Between the time when God made His promise and the coming of the promised Savior, there was a period of about 4000 years. Why God was so long in fulfilling His promise we do not know. We are only told that everything was in accordance with His perfect plan.
The Bible tells us a bit about the history of man during this 4000 year period. The purpose of God in placing this history in His Word is threefold:
1. To show that man is moving farther and farther away from God. The sinfulness of man reached a peak during the time of Noah. When it could no longer be turned aside, judgment came upon mankind because of this mounting sin. We read, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5. Then God destroyed the ancient world by a great flood. The Bible shows that now man’s sin is again mounting up higher and higher and finally another judgment day must come.
2. To show the change which has taken place in the lives of those who believe in every age. There have always been those who believe in the promise and truth of God, although their number has never been large. Still their lives have been as gleams of light in an ever darkening world. Because they believed in God and His way of salvation, their names are still honored. Among this number are found such names as Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David and Daniel.
3. To include in that history the prophecies concerning the coming Savior so that no one might be unsure about Who He is. These prophecies were given hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and yet they all clearly point to Him. Some of the most important of these prophecies are:
To Abraham it was promised that in his Seed (the promised Savior) all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Genesis 12:3.
About 1500 years before Jesus was born, Moses said, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.” Deuteronomy 18:15. And concerning this coming One, God Himself said, “And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.” Deuteronomy 18:19.
David the King also prophesied concerning the coming Savior, and testified that He would suffer (Psalm 22), die, and be raised again (Psalm 16) and afterwards reign forever. (Psalm 89).
The later prophets, Isaiah and Micah, prophesied that the coming Savior would be God Himself (Isaiah 9:5), Who would become man. His birth was to be by a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), and would take place at Bethlehem in Judea. (Micah 5:2).
From all these prophecies, you dear reader, can be sure that it was Jesus who was prophesied about, for only He fulfilled them all.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
I am Mark Phelps, the second son of the late Fred W. Phelps Sr. of Topeka, Kansas. After years of learning, and a prolonged journey of healing, I have decided to describe my life experiences growing up with Fred, and my journey of healing. I have learned that truth is very healing and freeing, and for those who have experienced abuse yourself, I hope my journey of healing may be helpful to you.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Friday, June 23, 2017
Finding A Healing Connection
Many of you are at the point in this blog where you are wondering about your own need for therapy. Perhaps reading of my experiences has opened up some areas in your own life where you know you still need to heal. I know some of you may be fearful about the process of finding a therapist. I can understand your concerns. I have pondered my own healing journey and have sought out the help of a seasoned therapist who has worked with clients who have suffered abuse. It is my hope these suggestions will be helpful in your own journey seeking a good therapist.
Advice for Finding a Therapist
1) A relationship with a therapist is a special and very personal relationship and needs to be a good “fit” for you. It is absolutely fine to search for someone you feel valued by, listened to, supported and with whom you have a positive connection. This process can take time. But it is well worth your efforts so take the time you need. You may need to interview several people.
2) Once you start into the process of looking for a therapist, there are a number of ways you can do this. Some people start by looking in the phone book or on the Internet for local mental health facilities, private practitioners or therapists who advertise a specialty in victims of abuse. You can also seek out a recommendation by word of mouth. This is probably the best way to get the names of good therapists. Get a name from a friend or a pastor who has a good relationship with a therapist and start there. If the therapist does not treat trauma, they may be able to find someone who does.
3) Once you get a name, be sure to interview that person on the phone and find out if that person meets your criterion for what you need. Feel free to ask questions about trauma experience and faith if you want to, and then feel free to go elsewhere if that person does not meet your expectations. Therapists and their office staff understand the fears and concerns you have in looking for a therapist and are used to answering those questions and directing you to other agencies if they are not going to be able to assist you.
You can ask questions such as: How long have you been practicing? How many trauma cases have you treated? What training do you have? What is your approach to trauma? Do you use EMDR or TIR or any other modalities? (These stand for “eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy” and “trauma incidence reduction.”)
You go to therapy for yourself, not to please the therapist. Don't worry about hurting their feelings. Worry about yourself!! Any question you want to know should be asked. A therapist who gets offended or defensive with any question isn't the right therapist.
4) Many people are concerned that their therapy will be a lengthy process because of the duration of their abuse. It is not a bad thing to go to more than one therapist. Although it is important to only work with one person at a time, when you feel the process is no longer meeting your needs, feel free to seek out someone new. Some therapists believe that it takes at least three different therapy experiences to heal from extreme cases of abuse. Of course, there are exceptions to this. The therapist is not nearly as important as your own process. The therapist is a facilitator and should be working to help you toward managing your life on your own. Everyone is different and some people take months and years to get to a peaceful place. I worked hard for approximately five years and averaged three hours of work on my own for every hour I spent working directly with my therapist or in group therapy.
5) Pray for God’s guidance for your healing process. It may also help to have friends, as long as they are supportive and know how to do active listening, to hear about your therapy progress and help you decide whether your process is heading in the right direction. If you begin to have problems with your therapist, or if your therapist says something you experience as unsupportive, the first thing to do if you feel you are able is to talk the problems over with the therapist. If the therapist is defensive or insulted, it is best to find another therapist. It is the job of the therapist to put the needs of the client first, and to be able to clarify issues as opposed to taking on issues as a personal criticism. Therapists also need to apologize at times, if they say the wrong thing. They are only human beings and they are fallible. Give the therapeutic relationship a chance, but if it feels too “messy” then find a new therapist.
I was one of those clients who needed more than one therapist. My first therapist was a cognitive therapist who did a wonderful job of getting me started, but like is true for a lot of us, once the pain that we have been stuffing resurfaced I needed a different kind of help. I was burning with pain in the middle of my stomach as the emotion began to erupt, from my work with my cognitive therapist. I realized before too long that I was looking to him for something he could not provide. My original therapist was really excellent for me for a significant period of necessary time and work as he was helping me reconnect with my emotions, so long suppressed. But I felt like I was waking up in the middle of surgery because the anesthesia had worn off and there was no help for the pain. I was overwhelmed and struggling just to function in my normal responsibility at that time. I knew I needed to transition to find another therapist.
I had to hold on tight until I could find a safe place where there was professional ability AND compassionate ability. I was able to find a husband/wife couple who aided me in making more progress. The husband was more introverted and robotic in his style but his wife was so gentle and warm and kind. I did the hard, uncovering work safely with the husband while the wife helped me to feel loved and cared for. The transition between the cognitive therapist and the couple I worked with was very difficult for me. It was the Lord guiding me to this couple because it could have taken me a long time to find them. I did NOT have the skills to determine or assess their ability - God's leading brought me to them. And while I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to transition to this couple who could support me in my journey, I have wanted to have the advice of a seasoned therapist to give you some guidelines I did not have myself when I made my transition! One important thing I learned in my transition is that it is very difficult to be simultaneously connecting with the pain while not having any person to turn to in the pain. But it could very well happen to anybody at any time. Most therapists who work with trauma victims have tremendous compassion and are able to fulfill the tasks of helping the person to reconnect with what happened to them and experience the pain again and to have the compassion to help the person get through it.
I remember the time and the exact freeway I was on in Southern California when the worst of the initial pain began to hit me. I wanted to go away somehow. It was necessary for me to pull my car off the freeway and park safely for a little while. I felt like a little small boy waking up in the reality of the intense adult world, without a mother or a father and nowhere to go with the pain. It was frightening and profoundly painful. This was obviously pain I had stuffed early in my life - it just started rushing out and for a period of time and I had nowhere to go with it and no one to process it with.
Since the goal of therapy of trauma victims is for them to deal with the pain that resurfaces after years of “stuffing” it makes sense that finding a therapist with both the cognitive and compassion skills needed to do both parts of the healing work would be ideal. In this difficult time I was desperate and disoriented. God brought me through that time in His great mercy and love. But I am offering this blog to give you ideas for finding the most experienced trauma therapists so perhaps you will not have to change therapists in mid-stream like I did.
I want to thank Charlotte Rosenak, Ph.D for the list of ideas for finding a therapist. Dr. Rosenak has worked with trauma victims for the last 35 years in Kansas City. She and many other wonderful, compassionate therapists have helped bring healing and life back to those of us who have lost our way due to the abuse of others. I owe my own therapists and people like Dr. Rosenak a deep debt of gratitude for their loving efforts to help other victims of trauma. Thanks to you all.
Mark Phelps
Advice for Finding a Therapist
1) A relationship with a therapist is a special and very personal relationship and needs to be a good “fit” for you. It is absolutely fine to search for someone you feel valued by, listened to, supported and with whom you have a positive connection. This process can take time. But it is well worth your efforts so take the time you need. You may need to interview several people.
2) Once you start into the process of looking for a therapist, there are a number of ways you can do this. Some people start by looking in the phone book or on the Internet for local mental health facilities, private practitioners or therapists who advertise a specialty in victims of abuse. You can also seek out a recommendation by word of mouth. This is probably the best way to get the names of good therapists. Get a name from a friend or a pastor who has a good relationship with a therapist and start there. If the therapist does not treat trauma, they may be able to find someone who does.
3) Once you get a name, be sure to interview that person on the phone and find out if that person meets your criterion for what you need. Feel free to ask questions about trauma experience and faith if you want to, and then feel free to go elsewhere if that person does not meet your expectations. Therapists and their office staff understand the fears and concerns you have in looking for a therapist and are used to answering those questions and directing you to other agencies if they are not going to be able to assist you.
You can ask questions such as: How long have you been practicing? How many trauma cases have you treated? What training do you have? What is your approach to trauma? Do you use EMDR or TIR or any other modalities? (These stand for “eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy” and “trauma incidence reduction.”)
You go to therapy for yourself, not to please the therapist. Don't worry about hurting their feelings. Worry about yourself!! Any question you want to know should be asked. A therapist who gets offended or defensive with any question isn't the right therapist.
4) Many people are concerned that their therapy will be a lengthy process because of the duration of their abuse. It is not a bad thing to go to more than one therapist. Although it is important to only work with one person at a time, when you feel the process is no longer meeting your needs, feel free to seek out someone new. Some therapists believe that it takes at least three different therapy experiences to heal from extreme cases of abuse. Of course, there are exceptions to this. The therapist is not nearly as important as your own process. The therapist is a facilitator and should be working to help you toward managing your life on your own. Everyone is different and some people take months and years to get to a peaceful place. I worked hard for approximately five years and averaged three hours of work on my own for every hour I spent working directly with my therapist or in group therapy.
5) Pray for God’s guidance for your healing process. It may also help to have friends, as long as they are supportive and know how to do active listening, to hear about your therapy progress and help you decide whether your process is heading in the right direction. If you begin to have problems with your therapist, or if your therapist says something you experience as unsupportive, the first thing to do if you feel you are able is to talk the problems over with the therapist. If the therapist is defensive or insulted, it is best to find another therapist. It is the job of the therapist to put the needs of the client first, and to be able to clarify issues as opposed to taking on issues as a personal criticism. Therapists also need to apologize at times, if they say the wrong thing. They are only human beings and they are fallible. Give the therapeutic relationship a chance, but if it feels too “messy” then find a new therapist.
I was one of those clients who needed more than one therapist. My first therapist was a cognitive therapist who did a wonderful job of getting me started, but like is true for a lot of us, once the pain that we have been stuffing resurfaced I needed a different kind of help. I was burning with pain in the middle of my stomach as the emotion began to erupt, from my work with my cognitive therapist. I realized before too long that I was looking to him for something he could not provide. My original therapist was really excellent for me for a significant period of necessary time and work as he was helping me reconnect with my emotions, so long suppressed. But I felt like I was waking up in the middle of surgery because the anesthesia had worn off and there was no help for the pain. I was overwhelmed and struggling just to function in my normal responsibility at that time. I knew I needed to transition to find another therapist.
I had to hold on tight until I could find a safe place where there was professional ability AND compassionate ability. I was able to find a husband/wife couple who aided me in making more progress. The husband was more introverted and robotic in his style but his wife was so gentle and warm and kind. I did the hard, uncovering work safely with the husband while the wife helped me to feel loved and cared for. The transition between the cognitive therapist and the couple I worked with was very difficult for me. It was the Lord guiding me to this couple because it could have taken me a long time to find them. I did NOT have the skills to determine or assess their ability - God's leading brought me to them. And while I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to transition to this couple who could support me in my journey, I have wanted to have the advice of a seasoned therapist to give you some guidelines I did not have myself when I made my transition! One important thing I learned in my transition is that it is very difficult to be simultaneously connecting with the pain while not having any person to turn to in the pain. But it could very well happen to anybody at any time. Most therapists who work with trauma victims have tremendous compassion and are able to fulfill the tasks of helping the person to reconnect with what happened to them and experience the pain again and to have the compassion to help the person get through it.
I remember the time and the exact freeway I was on in Southern California when the worst of the initial pain began to hit me. I wanted to go away somehow. It was necessary for me to pull my car off the freeway and park safely for a little while. I felt like a little small boy waking up in the reality of the intense adult world, without a mother or a father and nowhere to go with the pain. It was frightening and profoundly painful. This was obviously pain I had stuffed early in my life - it just started rushing out and for a period of time and I had nowhere to go with it and no one to process it with.
Since the goal of therapy of trauma victims is for them to deal with the pain that resurfaces after years of “stuffing” it makes sense that finding a therapist with both the cognitive and compassion skills needed to do both parts of the healing work would be ideal. In this difficult time I was desperate and disoriented. God brought me through that time in His great mercy and love. But I am offering this blog to give you ideas for finding the most experienced trauma therapists so perhaps you will not have to change therapists in mid-stream like I did.
I want to thank Charlotte Rosenak, Ph.D for the list of ideas for finding a therapist. Dr. Rosenak has worked with trauma victims for the last 35 years in Kansas City. She and many other wonderful, compassionate therapists have helped bring healing and life back to those of us who have lost our way due to the abuse of others. I owe my own therapists and people like Dr. Rosenak a deep debt of gratitude for their loving efforts to help other victims of trauma. Thanks to you all.
Mark Phelps
GOD'S REMEDY AND PROMISE
The fall of man into sin did not take God by surprise. In fact, He knew before He created him that man would sin, for He knows all things. We read in the Bible that God’s remedy for man’s sin was prepared “from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8.
After man sinned, it was God who sought the sinners. He called to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” Ever since that time it has been God who seeks sinners. God is seeking you too, dear reader. He has always taken the first step in salvation. Man on the other hand, did not seek God, but hid from Him. He also tried to hide his sin. This characterizes man’s actions from that day to this.
When God judged Satan, He gave a promise to Adam and Eve, and to all mankind in every age. It was a promise of deliverance. Man did not ask for it; it was pure grace. He said, “And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise they head and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. This is God’s remedy. He Himself would provide a Savior from among the descendants of Eve. He would bruise the devil’s head, thus destroying him and his works. The Savior would save man from the results of his sin. But He would only be able to provide this salvation through suffering. His heel would be bruised. He would suffer in man’s place. Because of that suffering, Adam and Eve, and all mankind, could be saved from sin forever.
After giving this promise, God emphasized this truth by what He did. He refused man’s efforts to hide the results of their own sin. He took goats and slew them. From their hides, He made coats to cover man’s nakedness. In this way God showed them, and us, that nothing man does can truly cover his sin. However, God Himself was willing to make a way for them to be saved. God’s way of salvation required blood to be shed, the blood of the innocent. The coming Savior was going to die in order to save all those who believe on Him.
Four thousand years later when Jesus was beginning His ministry, He received this testimony from John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. Three years later He suffered on the cross and was slain that God might forgive and cover our sins. His death provides an eternal covering of righteousness for all who believe.
The Bible says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
Dear reader, you can be sure that Jesus “is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:42.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
After man sinned, it was God who sought the sinners. He called to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” Ever since that time it has been God who seeks sinners. God is seeking you too, dear reader. He has always taken the first step in salvation. Man on the other hand, did not seek God, but hid from Him. He also tried to hide his sin. This characterizes man’s actions from that day to this.
When God judged Satan, He gave a promise to Adam and Eve, and to all mankind in every age. It was a promise of deliverance. Man did not ask for it; it was pure grace. He said, “And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise they head and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. This is God’s remedy. He Himself would provide a Savior from among the descendants of Eve. He would bruise the devil’s head, thus destroying him and his works. The Savior would save man from the results of his sin. But He would only be able to provide this salvation through suffering. His heel would be bruised. He would suffer in man’s place. Because of that suffering, Adam and Eve, and all mankind, could be saved from sin forever.
After giving this promise, God emphasized this truth by what He did. He refused man’s efforts to hide the results of their own sin. He took goats and slew them. From their hides, He made coats to cover man’s nakedness. In this way God showed them, and us, that nothing man does can truly cover his sin. However, God Himself was willing to make a way for them to be saved. God’s way of salvation required blood to be shed, the blood of the innocent. The coming Savior was going to die in order to save all those who believe on Him.
Four thousand years later when Jesus was beginning His ministry, He received this testimony from John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. Three years later He suffered on the cross and was slain that God might forgive and cover our sins. His death provides an eternal covering of righteousness for all who believe.
The Bible says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
Dear reader, you can be sure that Jesus “is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:42.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
THE RESULTS OF SIN IN MAN'S RELATION TO HIMSELF
The change which took place in the heart of man when he chose to sin was very great, indeed. Since that choice man has gone farther and farther away from God, and so his heart has become darker and darker. That darkness, however, is often hidden behind a mask of religion or of respectability. Man has many high ideals, but it is impossible for him to reach them, for he is bound by sin and darkness. Below are some of the changes that took place when man sinned:
He became the slave of sin. The Bible says, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:34. Man wanted to be free from God, but he became the servant or slave of sin.
He becamse separated from God. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. And, as we have already explained, death means separation. Since man became the slave of sin, he must receive sin’s wages, death. Separated from God now, and separated from Him in Hell forever.
He became vain in his imaginations or thoughts and his foolish heart became darkened. Romans 1:21. Separated from Him who is all wise, man became foolish. Romans 1:22.
Guided by a darkened heart, man’s mind became completely reprobate. Romans 1:28.
His life thereby became filled with all manner of evil. Romans 1:29-31.
This included wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, deceit and disobedience to parents.
Finally, although he knew the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only does the same, but has pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:32.
It is not difficult to follow this change in man which took place when he sinned. Separated from God, his thoughts became darkened. Then his heart which receives his thoughts as light became darkened too. Influenced by that darkened heart, his thoughts then became completely reprobate or base. Finally, his deeds became very vile until he could sin without being ashamed. Today, man is proud of his sin. Stealing is no longer wrong in itself, but rather he feels pleased at how cleverly he steals. Happily he deceives his fellow man and engages in corruption. And in all these deeds he does not realize that “the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. He does not realize his danger. He laughs and jokes, unaware that daily he is moving nearer and nearer to eternal destruction in hell.
My dear reader, remember that what is written above is not only a picture of the life of Adam and Eve. It is not only a picture of mankind in general. It is a picture of your life too. Do you realize your danger? If so, consider carefully God’s way of salvation as explained in the following blog writing, entitled: “Gods Remedy and Promise”.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
He became the slave of sin. The Bible says, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:34. Man wanted to be free from God, but he became the servant or slave of sin.
He becamse separated from God. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. And, as we have already explained, death means separation. Since man became the slave of sin, he must receive sin’s wages, death. Separated from God now, and separated from Him in Hell forever.
He became vain in his imaginations or thoughts and his foolish heart became darkened. Romans 1:21. Separated from Him who is all wise, man became foolish. Romans 1:22.
Guided by a darkened heart, man’s mind became completely reprobate. Romans 1:28.
His life thereby became filled with all manner of evil. Romans 1:29-31.
This included wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, deceit and disobedience to parents.
Finally, although he knew the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only does the same, but has pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:32.
It is not difficult to follow this change in man which took place when he sinned. Separated from God, his thoughts became darkened. Then his heart which receives his thoughts as light became darkened too. Influenced by that darkened heart, his thoughts then became completely reprobate or base. Finally, his deeds became very vile until he could sin without being ashamed. Today, man is proud of his sin. Stealing is no longer wrong in itself, but rather he feels pleased at how cleverly he steals. Happily he deceives his fellow man and engages in corruption. And in all these deeds he does not realize that “the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. He does not realize his danger. He laughs and jokes, unaware that daily he is moving nearer and nearer to eternal destruction in hell.
My dear reader, remember that what is written above is not only a picture of the life of Adam and Eve. It is not only a picture of mankind in general. It is a picture of your life too. Do you realize your danger? If so, consider carefully God’s way of salvation as explained in the following blog writing, entitled: “Gods Remedy and Promise”.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
Thursday, June 22, 2017
THE RESULTS OF SIN IN MAN’S RELATION TO HIS FELLOW MAN
The darkness and death which filled man’s heart as a result of his sin, quickly showed itself in his relation to his fellow man.
After Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden by God, Eve gave birth to children. Two sons are especially pointed out to us. The older was Cain, the younger was Abel. Cain was a farmer, while Abel was a keeper of sheep. We are told that one day they both brought an offering to God.
Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground was rejected by God. Abel’s offering of the firstlings of his flock was received. Basically, Cain’s offering was rejected because it was one he thought up himself. It, like the fig leaves used by Adam and Eve, was an effort to cover his own sin. Therefore, it was refused. Every effort on man’s part to save himself from sin is sure to be rejected by a holy God.
On the other hand, Abel’s offering shows his faith in God’s way of salvation which He showed to man in the Garden of Eden. By slaying goats and making coats of skins for them, God pointed out that One must later suffer and die to cover man’s sin. Every offering based on the work and promise of God to provide salvation is sure to be received by Him. This was true then. It is true now.
Afterwards, Cain and Abel were talking in the field. Suddenly Cain rose up and killed his brother. Now it is vital for us to realize why he killed him. IT WAS BECAUSE HIS OWN RELATION TO GOD WAS BROKEN. He was angry with God because his offering had been refused; so he killed his brother. Normally we don’t want to connect these two incidents. But in His Word, God does connect them, to show that our relation to our fellow man can only be right AFTER our relation to God has been made right first.
We steal from our fellowman, because we are not right with God! We deceive, oppress, and hate our fellowman, because we are not right with God. When a person repents of his sin and comes back to God, he becomes rightly related to Him. And he experiences a real change toward his fellow man too. He no longer wants to steal from him or deceive him in any way. Instead, he wants to help him, and, above all, to bring him to God so that he might be saved too. So in reality our relation to our fellow man shows clearly whether our relation to God is right or not.
As long as we are separated from God, we are separated from LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE, for He is the Source of all these. Our hearts, therefore, become filled with death, darkness and hate. And these things are clearly seen in our relation to our fellow man. Dear reader, before you can really treat your fellow man right, you must be rightly related to God. You must be saved. In receiving salvation, you receive Him who is Life, Light and Love into your heart, and these things will then be clearly seen in your relation to others.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
After Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden by God, Eve gave birth to children. Two sons are especially pointed out to us. The older was Cain, the younger was Abel. Cain was a farmer, while Abel was a keeper of sheep. We are told that one day they both brought an offering to God.
Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground was rejected by God. Abel’s offering of the firstlings of his flock was received. Basically, Cain’s offering was rejected because it was one he thought up himself. It, like the fig leaves used by Adam and Eve, was an effort to cover his own sin. Therefore, it was refused. Every effort on man’s part to save himself from sin is sure to be rejected by a holy God.
On the other hand, Abel’s offering shows his faith in God’s way of salvation which He showed to man in the Garden of Eden. By slaying goats and making coats of skins for them, God pointed out that One must later suffer and die to cover man’s sin. Every offering based on the work and promise of God to provide salvation is sure to be received by Him. This was true then. It is true now.
Afterwards, Cain and Abel were talking in the field. Suddenly Cain rose up and killed his brother. Now it is vital for us to realize why he killed him. IT WAS BECAUSE HIS OWN RELATION TO GOD WAS BROKEN. He was angry with God because his offering had been refused; so he killed his brother. Normally we don’t want to connect these two incidents. But in His Word, God does connect them, to show that our relation to our fellow man can only be right AFTER our relation to God has been made right first.
We steal from our fellowman, because we are not right with God! We deceive, oppress, and hate our fellowman, because we are not right with God. When a person repents of his sin and comes back to God, he becomes rightly related to Him. And he experiences a real change toward his fellow man too. He no longer wants to steal from him or deceive him in any way. Instead, he wants to help him, and, above all, to bring him to God so that he might be saved too. So in reality our relation to our fellow man shows clearly whether our relation to God is right or not.
As long as we are separated from God, we are separated from LIFE, LIGHT, and LOVE, for He is the Source of all these. Our hearts, therefore, become filled with death, darkness and hate. And these things are clearly seen in our relation to our fellow man. Dear reader, before you can really treat your fellow man right, you must be rightly related to God. You must be saved. In receiving salvation, you receive Him who is Life, Light and Love into your heart, and these things will then be clearly seen in your relation to others.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
THE RESULTS OF SIN IN MAN'S RELATION TO GOD
It is very necessary for us to understand the results of Adam and Eve’s sin, because the results of our sin are the same as theirs. Those results can be classed under three relationships: man’s relation to God, his relation to his fellowman, and his relation to himself.
The results of sin which are connected with man’s relation to God are:
He became afraid to meet God. After God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we read that it was His habit to walk in the garden in the cool of the evening. He came to talk and fellowship with them. How happy they must have been! It is easy to imagine how they must have waited for His coming. How happy they must have been when they heard Him approaching! But after they had sinned, what a difference! When they heard His voice in the garden, they began to tremble with fear. They ran and hid.
Dear reader, sin always makes us afraid to meet God. This is the reason why death causes so much fear to man. Death takes man into the presence of God who is both just and holy. And in every man’s heart there is deeply planted a belief that God, Who is holy, cannot overlook sin, but rather must punish it.
The fear of meeting God caused Adam and Eve to try to cover the results of their own sin. They made loin cloths from fig leaves for this purpose. Ever since that day, man has continually tried to cover his sin by making himself more acceptable to God. For example, he may cover himself with religion to accomplish this, for in his heart he feels that in this way his sin will not be known. His one desire is that other people, and more especially God Himself, should not know the sin that is in his heart.
He became separated from God. Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden where they had experienced daily fellowship with God. This being driven out was the fulfillment of God’s promise that in the day they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would “surely die.” Genesis 2:17. This is the most important result of their sin and their heaviest punishment. Death never means an end. It means separation. When a person dies, what happens is that his spirit is separated from his body. Spiritual death occurs when a person is separated from God. In the Bible hell is spoken of as the second death, because those who enter that terrible place will be separated from God forever. And so, when man was driven out of the Garden of Eden, away from the presence of God, he died spiritually, for his sin separated him from God. Separated from God who is the Source of all light, man’s life became filled with darkness. Separated from God, the Source of all good, man’s life became filled with evil. Separated from God, the Source of all blessing, man could only bring a curse on those around him.
These are the results of Adam and Eve’s sin. These, dear reader, are the results of your sin too.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
The results of sin which are connected with man’s relation to God are:
He became afraid to meet God. After God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we read that it was His habit to walk in the garden in the cool of the evening. He came to talk and fellowship with them. How happy they must have been! It is easy to imagine how they must have waited for His coming. How happy they must have been when they heard Him approaching! But after they had sinned, what a difference! When they heard His voice in the garden, they began to tremble with fear. They ran and hid.
Dear reader, sin always makes us afraid to meet God. This is the reason why death causes so much fear to man. Death takes man into the presence of God who is both just and holy. And in every man’s heart there is deeply planted a belief that God, Who is holy, cannot overlook sin, but rather must punish it.
The fear of meeting God caused Adam and Eve to try to cover the results of their own sin. They made loin cloths from fig leaves for this purpose. Ever since that day, man has continually tried to cover his sin by making himself more acceptable to God. For example, he may cover himself with religion to accomplish this, for in his heart he feels that in this way his sin will not be known. His one desire is that other people, and more especially God Himself, should not know the sin that is in his heart.
He became separated from God. Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden where they had experienced daily fellowship with God. This being driven out was the fulfillment of God’s promise that in the day they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would “surely die.” Genesis 2:17. This is the most important result of their sin and their heaviest punishment. Death never means an end. It means separation. When a person dies, what happens is that his spirit is separated from his body. Spiritual death occurs when a person is separated from God. In the Bible hell is spoken of as the second death, because those who enter that terrible place will be separated from God forever. And so, when man was driven out of the Garden of Eden, away from the presence of God, he died spiritually, for his sin separated him from God. Separated from God who is the Source of all light, man’s life became filled with darkness. Separated from God, the Source of all good, man’s life became filled with evil. Separated from God, the Source of all blessing, man could only bring a curse on those around him.
These are the results of Adam and Eve’s sin. These, dear reader, are the results of your sin too.
John E. Capron – Guest Blogger
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
DEAD TO THE LAW
"Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God."(Romans 7:4)
Why would Paul make such an outlandish statement right in the middle of dealing with us living the Christian life? We have already found out that the law (the 10 commandments mainly) could not provide us our salvation, our deliverance from the penalty of sin, our justification before God. And now right in the middle of explaining our sanctification (our Christian walk of being set apart to God in this life now and the resurrected life of Christ living in us and out through us now in these mortal bodies) He brings up the Law again.
He even uses a law that has to do with the marriage between a man and a woman to explain what he means by being dead or delivered from the Law. That the death of the husband freed the woman to be married to another and likewise the death we experienced by dying with Christ when His body died on the cross freed us from the Law so that we might be married to the resurrected Christ so that we might bring forth fruit unto God.
"For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God." (Romans 7:2-4)
We don't have a problem believing we need deliverance from our sins, or deliverance from the world, or deliverance from self, but deliverance from the Law? Sins and the world system and self are bad but Paul states that the Law is not sin (Romans 7:7) and is holy and just and good (Romans 7:12).
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7). "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." (Romans 7:12).
So why would he state that we are dead to something that is holy, just and good? Well let's see if we can find out. Do you ever get irritated with someone who is always negative? It doesn't matter what the subject is they always look at the negative. Telling you where you are wrong. It seems that their whole purpose in life is to tell you where you are wrong. It seems that they delight for an opportunity to tell you that you are wrong. Always pointing out the things that are wrong, only condemning. Not only that when they keep telling you where you are wrong, it tends to make you want to do what is wrong more than ever. How do we get deliverance from a person like this? Well I guess we just have to reckon ourselves dead unto them.
Well that is what the Law does, it tells, it reveals but shows no way of deliverance. The Law could not deliver us from the bondage of sin and could only reveal, and sin used the Law to arouse passions in us that ended up producing just fruit of death, thus our master was sin. As far as deliverance by the Law was concerned we were dead. We needed deliverance from the Law that, in itself could not deliver us.
"But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead." (Romans 7:8)
"BUT NOW" (Romans 7:6) through the death and resurrection of Christ we are delivered from the Law that couldn't deliver us from our state of death. So we need no longer try to serve the Law with the expectancy of deliverance. So now we are free from any expectancy of deliverance from the Law because we have been delivered from the penalty of sin and now have this power within us to deliver us from the power of sin as we allow Him to, because He will eventually deliver us from the presence of sin.
"But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6)
The Law could not deliver us from the penalty of sin (our justification) and neither can it deliver us from the power of sin in this life (our sanctification). And I might add that it will not be the Law that eventually delivers us from the presence of sin.
We have been saved from the penalty of sin and have a new nature within us, a new creation, the new man that desires to do the will of God and be delivered from this power of sin but just doesn't seem to have the power to accomplish it.
The new nature tries but just seems powerless to this power of sin within us that is not dead unto us. We just cannot command and control this old nature by presenting the Law to it and trying to make it straighten up and even making more rules for it to abide by (and some of our rules can be just as strict as God's). This tells us that we still have confidence in this flesh and God has no confidence in it, and all He could do with it is crucify it.
Making more rules and regulations is the way we are convinced we can make this flesh do right, even though it has been proved to us by God's Word that we can't even keep the rules and regulations God has set up, let alone more that we set up. This would be turning the Christian life into a religion of works. This would all be our pride; that we could dress up something that God saw no use for and crucified it. It is easier for us to make rules and regulations than to look to God by faith to live this Christian life His way.
Neither can we present the Law to the new nature and tell it to keep it. The new nature delights in the Law of God and wants to keep it, but just seems powerless to accomplish it.
I believe that Paul's experience in Romans 7 answers the vital question. Can the regenerate (saved, born again) person, apart from the dependence of the Spirit do the will of God, even though he delights in that will?
I believe we all have to experience what Paul experienced in Romans 7 before we will turn this Christian life over to the power of the Spirit to be lived out.
The victory of Romans 7 is for those who have experienced the defeats of Romans 7. Each time there is progress in our Christian life it is preceded by dissatisfaction with our current condition. All progress starts with dissatisfaction.
"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:15-20
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:21-25)
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:2-4)
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."(Galatians 2:20)
Mark Chandler
Why would Paul make such an outlandish statement right in the middle of dealing with us living the Christian life? We have already found out that the law (the 10 commandments mainly) could not provide us our salvation, our deliverance from the penalty of sin, our justification before God. And now right in the middle of explaining our sanctification (our Christian walk of being set apart to God in this life now and the resurrected life of Christ living in us and out through us now in these mortal bodies) He brings up the Law again.
He even uses a law that has to do with the marriage between a man and a woman to explain what he means by being dead or delivered from the Law. That the death of the husband freed the woman to be married to another and likewise the death we experienced by dying with Christ when His body died on the cross freed us from the Law so that we might be married to the resurrected Christ so that we might bring forth fruit unto God.
"For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God." (Romans 7:2-4)
We don't have a problem believing we need deliverance from our sins, or deliverance from the world, or deliverance from self, but deliverance from the Law? Sins and the world system and self are bad but Paul states that the Law is not sin (Romans 7:7) and is holy and just and good (Romans 7:12).
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7). "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." (Romans 7:12).
So why would he state that we are dead to something that is holy, just and good? Well let's see if we can find out. Do you ever get irritated with someone who is always negative? It doesn't matter what the subject is they always look at the negative. Telling you where you are wrong. It seems that their whole purpose in life is to tell you where you are wrong. It seems that they delight for an opportunity to tell you that you are wrong. Always pointing out the things that are wrong, only condemning. Not only that when they keep telling you where you are wrong, it tends to make you want to do what is wrong more than ever. How do we get deliverance from a person like this? Well I guess we just have to reckon ourselves dead unto them.
Well that is what the Law does, it tells, it reveals but shows no way of deliverance. The Law could not deliver us from the bondage of sin and could only reveal, and sin used the Law to arouse passions in us that ended up producing just fruit of death, thus our master was sin. As far as deliverance by the Law was concerned we were dead. We needed deliverance from the Law that, in itself could not deliver us.
"But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead." (Romans 7:8)
"BUT NOW" (Romans 7:6) through the death and resurrection of Christ we are delivered from the Law that couldn't deliver us from our state of death. So we need no longer try to serve the Law with the expectancy of deliverance. So now we are free from any expectancy of deliverance from the Law because we have been delivered from the penalty of sin and now have this power within us to deliver us from the power of sin as we allow Him to, because He will eventually deliver us from the presence of sin.
"But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6)
The Law could not deliver us from the penalty of sin (our justification) and neither can it deliver us from the power of sin in this life (our sanctification). And I might add that it will not be the Law that eventually delivers us from the presence of sin.
We have been saved from the penalty of sin and have a new nature within us, a new creation, the new man that desires to do the will of God and be delivered from this power of sin but just doesn't seem to have the power to accomplish it.
The new nature tries but just seems powerless to this power of sin within us that is not dead unto us. We just cannot command and control this old nature by presenting the Law to it and trying to make it straighten up and even making more rules for it to abide by (and some of our rules can be just as strict as God's). This tells us that we still have confidence in this flesh and God has no confidence in it, and all He could do with it is crucify it.
Making more rules and regulations is the way we are convinced we can make this flesh do right, even though it has been proved to us by God's Word that we can't even keep the rules and regulations God has set up, let alone more that we set up. This would be turning the Christian life into a religion of works. This would all be our pride; that we could dress up something that God saw no use for and crucified it. It is easier for us to make rules and regulations than to look to God by faith to live this Christian life His way.
Neither can we present the Law to the new nature and tell it to keep it. The new nature delights in the Law of God and wants to keep it, but just seems powerless to accomplish it.
I believe that Paul's experience in Romans 7 answers the vital question. Can the regenerate (saved, born again) person, apart from the dependence of the Spirit do the will of God, even though he delights in that will?
I believe we all have to experience what Paul experienced in Romans 7 before we will turn this Christian life over to the power of the Spirit to be lived out.
The victory of Romans 7 is for those who have experienced the defeats of Romans 7. Each time there is progress in our Christian life it is preceded by dissatisfaction with our current condition. All progress starts with dissatisfaction.
"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:15-20
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:21-25)
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:2-4)
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."(Galatians 2:20)
Mark Chandler
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