Gospel Power vs Sin's Power

Dear God seekers,

Consider the power behind sin versus the power behind the gospel: 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law (1 Co 15:56). Sin has no power without the law. For apart from the law, sin was dead, as it is when one comes to Christ (Ro 7:8). Sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law (Ro 5:13). I would not have known what sin was except through the law (Ro 7:7). 

Imagine death as an entity or creature, as in the angel of death, and it has a stinger. The stinger that it uses to sting people is sin. Inside every deadly stinger is a poison, but the power of death’s stinger (sin) is the law. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death (Ro 7:11). For the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23). Sin uses what is good (the law) to bring death, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, so that sin (through the commandment) might become utterly sinful (Ro 7:13). God designed it this way, so that we would recognize sin as something deadly to be avoided, just as He put the bad odor on excrement for the same reason. Likewise, many poisonous plant compounds are bitter, so that they may be recognized as poisonous. So once again, the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 

However, in contrast to the power of sin, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Ro 1:16). Put differently, the power of God unto salvation for those who believe is the gospel. In the same way that we give an antidote to one who has been stung by a poisonous snake, scorpion, or spider, God’s antidote to sin’s sting of death is the gospel. That’s His power to save mankind from eternal death and separation from Him in hell, and it is far greater that the power of sin.

To those who believe the gospel, God gives the gracious gift of eternal life. All those who repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ are no longer under law and sin’s deadly power, but under grace and the power of God to save them (Ro 6:14). Therefore, sin is no longer their master, and it wields no power over them, because Christ is their master.

Conclusion

Let's put this in the simplest terms using the form of equations in order to emphasize my point.

Sin = the sting of death 

The law = the power of sin 

The gospel = the power of God unto salvation (to those who believe)

The choice is easy. Why choose to be under the law, thereby giving sin the power to sting you unto death, when you can believe the gospel and receive God's power unto salvation?

Attribution notice: All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV1984), copyright Zondervan, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy The Flesh vs the Spirit, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Holy Living in a Perverted World, The Law of Christ, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Separation from the World, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Amazing Grace, and Doing What is Right. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Peter and the Rooster: A Call to Watch and Pray

We are all familiar with the passage in the gospels where Peter denies Christ despite his emphatic declaration of loyalty and fidelity to Jesus.

"Peter declared, 'Even if all fall away, I will not.' 'Truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.' But Peter insisted emphatically, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And all the others said the same." (Mar 14:30 -31).

Peter and the Rooster

Let's compare and contrast the rooster with Peter, because in doing so we can learn a valuable spiritual lesson. In his article called Why Do Roosters Crow on the website Chicken Scratch, Joseph Hudson writes: 

“As with a vast majority of seemingly-strange animal behavior, one of the primary motivations for roosters to crow is to attract a mate. While our human ears struggle to detect any nuances between calls, scientists have analyzed the crows of distinct roosters and found that each rooster has a slightly different crow.

Thus, many researchers have concluded that the slight changes between each rooster are used as a method of impressing potential mates and out-gunning competing roosters.

The number of changes is extensive. Many roosters like to introduce a warbling effect into the calls as a sign of complexity and health. Further, the length of the song itself will vary between animals. While a rooster’s crow may seem arbitrary to many listeners, they are playing a distinct and repeatable song.

Depending on the rooster, this repetition may occur as often as every two minutes, or as infrequently as every ten. While the studies have not been wholly conclusive, it appears that hens tend to be more quickly attracted to roosters that exhibit longer and more complex songs.

Beyond the complexity of the call, there is also a much simpler variable: volume. One of the key differences in the crows of different roosters is how long they can become. While not always true, a larger rooster can typically produce a higher maximum volume compared to a smaller specimen. Thus, exhibiting a higher volume is a means by which roosters can brag about their size, strength, and health.

This effect is amplified when multiple roosters are within the hearing range of each other. When placed in the vicinity of another rooster, roosters tend to increase the volume of their crowing. This often results in a kind of competition between the males, resulting in a back-and-forth battle with increasing volume each round.

In extreme instances, agitated roosters have been known to damage their lungs or vocal cords in an attempt to out-shine another rooster. They are liable to become so engrossed in outperforming the other, and winning the affection of a mate, that they forget any self-preservation instincts and overwork themselves. While they typically recover from these episodes, the damage can sometimes be permanent.”

Hudson also states in his article:

“Unlike hens, which are primarily communal and docile animals, roosters are fiercely territorial. Thus, marking their territory is one of the primary reasons why a rooster may crow. In any given community, there will be much fewer roosters than hens. Hens often outnumber their male equivalents by over a hundred to one.

Therefore, roosters are allowed to rule a fairly large range of territory. A typical rooster will lay claim to an area of roughly an acre. It considers this range to be its property and will become disturbed if its land is intruded on by another male bird.

Crowing for territorial reasons takes on two forms. A rooster will often seek to remind other birds in the area that a certain portion of land is its territory. This is generally the function of the ‘alarm clock’ morning crowing that roosters are so well known for. When crowing for this reason, a rooster will attempt to find the highest perch possible.

Normally, this will be a tree or fence post. Then, the rooster will project out into its territory. This call normally resembles its mating song, but with even more embellishments added. In fact, territorial marking will often have the secondary effect of attracting a mate.” 

Now consider Peter in the courtyard warming himself among the soldiers with servant girls around. Peter and the soldiers are likened to the roosters and the females are likened to the hens. His protests and denials of being associated with Christ are like the rooster’s crows to mark out its territory. It’s as if Peter is saying, “This is my territory. I do not know Him. I’m not from Galilee.” Just as there is “a kind of competition between the male (roosters), resulting in a back-and-forth battle with increasing volume each round,” likewise, each one of Peter’s denials seemed to increase in intensity like a crescendo. 

Consider how “agitated roosters have been known to damage their lungs or vocal cords in an attempt to out-shine another rooster. They are liable to become so engrossed in outperforming the other, and winning the affection of a mate, that they forget any self-preservation instincts and overwork themselves. While they typically recover from these episodes, the damage can sometimes be permanent.” And consider how Peter became so agitated that he hurt himself spiritually in his attempts to prove he was not Christ’s disciple. 

In Mark's gospel it states:

"While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. 

'You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,' she said. 

But he denied it. 'I don't know or understand what you're talking about,' he said, and went out into the entryway. 

When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, 

'This fellow is one of them.' Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, 

'Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.' 

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, 'I don't know this man you're talking about.'

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: 'Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.' And he broke down and wept."(Mar 14:66-72)

You can clearly see the crescendo of denial that reaches its climax when Peter even called down curses on himself and swore to them that he didn't know the Lord. Like a rooster, who becomes engrossed in outperforming the others, Peter was so caught up in not wanting to be seen before them as a follower of Christ, that he forgot any self-preservation instincts and overworked himself to the point of doing permanent damage to his spirit that could only be healed by the Lord.

Consider how the rooster that night had only crowed once by the time Peter had already denied the Lord three times. Roosters typically crow once every two minutes or as infrequently as every ten minutes. Therefore, the time between the rooster’s two crows that night would have been between two and ten minutes. During that short space of time, Peter had already denied the Lord three times, just as the Lord said he would do. As if Peter was in some sort of competition, he outgunned the crow and got out three vehement denials of Christ in that short space of time before the rooster even had a chance to get out a second crow.

In Matthew, Luke, and John’s gospels, they record the Lord saying, “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.” That would have a different meaning than if He had said, "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." Roosters start to crow two hours before the onset of light. This is called anticipatory predawn crowing. Therefore if the Lord had said that Peter would disown him three times before the rooster crows today, that would indicate the imminence of Peter's denial of the Lord, which would even occur a couple of hours before dawn; whereas the statement that he would deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed twice connotes the quickness with which he would deny the Lord three times in such a very short time span. 

But whether the Lord said the rooster would crow today or the rooster would crow twice, the analogy between Peter’s denials and the rooster’s crow is still valid. And besides, since Peter likely influenced the writing of Mark’s gospel, it is likely that Mark’s record of what Jesus said about the rooster crowing twice is more accurate than the others, since this was spoken directly by Jesus to Peter. He would probably have a better recollection of it than anyone else, since it involved him personally and had such a big impact on his life.

Either way you look at it, essentially the rooster’s crow is coming from its animal nature and not from anything spiritual. In the same way, Peter’s denials came from the baser instincts of his sinful human nature. It shows that no matter how emphatically Peter boasted about his loyalty and faithfulness to Christ, he was still capable of committing such a damnable sin as disowning the Lord whom he loved. If Peter, who loved the Lord so much and was such a passionate follower of Christ, could do this, how much more the rest of us who follow Jesus!

This was no small thing to disown the Lord. For Jesus had warned, “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Mat 10:33). This indicates that one who disowns Christ after having known the Lord cannot be saved unless he repents and asks forgiveness before he dies. Peter certainly repented and was reinstated by Jesus after his resurrection from the dead.

Watch and Pray!
The one thing that could have kept Peter from denying Christ in the first place was prayer. The Lord had told him to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane lest he fall into temptation. He said, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mat 26:41). Peter’s spirit was willing to follow the Lord to prison and even to death, but his flesh was weak. Since he didn’t take the time to pray, his spirit remained weak, and when presented with a strong temptation, he fell into it.

The same goes for all of us who follow the Lord as His disciples. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Because of the sinful nature, we are capable of committing damnable sins that can keep us from heaven. That’s why we must be careful to watch and pray so that we do not fall into temptation.

On the other hand, Jesus is our perfect example. He always took the time to pray every day, often very early while it was still dark, and even late at night, or throughout the night. And He did so especially on that fateful night, as the disciples slept, yet He prayed intensely all the way through to victory in the garden, surrendering His will to the will of the Father. And when He was confronted with all the temptations that night brought to Him, including His arrest and mock trial before the high priest, He didn't falter a bit. He remained faithful to the Heavenly Father all throughout that ordeal, even as Peter in contrast to Him was outside disowning Him. He was tempted in every way just as we are, yet was without sin (Heb 4:15). May we all follow in His steps (1 Pet 2:21) by imitating Him and obeying His command to watch and pray so that we do not fall into temptation.

Attribution: All Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Excerpts from Why Do Roosters Crow by Joseph Hudson taken from Chicken Scratch website, used for educational and commentary purposes only per the Fair Use Act. Image of Peter Denies Christ also used per the Fair Use Act.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Sins of Ignorance,  Sins of Omission, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The False Gospel of Eternal Security, and Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

If My People Who Are Called by My Name

Let's turn together to a famous passage and see what the Lord is saying to us through it. This one comes from 2 Chronicles 7 from the time that Solomon dedicated the temple to God. After he finished building the temple, the Lord appeared to him at night and said:

"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chr 7:14, NIV).

There are four tasks in this verse that are our duty, if we are the Lord's people who are called by His name:

1. Humble ourselves 

The first condition within our responsibility is to humble ourselves. It's necessary to humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God and in due time he will lift you up (1 Pe 5:6). There are various ways to humble yourself, including fasting, prostrating yourself before the Lord on the floor, and going without the usual comforts of life and luxuries you typically enjoy. Daniel said, "I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." (Dan 10:3, NIV). Sometimes the people in the Bible would put on rough, abrasive, uncomfortable clothing called sackcloth and sprinkle ashes on their heads.

2. Pray

The second condition that we must meet is to pray. Prayer is essential in order to maintain communion with God. Nothing else can take its place. It's our two-way communication with Him. We talk to Him, and we listen to what He says to us in our hearts by His Spirit and through his Word. We should have regular times of prayer each day, and then there are special seasons of prayer, too. We need to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17).

3. Seek His face

Our third responsibility in order to meet the conditions is to seek the Lord's face. Nobody can do it for you. Seeking His face and seeking His presence are virtually synonymous. We get hungry for God and desire His presence more than the air we breath. We long to be with Him, because we love Him. Everything else is laid aside while we seek His face.

4. Turn from our wicked ways

The fourth condition that is our responsibility is to turn from our wicked ways. This requires repentance for our sins, confessing before Him, and turning our backs on the wicked things we've been doing. For more on this, see Repentance That Leads to Life. The apostle Paul wrote:

"Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'” (2 Tim 2:19, NIV).

A great example of this is the way that Nehemiah prayed. He wrote, "...I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

'Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.'" (Neh 1:4-7). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 8-11.

Daniel was another great example of how to pray. He wrote:

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

'Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.'" (Dan 9:3-6). For the rest of his prayer, read verses 7-19.

Those four conditions listed above must be met in order for us to receive the promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Once we meet them, then the Lord will fulfill His promise and do his part, which includes these three things:

5. I will hear from heaven

If we want the Lord to hear our prayers, which we all do, then it behooves us to meet the four conditions above. It's an amazing thing to know that God in heaven has heard you, and this brings great joy to your heart when it happens. It's God's job to hear from heaven. His ear is not too dull to hear, "but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Is 59:2).

6. I will forgive their sin

Not only does the Lord hear from heaven, but He also forgives our sin, when we meet the conditions above. He is eager to forgive us, which only He can do, but He needs us to do our part first. There can be no forgiveness without sincere repentance and turning away from wickedness. Yet "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9, NIV).

7. I will heal their land

The final thing God promises to do if we meet the above conditions is to heal our land. This is His job. We cannot do it, the government cannot do it, programs cannot do it, scientists cannot do it, doctors cannot do it, and no man on earth can do it. When we look at all the problems in our land -- the crime, the lawlessness, the murder of innocent children, the drug addiction, the sickness, the disease, the hopelessness, the suicide, the poverty, the economic problems, the injustice, the social issues, the deep divisions, the wars, the political problems, the corruption in our government, the environmental problems, and the problems affecting our wildlife -- our land is in desperate need of healing. Only the Lord can heal it, so it's essential that we do our part, in order for Him to do His part.



Closing Words
We must do our job and meet certain conditions, which are to humble ourselves, pray, seeking His face, and turn from our wicked ways. But once we meet those conditions, then the Lord will do His job. which is to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Stay at Home and Seek the Lord (during COVID Quarantine), Ask for the Ancient Paths, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Bowing Low in Worship, Repentance That Leads to Life, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may also enjoy my daughter Charity's poem called America, Turn Back to God. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Flesh vs the Spirit

When you consider our life in Christ, it stands in stark contrast to life in the flesh as we once knew it. Living in the Spirit is drastically different than living under the Law. Let's see what the Scriptures says about this difference. In the following table, let's list on the left-hand side those things that pertain to the flesh, the Law, and the old life before Christ. Then on the right-hand side we'll contrast those things to the Spirit, and new life in Christ.

Flesh / Law / Old	Christ / Spirit / New
"...you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ..." (Rom 7:4)	"so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Rom 7:4)
"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." (Rom 7:5)	"But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." (Rom 7:6)
We serve "not in oldness of the letter." (Ro 7:6)	"We serve in newness of the Spirit." (Ro 7:6)
"I would not have come to know sin except through the Law" (Ro 7:7)	"...apart from the Law sin is dead." (Ro 7:8)
"when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died..." (Ro 7:9) "...making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." (Rom 7:23)	"...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Rom 8:2)
"and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;" (Rom 7:10)	"If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness." (Rom 8:10)
"So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." (Rom 7:12)	"...if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." (Gal 5:18)
"through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful." (Rom 7:13)	"...walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Gal 5:16)
"we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin." (Rom 7:14)	"...the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:4)
"...nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh..." (Ro 7:18)	"...those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24)
"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:" (Rom 8:3a)	"...sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh [of Christ]" (Rom 8:3b)
"Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh..." (Rom 8:5a)	"...those who are according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit." (Rom 8:5b)
"the mind set on the flesh is death..." (Rom 8:6a)	"the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace" (Rom 8:6)
"...the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so," (Rom 8:7)
"those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8)	"...those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24)
"...the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit..." (Gal 5:17a)	"...the Spirit [sets its desire] against the flesh...so that you may not do the things that you please." (Gal 5:17b)
"...if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Rom 8:9b)	"...you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." (Rom 8:9a)
	"...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom 8:11)
"...if you are living according to the flesh, you must die..." (Rom 8:13a)	"...if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom 8:13b)
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21)	"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
“I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” (Rom. 7:14)	“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves.” (Rom. 8:15)
"...a spirit of slavery leading to fear..." (Rom 8:15a)	"... a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom 8:15b)
	"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God," (Rom 8:16)

Compare and contrast each point in the left-hand column in relation to the point directly beside it in the right-hand column. Then consider each point in the left-hand column in relation to other points that are not located directly beside them in the right-hand column. As you do so prayerfully, open up and let the Holy Spirit teach you new things you hadn't understood before.

Putting it All Together
I hope you will take some time to meditate on the greatness and the wonder of what we have in Christ, as listed in the right-hand column above, compared to what we had in the flesh. They are as different as night and day, and what we have now is better by far than anything the flesh or living under the Law has to offer. We have exchanged death for life and bondage to sin for freedom in the Spirit. Instead of slavery to fear, we have adoption as sons of Abba, Father, and the Spirit testifies that we are children of God. Rather than being those who practice the misdeeds of the flesh, who will not inherit the kingdom of God, we bear the fruit of the Spirit, against which there is no law. In place of unrelenting condemnation under the Law, there is now no condemnation in Christ. Rather than serving in the old way of the letter, we serve in the new way of the Spirit. Under the Law, sin became alive and we died, but apart from the Law sin is dead and we live. The Law could not reform us, since our flesh is weak and totally depraved, so the Law served to help us get to know sin. But now that we have died to the Law and to sin, the Spirit living in us is continually helping us get to know Christ better. Instead of being unable to please God, now the righteous requirement of the Law might be fully met in us.

Instead of walking the same old road for miles and miles, hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies, and trying to fill the same old holes inside, (as the lyrics go in the Chain Breaker song by Zach Williams), Jesus has made a way for us to be saved from sin and shame. He breaks every chain in our lives, opens every prison door, sets every captive free, and pours out His Holy Spirit upon us to fill all those empty holes inside. If you are still living in the flesh or under the Law, let me encourage you today -- there's a better life, and that is new life in Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Flesh & Spirit image may be subject to copyright from 316Quotes. Used according to Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only. Chain Breaker lyrics written by Jonathan Lindley Smith / Mia Fieldes / Zach Williams, copyright © Essential Music Publishing.

Author's note:  I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on this topic, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The New Covenant Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Righteousness by Faith Not Law

The Obedience of Faith Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Partaking of the Divine Nature Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

Also see You Must Be Born Again, The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, The Truth Set Me Free, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

David, A Man After God's Own Heart

We read in the book of Acts that the apostle Paul said, "After removing Saul, [God] made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’" (Ac 13:22, NIV; c.f., 1 Sam 13:14). Have you ever wondered why God considered David a man after His own heart, despite his failures? In this article, I'd like to explore the reasons why God so esteemed him, and in doing so to show the character traits we should earnestly desire to have, if we would aspire to be men and women after God's own heart as he was.

Devoted to His Will

The first reason why David was esteemed by God that way was that he would do everything the Lord wanted him to do. That was the explicit reason God Himself cited (1 Sam 13:14). As a man who was fully devoted to the Lord His God (1 Ki 15:3), he was surrendered to the will of God, or you could say he had given himself over to it, which was in stark contrast to Saul, who at best only partially obeyed the Lord.

King David Playing the Harp
by Gerard van Honthorst

David did not fail to keep the Lord's commands. "For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life -- except in the case of Uriah the Hittite." (1 Ki 15:5 cf., 1Ki 11:34, 38; 14:8, NIV). Any understanding of being a man or woman after God's own heart is truly incomplete that does not take into account the need to do what is right in His eyes and obey His commands.

The Psalms provide us with a very good picture of David's attitude in this respect. David wrote, "Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, 'Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.'" (Psa 40:6-8). Aside from the fact that this is a Messianic prayer that prophetically describes Christ's attitude toward the Father, it was David's attitude as well. His desire was to do God's will. It was like the slave that says to his master, "Your wish is my command." In other words, if the master even wishes for something, I will act upon it as if it were a command.

We see an actual example of such an instance when David once wished for water from the well in his hometown, and his three mighty men jumped at the opportunity to satisfy his desire, even risking their lives to do so. Scripture states: "David had a craving and said, 'Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!' So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord; and he said, 'Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?' Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did." (2 Sa 23:15-17). While David did not expect them to do that, they loved him so much they were willing to risk their own lives to fulfill his desire. That's the attitude that David had toward God.

Referring to Christ, the apostle quoted Psalm 40 in Hebrews when he wrote, "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, 'Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure.' Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.' After saying above, 'Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will.' He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb 10:5-10)

The reason for the difference of wording from Psalm 40 is that the apostle in Hebrews quoted from the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. In quoting this, the apostle shows that this was the attitude of Christ toward the Father: "Behold, I have come to do your will." In saying so, He declared His purpose in life, which should also be my purpose and yours if we desire to be men and women after God's own heart.

That's exactly what the apostle Peter taught, saying that we should live the rest of our lives on earth for the will of God. He wrote: "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (1Pe 4:1-2).

Likewise, the apostle Paul admonished the Ephesian church to "find out what pleases the Lord." (Eph 5:10, NIV). He told them, "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." (Eph 5:17). We, too, should find out what pleases the Lord and understand what His will is.

As Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, "He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2Co 5:15). In saying this, he taught that everyone who is alive on earth should live for Christ and not for himself.

Moreover, the apostle John taught the same thing when he wrote, "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17). This shows that doing the will of God is necessary for eternal life. Some people would baulk at that, but isn't that what the Lord taught? He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:21, NIV).

For more on the topics covered in this section, please see Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Way, Will, and Word of God, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Is Obedience Optional?, The Obedience of Faith, Doing What is Right and Righteous Deeds and White Robes.

Following the Lord with All His Heart
Another reason why David was considered a man after God's own heart is that he followed the Lord with all his heart, doing what was right in God's eyes. God said:

"I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes." (1Ki 14:8).

Anyone who desires to be a man after God's own heart must follow the Lord with all his heart. The Lord Jesus says to us "Come, follow Me," and He has set an example for us, that we should follow in His steps (Mt 4:19; 1 Pe 2:21).

For more on that topic, please see Following in His Steps.

Knowing the Lord
Another reason why David was considered a man after God's own heart was that he knew the Lord. I don't mean a mere head knowledge, but an intimately personal knowledge. He knew the Lord as his shepherd (Ps 23:1), his sustainer (Ps 54:4), his fountain (Ps 68:26), his rock (Ps 28:1; 31:3), his strength (Ps 18:1; 59:17), his shield (Ps 3:3), his fortress (Ps 31:3), his stronghold (Ps 59:17), his deliverer (Ps 40:13,17; 41:1; 68:20; 70:5), his comforter (Ps 86:17), his Lord (Ps 38:22; 51:15), and his Savior (Ps 38:22; 55:16; 68:19). When you know the Lord this way, it's more than just information about Him that you know, but rather you have a personal relationship with Him.

The Scripture says that Adam knew Eve, and she conceived and bore him a son (Gen 4:1). The Hebrew word for "knew" in this passage is "yada" meaning "to know", which indicates that Adam had intimate relations with his wife. God desires to have a very close and personal relationship with each one of us as well, which is how we will come to know Him and take His heart for our very own.

The apostle teaches us that this is the way it is for each of us who enter into the New Covenant with the Lord. "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." (Heb 8:11, NIV).

In His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (Joh 17:3). This means that the very essence of eternal life is to know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ. What could be more essential to seeking after God's own heart?

John affirmed the need to know God and His Son in order to have eternal life. He wrote: "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (1Jn 5:20)

When we know the Lord, God sheds His love abroad in our hearts, and we receive in our hearts the same love that He has for Jesus. For Jesus prayed, "And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (Joh 17:26)

Conversely, those who do not know the Lord do not have eternal life, but are destroyed. Paul said, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." (2 Thes 1:8-10, NIV).

For more on this, please see Knowing the Lord, From Religion to Relationship, and Having the Love of God in Your Heart.

Being Made Holy
A third reason why David was called a man after God's own heart was that he desired to be holy, which is something we should all desire and strive for.

Going back to the Hebrews passage I cited earlier, it states, "Then he said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.'...And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb 10:9-10). This teaches us that by the very will of God, which Jesus came to do, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of His body, if we have put our faith in Him to save us. This places the process of being made holy in the past tense ("we have been made holy"), which means it is a completed work of sanctification.

However, the apostle goes on to say, "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Heb 10:14, NIV). This means that by Christ's sacrifice on the cross, He has already made us perfect forever (past tense), provided that we are being made holy (present tense). Here we see that while we already have been made holy and made perfect, we are also being made holy. So it is both a past, completed event and an ongoing present process of sanctification. The past event was our positional sanctification in the sight of God through faith in Christ, but the ongoing sanctification is the practical kind that is worked out and evidenced in our everyday attitudes and behaviors.

This practical sanctification is essential, if we ever hope to see God. The apostle stated, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Heb 12:14, NIV). So while we are already made holy in the positional sense, through our faith in Christ, we must make every effort to be holy, which refers to the practical holiness without which no man shall see the Lord's face.

Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes 5:23-24, NIV).

While we understand that even the best are only sanctified in part, we also realize that we need to pray for God to sanctify us wholly in every part of our being -- body, soul, and spirit. He will do it, so that we will be kept blameless at the coming of Christ. To this end the Lord prayed for us saying, "Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth." (Jn 17:17, NIV).

Another passage that teaches us about the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is found in Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. He stated: "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." (2Th 2:13)

Certainly Scripture teaches us that sanctification is a work of God by His Spirit inside of the believer, but that does not eliminate our involvement in the process. Paul said, "Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Cor 7:1, NIV). He clearly taught that we each have an active role in purifying ourselves and perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This demonstrates that we are in fact a man or woman after God's own heart.

For more on this, please see Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Called to be Blameless, The Knowledge of the Holy, and Walking in Truth, Righteousness, and Holiness.

Shepherding with Integrity
A fourth reason why David was called a man after God's own heart was that he was a man of integrity. The Scripture says, "And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." (Ps 78:72, NIV). What's needed today are cross-bearing people, who will shepherd God's people with integrity of heart and lead them with skillful hands. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, or moral uprightness. It's easy to find those who claim to be leaders that have plenty of head knowledge, including the knowledge of Scripture, and those with charismatic personalities who are great public speakers. But it's much more rare to find men and women of integrity who lead with skillful hands, whether they be those who have authority in the church, or those who are business leaders, or even those in the political arena. It's been said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we have plenty of examples of that in both the church and the secular world. Yet David did not let himself become corrupted when God granted him power and authority as king.

Moreover, he actually shepherded the people, which is not just teaching them or telling them what to do. It's not lording it over others. To shepherd people is to care for them, pray for them, guide them, feed them, nurture them, serve them, facilitate their growth, prepare them for service, and lead them by godly example, so that they will one day enter the kingdom of heaven. This too, is something that is more difficult to find today in churches. It's more common to find pastors who act like CEOs of big businesses in corporate America. How we need true shepherds once again to shepherd the people of God and equip them for works of service, which is God's own heart!

Receiving His Mercy
Although David was a man of integrity, shepherding the people, leading them with skillful hands, devoted to doing God's will, knowing the Lord, and becoming holy, he still fell short of God's glory like the rest of us, and needed God's mercy. He would have been a much better example for us if he had not fallen into adultery with Bathsheba, and his own life would have been better for it, too. But then we might assume that the reason he was a man after God's own heart was that he was so perfect and without sin in his life. So the Lord used even his great sin to teach us something. We learn from it that in our pursuit of doing God's will, knowing Him, and becoming holy, that if we sin, we, too, will need to receive God's mercy.

David prayed, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." (Ps 51:1-2, NIV). While he could not undo the sin he had committed, he knew he must repent and seek forgiveness from God. He sought hard after God for mercy to wipe out his transgressions, wash away all his iniquity, and cleanse him from his sin. That's the example we need to follow, too, if we would be a man or woman after God's own heart.

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16). We should always know that if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One (1 Jn 2:1), so we can approach the throne with confidence, because it's a throne of grace. There we can find mercy to help us.

"Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts  I will remember no more.' And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." (Heb 10:17-18). When you have been forgiven of sins and lawless acts, the Lord remembers them no more. At that point, it's no longer necessary to offer any sacrifice for sin. The price has been paid at the cross for us by Jesus Christ. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1). Don't let the devil beat you up and heap condemnation on you. Instead, repent and go to the throne of grace, asking for mercy and grace. Then receive it from the Lord. Jesus said, "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mt 9:13, NIV).

For more on this, please see and God Forgives and Forgets.

Finding His Grace
Just as David cried out for God's mercy, he also relied on God's grace as well. This, too, was part of being a man after God's own heart. Here are some of the prayers he prayed regarding God's grace:

"As for me, I said, 'O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.'" (Psa 41:4)

"But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, That I may repay them." (Psa 41:10).

"Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long." (Psa 86:3)

"But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid." (Psa 86:15-16)

This unwavering trust that David had in God's grace is an important part of how he sought after the heart of God. Likewise, we too, must boldly approach the throne of grace to find grace to help us in our time of need (He 4:16).

The apostle said, "Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin." (Heb 10:18). While receiving forgiveness is a result of God's mercy, it is His grace that frees us from ever having to make any sacrifice for our sins. Once a person is forgiven, he no longer needs to offer a sacrifice for his sins. For to do so would be to question God's grace and seek to earn His forgiveness.

Paul taught that "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." (Eph 1:7-8a). It's always according to the riches of His grace, which He gave to us in such large measure.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8-9). The meaning of this Scripture is self-evident, that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. Even the best reach heaven by the grace of God, because even they are not good enough to earn their way in by their own merits. Someone said, "You can't earn God's love. You can only accept it."

In David's case, as I have said, it would have been better for him if he had not committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband Uriah, but once he realized his sin and repented, the grace of God was sufficient for his need. Although his sin increased, the grace of God increased even more. As Paul said, "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." (Rom 5:20).

If you have never experienced the grace of God like that, then let me tell you that there is no time like the present to do so. "As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor 6:1-2). You may not have tomorrow, but you have today, and now is the time to seek God's favor and receive His grace in your life.

For more on this please see By Grace Alone and Amazing Grace.

Putting it All Together
In our look at the life of David, we've discovered that there were several reasons why God considered him a man after His own heart. He was full devoted to the Lord his God and to doing His will, he was obedient to the Lord, he followed the Lord with all his heart, doing what was right in God's eyes, he shepherded God's people with integrity of heart, he led them with skillful hands, he knew the Lord personally, he desired to become a holy and godly man, yet he also knew how to receive mercy and find grace to help him in his time of need. May the Lord help each one of us to have these same outstanding characteristics in our own lives, so that we too may be men, women, and children after God's own heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation. Other Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan. The painting of King David Playing the Harp by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622.

Author's note:  Also see Aim for Perfection, Knowing the Lord, The Knowledge of the Holy, Is Obedience Optional?, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Pleasing the Lord, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, A Tale of Two Kings, Sin and Consequence, God Forgives and Forgets, By Grace Alone, Amazing Grace,and From Religion to Relationship. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Hide and Seek with God

Probably every one of us has played the game of hide and seek when we were children, where one person or a group of people hide and then another person tries to find them. While that is just a game, there is a reality version of hide and seek that I want to discuss, which is played out in real life every day.

Adam and Eve
Ever since the day that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God and man have been doing this exchange of hide and seek. Before the fall, Adam and Eve enjoyed sweet fellowship with God in the garden. They were also naked and unashamed. But once they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, then came the need to cover up and hide themselves.

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden." (Gen 3:7-8)

The first thing they did was to cover their nakedness and the second thing was to hide themselves from the Lord's presence. It was human nature for them to do that, but God already knew what they had done. He was aware of their sin and disobedience. He saw their nakedness and shame, and although they tried to hide from Him, He sought them out. He came into the garden looking for them. 

"Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' He said, 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'" (Gen 3:9-10).

Notice that Adam was afraid when he heard the sound of the Lord coming, because he was naked, and that is why he hid himself. He felt ashamed. But the Lord asked him who told him he was naked. The Lord used questions to help Adam see the connection between his sin and his sense of shame. 

"And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?'" (Gen 3:11).

There is always a direct correlation between sin and shame, and the tendency is always for man to run from God and hide, as if He doesn't know about it. 

The Nation of Israel

When the nation of Israel fell away from the Lord into sin, it seemed to them as if God had hidden Himself from them. But the Lord called them to seek Him.

"Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (Isa 55:6-7)

There are many such admonitions in Scripture, whereby the Lord calls upon men to seek Him no matter what they have done, and turn from their wicked ways, so that they may find Him.

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them." (Deu 4:29-31)

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.'" (Jer 29:11-14)

"And if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2Ch 7:14)

The Righteous Seek Him

It is not only the wicked who need to seek the Lord, but the righteous, too. It's a joy for them to seek Him continually.

"Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." (1Ch 16:10-11; cf. Psa 105:3-4)

The righteous devote their heart and soul to seeking the Lord.

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD." (1Ch 22:19)

The psalmist sought the Lord with all his heart that he would not disobey Him. "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." (Ps 119:10, NIV)

David said, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psa 63:1).

David also said, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Ps 27:8, NIV). He had the desire in his heart to seek the Lord's face and he determined that he was going to do it. In fact, seeking the Lord is what David wanted to do all the days of his life. He said, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." (Ps 27:4, NIV).

I believe that this last verse speaks not only of seeking the Lord in His temple here on earth, but also throughout eternity in His holy temple in heaven. For David spoke of gazing on the beauty of the Lord there. I believe the righteous will enjoy seeking the Lord and gazing upon His beauty forever and ever.

Promises to Those Who Seek Him

In addition to the promises I have already mentioned, the Lord has given many other promises to those who seek Him.

He promises never to forsake those who seek Him. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psa 9:10)

He promises that those who seek Him will lack no good thing. "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing." (Psa 34:10)

He promises to be good to them. "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him." (Lam 3:25)

Blessings are promised to them. "Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways." (Ps 119:2-3, NIV).

He promises to draw near to us as we draw near Him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (Jas 4:8)

He promises to reward those who diligently seek Him, and anyone who seeks the Lord must have faith that He will do so. For the apostle wrote: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Heb 11:6, NIV)

God Hides Himself
One reason we need to seek the Lord is that He hides Himself. The prophet Isaiah said, "Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!" (Is 45:15). Why does He do so?

God Wants All Men to Seek Him

It's God's desire that all men would seek Him, and that's why He created them and caused them to be born in the places where they were born at the exact times they were born.

"The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." (Ps 14:2, NIV)

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." (Ac 17:26-27, NIV).

This passage tells us that while God wants all men to seek Him, He is actually not far from any one of us.

The Kingdom of God is Like Hidden Treasure

In fact Jesus compared the kingdom of God to hidden treasure that a man found buried in a field.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Mat 13:44-46)

You will find that many things in God's kingdom are like that, including finding Jesus, hearing the Lord's voice, and discovering the truth in Scripture. If you read the Bible, praying and asking God to speak to you, then search the Scriptures like you are searching for buried treasure, you will never be disappointed. You will find many passages to be like nuggets of gold that you have found.

Jesus Came to Seek the Lost

Amazingly, the reason Jesus came to earth was to seek and to save the lost. He said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”(Lk 19:10, NIV). He admonishes us all throughout Scripture to seek Him, and yet He Himself is actively seeking the lost. Just as the Lord walked into the garden after Adam and Eve sinned and sought them out while they were hiding from Him, He continues to seek and save the lost today. 

In order to illustrate His great love for lost sinners and His eagerness to search for them, Jesus told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (Luk 15:3-7)

The parable of the prodigal son also illustrates how God seeks the lost. When the prodigal son comes to his senses and returns to his father to repent, the father is already watching for him. And while the son is drawing near to him from a long distance, the father runs to meet him and embrace him. "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." (Luk 15:20).

Ways That Men Hide from God
I have already covered some of the ways that men hide from God. We do it much the same way as Adam and Eve did so.

One way that men hide from God is they carry out their sinful deeds under cover of darkness. Paul said, "For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night." (1 Thes 5:7, NIV). One reason why people do their dirty deeds at night is that the darkness hides their identity. Whether they are partying, doing drugs, getting drunk, dancing, carousing, committing sexual immorality, or stealing, they often do so in the dark of night.

One reason I think they do so is that the people who see them do their dirty deeds are those who approve of them and do the same things. But if other people were to see them during the daytime in broad daylight and disapprove, it would bother the sinners' consciences. Our conscience is something God has given to each one of us, and He speaks to us through our conscience telling us when we have done something either bad or good. Either our conscience convicts us of wrongdoing or commends us when we do what is right. By hiding in darkness from the disapproving gaze of the public, those who do so are in effect trying to avoid having their consciences bothered. By avoiding the pangs of conscience, they are actually trying to hide from God.

Jesus said, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (Joh 3:19-20).

It will not go well for those who seek to hide their sin. "Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?'" (Isa 29:15).

Another way men hide from God is they cover up their sin and deny it. The hypocrites that Jesus encountered did this. Their hearts were full of greed and wickedness, and yet they covered over it by acting and dressing piously. "Then the Lord said to him, 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.'" (Lk 11:39, NIV). It's human nature for men to desire the approval of men, rather than the approval of God, so rather than confess their sin to God and men, they conceal their sin and go out of their way to look good in front of everyone.

When men do this, then they should not be surprised if God hides His face from them. He says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Is 59:2, NIV). When the Israelites deserted God and forgot Him, going after idols that were merely false gods, this is what happened to them. "The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by His sons and daughters. 'I will hide My face from them,' He said, 'and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.'" (Deut 32:20, NIV).

Blameless Job once asked, "Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom?" (Job 31:33). Although Adam hid his iniquity from God, Job did not. He had the wisdom to know that "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion." (Pro 28:13)

Nothing is Hidden from God
Why should we try to hide from God what He already knows? The Scriptures teach us that nothing in all creation is hidden from God, so we cannot keep secrets from God. The apostle wrote, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Heb 4:13, NIV).

Also the Lord said, "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes." (Jer 16:17).

Likewise, Solomon wrote: "For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths." (Pr 5:21 NIV).

For more on this topic, see All Our Deeds Are Known to the Lord.

Hiding from the Wrath of God
Those who do not fear the Lord and continue on in their sins will regret it deeply one day. But then it will be too late, because it will be the time for God's wrath to be poured out on them. Then they will try to hide themselves from His wrath.

"Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?'” (Rev 6:15-17, NIV).

Putting it All Together
As we have seen from Scripture, since the time of Adam's sin, there has been a real-life hide and seek with God going on, which all of us are involved in, one way or another.  Either you are hiding from God, covering up your sin, or you are diligently seeking the Lord while He may be found. I hope you are among the latter who seek the Lord, because there are many wonderful promises of reward from God for those who do so. But there are only dire warnings and woes for those who refuse to seek the Lord and conceal their sins.

If you think it's an exercise in futility to seek the Lord, you are badly mistaken. It's quite the opposite. It's actually a very profitable undertaking. On the other hand, it is a waste of time to hide from God, since nothing is hidden from His sight.

If you are already a Christian, and you do not think that you are hiding anything from God, let me encourage you to pray and ask Him to reveal anything in your life that is hidden that must go. Then as He reveals anything to you, confess it, renounce it, and forsake it. Ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

I hope this has encouraged you to see the seriousness of this reality you are in, because it's not a game. The Lord is calling out to us all to seek Him. Don't delay another day. He wants you to reach out and find Him, even though He is not far from any one of us. In fact, even while He seems hidden from you, He is seeking to save the lost. Won't you seek Him while He may be found?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image copyright ATD Developer used according to Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note: You are invited to read Why God Hides His Face, Seeking the Lord, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Separation from the World, Life Transformation Groups, All Our Deeds Are Known to the Lord, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols	Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Baptized by Blazing Fire	Taken to Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.