Over the years different people have asked me in different ways about the reality and work of Satan the devil and sin. Questions such as, “How come God allowed this to happen in the first place?” Or, “Why didn’t God get rid of Satan when he first sinned so as to prevent it from spreading into the world?” Some have been all too willing to blame God for it since He permitted it to happen in the first place … especially those who saw this as a way out of having to humble themselves before a holy God, turn to Him in repentance, then allow Him to change them by taking charge of their lives.
In spite of a person’s motive behind such questioning, I’m glad I was asked. I saw them as good questions, challenging me to personal prayer, study and research for an answer that would be acceptable to the humble and teachable among them. I claim no originality whatsoever for the answer I discovered, but I learned that as created human beings, each one of us was endowed with freedom of choice and that God wants us to relate to and serve Him because we choose to do so, not because we can’t do otherwise. Given that the Bible (and a believer’s experience) confirms that God is love, good, merciful and all powerful, this explanation makes a lot of sense.
The Scriptures reveal that the whole government of God is based on those attributes so if God were to destroy Satan immediately, the rest of the heavenly beings would have served Him through fear, not love. And so, free moral agents were given time to evaluate the nature of Satan’s rebellion. The Lord Jesus’ life and death exposed Satan’s nature and the results of sin, and those who turn to the resurrected Lord are taught that neither Satan nor sin has dominion over them anymore. Christians are taught that they are released from his rule and reign to live forever under God’s rule and reign. That is why the gospel is called good news.
Yet the reality is, lots of Christians are serving God out of fear and not love. They are afraid of God. I’ve witnessed men and women standing in pulpits bringing warning messages on the dangers of one falling into hell if he/she/they did not yield to their teaching and preaching … all of it being taught in addition to the simplicity of the gospel message. See my post: Just As If I Had Never Sinned. Not only that, but fear was discernible in some eyes as they stood there and brought those messages to us. They did talk about God’s love, grace and mercy but these didn’t seem to fit their doctrines as easy as wrath and judgment did.
Simple faith never does seem to fit in lots of cases for Christian people. I can still see the anger in a lady’s eyes from over twenty years ago. She told me that she loved Jesus but that He was nothing at all like God the Father. Her anger arose when I mentioned that both Jesus and the Father are One John 10:30; 14:8-9. She was a vigorous server in her church but it was based on a misguided love for Jesus and a misguided fear of God the Father. I’ve encountered similar cases since. I believe that much of this misguided fear of God is based on experiences with a human father or some father figure from elsewhere – perhaps a stern, religious school teacher, policeman, priest, church minister, elder – or cult leader.
Fear of God’s punishment runs deep in people. Bad or sad situations arise and the all-too-quick response is, “God is punishing me/us.” This is the reason why many people hide from Him, putting up all sorts of smokescreens. This is sometimes the thinking behind those who say they are atheists and agnostics … anything to shut you down. But it’s also the reason why many go to church and get involved with its programs, trying to live as good people so that no more punishment will come upon them. And it’s not only Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and non-Christian religious groups that act this way.
I cannot recall ever hearing a message from the pulpit that taught how wrong it is for anyone to serve God based on being afraid of Him. But I’ve heard more than the odd one teaching that we ought to be afraid if we don’t serve Him. In other words, in my church experience, “God demands our obedience” has been a much stronger message than, “God loves you and wants you to know this by experiencing the love of His Son Jesus Christ as the indwelling Holy Spirit ministers Him to you.” It seems to me that an attractive, liberating message such as that dare not be preached in case it gets interpreted that obedience to Him is not such a big deal after all.
Yet what a lie that is. To witness one person serving the Lord as a result of being liberated by the Holy Spirit versus one serving Him from fear under the bondages of a religious spirit, is as different as heaven is from hell, were we able to view them both. Even when the “fear of God” has been taught as “reverence for God” (the correct interpretation), too many hearers have been spiritually and mentally cemented with fear rather than reverence. And often I’ve noticed that the liberated one is viewed by his/her peers and leaders as one who is irreverent – that is, one who is flippant or lacking in seriousness and holiness.
The liberated Christian is only too well aware of the negative fear of God. It is their experience of it more-so than their knowledge of such that caused him/her to run to Jesus in the first place to get released, washed, cleansed or purified from their sin. Liberated Christians don’t take that for granted. To be set free from that stuff is the most glorious of experiences as well as the most humbling. Again, none of it gets taken for granted. Nor does the liberated one feel they’re obligated or pressured to serve God from here-on in. But serve him they will and gladly so on the basis of choice, as the Holy Spirit calls, leads and guides us into our gifts.
There is a problem with this though and it needs to be addressed here to give encouragement to the liberated and those who want to be so. When you are viewed or spoken of as one who is irreverent or flippant you may not be allowed to flow with the Holy Spirit in ministry in your church as you would like, because your people will not understand what’s happening. The moment you begin to express that which the Holy Spirit gives or does in you, there may be an attempt by the leader/s to rein you in. If this happens I encourage you to yield to those attempts because God does not honor disobedience. Having said this, it is now time for you to get before God like you have never done before.
It’s my belief that God will answer your prayer very definitely at some stage early on in the piece, giving you confirmation and vindication, but the timing for your next ministry step could take much longer. Why? Because God may well want to teach other things during your waiting period. In the meantime, don’t allow anyone to steal your righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Romans 14:17. In other words, it’s ok for your ministry to be temporarily reined in, but not the person you know you now are in the Holy Spirit – liberated, free, living the abundant life. It is Truth that has done that, not irreverence, flippancy or anything else John 8:32.
Even though some leaders and people of God are non-liberated and fearful of Him they still have much to teach that won’t be learned by you anywhere else. It’s important to understand this and therefore know that God’s timing is everything. If we miss His timing we’ll have to wait until He comes around with it again. One of the true blessings in all this for you will be your appreciation that you are liberated and free, when it could just as easily have been you who is non-liberated and fearful. Learning by experience is great, but so is learning by contrasts. That’s a grand, painless way to learn humility!
It’s important also to remember that the most effective Holy Spirit-led ministry happens outside the four walls of the church gathering these days, not within them. So in your praying, ask that opportunity be given you to witness and pray for family, friends, fellow students, work mates and neighbors. If you seek the Lord on this matter He will answer. In other words, if you feel you’ve got something to say, God will definitely give you someone to say it to. God is love and He so loves the world… John 3:16. Especially pray for their needs, fears, worries, jobs, physical healing, family disharmony etc. Church may not interest them but this stuff does.
And, it doesn’t matter if you sometimes get it wrong! It’s all part of the learning process … you don’t have to be afraid of your failures and you don’t have to make excuses for God. Example: someone will say yes to prayer for a job, but no change is apparent in the immediate, so they might say, “What good was that?” Or – someone else will say yes to a prayer for physical healing but they don’t get healed right away and therefore tell you it was all a waste of time. Point one: they’re only saying what some Christians in the same boat wouldn’t dare say, but think it, nevertheless. Point two: avoid confusing the instant and the miraculous with the Scripture promises. It’s all in God’s timing.
At some stage (perhaps months) God will reveal to you your next step and it will include leaving your church fellowship if there has been no change. In other words, if religious spirits are still ruling in the church rather than the Holy Spirit, it will be time for you to move on. God will make that clear to you, but He may not reveal the next fellowship to associate yourself with. What then? Dig in even closer to the Lord. Tell Him that you will accept no other place with Him except His Most Holy Place. There is no other place for you to get to know God on the level that He now wants for you. It is in that Place where you will be taught Scriptural truths that no human has ever taught you.
People blame God for Satan and sin because it is the nature of human beings to blame rather than face up to truth. It is an inherited nature. Our first father blamed God for the predicament he found himself in, “the woman You gave to be with me…” Genesis 3:12. As for Satan, he will do everything he can to keep people from knowledge of God the Father’s true nature and character. To be delivered from every false concept we have of the Father, this too can really only be learned in the Most Holy Place … the Place where we discover God the Father is exactly like God the Son. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” John 14:10. “…..For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
One of the best revelations I have is that God is absolutely head over heels in love with me. This revelation allows me to serve Him in love rather than human fear.
In 26 years Larry, you’re the first person I’ve heard express God’s love like that, but I believe it and I pray others will too as they read your comment. Thanks.
Roger
There are two types of horses that are most difficult to deal with; those without fear and those without hope. The fearless are frequently the spoiled ones, not the rogues.
The hopeless are those who have completely given up and don’t even look for salvation. Neither is able to pay attention or build relationship until they either learn to feel fear or to feel hope.
Any attempt to build relationship will fail unless I have the horse’s attention. A lack of fear or the absence of hope denies me the horse’s focus.
God’s work with humans is little different. When He needs the attention of one who is fearless He is able and faithful to instill fear. When He needs to bind up one who has no hope He is equally capable.
Should a horse fear (respect) me? Only if fear is necessary to gain their attention. Can I instill hope in the hopeless? Only if I am worthy and committed. The goal is the same in either instance, to bring the horse into right relationship with me.
God’s plan is to do the same. But for those without fear or hope He must first get their attention – which is the product of Grace and Love.
That’s awesome, Lynn. Thanks for showing us that the same principles apply. Given the current state of too many churches throughout the western world these days it seems to me that we’d all be better off spiritually if we spent 6 months with a horse trainer!
The similarity continues — just as you note that the messenger must be righteous regarding God’s word, it is also imperative to select a worthy trainer. There are as many false-teaching horse trainers as there are speakers in the pulpit.
Sounds like the driver training industry, Lynn. There’s plenty of good science out there to tell us why experienced drivers crash, and it’s not because they can’t drive or need to update their driving “skills.” But people will continue to get injured & die because the gurus would rather operate from anecdotes & subjective opinions than the scientific facts … and the experienced driver would rather listen to the guru than the scientist for exactly the same reasons. Just another reason why I find self-imposed religion versus biblical Christianity to be a fascinating study!