God's Word- the Powerful Weapon and the joy for beleivers

The mighty weapon which the Bible is talking about for a believer is the powerful Word of God. The Gospel is seen, through the death and resurrection of Christ; Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:1 Cori: 15:1-4.

The Lord opens the eyes of the heart of believers through His Word; And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven  Matt: 16:17.  And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul; Acts 16:14. When we are reluctant to read His Word, that is because of indwelling sin; Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me; Rom 7:17. We are called to put to death our old self; Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; Rom 6:6; Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; Col 3:5. The Word of God awakens and strengthens faith;  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; Rom 10:17.

The reason for this is the Spirit of God, glorifies Christ; Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you; Jn 16:13-14. Through hearing the Word, God supplies the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit produces a subconscious influence in building us in faith; That, which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit; Jn 3:6-8; But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not; 6:36; It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me;(v.45),  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” ;( v 65).

God’s Word in the Book of Ephesians commands us to be filled with His spirit, addressing one another in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual songs; And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Eph 5:18-19. The Word of God creates and sustains life; The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly; Jn 10:10. Man’s life is in God’s Word;  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; Matt:4:4. The Word of God gives us hope, strength despite earthly trials; For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope; Rom 15:4. The Word of God leads us to freedom, because it is written that God’s truth will set us free from the bondage of sin and death; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free; Jn 8:32. This freedom is the reason, that  we fight for joy, freedom from sinful corruption of our lives. We shall see Jesus, if we are pure in heart away from the sinful corruption; Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God; Matt 5:8. Sin’s substitute promises are deceitful pleasures, and the main streak of self-control, and the liberating power of the Word is the power of promised joy.

The Cross of Christ, is the absolute way to kill joy killing sins. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live; Rom 8:13. John Owen (1616-1683), in his paper on Mortification of Sin in Believers, and his exposition on Rom 8:13, mentions “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you”. The Word of God is the key to answered prayer because we welcome him into our lives, in our hearts, mind and with our whole strength learning to abide in Him; These things I command you, that ye love one another Jn 15:7.  The Word of God is the source of wisdom, and God can provide wisdom for various life situations, for our day today life, because in Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; Col 2:3. The Word of God admonishes and gives crucial warnings, and there is great reward by keeping His Word; More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward Ps 19:10-11.

The Word of God enables us to defeat the devil and his schemes, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it Jn 8:44; Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil Heb 2:14. We are called to be faithful unto death;  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life Rev 2:10.

·         Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Eph:6:10-18.

God’s Word is a powerful weapon to fight for joy and it is crucial to fight for joy, and God’s Word is pleasant in itself; But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper; Ps 1:2-3.  The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver;119: 72. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day; Psa 119:97. Is it then valuable than anything else in this world? 

References:

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible, (Iowa Falls, U.S.A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994).

Joy in God as a justified sinner...

Cross is the central focus for all mankind to fight for joy, and Christ’s death on the Cross is the price that purchases every gift that leads to that deep and lasting joy. Christ’s death on the Cross for the remission sins for mankind must be preached and Gospel must be preached and heralded. Even when true preaching is not available, God can meet our needs through the meditation of His Word, through family worship, through small groups where the Word is discussed and applied, through radio, television, internet, tapes, or CDs. God has called us to enjoy the blessings that comes through godly preachers, and preaching is one precious gift of God. There is tremendous joy among believers when we part take of the Lord’s Supper through the bread and the cup; “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come” 1 Cori: 11:26. When we partake of the read and the cup we proclaim the death of Christ for our sins, for the forgiveness of sins, for the gift of righteousness, and the continued relationship with Christ and His father through the Spirit of adoption. Preaching God’s Word becomes a joy for a genuine believer, because it is ultimately for the glory of God. Lloyd- Jones, saw in Psalm 42, especially in verse 5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” that the Psalmist and the preacher of the Word, King David is preaching to himself, and that applies to all who preaches (believers), we must preach the Word to ourselves.

We should not surrender to the victim mentality, but had to defy ourselves from Satan, other people, and from ‘self’. This is war, and Lloyd Jones says, the main art of spiritual living is addressing yourself, preaching to ourselves, questioning ourselves, upbraid, condemn, exhort, and say to ourselves ‘hope in God’. We must constantly remind ourselves about who God is, and what He has done for us through His Son, rather than being downcast, and being depressed. Finally, it is only the Cross of Christ that can kill the joy killers in our lives.

When Christ became the substitute of sins for us, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” 1 Cori: 15:3, He became the substitute performer of our righteousness; “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” Rom: 5:19; “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” Rom:10:4; “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2 Cori 5:21. So the Doctrine of justification, has become our fight for our joy. It is faith alone, which sees the joy through justification; “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” Rom: 4:4-5. One should not confuse between justification and sanctification, because that can kill the joy God has placed within us. Progressive change in believers into the image of God is not justification, and that is called sanctification; “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” Rom:6:22. What is settled for our sins through the blood of Christ in twinkling of an eye is justification, and the moral progress goes forward in sanctification. Both are the gifts of God, and confusing them will undermine the Gospel, and turn justification by faith into justification by performance.

The effect of the Word of the Cross when one sees with the eyes of the heart, can touch anyone and we have both secular, historical, and Biblical records like John Bunyan, and prophet Micah. Micah’s guilt seems gutsy, because there was ‘reasonable’ accusations from self, Satan, and from the people around, and yet he was preaching about justification by faith. Prophet Micah lived outside of the governmental centers of power in his nation, and he has a strong concern for the lowly, less unfortunate in the society, the lame and the blind, and the outcasts, and the afflicted; “In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted” Mic: 4:6. Much of the book of Micah revolves around major two significant predictions: the judgment of Judah and Israel; Micah 1-3; and the other of the restoration of God’s people in the millennial Kingdom; Micah  4-5.  If Micah was living on this side of the Cross, he would have preached about God’s mercy, and the righteousness of Christ. In a nut shell, gutsy guilt is the opposite of cheap grace. Listening to the word of the Cross, preaching to ourselves becomes the main theme for sinners to fight for joy. The Cross, the joy, the sacrificial love all for the glory of God.   

References:

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible, (Iowa Falls, U.S.A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994).

Seeing Jesus through the eyes of our heart and mind- to fight for joy in God

There are ample Scriptures which talks about two different kinds of sight; eyes of the heart, and the eyes of the mind; Matt: 13:13; Eze: 12:2; Jer: 5:21.

Therefore, speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them; Mat 13:13-15.

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house; Eze 12:2.

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Jer 5:21.

Seeing is essential because, God is glorified by being seen because this involves understanding, and God communicates in the hearts of people who can see. God’s glory is revealed in the nature; The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge” Ps 19:1-2.

Paul says, that the ‘invisible attributes of God in this Universe display God’s glory; For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so, that they are without excuse: Rom:1:20. When we look at God’s display of His glory from the minutest atom to the supernova, we clearly see the glory of God with much joy. It is our ungodliness and unrighteousness, whereby we suppress the truth; “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”; Rom 1:18, and that becomes tragic. This joy killing blindness, the veil can be removed in the presence of Christ, which is through the good news of the Gospel. While Satan can do all that, he can to hinder us from enjoying that joy, when the light shines in our hearts, that gives the knowledge of the glory of God; But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; 2 Cori:4:3-6.

God also reveals Himself through His Word, and the relationship between the Word and the glory of God is explained in Exodus 33-34; when Moses asked God in Mt. Sinai to show God’s glory to him. When we hear the Word of God, and when the hearing succeeds, we begin to see His glory, because it is written, Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of God; Rom 10:17. Being enthralled in God’s glory brings ultimate joy to a believer, and is a special gift of God, and we are constantly being transformed in to His image and into His glory. Jesus expressed the love of Christ for His Disciples, in His final prayer in John 13. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world”; Jn 17:24.  Seeing Jesus with the eyes of our heart is very much related to knowing Him; “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” Eph:3:19. So, our challenge is, to fight to see and enjoy the glory of the ‘Risen Christ’.

References:

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible, (Iowa Falls, U.S.A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994).

Call to fight for joy in God is indeed a gift of God

Fighting for joy embracing the truth itself is a gift from God and His work is enabled by God within us. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit that grows on the tree of faith, Gal: 5:22, and not a wage that God should pay for our work or for our fight. We believers had to learn to fight against the weeds, the crows, and the rodents. The author warns against the blinding of Satan from seeing the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel which awakens joy; 2 Cori: 2:2. We will continue to fight for joy in a way that does not replace grace, and at the end of our lives we should be able to say that we have fought the good fight, and if the joy comes that indeed is a true gift. 

He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what He deems best— Lovingly, it’s part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest- Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg (1832- 1903).

We have moved a hundred miles from Pilgrim’s Progress where Christian labors and struggles and fights all his life “for the joy that was set before him” (Heb. 12:2) in the Celestial City. - John Piper

This is both liberating and devastating because it is good news for the hopeless and bad news for the self-reliant. Sometimes people know intuitively that this delight in God is beyond their control and they believe what is beyond their control cannot be required and this could be partially right. The Word of God require us to delight in the Lord always; Phil 4:4; Ps: 32:4; 97: 12; 100:1; Joel: 2:23.

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice (v. 4). All our joy must terminate in God; and our thoughts of God must be delightful thoughts. Delight Thyself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4) . . . . Observe, it is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; always, in all conditions; even when we suffer for him, or are afflicted by him. We must not think the worse of him or of his ways for the hardships we meet with in his service. There is enough in God to furnish us with matter of joy in the worst circumstance on earth. . . . Joy in God is a duty of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. - Matthew Henry

“The ordinary man may feel ashamed of doing wrong: but the saint, endowed with a superior refinement of moral sensibility, and keener powers of introspection, is ashamed of being the kind of man who is liable to do wrong.”- N. P. Williams

Ever since our fallenness in Genesis 3, we need not commit sins to be sinners, because sins power is deeply rooted within humanity, and on conversion the Holy Spirit gives the power to overcome the fallen, sinful nature. Prophet Jeramiah bemoans “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). This proves that our hearts are deceitful, and we are disobedient, rebellious, and hardened towards the things of God ever since the Fall. King David traced this condition back to his birth: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). This proves that inborn corruption is within us. When Paul mentions ‘flesh’ that means the natural self apart from the redemption of Christ, or the natural person.  1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned”. This means the natural person and the flesh agitates against the things of God, and such person cannot delight in God. The natural heart is so corrupt it cannot see or savor the beauty and the heart of God for that person. Paul says that the mind of the flesh is so hostile to God and it cannot and will not submit to the laws of God; Rom: 8:7-8. In other words, our own natural mind is so hostile to God’s glorious authority and cannot rejoice in God. ^“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”; Jn 3:6-7.  This means until the Spirit of God again bear us, all we are is flesh, and natural people with no spirit life, and we do not have any taste buds in the soul for the sweetness of Christ. The focus of this chapter is that the Spirit of God is free, and when one begins to see Jesus as our treasure, the Spirit has blown through our heart. Genuine repentance is a gift from God, and the central mystery of Christian life is, Christ has died for our sins, and because of his blood and righteousness we are forgiven and counted righteous by God in Christ; 2 Cori:5:21; Phil:3:9; Rom:5:19. The other part of the mystery is we are commanded to rejoice in the Lord, and this seems impossible, because of our willful and culpable corruption. So, obedience is a gift from God, and we are called to obey, so that we do not perish. Christian life is all about grace, and God continues to supply the strength to serve and believing that joy is in God, is a huge gift from God.

References:

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible, (Iowa Falls, U.S.A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994).

What is the difference between desiring and delighting in God?

^“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever”; Psa: 73: 25-26. Asaph, the God entranced Psalmist has a great desire for God, and this desire is so strong and that makes all other things nothing. King David expresses his desire for God with the image of a deer panting for water; As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God; Psa:42:1.Apostle Paul in his letter to Philippians expresses his desire for God in the following way; “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. . . . Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 1:23; 3:7-8).

Delighting in God or rejoicing in God is found in Psalms and other books both in the Old Testament and New Testament.  Habakkuk delights in the Lord, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation;” Hab: 3:17-18.

So we have both the desire and the delight; desiring, yearning, craving, longing, and the joy is the delight, pleasure happiness or satisfaction. There is always more in God to enjoy, because God is infinite, perfect in holiness. God is more glorified when we find satisfaction in Him alone. Love for God and faith goes together to find joy in God and faith in Jesus involves delighting in Him. Once we begin to delight in Jesus, a believing heart cannot forsake Christ for the broken cisterns of the world. In our Western Churches the last two hundred years there was incredible devaluation of the fight for joy because the truth of the Gospel is little understood. Christian life was understood as an earnest warfare from beginning to end, and the fruit bearing fields of joy in God was defended and strengthened throughout. Paul’s ministry was working for the joy of Christ for people, and maintaining joy needs work, because one had to fight against every impulse for alien joy which is apart from Christ. In Phil: 1:25, he says that he is wrestling with two competing desires: one to be with Christ, and the other to stay and minister to the churches.

References:

1. The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible (Iowa Falls, U.S. A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994). 

2. John Piper, When I don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Publisher, 2004).

What do we understand by 'Sustaining the Sacrifice of Love'

Here we are talking about the liberating discovery of pursuing joy in God which is also a devastating discovery. This is because our indwelling sin, opposes and perverts the pursuit of God and stands in our way of our full satisfaction in God. In fallenness, our pursuit of the things of the world are more desirable than God, and this perverts our thinking that we are pursuing God, which is devastating and makes the Christian living impossible. Now the hope for Christian living is found only in God, because He alone can make the depraved heart desire for God. The apostle Paul said, “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed” (1 Cor. 16:22); Christ must be cherished in our hearts, sustaining the sacrificial love of Christ with all of our hearts, mind, soul and in our strength. When we see trials and persecutions of Christians around the world, what do we do as Western Christians? “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pet. 4:12). “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance” (Rom. 5:3). “Blessed are you when others . . . persecute you. . . . Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:11-12). Fighting for joy is not to reduce the Western comforts, but is a fight to join Jesus on the Calvary road and stay with him no matter what our situations, and trials may be and looking at Jesus and the joy that was set before him and enduring the cross. The aim is not to salve the conscience of the well to do Western acquisition, but to sustain love’s ability to endure the worse, and that is may be to endure the sacrificial losses of property and security in life, by the power of joy in the path of love. Through this the aim is to make known to the world that Jesus Christ is all powerful, all wise, all merciful, all righteous, and the most satisfying treasure of the whole Universe which God has created. “Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Heb. 13:13-14).

They are discovering that there is nothing new about Christian Hedonism at all, but that it is simple, old-fashioned, historic, biblical, radical Christian living. – John Piper    

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).