Appreciating who we are in Christ

The Word of Truth Ministries

Appreciating who we are in Christ
[Message One]
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"...among those are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Luke 7:19-28

This passage of scripture is very interesting indeed. It teaches us the need to believe God's word. And a lesson crucial to this church world is that the church and the saints therein need to believe God's word more than at any time in the history of the church. Jesus asked the question and in so doing he implied the answer: "When the son of man come, will he find faith?" [Lk. 18:8]

Faith is the ingredient essential to pleasing God, but it is in short supply today. Instead of faith, men have taken on material possessions, the love of money, which is the root of all evil, and the untoward honoring of men's persons.

The passage cited above from Luke 7, is also found in Matthew 11; it is worth careful analysis to understand what God is saying to his people about faith and their position in him.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ and heralded him. He has spoken without fear even when his speech was sure to not win him friends and certain to bring him death. He cried against sin in the leadership of God's people; he cried against sin in Caesar's government, telling Herod that it is not right to have his brother's wife. And his crying against sin got him placed in jail.

While in jail, John's faith started to weaken; he began to doubt his mission, his purpose, and even his calling. And as his faith was weakened, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to shore up his faith. John gave this one question to pose to Jesus: "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" [Mat. 11] Remember that it was John who had announced Jesus; it was John's whole purpose to prepare the way of the Lord. That he had done, but still his faith was shaken and he wanted it strengthened.

There are many times saints will move at the behest of God and then have their faith shaken after mighty movements of God. It seems to be a cycle that many saints go through. Elijah had defeated all the prophets of Baal and killed them after a mighty outpouring of God's might and manifestation on Mount Carmel. God had, at Elijah's behest alone, thundered down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. And Elijah, exalted by God, moved by Him even still to kill all the prophets of Baal, found himself thereafter afraid of one woman's words.

At hearing that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, Jezebel was so enraged that she pronounced the death of Elijah at her hands. And that mighty man of God having just been moved so mightily by God became afraid of Jezebel. He took off running to hide himself from her threat because his faith was weakened, but God spoke to him in his time of fear and asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" [1 Kings 19:1-13]

What was Elijah doing in this state of unbelief? Had he not seen the clear and unequivocal power of God? Would not the God of the universe who gave attention to Elijah's prayers to demonstrate himself also give attention to Elijah's prayer of protection? What was Elijah, that great man of God, doing in his running from an evil woman in order to save his life?

Notice the rationale Elijah gave for his fear: "...I am the only prophet left and they seek my life...." God's men should never offer bogus reasons for doing a thing; we should never justify our weakness but acknowledge it and overcome it. That is the making of a saint. Justifying wrong is a behavior that shortens one's standing in God's sight, and shortens one's life. Notice God told Elijah to go on in his journey and anoint various ones, and also anoint Elisha who will take your place--Elisha would have a double portion of Elijah's anointing from God so that he would be fearless in God.

When our faith becomes weak, we must not do as Elijah did. He ran from the situation as if God was not master of all situations. The strength of God he had just waxed bold in fell away from him as his fear of Jezebel--a mere human being--heightened into his neurosis. One moment he was mighty in God, then as quickly as he was bold, he became afraid. Yet his God was still there! And God's power was still there! It was Elijah's faith that had become weak! He acted on his weakness and ran, not on his strength and stood!

John did not run from the situation or ask for deliverance. But in his time of death, his faith was shaken and he wanted a more certain word from God as he was to walk through his valley and shadow of death. [Psa. 23] He ran to God, as seen by his two disciples being dispatched to Jesus with a single question: Are you the one or do we look for another?

There was a time, when he first saw Jesus, that he was certain of the answer to that question. At that time he directed the world and even his own disciples to Jesus, saying, "Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." [John 1:29] But now pressures were mounting upon him, he was near a certain death, his moment of uncertainty, faced by us all, was prolonged upon him, and he wanted God to assure him that when he acted and when he spoke, saying that Jesus was the lamb of God, he had been correct. Just a personal word from God would have been enough to end his closing hours peacefully. Can't we all feel the longing and need of John? God give us comfort and rest; tell us, God, that we are right. How we long for such words of comfort. But God seems to be standing by silently watching us to see what we will do without a word from him. And we cannot understand it; why won't he give us that comforting word? With that word we could leap over walls, burst through barricades and balustrades; we tell ourselves we can quench the violence of fire, stop the mouths of lions, subdue kingdoms, etc. Just a mere word from you, God, we pray, as God quietly whispers to us in such a low voice that many times we do not hear him, much like Elijah.

But though His voice is low, He says to us, The just shall live by his faith. [Habakah 2:4] Even when there is no special word from God, His eternal word is forever settled in heaven and written in a book. We must search out the Book of the Lord and read it and believe His word. [Isa. 34:16]

John the Baptist's faith was weak, but he went to the word of God, Jesus, for strength. However, he was seeking a personal word from God, for he perceived who Jesus was, and there was also a hint of appealing to flesh as in Jesus. But notice what Jesus did: He did not direct him to flesh. Today we hoist pastors up even as God, and not God's word; we appeal to the flesh of man and not to God's word. How many times do we hear pastors and others directing all attention, honor and respect to the pastor and not to God's word? I am willing to allow God's word to be true and the ultimate authority in my life.

Jesus sat John's disciples down and let them watch what he was doing. The Bible says that John's disciples put John's question to Jesus and Jesus' response was "...to cure many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits and many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them [John's disciples with the question of John] Go your way and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached...."

Why would Jesus respond in such a way to John the Baptist? This response was not a new one for Jesus. He responded in many ways that seem cryptic to us when confronted with what seems to be clear and unambiguous questions.* But in His answer, he was responding as directly as the occasion demanded. This is true here as well. His response was clearly telling John that the just shall live by his faith and that he had to live by faith even when faced with death.

Jesus knew John, what was in him, and He knew that John had read Isaiah 61, in which the prophet wrote that the Holy One would do exactly what John's disciples saw. So Jesus sat them down and worked the work of Him who has sent him before their eyes so they could report back to John and he could compare their report to the word and believe God's word. That is the only comfort God will give us.

No special word, not even for John the Baptist. Just God's eternal word. Sometimes when we ask for a special word, we don't know what we are asking for, as we trouble God. Jesus' disciples, James and John, asked for a special place, but Jesus asked if they could drink of his cup. With special words come special sacrifices. Can you drink of that cup? We must ALL believe God's word, for that is how the just must live--by his faith!

Continue to Message Two

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*Consider John 12: 20-228. In this passage, certain Greeks sought an audience with Jesus, saying , "Sir, we would see Jesus." Jesus took that clear and unambiguous request and gave an answer to it that seems, on its face, totally off the subject. But the problem for most saints and students of the Bible is their inability to see the statement for what it really is. Most assume the question is really a request to see Jesus, and it is, but it is not. Were the statement's true meaning a request, Jesus response would be a non-sequitor. But Jesus offers no non-sequitors. He knows the intent and whole range of man's thoughts and desires. [I have discussed this scripture's meaning elsewhere. Also hear the audio]

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	____________ Many times saints will move at the behest of God and then have their faith shaken. It seems to be a cycle that many saints go through. ______________ ______________ God's men should never offer bogus reasons for doing a thing; we should never justify our weakness but acknowledge it and overcome it. That is the making of a saint. ______________ _____________ We hoist pastors up even as God, and not God's word; we appeal to the flesh of man and not to God's word. ______________		The Word of Truth Ministries Appreciating who we are in Christ [Message One] _____________________ "...among those are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Luke 7:19-28 This passage of scripture is very interesting indeed. It teaches us the need to believe God's word. And a lesson crucial to this church world is that the church and the saints therein need to believe God's word more than at any time in the history of the church. Jesus asked the question and in so doing he implied the answer: "When the son of man come, will he find faith?" [Lk. 18:8] Faith is the ingredient essential to pleasing God, but it is in short supply today. Instead of faith, men have taken on material possessions, the love of money, which is the root of all evil, and the untoward honoring of men's persons. The passage cited above from Luke 7, is also found in Matthew 11; it is worth careful analysis to understand what God is saying to his people about faith and their position in him. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ and heralded him. He has spoken without fear even when his speech was sure to not win him friends and certain to bring him death. He cried against sin in the leadership of God's people; he cried against sin in Caesar's government, telling Herod that it is not right to have his brother's wife. And his crying against sin got him placed in jail. While in jail, John's faith started to weaken; he began to doubt his mission, his purpose, and even his calling. And as his faith was weakened, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to shore up his faith. John gave this one question to pose to Jesus: "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" [Mat. 11] Remember that it was John who had announced Jesus; it was John's whole purpose to prepare the way of the Lord. That he had done, but still his faith was shaken and he wanted it strengthened. There are many times saints will move at the behest of God and then have their faith shaken after mighty movements of God. It seems to be a cycle that many saints go through. Elijah had defeated all the prophets of Baal and killed them after a mighty outpouring of God's might and manifestation on Mount Carmel. God had, at Elijah's behest alone, thundered down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. And Elijah, exalted by God, moved by Him even still to kill all the prophets of Baal, found himself thereafter afraid of one woman's words. At hearing that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, Jezebel was so enraged that she pronounced the death of Elijah at her hands. And that mighty man of God having just been moved so mightily by God became afraid of Jezebel. He took off running to hide himself from her threat because his faith was weakened, but God spoke to him in his time of fear and asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" [1 Kings 19:1-13] What was Elijah doing in this state of unbelief? Had he not seen the clear and unequivocal power of God? Would not the God of the universe who gave attention to Elijah's prayers to demonstrate himself also give attention to Elijah's prayer of protection? What was Elijah, that great man of God, doing in his running from an evil woman in order to save his life? Notice the rationale Elijah gave for his fear: "...I am the only prophet left and they seek my life...." God's men should never offer bogus reasons for doing a thing; we should never justify our weakness but acknowledge it and overcome it. That is the making of a saint. Justifying wrong is a behavior that shortens one's standing in God's sight, and shortens one's life. Notice God told Elijah to go on in his journey and anoint various ones, and also anoint Elisha who will take your place--Elisha would have a double portion of Elijah's anointing from God so that he would be fearless in God. When our faith becomes weak, we must not do as Elijah did. He ran from the situation as if God was not master of all situations. The strength of God he had just waxed bold in fell away from him as his fear of Jezebel--a mere human being--heightened into his neurosis. One moment he was mighty in God, then as quickly as he was bold, he became afraid. Yet his God was still there! And God's power was still there! It was Elijah's faith that had become weak! He acted on his weakness and ran, not on his strength and stood! John did not run from the situation or ask for deliverance. But in his time of death, his faith was shaken and he wanted a more certain word from God as he was to walk through his valley and shadow of death. [Psa. 23] He ran to God, as seen by his two disciples being dispatched to Jesus with a single question: Are you the one or do we look for another? There was a time, when he first saw Jesus, that he was certain of the answer to that question. At that time he directed the world and even his own disciples to Jesus, saying, "Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." [John 1:29] But now pressures were mounting upon him, he was near a certain death, his moment of uncertainty, faced by us all, was prolonged upon him, and he wanted God to assure him that when he acted and when he spoke, saying that Jesus was the lamb of God, he had been correct. Just a personal word from God would have been enough to end his closing hours peacefully. Can't we all feel the longing and need of John? God give us comfort and rest; tell us, God, that we are right. How we long for such words of comfort. But God seems to be standing by silently watching us to see what we will do without a word from him. And we cannot understand it; why won't he give us that comforting word? With that word we could leap over walls, burst through barricades and balustrades; we tell ourselves we can quench the violence of fire, stop the mouths of lions, subdue kingdoms, etc. Just a mere word from you, God, we pray, as God quietly whispers to us in such a low voice that many times we do not hear him, much like Elijah. But though His voice is low, He says to us, The just shall live by his faith. [Habakah 2:4] Even when there is no special word from God, His eternal word is forever settled in heaven and written in a book. We must search out the Book of the Lord and read it and believe His word. [Isa. 34:16] John the Baptist's faith was weak, but he went to the word of God, Jesus, for strength. However, he was seeking a personal word from God, for he perceived who Jesus was, and there was also a hint of appealing to flesh as in Jesus. But notice what Jesus did: He did not direct him to flesh. Today we hoist pastors up even as God, and not God's word; we appeal to the flesh of man and not to God's word. How many times do we hear pastors and others directing all attention, honor and respect to the pastor and not to God's word? I am willing to allow God's word to be true and the ultimate authority in my life. Jesus sat John's disciples down and let them watch what he was doing. The Bible says that John's disciples put John's question to Jesus and Jesus' response was "...to cure many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits and many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them [John's disciples with the question of John] Go your way and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached...." Why would Jesus respond in such a way to John the Baptist? This response was not a new one for Jesus. He responded in many ways that seem cryptic to us when confronted with what seems to be clear and unambiguous questions.* But in His answer, he was responding as directly as the occasion demanded. This is true here as well. His response was clearly telling John that the just shall live by his faith and that he had to live by faith even when faced with death. Jesus knew John, what was in him, and He knew that John had read Isaiah 61, in which the prophet wrote that the Holy One would do exactly what John's disciples saw. So Jesus sat them down and worked the work of Him who has sent him before their eyes so they could report back to John and he could compare their report to the word and believe God's word. That is the only comfort God will give us. No special word, not even for John the Baptist. Just God's eternal word. Sometimes when we ask for a special word, we don't know what we are asking for, as we trouble God. Jesus' disciples, James and John, asked for a special place, but Jesus asked if they could drink of his cup. With special words come special sacrifices. Can you drink of that cup? We must ALL believe God's word, for that is how the just must live--by his faith! Continue to Message Two __________ Consider John 12: 20-228. In this passage, certain Greeks sought an audience with Jesus, saying , "Sir, we would see Jesus." Jesus took that clear and unambiguous request and gave an answer to it that seems, on its face, totally off the subject. But the problem for most saints and students of the Bible is their inability to see the statement for what it really is. Most assume the question is really a request to see Jesus, and it is, but it is not. Were the statement's true meaning a request, Jesus response would be a non-sequitor. But Jesus offers no non-sequitors. He knows the intent and whole range of man's thoughts and desires. [I have discussed this scripture's meaning elsewhere. Also hear the audio] Home The Word of Truth Ministries* Copyright © 2002 by The Truth of God