Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith Part 2
Chapter 5, G.o.d Is Not Your Problem.
Although it's a major doctrine in the body of Christ, there are only two places in scripture where predestination is mentioned: Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:5 and 11. Some people, however, believe that G.o.d has predestined everything.
Romans 8:29 says: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might he the firstborn among many brethren.
The key to understanding predestination is to understand that G.o.d only predestined those whom He foreknew. Foreknowledge refers to G.o.d's ability to know the future. Only people He already knew would accept Jesus have been predestined. n.o.body has been predestined to be saved or lost. But once you become born again, G.o.d has predetermined-predestined-that you will be conformed to the image of His Son. If you don't cooperate in this life, then it will happen when He comes.
When we see Jesus...
We shall he like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 If you will cooperate with the Lord, then you can start being like Him here in this life. You can start walking in joy, peace, victory, anointing, and power. If you've been born again, it's predetermined that you will ultimately be like Jesus. If you'll cooperate, you can experience that here in this life to the degree that you renew your mind. If you don't cooperate, you'll eventually be like Jesus anyway because you'll be like Him when He comes. You're predestined to be. That's all that verse means.
Good Plans G.o.d didn't predestinate anyone to be a mess. He didn't predetermine anybody to be a failure.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11 G.o.d has good plans for you. He has a plan and a destiny for every person. You didn't happen accidentally. Whether your parents knew you were coming or not, G.o.d knew. He has a plan for you, and He didn't plan for anyone to be mediocre or a failure. G.o.d didn't plan the hurt and heartache that you've experienced. He didn't plan the tragedy. If you had a terrible childhood, it wasn't G.o.d who caused that
to happen. It happened because people made poor choices using the free will G.o.d gave them.
People have made wrong choices and sometimes you suffer because of those choices, but G.o.d didn't determine this. He doesn't control people like chess pieces and make everything happen. If you've had terrible tragedies happen in your life, G.o.d didn't cause them.
I take great comfort in knowing that G.o.d is a good G.o.d. My dad died when I was twelve years old, but G.o.d didn't kill him. I've had a lot of negative circ.u.mstances happen in my life. I've been stolen from, lied about, kidnapped, blacklisted, spit on, and much, much more. Those things happened to me, but G.o.d didn't order them. He's not the One who caused my problems. At the very least it was the devil, and at least half the time, I was cooperating somehow to bring them to pa.s.s. It blesses me to know that G.o.d is not my problem.
G.o.d is not your problem either. It's just not all up to Him. Grace is what G.o.d does for you independent of you, but you don't experience the goodness of G.o.d's grace in your life unless you learn some things and know how to cooperate with Him. As you continue reading this book, you'll learn more truths which will help you better understand what is G.o.d's part and what is your part. Grasping these truths will help you put your faith in what G.o.d has done instead of mistakenly placing your faith in what you have done. It will help you understand the power and authority that G.o.d has given you, and will give you some answers that will really make a difference in your life.
Reach Out and Take It In my own personal life, if I hadn't corrected my understanding, I never would have seen anywhere near as much as I have. The things of G.o.d don't come to pa.s.s automatically. If you don't pursue them, you won't get them. You must pursue the things of G.o.d.
Take, for instance, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Many people have told me, "If G.o.d wants me to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, I'm ready. It's just up to Him. If He wants to give it to me, I'll get it." That's not how it happens. You can't just say, "If G.o.d wants me to be saved, I'll receive. It's just up to Him." No, you must believe!
I remember sitting in the very back of the church auditorium one day as a boy in Vacation Bible School. The man up front took something out of his wallet and announced, "I'll give this dollar bill to the first kid who comes up here and takes it." Instantly, there were twenty or thirty kids jumping up and down around him saying, "I want it, I want it!" I was thinking, This is the worst time to be sitting in the back row (my family normally sat in the front). However, this guy ignored those kids, kept his hand up in the air, and repeated, "I'll give this dollar bill to the first kid who comes up here and takes it." All of us in the crowd were wondering, What's he saying? All of those kids up there jumping around him wanted it.
After he had said a third time, "I'll give this dollar bill to the first kid who comes up here and takes it," it finally hit me what he meant. I leaped off of my chair and ran all the way down to the front. Pushing my way through those kids, I grabbed the man's arm, climbed up his side, and s.n.a.t.c.hed the dollar bill out of his hand. When I did, he looked at me and said, "Now you're the first kid who came up here and took it." Looking at the other kids, he said, "All of you wanted it, and it was available, but you have to reach out and take it." Then he taught us how receiving salvation is like that.
G.o.d has already provided the forgiveness of sins for every person, but it doesn't just automatically come to pa.s.s. It's not just grace alone that saves you. You must believe. You have to reach out and take hold of your salvation. You must come against the thoughts that the devil puts in your mind saying, "G.o.d couldn't love you that way. You're too unG.o.dly," and so on. You have to fight through those things and persevere. You must reach out and by faith declare, "I believe what G.o.d's Word says," and take hold of the grace G.o.d is offering. It doesn't come to pa.s.s automatically.
It's Your Choice The principle is the same with everything else in the Christian life. G.o.d has already made provision. How long will you sit there, saying, "Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be," all the while blaming G.o.d for the mess your life is in? It is time for you to stand up and declare, "The Lord has provided something better for me than this. Praise G.o.d, I'm going to find out what my part is, do what G.o.d has told me to do, and receive His miraculous power." It's your choice.
Chapter 6, The Response of Faith.
Both grace and faith need to be combined to be able to see the power of G.o.d released in your life. The body of Christ as a whole is divided between those who emphasize grace alone at the exclusion of faith and those who emphasize faith alone at the exclusion of grace. Emphasizing either one-grace or faith-is wrong if you take them independent of the other.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d. Ephesians 2:8 It's the combination of grace and faith together that releases the power of G.o.d. Grace or faith taken by themselves at the exclusion of the other is actually disastrous and will destroy you.
Many people have emphasized that everything is just up to G.o.d to the exclusion of the truth that we have a part to play in what He does. This extreme teaching of the sovereignty of G.o.d-where people blame Him for every single thing that happens to us-is the worst doctrine in the body of Christ today. It just renders people pa.s.sive. If G.o.d is controlling everything, what's the point of seeking Him, praying, studying the Word, or doing anything, because after all, it's just up to G.o.d. A large segment of the body of Christ is stuck in this thinking and it is keeping us from taking our authority.
Resist the Devil James 4:7 says: Submit yourselves therefore to G.o.d. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
You must recognize that some things are from G.o.d and some things are from the devil. Satan is not G.o.d's messenger boy. This mental image that the devil is on a leash and G.o.d only lets him go so far, isn't true. You are the one who allows Satan to come in.
Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Satan cannot devour everybody. He can't do things to you without your consent and cooperation. One of the things that turns the devil loose in your life is the att.i.tude that things can't happen unless it is G.o.d's will. This thinking leads you to believe that you can't really fight against it. James 4:7 tells us to "resist the devil." Resist means to actively fight against. You cannot actively fight against something if you think G.o.d has ordained or permitted it. He's not the One who permits these things.
Unbelief Limits G.o.d Consider when the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt. There are many, many instances where the Lord made it clear that He wanted them to enter directly into the Promised Land and receive the promises He had for them. But because of their disobedience and unbelief, they spent forty years in the wilderness. That wasn't G.o.d's will or plan for them.
Yea, they turned hack and tempted G.o.d, and limited the Holy One of Israel. Psalm78:41 In their hearts, they turned back to Egypt, tempted G.o.d, and limited the Holy One of Israel. Many people can't even conceive of this. They think, There's nothing we can do to limit G.o.d. But keep in mind, the Lord is not forcing His will upon us individually or collectively as a nation or group of people. You have to cooperate with G.o.d to see His will come to pa.s.s in your life.
Deuteronomy 7:15-18 talks about how the Israelites would have absolute victory. n.o.body would stand before them. The Lord would deliver all of their enemies into their hands-this is a promise of complete victory. Verse 17 says: If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I [G.o.d] dispossess them?
G.o.d had just promised them absolute victory. He told them that n.o.body would be able to stand before Israel. They would win every battle. Everything is going to work. But G.o.d then tells the Israelites that if they refuse to believe that victory is theirs, if they get into unbelief, He would be unable to dispossess the enemy nations.
G.o.d cannot bring deliverance in your life if you yield to fear and doubt through unbelief. That stops the power of G.o.d from operating. This is a very important truth, but to those who emphasize the extreme sovereignty of G.o.d-that He controls everything-what I've just shared is terrible. These people hate me for teaching this. I've been branded a cult and all kinds of things because I preach that G.o.d's will doesn't just automatically come to pa.s.s. You have to choose G.o.d's will. Personally, I think this is obvious if you are a student of the Word.
Not in Vain Paul said: For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to he called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of G.o.d. 1 Corinthians 15:9 That's a strong statement coming from a man who wrote half of the New Testament and saw people raised from the dead. Paul was a powerful man of G.o.d, yet he knew that wasn't because of who he was in the natural. It was because of the grace and mercy of G.o.d. So he said, "I'm the least, not even fit to be called an apostle, because of the things I did."
But verse 10 goes on to say: But by the grace of G.o.d I am what l am...
He gave all of the credit to G.o.d and said, "It's the grace, the unmerited favor and ability of G.o.d, that was given to me that made me who I am." Then he continued saying: ... and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:10 In Galatians 2:16, Paul said that if you are trying to be justified by the works of the law, then Christ profits you nothing. Your faith is vain and you make void the grace of G.o.d.
Grace is what G.o.d does for us, independent of us. It has nothing to do with our performance. By grace, G.o.d has already provided forgiveness of sins, healing, deliverance, joy, and peace. Everything has already been accomplished by the grace of G.o.d. But grace alone does not transform us unless there is the response of faith on our part. This is what the apostle Paul was saying.
I Labored More Abundantly His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of G.o.d which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 This verse serves as a great example of grace and faith working together. G.o.d, by grace, extended a call to Paul. He was on his way to murder Christians in Damascus, yet Jesus appeared to him in a blinding flash of light and gave him an opportunity to respond. That was grace. Paul didn't deserve that. When the Lord spoke to him, He said: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the p.r.i.c.ks. Acts9:5 The Lord had already been convicting Paul and p.r.i.c.king his heart. There are several scriptures that recount where people were p.r.i.c.ked in their hearts (Acts 2:37, for example). This is speaking of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
G.o.d had been convicting Paul ever since he saw Stephen stoned to death. Saul, who became Paul, was the one at whose feet everybody laid their coats down. He kept their garments as he watched them stone Stephen to death. (Acts 7:58.) Saul saw Stephen as he was dying, kneel down and pray: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Acts 7:60 Stephen saw the heavens open up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of G.o.d. (Acts 7:55-56.) Saul heard Stephen testify of this moments before he was killed, and G.o.d had been p.r.i.c.king Saul's heart ever since. The Lord extended grace toward the man who was killing His own people. That's the grace of G.o.d!
A Spiritual Battle If Paul hadn't responded and labored more abundantly than they all, then we might have read the report about how Saul became converted, but he wouldn't have ever become Paul. He wouldn't have been the apostle who wrote half of the New Testament and did all of these great miracles. It takes a response on our part for G.o.d's grace and what He's freely provided for us to be able to work in our life.
We are in a battle! I'm amazed how many people don't understand this. They're looking for physical, natural reasons why everything happens, but we are in a spiritual battle and Satan is doing everything he can to stop you. You look at things in the natural realm, wondering, Why this? That's the reason people fall into despair when they see the political process go differently than what they want. It's because that is where their hope and faith are rather than in G.o.d. They are looking to physical, natural things as their salvation. But there is a spiritual battle going on.
When you cooperate with G.o.d and seek Him with your whole heart, good things happen. When you don't seek G.o.d and you're operating in the carnal realm, bad things happen because Satan is always going about seeking whom he may devour. It takes your consent and cooperation for the devil to do anything in your life. Not many people believe that, but it's true.
We aren't fighting flesh and blood. Ours is not a physical battle; it's a spiritual battle involving spiritual dynamics, and you have to cooperate. You must resist-fighting the unbelief, discouragement, and negativism of this world-to see what G.o.d wants to accomplish in your life come to pa.s.s.
G.o.d has a perfect plan for every one of us. He hasn't made a single one of us for defeat or failure. He has a perfect plan for everyone, but only some people will see these plans come to pa.s.s in their life. It's not because G.o.d created some of us to be duds. It's not because He wants some of us to be failures. It's not because there are only a few people that G.o.d really loves. No, the grace of G.o.d is the same toward every person, but not everybody labors abundantly to bring to reality G.o.d's purpose and plan for their life.
Go for It!
Some people have had the Lord speak a word to them, yet here they are a year, two years, even three years later still not doing what G.o.d told them to do. I just can't understand that. I don't even want to understand that. If G.o.d tells me to do something, I'll do it!
We offered one of our Bible college graduates a job running our night school. At the time, the night school position was just a part-time job, and this young man was used to making a lot of money. He has a large family-five kids-and it was going to be a big cut in pay for him if he accepted the position. While he was out at my house doing some things, he said, "I really feel that this is what G.o.d wants me to do, but I have a family to take care of. This is like half of the salary that I had. What do I do?" He was asking me all kinds of questions. I just told him, "You lost me when you said that this is what you feel G.o.d wants you to do. If you truly believe that this is what G.o.d wants you to do, then just do it."
"Well, what about...?"
I answered, "I don't care about anything else. If you have to get rid of some things, downsize, sell your house, move into an apartment, sell your cars-whatever you have to do just do what G.o.d tells you to do."
This man decided to take the job, but it was about four or five months until the position actually opened up. During that time, there were many changes in the personnel at our Bible college and we ended up promoting this young man to a different position which paid nearly identical wages to the job he was leaving. He didn't lose a thing! But if he had not agreed to that part-time position, we probably wouldn't have hired him for the higher paying, full-time position.
Some people hear G.o.d's voice, but then they debate, saying, "But G.o.d, what about this?" Who cares about anything else? This is not a dress rehearsal. This is the real deal. If G.o.d speaks to you and tells you something, you ought to drop everything else and do whatever it is that He says. If the Lord said it, that ought to be it. G.o.d has a plan for your life that is superior to anything you could ever plan on your own. You need to follow Him.
What a privilege it is to hear the voice of G.o.d. What an honor it is to have G.o.d Almighty speak to you. When He does, just lay aside everything else and follow.
Misplaced Priorities A woman once told the director of our school, "I know that G.o.d has called me to come to Colorado Springs and go to Charis Bible College, but I have two dogs. What do I do?"
He answered, "The last time I checked they allow dogs in Colorado. Bring them with you."
I told her, "Get rid of them." Now I'm a dog lover, and I've had dogs myself. But if a dog was getting in the way of me doing what G.o.d had told me to do, I would turn that dog loose or give it to another family. I'd do anything it took. Why in the world would you let two dogs-or whatever it is for you-keep you from obeying G.o.d? That's misplaced priorities.
G.o.d has a will for you. He extends grace, but there must be some effort on your part. You have to make some decisions. You need to do whatever it takes to follow G.o.d, balancing grace and faith. G.o.d, by grace, gives us giftings, talents, and abilities that are completely independent of anything we deserve. It's just grace. These things are G.o.d's part. He moves by grace. But then there is a required response of faith on our part necessary to bring G.o.d's will to pa.s.s in our lives. You must merge these two together in the proper mixture to be able to see the power of G.o.d operate in your life. Don't get ahead of G.o.d and start making decisions on your own, trying to force Him to do things; that's not going to work either. You need to discover what G.o.d has done by grace-what He's provided, what His will is. Then there needs to be an appropriate response on your part, which is what the Bible calls faith.
Chapter 7, Making G.o.d Move.
Faith is simply our positive response to what G.o.d has already done by grace. Faith is not something you do to get G.o.d to respond. This is a major misconception in the body of Christ among those who emphasize faith.
They often take scriptures like Mark 11:23, and only emphasize what you have to do. Some have even come up with the opinion that they are forcing G.o.d, that they're making G.o.d move. This is how we came up with such statements as, "Faith moves G.o.d." G.o.d isn't the one who's stuck. He's not the one who needs to move. G.o.d moved before you ever had a problem. He moved through Jesus. Every person who will ever be healed was healed two thousand years ago through Jesus. Every person who will ever be saved was already forgiven two thousand years ago through Christ. Every person who will ever be blessed, have joy, peace or whatever, it's already been done two thousand years ago through Jesus.
You don't need G.o.d to move. You don't need Him to come and touch you or heal you. G.o.d has already provided everything. You can't make Him do anything. If your att.i.tude is, "I'm going to make G.o.d heal me, I'm going to make the power of G.o.d flow," that's arrogance gone to seed. It will cause frustration in your life as you try to twist G.o.d's arm and force Him to do something. That's not consistent with the Word at all.
Faith Appropriates Faith doesn't move G.o.d. He has already moved by grace. Faith is just your positive response to what you believe G.o.d has already provided. Faith only appropriates what G.o.d has already provided by grace. If G.o.d hasn't already provided it by grace, then your faith can't make it happen.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pa.s.s; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:23-24 This pa.s.sage has been taught repeatedly by people who emphasize faith. They say, "We have power and authority, and there are certain things that we have to do to see G.o.d's will come to pa.s.s." That's true, but it can be taken to an extreme-to the point that you believe you can literally "make" G.o.d do anything. "Whatsoever you want, just say it! Believe that you receive, and G.o.d has to do it." You'll hear people use that kind of terminology as they say, "We're going to grab hold of G.o.d and not let go until we make the power of G.o.d flow."
We see this in the body of Christ right now with much of the prayer and intercession for revival. People believe that G.o.d is up there with His arms folded, thinking, You bunch of hypocrites! They say, "G.o.d isn't moving or pouring out His power on people to be saved, healed, and delivered because He's upset with us. So what we must do is get people together to pray and repent. But He won't listen to just one or two of us. We have to have hundreds of thousands, even millions of people praying. We have to put pressure on G.o.d and stay after Him. Let's get on a twenty-four hour chain and not let go until we just literally badger G.o.d and make Him release His power and pour out revival!" They might not use those exact words, but that is the att.i.tude that is prevalent in the body of Christ-that we are making G.o.d move and pour out His power. That's an affront to G.o.d! It's implying that you love people more than He does!
Be a Channel Earlier in my life, I partic.i.p.ated in all of these things that I'm teaching against now. I myself have done them, so I have an understanding and compa.s.sion for people who are doing what I'm speaking against. But since then, I've grown and matured in G.o.d's Word and I no longer do those things I once did. I remember leading "all night" prayer meetings that never lasted past one or two in the morning. That's before we could pray in tongues. You can pray for the whole world in thirty minutes if you don't know how to pray in tongues!
I remember praying so hard that I was literally screaming, yelling, and pounding my fist against the wall. I said, "G.o.d, if You love the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we would have revival!" As soon as that left my lips, I knew that something was seriously wrong with my theology. I was trying to get G.o.d to be as compa.s.sionate as I was, which is exactly what many people do in prayer. They say, "Oh G.o.d, don't You care about our country? Oh Lord, why are You pouring Your Spirit out over in Africa? Why don't we see very many miracles? Oh G.o.d, please move here!" It's like we honestly don't believe that G.o.d loves people as much as we do. Something is seriously wrong with that kind of thinking.
When you intercede for someone, perhaps your spouse or children, do you pray in such a way that you imply that you love them more than the Lord does? Why would you approach Him that way? It's because you don't believe that G.o.d has already done His part. You think He's waiting until somebody rises up and prays, and then He responds to your prayer with action. That's wrong, but it's the way most people are thinking today. That's you taking too much responsibility, and thinking that you can make G.o.d move.
At a recent meeting, a woman came up to me saying, "I know the Lord hears your prayers. Would you please pray that G.o.d would move and save my husband?"
I answered, "What do you want me to pray? How can I get G.o.d any more motivated to save your husband than what He already is? He already sent His Son to die for you. You're implying that G.o.d isn't as motivated as I am." I told this woman, "You're approaching this whole thing wrong. Instead of approaching G.o.d as an adversary and trying to make Him do something, you ought to start praising G.o.d that He loves your husband more than you do. You ought to start praising G.o.d for the great things He's done, and just be a channel of His love flowing towards your mate."
Whatsoever You Desire Many people err, trying to force G.o.d to do something. They take scriptures like Mark 11:24, and say, "I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that I can rob a bank and get away with a million dollars without being caught." After all, doesn't Mark 11:24 say "whatsoever"? Isn't robbing a bank a "whatsoever"? Of course, most people don't believe you can use scripture to get away with robbing a bank, but you need to understand why that isn't true. Why can't we use Mark 11:24 to go rob a bank?
A certain woman started a faith-oriented Bible school in Arlington, Texas. What she desired was to be the wife of well-known evangelist and Bible teacher Kenneth Copeland. So she put on a wedding gown and had an actual wedding ceremony where she "married" Kenneth Copeland "in the spirit." Of course, he wasn't physically there. But she stood on Mark 11:24 and "married him in the spirit." She desired Kenneth Copeland to be her husband, so she confessed it and "stood" on this scripture in "faith" for it.
The problem was, Kenneth was already married to Gloria Copeland. This lady in Arlington viewed Gloria as her mountain, so she cursed her and commanded her to die so she would get out of the way. She went ahead and "married" Kenneth "in the spirit," and she was just waiting for Gloria to die so she could go ahead and consummate the marriage with Kenneth. That was over thirty years ago. This "consummation" hasn't happened yet, and it isn't going to happen.
Most people would say that this woman was way off in her belief. That this scripture does not apply to her situation. Why not? The Bible clearly says "whatsoever things you desire." Isn't wanting somebody else for a mate a "whatsoever"? Isn't that a desire? The Word says that whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. This is a promise. Why can't you claim another person? Why can't you curse their mate and command them to die? The answer to this is found in the balance of grace and faith.
Faith only appropriates what G.o.d has already provided by grace. If G.o.d hasn't already provided it, your faith can't make G.o.d do anything. The reason you can't go out and successfully rob a bank using Mark 11:24 is because G.o.d didn't provide for thievery in His atonement. Grace hasn't already provided the means to steal from others. The reason you can't curse another person and command them to die and then marry their mate is because G.o.d didn't provide for murder and adultery in His atonement. Mark 11:24 doesn't make G.o.d do anything. It's talking about discovering what He's already provided. Then, if you will believe, your faith will reach out and appropriate what G.o.d has already provided by His grace. If you could just understand that, it would revolutionize your relationship with G.o.d.
A Totally Different Att.i.tude Many people are trying to get G.o.d to do something. They're struggling to receive, saying, "I'm trying to believe G.o.d that He'll do this."