Part 1: Big Questions/Big Ideas
Part 2: Relationships
Part 3: Beliefs and Strongholds - Consequential Beliefs
Part 4: Unworthy, Yet Adopted
Part 5: Faith And Intimacy
Part 6: God Is Love
Belief, Faith and Worldview
What we believe shapes our life, our responses to others, our motivations, and our peace, (or our fear, depression or anxiety). It constitutes our worldview and is a foundation of our faith. People of faith are "believers".
Our beliefs come from our family, our parenting and especially from the "big stories" we hear during our younger years; then from our schooling, our work, our life. We may accept things as true which are true, and other things which are not true.
All this affects the very foundations of our life. It also shapes how we see our Father God.
Natural Flow Of Thinking
Life shapes us in our body and health, and also in our soul (that part of our person where our emotions and will are centred). This helps to shape our thinking and responses.
We may have trouble with a hand or a knee after an injury. In the same way we can have severe long lasting pain in our emotions after traumas in childhood or adolescence, or after betrayal or divorce or being fired from our job.
Surprisingly, love and forgiveness do not fully repair this damage to our soul. Human love alone is not enough for this. Neither is simply understanding the problem. This is why secular counseling, psychology and psychiatry seem less than 100% effective.
We have all experienced pain from our families, from classmates and teachers, from bullies at school (or anywhere), from teenage romances, and from foolish things we have done or terrible decisions we have made.
(To some this list will seem very pale compared with what they have known).
Memories
Our fridge has lots of brilliant photos of happy family times. Trish and I dearly love our children, and their spouses, and our grandchildren, always, the whole big mob of us. They bring great joy to us.
But not every childhood memory is good. My mum encouraged, but my dad would say "that doesn't look like an octopus to me", and point out the faults in the picture I was drawing, (isn't it sad that I still remember this moment all these years later?)
How we see our self and Father God comes from our family, upbringing and
culture, and is fundamental in our life. When I was "saved", I knew that it was Jesus who saved me. For many
years, my difficulties with my relationship with my own father affected how I
was able to see or approach Jesus’ Father, my
Father in Heaven, even though I knew that He was God, and Jesus calls Him "Abba Father " (Mark 14:36).
Universal Childhood Beliefs
Children see their parents as infallible, mighty,
successful. This is good, it builds trust and hope early in life.
Children see every family problem as being rooted
in them self; this sounds "wrong" but has been verified as true. The
child thinks that everything was wonderful with their parents until they came
along.
Consequential Beliefs - Parenting Influences Our View Of God
A consequence can be described as the reasonable
outcome from an action: "if you keep doing that, there will be no ice
cream today!" How often have we heard, (or spoken), words like this?
A characteristic of our family environment may have
consequences for us.
• A parenting trait of "being Distant, not
taking notice and always being too busy" may produce a consequential belief
in the child of "I'm insignificant". This may lead to the belief that
"God is busy elsewhere with others, and I should not expect to receive
attention or love".
• A parenting trait of "abuse, (verbal,
physical, sexual, neglectful)", may produce a consequential belief in the
child of "I'm dirty, it's my fault, powerful people may abuse me". This
may grow into the belief that "God doesn't care what happens to me".
• A parenting trait of "spoiling - always
giving in" may produce a consequential belief in the child that "I
can name and claim, blab and grab". The growing child may then believe
that "God is transactional and formulaic; my works and demands bring
rewards".
More parenting traits to consider: disappointed, uncommunicative,
harsh, un-affirming, non-tactile (not touching or cuddling, no skin contact), argumentative,
unloving, unpredictable, critical, controlling, overprotective.
I remember my own earthly father as mean and
selfish (see my testimony in FHoG Part 1). Consequently, I grew up believing
that I would have to make my own way in everything and could not rely on
others. For years I believed that Father God always had a closed hand towards
me; and I saw that everything I touched turned to ashes, my worldly successes
were very limited. At the same time I saw that others were treated well,
materially and in their self-esteem. This was tough to live with and had
profoundly negative effects on me and my behaviours, and especially on Trish
and our family.
Strongholds
Wrong beliefs build strongholds. We put our trust in these strongholds. This is
deception, we believe what is not true
and it affects everything we think and do. This is from the evil one,
and from the world. Isaiah had this to say:
"No one
calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty
arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil" (Isaiah 59:4)
We are free to take on wrong beliefs (being made
free in the image of God). But we are equally free to take on truth!
Only we ourselves can change what we believe. We can find truth, then
appropriate it. God our Father gives us Jesus, God's Word. Jesus is "truth", God's plumb-line (John
1:14; Amos 7:8).
Jesus Equips
"For though we
walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh for the weapons of our
warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of
strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).
Before
He drew us to Himself, Father God knew what we were like, where we had come
from, what sins He will be asked to forgive. He was fully prepared; this was
all part of His plan. He had already given His Son Jesus to pay the price for
every wrong thing we ever did, or will do: "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
We are justified when we are saved. Fully.
Completely. All our sins are washed away and we are set free from sin and
death. Every Christian, man, woman, boy or girl. Jesus has brought us into
sonship, the same precious Sonship that He knows, and has always known. Jesus'
daddy is our daddy! Abba is a grown-up Hebrew name of choice for a real
father, loving, trustworthy, safe.
Restoration - Jesus Restores Us
Jesus
continually grows us and brings us into God’s "original" design, the
"original" relationship (Genesis 1:26-30).
Dictionary: redeem -
to regain possession by paying a price.
"God sent his Son, that
He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as
children" (Galatians 4:4,5).
As Christians, we become a new creation in Jesus Christ, we are adopted by His
Father. Our spiritual DNA is replaced. God truly is our Father. We become sons
and daughters. Biblically we are fully in God's inheritance.
As Christians, we become a new creation in Jesus Christ, we are adopted by His
Father. Our spiritual DNA is replaced. God truly is our Father. We become sons
and daughters. Biblically we are fully in God's inheritance.
"If anyone is in Christ,
he [or she] is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
"Now as his children,
God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts to cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" (Galatians
4:6)
"The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:16).
"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath"? (Matthew 12:10).
Yes, it is! Always. We too can be healed.
"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath"? (Matthew 12:10).
Yes, it is! Always. We too can be healed. Our relationships can also be
healed, we look to Jesus in whom "all
things are possible" (Mark 10:27).
Amen.
Jesus has already brought us to Father
God and to freedom: "Of his own will he brought us forth by the
word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures" (James 1:18).
"Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,
and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1), we are free to
be free.
Jesus himself made us for love, from love. He longs to bring us to his Father,
fully as children of God (Romans 8:16), sons and daughters in fullness forever,
the same as Jesus knows it.
Father God sent Jesus to "bring many 'sons' [and daughters] to
glory" (Hebrews 2:10).
"our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for Himself a people for his own
possession, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:13,14).
Cleave to Jesus – a theme in our
Bible
(Deuteronomy 30:20, Moses words) "Cling to the Lord your God, for He is
your life"
"The Word became flesh, and lived among us.
We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of
grace and truth" (John 1:14).
"My soul
clings to you; your right hand upholds me" (Psalm 63:8).
"Draw near
to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
"Let us
hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
"The
creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the
liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21).
(While I’ve been typing this, I have been listening to a great song:
"Healing in His Wings" from the duo and the CD "Singing in the
Spirit". So encouraging).
(While I’ve been typing this, I have been listening to a great song:
"Healing in His Wings" from the duo and the CD "Singing in the
Spirit". So encouraging).
Praise Jesus.
Praise Jesus our "Rock", our "Defender".
He is here, in our midst.
Praise Jesus.
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"Father Heart Of God: 1 of 2" is now a podcast on Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn
• Public link to podcast
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https://open.spotify.com/episode/1coFc3RgOhdtb6WtCczE9m
Our beliefs may be influenced by our day-by-day experience of life, but we can know, in our spirit and in our heart, that our Saviour is here to help.
Dictionary Definition
hubris - overbearing
pride or presumption, arrogance.
shame - A painful
emotion from guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace.
fall - to lose an upright or erect position suddenly - to hang down - to be cast down - to experience defeat or ruin - to give in to temptation and sin - to lose one's chastity.
Theological Definition - The Fall
·
To lose the primordial innocence and happiness of
humanity as a result of sin.
·
For the first pair, Adam and Eve, the Fall was the
result of sin unfolding in disrupted relationships resulting from their
self-serving exercise of autonomy in God's world, a world in which they could
not be gods.
"She took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave
some to her husband, and he ate. The eyes of both of them were opened, and they
knew that they were naked" (Genesis 3:6-7).
The Fall - Satan Attacks
The Fall came from sin. Satan tempted Adam and Eve that they could be as God.
They fell, and creation fell with them. Humankind became separated from God.
Pain and death came to the world. You and I were born into this world of sin
and death.
Where now is God's plan of Him being Father and the Son sharing His sonship
with all people? Jesus gives us the possibility of life in the Kingdom of God,
even though we remain in the fallen world; He gives us His "righteousness", "peace",
"joy", "hope" and "faith",
indeed, all the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Until people become Christian the sinful world is their home, they are part of
the kingdom of darkness, and Satan is their father. (Why does Scripture say he
is "father" and not
"boss" or "chief" or "ruler"? Is it because we
have inherited what he, the devil, brought? That is, sin and death?)
"You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the
desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand
in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies"
(John 8:44).
Satan truly wants you to NOT take your rightful place as a son or daughter of
God, and NOT exercise your Kingdom authority, NOT be free, NOT to be healthy.
Billions of people are hurting; (a billion minutes ago Jesus was alive on the
Earth), that is a great many hurting people!
Satan is a thief. He steals our peace, he tells us that we don't measure
up, that we aren't worthy. He tempts us, and pours sickness over us. But,
always, Jesus is for us. "The
thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life,
and may have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
Satan attacks men: His objective is to destroy the family through the
men. Husbands and fathers are essential to all humankind. Studies show the
truth of this in kids' behaviour, relationships, mental health, citizenship.
Satan attacks women: Dr James Dobson ran a survey of thousands of
Christian and non-Christian women. Their single biggest problem was poor self
esteem.
Anyone who knows the children of divorced parents knows that these things are
true.
Is Father God's heart broken?? No!! He sent Jesus who brings us to His glorious
and wonderful Father.
"[Father God] put all things in subjection under Jesus' feet". The
Father subjected all things to Him, and left nothing that is not subject to
Him. But now we don't see all things subjected to Him, yet" (Hebrews 2:8). (See also Psalm
8:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:25).
Bless us all. Thank you Jesus our "Rock", our "Defender", here, in our midst.
Amen.
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