal with. He was falsely accused, sentenced to death by a corrupt official, abandoned by his friends, scourged, then nailed to a cross. Yet Jesus was never discouraged. No doubt he was tempted, but he overcame every time. That’s why you never heard Jesus say, “I give up” or “God doesn’t care.”

What was his secret? How did Jesus defeat discouragement? He lived in a kingdom where justice reigns!

Jesus had to deal with the injustices of life like any man. Yet he never lost heart because his heart was fixed on a higher reality. Down here men were cursing him. Up there his Father was declaring, “this is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” There is a great example for us here. Jesus did not let his unjust circumstances dictate his reactions. Instead he kept his focus on his Father knowing that vindication would come from above.

Let justice roll like waters

We live in a fallen world where injustice seems to reign. Bad things happen to good people. The strong oppress the weak. The rich exploit the poor. Bosses mistreat their workers. Disease and death afflict the healthy. The unborn are slain on the altar of convenience while millions of children die from preventable causes. And humanity cries out, “it’s not fair!”

Some people think that God passively allows injustice to happen, as if he doesn’t have a strong view on the matter. Nothing could be further from the truth! “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Ps 33:5). Ever-increasing righteousness and justice are the hallmarks of his kingdom (Is 9:7). The Lord no more “allows” injustice than he “allows” sin. He hates injustice so much that he died on the cross to establish a new regime based on true justice and righteousness:

“Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isa 9:7)

Strangely, you will find some in the church who are nervous about God’s justice. They don’t even want to talk about it. But only those who love iniquity need fear his justice. Those who love Christ and are robed with his righteousness know that his justice is sweet. And like the prophet Amos they will not be satisfied until his “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).

What is God’s plan for dealing with the epidemic of injustice? Jesus!

Christ was sent to “proclaim justice to the nations” (Mt 12:18) and lead “justice to victory” (Mt 12:20). Here’s what the prophet Isaiah said the Savior would do:

“In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.” (Is 42:3-4)

Now at this point some Christians will say, “I long for that day when Jesus returns and the old order of things passes away.” That’s like saying he is a God of “eventual justice.” We have injustice now, but one day, eventually, we will have justice. That day is indeed something to look forward to. But God is also a God of “quick justice.” This is the whole point of the story of the widow:

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:7-8)

A just king has come

Before the cross people looked forward to justice (Is 30:18). But we live after the cross. The king of justice has already come! Look under Jesus’ throne and you will see he sits on a foundation of righteousness and justice (Ps 89:14). This means that wherever the good news of the king is believed, righteousness and justice follow.

When injustice comes and life serves you a cold dose of harsh, unfair reality, you have two choices. You can look at the circumstances and get discouraged, or you can fix your eyes on Jesus who is your vindication (Ps 17:2). Don’t pray like a victim. Don’t pray like an unbeliever. Pray with faith that a just king has already come and established his justice here on earth. Maybe the trial you are facing is huge. Jesus is bigger still! Maybe the entire world is picking on you. Look to your Father who justifies you! Look to Jesus who intercedes for you!

Are you sick? Then proclaim Jesus by whose stripes you are healed (1 Pet 2:24). Are you being mistreated? Then proclaim Jesus who liberates the oppressed (Lk 4:18). Whatever injustice you are battling with, proclaim Jesus! His victory at the cross brought you salvation and healing, deliverance and favor, righteousness and justice. If you aren’t seeing these things, then declare the words of Jesus to your circumstances. When Jesus speaks injustice must shut its mouth.

A just king reigns!

I will never preach about men when I can preach about Jesus. You want a champion of persistence? You want a role model who never gave up? Don’t look to the widow – look to Jesus! He faced more injustice than anyone yet he was never discouraged. He was knocked down to the grave but he rose again in triumph. At the cross he conquered injustice. Now he sits vindicated and enthroned at the right hand of the Father.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (Jn 14:1)

When trials come and you begin to lose heart, put your faith in Jesus. He is the Overcomer. He is your True Champion of Justice.

“Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal 3:3)

Most believers know that we cannot finish with human effort that which was begun by the Spirit. Yet the great irony is that many Christians are trying to do exactly that. Instead of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, they get caught up in dead works of the flesh. Instead of keeping their eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of their faith, they get distracted by their own performance. And when you think you’re being blessed because of your effort, you nullify the grace of God.

How do we mix grace with works?

Let me give you an example based on the Parable of the Persistent Widow. I am sure you are familiar with this story. It starts like this:

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men…’” (Luk 18:1-2)

…and you know what happens next. A poor widow comes pleading for justice but the uncaring judge ignores her. She gets no justice. Unperturbed, the widow doesn’t give up. She keeps pestering the bad judge until he finally relents. He thinks to himself,

“because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” (Lk 18:5)

The lesson that most Christians take from this story is that we need to persistently bang on the doors of heaven, crying out to God day and night, until we get what we ask for.

And so they completely miss the point of the story and end up mixing grace with works.

There is nothing wrong with God’s hearing

Prayer is simply conversing with God. We can talk to God about anything, anytime. If you are facing a problem that won’t go away, by all means talk to your loving Father about it. He cares for you. He wants to take your cares off you. Give them to him.

If you have prayed for a breakthrough and it hasn’t happened yet, it’s perfectly fine to pray again. There is no prayer-limit. It’s also perfectly fine not to pray again but stand in the faith that the prayer you prayed once was heard.

But what is not fine is to subscribe to a method of praying that suggests God rewards our praying effort, that if God doesn’t hear us the first time, that we need to pray again and again and again until he does. To pray like this suggests that God is either deaf or reluctant to help, neither of which is true.

Does God hear our prayers, even our short ones? You bet! Jesus said so:

“When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt 6:7-8)

Who is the one that prays with many, repetitive words? It is the one who does not have a revelation of the nature and character of God.

Now you may say, “but Paul, isn’t that exactly why the widow in the story got her breakthrough? Because she was relentless in asking and never gave up?” Maybe, but this misses a larger point. Jesus did not tell us the parable to get us to strive for things in our own strength. Besides, why would he suggest we “keep it short” in Matthew 6 but “pray long” in Luke 18? It doesn’t add up.

The little widow that could

It’s human nature to cheer for the underdog who never quits. But Jesus did not tell us this story so that we might be inspired by the persistent widow. He did it so that we might get a better understanding of our good and gracious Father who, in stark contrast with unjust judges, cares for us and wants to bring about justice for his chosen ones.

Jesus preached the negative to accentuate the positive. The judge in the story was a lazy and wicked man. He kept stalling. He didn’t do the right thing. He didn’t even do what he was paid to do. But God is nothing like that. God is good! He loves justice! He longs to act quickly! Look at what Jesus said:

“And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” (Lk 18:7-8)

How do you pray?

Depending on whether you have more faith in the power of human effort or the power of God, there are two ways to read the tale of the persistent widow:

1.    The works-oriented preacher says, “Look at the widow, she’s weak but never gives up.”
2.    The Christ-oriented preacher says, “Look at God, he’s mighty and he wants to help you.”

Do you see the difference?

Listen to the first guy and when trials come your eyes will be on yourself. Listen to the second guy and your eyes will be on your mighty Father. Big difference!

If your focus is on yourself and what you are doing or not doing, you are likely to miss out on the grace of God. If you get a breakthrough, you may be tempted to think it was because of your many prayers. Don’t misunderstand me. There have been occasions where I have prayed for years to get a breakthrough (e.g., a friend coming to Christ). But there is huge a difference between standing on the unfulfilled promises of God and thinking that God is impressed by our praying efforts.

The works preacher says we must do stuff to get results. The grace preacher says trust God for the results. Of course we should pray. But pray with faith, with an attitude that says “both me and God fully expect his will to be done in my situation.” If you don’t know what his will is, ask for wisdom. Then pray with a conviction that God will do what he says, that his kingdom reality will soon invade your earthly reality.

The problem with the widow

Why do I have a problem with making the widow the hero of the story? Because you don’t need any faith to identify with the widow in her plight. She was in a bad situation. She took it upon herself to fix things and she succeeded. It’s a good story, but it is a godless and graceless story, a mere triumph of the human spirit. You don’t even have to be a believer to preach on the persistence of the widow.

Why would Jesus want us to be inspired by a widow who succeeded apart from God? He doesn’t! He uses her to show that we are a gazillion times better off because we have God. We do not need to depend on our own effort because we can trust in the grace of a good God who knows what we need even before we ask him.

In fact, God is so good and he knows us so well that he even answers prayers that we haven’t got around to praying. I experienced this just last Sunday. During the service I made a note to pray for something with Camilla. It was a family need and I sat there thinking, “we haven’t even prayed about this – we must do it tonight.” Straight after the service I went to find Camilla (she was out back with the kids), and even before I had a chance to speak she gave me some news that told me that God had answered our prayer. And we hadn’t even prayed it yet!

Who do you trust?

Does your praying testify to the strength of the human spirit or the strength of the Holy Spirit? The best test is to look at what you do when your prayers seem to have no effect.

When the breakthrough doesn’t come, the preacher of works says, “Pray harder! You must do more.” But the Christ-oriented preacher says, “Keep trusting in the goodness of a good God! He has not forsaken you.”

Again, did you spot the difference?

Trust in yourself and you’re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Trust in God and you’re setting yourself up for a miracle. It’s not how big your prayer is, it’s how big your God is. That’s why we need to remind ourselves just how big he is when we pray. We need to magnify him. Like David in Psalm 103 we need call to mind his many blessings: God forgives us. God heals us. God redeems us, crowns us and satisfies us with good things. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.

Your choice: trust in your own efforts or trust in God.

Jesus wants us to have a revelation of our loving Father when we pray. He doesn’t want us to identify with the persistent widow, but to have faith in a good and gracious God who cares for us and helps us in our weakness. Have no faith in your own efforts but receive the grace of God. In the second part of this two-part study, I want to look at the reason why Jesus told this parable.