TO LOVE GOD IS TO KNOW WHO HE IS

 

Also, to know God is to love Him.

 

Loving God and knowing His name are often equated. Why? Knowing His name is to know Him. This is because the name was to represent everything about the person.

 

Perhaps the greatest expression of our love for God is to understand God:

 

·       “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)

 

There is no greater thing to boast about than knowing who God isand that we are secure in His love:

 

·       Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24; John 4:23-24)

 

To know God is to know what delights and what grieves him. This is also the very thing that we esteem in our friends—their desire to know and understand us. This conveys intimate love.

 

To know about God is also to become like Him and to be transformed into Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-4:6). By a law of the soul, we become what we esteem:

 

·       Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:4-8)

 

As we understand our loving Savior, we become like Him, as Jesus had prayed:

 

·       “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

 

To understand our Lord is to possess the most precious gift. If we are to boast about anything, it is our understanding of our Savior. However, even about this we must not boast. This knowledge is ultimately a gift from Jesus, who has revealed God to us and continues to do so. He has taken me captive so that I might meditate on Him constantly as my daily bread and sustenance. I cannot bear the worries and stresses of life without the Scriptural reminders of His love and protection. Therefore, wherever I go, I now carry reminders—memory verses—that His love might always embrace me. What a blessing to be reminded.

·       What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32)

 

We are safe and beloved! Knowledge of the name is also a two-way thing. God knows and treats us according to who we are, what we need, and even what delights us:

 

·       “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

 

By calling us by name, our Lord calls and provides with us according to who we are. Ultimately, we are not numbers or simply members of His Body. Instead, we are known and beloved for who we are! He loves each of us in a special way and declares, “You are mine!” How blessed to know that we belong to Him. Therefore, it is not about our performance but His (Galatians 2:20).

 

There is also eternal hope and joy in His name:

·       “Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” (Isaiah 52:6–7)

 

When we know that our God reigns, even eternally, we can be assured of His peace, knowing that He will take care of us, and that all our worries are no more than passing images on a movie reel.

 

ANDREW WOMMACK AND THE WORD-OF-FAITH (WOF) MOVEMENT

 

 

Recently, I wrote against the teachings of Andrew Wommack )https://mannsword.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-unbiblical-teachings-of-andrew.html)

because some dear Christian friends had been advocating his teachings. However, due to some push-back from these friends, I thought that I needed to address it with more depth:

 

Was Jesus’ commission to the 12 and then the 72 subject to change? Are all believers still given the authority and power to heal and to cast out demons? In favor that their experience still pertains, they cite:

 

·       After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. ..The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:1-4, 17)

 

However, Jesus’ commission did change:

 

·       And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. (Luke 22:35-36)

 

Therefore, we shouldn’t expect that other features – healing and deliverance – would also be permanent. It was never intended that all should heal. Each gift was not given to all:

 

·       Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”

(1 Corinthians 12:29-30)

 

Therefore, the claim that all have the authority to heal is not Biblical. Instead:

 

·       For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many…But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:13–14, 18-20)

 

I cited the fact that all believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit because the WOF movement generally denies this. They generally claim that those who have received this “baptism” are empowered in a way that other believers are not. However, our unity in the Body of Christ argues that there is only one Spirit baptism of which we all partake (Ephesians 4:1-5). Consequently, there does not exist a two-pier division among the children of God. Instead, the WOF teachings foster division.

 

Returning to our gifting, we are all gifted but differently like any body which has many differing body parts.

 

It is also claimed that diseases cannot be used for good as can other forms of suffering. Therefore, God wills that that they should all be cured. However, Paul rejoiced even in his weaknesses and infirmities knowing that God could work all things for our good:

 

·       Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV)

 

Many verses talk about the benefits of suffering for building character, without any exceptions, even for disease:

 

·       Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9)

 

The Bible gives no reason to believe that God could not also use disease to make us rely more on Christ.

 

·       Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, (Romans 5:3-4)

 

·       Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3)

 

If the suffering the loss of a leg can produce character, why would God be unable to also produce character through our struggle with polio:

 

·       We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair…always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:8, 10)

 

Cannot God use all our afflictions to make us Christlike? It seems there are no afflictions that cannot be used by our Savior to produce good:

 

·       And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

 

Is it God’s will for all to be healed? Is the unbelief of this the problem that all the faithful are not healed? Jesus healings are cited in support:

 

·       That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14-17; Isaiah 53:4)

 

However, there is no indication that all Christians have been given the authority to take “our illnesses and…our diseases.” In fact, no healer would claim he has taken “our diseases” upon himself.

 

Did everyone in the early church perform miracles and healings? No! This was generally reserved for the Apostles:

 

·       And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

 

It was by these wonders that God had set the Apostles apart as those commissioned to bear the Gospel (Hebrew 2:4) along with Paul who also performed these works:

 

·       The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. (2 Corinthians 12:12)

 

Clearly, the office of the Apostle was a special and temporary one.

 

Weren’t we all given this power and authority? At first glance, it seems that Jesus promised this power to all:

 

·       “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

 

However, it seems that He had made this promise specifically to those who had been with Him—His Apostles:

 

·       “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

 

This was the same audience to whom He had made the initial promise — to those who had accompanied Him and had heard His teachings. Besides, the entire NT affirms the central and miraculous role to which the Apostles had been appointed (John 15:26; Acts 8:14, 18; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13)

 

What happens when all are not healed? Blame must be assigned to someone. Since the omnipotent God guarantees healing to all, the problem must rest with those who pray for the healing or with those seeking the healing. Consequently, this Word-of-Faith theology is a theology of needless blame. It presents many testimonies of healings but those who aren’t healed become marginalized, as they had been in Israel:

·       As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1–3)

 

Many who aren’t healed are left to wonder, “What’s wrong with me. If I couldn’t trust God for a healing, can I trust Him for anything else?”

 

The Bible counsels us to not worry. We have someone else interceding for us according to the will of God:

 

·       Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:26-28)

 

Yet, I must admit that I had been worrying, amid my own infirmities, that perhaps I was believing wrongly and limiting God to my own understanding. However, Scripture continually gives us the assurance that, when we are out of alignment with our Lord, He will correct us if we really are seeking to know:

·       Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:15–16)

OUR BELIEFS CAN KILL US

 

 

One extreme example of this is ISIS. Many join, and many will not escape alive. However, our beliefs can kill more subtly. What we think about ourselves can kill us.

 

Many years ago, after taking LSD, I lost the awareness that I was a human who could die. I could easily have jumped out of a window, thinking I could fly.

 

However, we can lose awareness of who we are, with deadly consequences, without taking LSD.

 

In a vain attempt to dismiss the existence of God, many have opted for materialism - the belief that only a physical reality exists. However, this belief entails other beliefs - that everything is determined by the laws of science. Consequently, everything is predetermined by these laws. As a result, they are convinced that freewill is only an illusion.

 

Some even relish this belief. If they do not have freewill, then they couldn't have acted otherwise, and they cannot be held accountable for their behavior.

 

Although this might serve to mitigate feelings of shame and guilt, it also carries unintended lethal baggage. For one thing, they have also relinquished their right to hold others accountable. Along with this, they have sacrificed vital concepts like justice, retribution, honor, dignity, courage, meaning, and any purpose for their lives.

 

But do these sacrifices kill? They will kill relationships. What are you going to tell your wife, when she accuses you of pushing her? Are you going to apologize? You cannot honestly apologize if you believe that you couldn't have done otherwise. But how then can there be reconciliation with your wife?

 

Nor can you require your children to apologize. After all, they too couldn't have behaved otherwise.

 

You can instead decide: “I will apologize and will require my children to apologize even though we couldn't have done otherwise.”

 

However, to apologize contradicts your worldview. It admits that your worldview fails to address the needs of your life. It is therefore dysfunctional and should be exchanged for a worldview that reflects reality and serves as a guide for life.

 

The denial of freewill and accountability kills in other ways. It tells criminals that they are not responsible for their rapes and murders. It even tells them that they lack the freewill to improve.

 

Perhaps, even worse, it teaches cynicism. It tells them that they do not deserve punishment, because their crimes had been pre-programmed into them.

 

If so, they will wonder why they are being punished if they couldn't have acted otherwise. They will regard our system of justice is hypocritical. Such an awareness will not inspire change and personal responsibility.

 

Instead, we need to be nourished with a coherent rationale for responsible living. Without this, I fear that our society cannot long endure. And why should we even care if we cannot do otherwise?

 

Should we deprive such people of the vote, a vote that is no more than a chemical-electrical reaction! And when deprived, should we take their complaint seriously?

 

This is not a flippant remark but a reality. To deny freewill is to deny that we are responsible and moral agents. It is also to seriously degrade humanity. If this human machine fails to respond in socially acceptable ways, why not simply deposit us in the city dump with the rest of the garbage!

 

What then happens to our concepts of human dignity, human equality, and human rights! One secular scholar insisted that pragmatic considerations are enough to maintain these necessary principles. However, when pragmatism reigns supreme, it is inevitable that those in power will chose what benefits them.