"How should a believer respond to the characteristics of God?"
God reveals Himself to believers through His Word (the Bible) and through His Son (Christ Jesus). 
The more we study the Bible,God's written absolute Truth, the more we come to understand God’s characteristics, the qualities He possesses. 
As mortals, we struggle to grasp the power and majesty of the God who has created time, space, matter, and all life. 
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8).

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on three key characteristics of God and the believer’s response to each.

Perhaps the most important characteristic of God is the moral attribute of His holiness.
Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 describe the triple force of God’s holiness: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Only when a person glimpses the holiness of God in comparison to human sinfulness is there any hope for true repentance. When we realize the dreadful consequence of sin and consider that the sinless Son of God suffered our punishment, it brings us to our knees. We are silent before the face of God’s holiness, struck dumb by the reverence such holiness demands. Like Job, we say, 
“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? 
I put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4). Understanding God’s holiness causes us to exalt His compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3), mercy (Romans 9:15), grace, and forgiveness (Romans 5:17) toward us. “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Psalm 130:3–4).

God’s most endearing characteristic is His Love. 
Love requires relationship, and throughout eternity the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have existed together in relationship. God created us in His image, and we were created to be in relationship with Him (Genesis 3:17–18;Romans 1:19–20). 
Such is the extent of God’s love that He sent his only Son to redeem us from our sins.     “This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. God is love. . . .     We love because he first loved us” (1 John 3:16–19). God provided the solution to sin in the person of Christ Jesus. Jesus came to take our punishment for sin and to satisfy God’s justice (John 1:1–5,14,29). 
At Calvary, God’s perfect love and perfect justice met. When we begin to grasp the great love of God, our responses are humility, repentance, and reciprocal love. 
Like King David we pray that God will create in us a pure heart and a steadfast spirit 
(Psalm 34:18;51:10,17). 
God lives in a high and holy place, but with Him are believers who are contrite and lowly in spirit (Isaiah 57:15).

Finally, we will consider the sovereignty of God (Psalm 71:16;Isaiah 40:10). 
God is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2). He is the source of all life (Romans 11:33–36). He is independent of His creation (Acts 17:24–28). Abraham, Samuel, Isaiah, Daniel, and David all acknowledged God as their Sovereign Lord: “Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. 
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. 
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” 
(David’s words in 1 Chronicles 29:10–13). The believer honors the Sovereign Lord who has bought us and gladly submits to Him (2 Peter 2:1;James 4:7;Jude 1:4).

King David eloquently summed up the characteristics of God: 
“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. . . . The Lord on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O Lord” 
(Psalm 93:1–2,4–5).

A few men of faith have been privileged to experience God’s presence, to have God speak directly to them. This is how some of them responded:

Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord, and the Lord agreed to cause all of His goodness to pass in front of Moses. “I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (Exodus 33:21–22). Moses’ response was to bow down and worship. Like Moses, the believer will bow down and worship the Lord, filled with awe as we contemplate the glory that is our God.

Job never lost his faith in God, even under the most heartbreaking circumstances that tested him to his core. “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face” (Job 13:15). Job was utterly silenced by God when He spoke to him out of the storm. Job confessed that he spoke of things he did not understand, things too wonderful for him to know. “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1–6). Like Job, our response to God should be one of humble obedience and trust, submission to His will, whether we understand it or not.

Isaiah had a vision of the Lord seated on his throne and of seraphs who cried out, 
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). 
So overwhelming was this vision that Isaiah cried out, 
“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:1–5). 
Isaiah realized he was a sinner in the presence of the Holy God, and his response was repentance. John’s vision of the throne of God in heaven inspired in him great awe. 
John fell down as if dead at the feet of the glorified Lord (Revelation 1:17–18). 
Like Isaiah and John, we are humbled in the presence of God’s majesty.

There are many other characteristics of God revealed in the Bible. 
God’s faithfulness leads us to trust Him. His grace prompts gratitude in us. His power incites awe. His knowledge causes us to ask Him for wisdom (James 1:5). 
Those who know God will conduct themselves in holiness and honor 
(1 Thessalonians 4:4–5).
His Kindness leads us to repentance-------Romans 2:4

Is there a war going on between God and His forces on one side and Satan and his forces on the other?

by Mike Ratliff

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:1-2 ESV)

Today I was sent this link. It brought back a lot of memories of some very serious battles from about 5 to 6 years ago between many of us at CRN and those who proclaimed allegiance to “The Emergent Village.” The fight got ugly at times, but from it it became more and more apparent that the Emergent or Emergence movement was just another form of the “Liberal Christianity” that Charles Spurgeon faced during the Great Downgrade Controversy in his time and what J. Gresham Machen stood against in his ministry and wrote of in his fine bookChristianity and Liberalism. In that book Machen proved that what was called progressive or Liberal Christianity was a different religion from genuine or Orthodox Christianity. It was a good thing that my friend sent me that link and it was also a good thing that I read what was going on there and thought back on those days and those fights. Why? It is imperative to know the enemy and how he works. To have an enemy implies that there is a conflict of some kind. Is there a war going on between God and His forces on one side and Satan and his forces on the other?

First let us take a look at Satan, our enemy. Who is he? Should we fear him? Satan is not God nor is equal with God in any way for he was created.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.  15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:13,15 ESV)

God created him as the model of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (Ezekiel 28:12 ESV)

He was in the garden of Eden and every precious stone adorned him.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. (Ezekiel 28:13 ESV)

He was anointed and ordained by God as a guardian cherub who was blameless in his ways.

14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:14-15 ESV)

That described Satan before his fall. However, something went terribly wrong. His heart became proud on account of his beauty, and he corrupted his wisdom because of his splendor.

17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. (Ezekiel 28:17 ESV)

He became filled with violence.

16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:16 ESV)

He led many of the angels in a war against God and his angels.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:7-9 ESV)

He tried to take God’s place.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. ’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15 ESV)

Satan sinned. He is therefore credited with sinning since the beginning.

8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 ESV)

Because of his actions, he was a murderer from the beginning.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 ESV)

According to Jude 6 he abandoned his home in heaven. He was driven in disgrace from the mount of God and expelled (Ezekiel 28:16). He lost his place in heaven (Revelation 12:8), was thrown or hurled from heaven (Ezekiel 28:16; Revelation 12:9-12), fell like lightning from heaven to the earth (Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18), and was made a spectacle before kings (Ezekiel 28:17).

That is how Satan came to be where he is now and explains why he is the way he is. What is he up to now? He is kept in darkness and is bound with everlasting chains.

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—(Jude 1:6 ESV)

He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). Not only does he have power (Acts 10:38), but he is the power of this dark world and is the spiritual force of evil in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 6:12). The whole world is under his control (1 John 5:19), and he leads it astray (Revelation 12:9). He roams the earth (Job 1:7; Job 2:2), and prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Needless to say, he is earthly and unspiritual (James 3:15).

Not only is Satan our enemy (1 Peter 5:8), but he is also an enemy of everything that is right (Acts 13:10). He can present himself before the Lord and make petition against us (Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7). Satan asks God for permission to “sift” us (Luke 22:31), and he accuses us day and night before God (Zechariah 3:1; Revelation 12:10). He lies and slanders; in fact, there is no truth in him (John 8:44; Revelation 2:9).

The devil twists the scriptures for his purposes and perverts the right ways of the Lord (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:2-13; Acts 13:10). He is cunning and deceives (2 Corinthians 11:3). He schemes and tries to outwit us (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11), and is full of all kinds of deceit and trickery (Acts 13:10). He takes the Word away from hearts (Luke 8:12), and blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). He traps and takes captive (2 Timothy 2:26), binds (Luke 13:16), incites (1 Chronicles 21:1) and, in general, is a stumbling block (Matthew 16:23). He can fill one’s heart (Acts 5:3) and lead minds astray from Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Satan masquerades as an angel of light, and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). He is at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2). He sows “weeds” (Matthew 13:38-39), and can work through anyone (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33). He can even display counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

No one is immune to Satan’s temptations; he even tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:2-13). But Satan could not prevail; he had no hold on Christ (John 14:30)!

Satan will put some Christians in prison to test them (Revelation 2:10), and he holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). But Christians are not powerless against him. The Bible tells us that faith extinguishes his flaming arrows (Ephesians 6:16), and if resisted, Satan will flee (James 4:7). He has been overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of Christian martyrs (Revelation 2:11). Christians have overcome him (1 John 2:13)!

Now, with all of that in mind, could we agree that there is a war still going on between God and His Kingdom on one side and our enemy Satan and his powers on the other? Yes, and it is very real. The more I get involved in this struggle the more it has become apparent to me that our enemy can and does use other professing Christians against us. They may very well believe they are not serving him but God, however, their actions reveal that they are deceived. I have learned in a very painful way to discern that I am dealing with one of these. There will always be a few characteristics that give them away. Remember, our enemy’s “people” operate as he does. How is that? It is through lies and deceit. He is the devil and that means he is a slanderer. He twists the truth in order to build doubt in the heart. This is what we must look for in those who come to us as angels of light, but inwardly are nothing more than Satan’s pawns.

They will often have a very convincing appearance of godliness. They use the right words and know a lot of Biblical jargon. However, when those points of contention come to bear such as The Gospel, Justification, Sanctification, the Nature of God, the Nature of a genuine Christian, Doctrine, humility, pride, spiritual warfare, etc. you will find at least one hot button in there where their true nature will be revealed. This can be one of myriads of things, but if we pray for discernment and wisdom, we will be able to spot them. One very telling thing I have found that differentiates these “folks” is the mention of “compromise” and “unity” and “experience” and “Biblical doctrine.” Their reaction to these things are very telling. Also, these people tend to be “universalists” to some degree. If the discussion leads to Spiritual warfare or Spiritual maturity, if they are a pawn of the Devil, they will respond with scorn against the need for either.

They will accuse all who are certain as being prideful. If these who are certain refuse to compromise then they are accused of being so prideful that they must be Satan himself. The cry is unity, unity, unity, at all costs! Compromise, compromise, compromise! To them the truly humble are compromisers who are totally uncertain about anything.

For those reading this who were upset by those last two paragraphs I have some reading for you to do. Start at Ephesians 6:10 and read through 6:20. If we weren’t supposed to stand and not give in to the lies of the enemy then why did Paul give us this passage? To stand means we are standing on something substantial. That is the truth of which we are certain. Our example on how to stand is found in Matthew 4.

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. ’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. ’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. ’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. ’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:1-11 ESV)

This is why we must become totally immersed in the Word of God. We must know it. We must always be in prayer with a constant God focus. When we do this much of what calls itself the Church will hate us because we will not be all about unity at all costs, but will be all about the truth and God’s glory. This does not make anyone popular. John MacArthur has said that it is impossible for men to be obedient to God and be popular with the majority. He is right.

To those called to this level of discernment, the way is rugged. It can be confusing and treacherous. Our enemy is a wordsmith and is a deceiver at heart. He knows how to create chaos in our lives to the point that we become disoriented at times. At these times the words of whoever is being used by Satan to attack us will cut like a surgeon’s scalpel. We will believe that our entire being is being exposed in a way to cause us shame. What we hold as right will be twisted in our presence by our enemy to be made to resemble the worst evil and what we know to be evil will appear to be the greatest good. This is why we must NEVER respond to these things emotionally nor from any fleshly position. We must pray and respond with the Word of God for it is the only weapon we have that will make our enemy flee as we resist Him.

As we deal with these people we must also beware of a backlash of “guilt” that we are made to feel because we were “so harsh.” We must be careful here. This is the time to get to a quiet place to pour out our hearts to God. We must repent of what He shows us, but also praise Him and thank Him for helping us stand and not fall. When we do this, more than likely, we will find that those feeling of “guilt” were more fiery darts from our foe as he fled. Never be above asking for forgiveness of these fellows, but do not be surprised when they respond with Satan’s vileness.

God knows that we are fragile creatures who are subject to great emotional stress. He knows that we cannot remain in the front lines indefinitely without some relief. What we must be wary of, however, is to not become complacent during the quieter times. I have found that being in unrelenting battles can wear upon me. I become weary. However, there are times that that is the very moment when the most deceiving of our enemy’s pawns will appear like an angel of light. We must seek the Lord’s face here and plead for help because it is when we are weary that we can make huge mistakes by reacting emotionally in the flesh. This only creates fruitless arguing and hurt feelings that will eventually lead to a very long time on our knees confessing all of this to God, seeking forgiveness, strength, wisdom, and discernment.

Is there a war going on between God and His Kingdom on one side and Satan and his forces on the other? Yes! Sadly, most believers interpret the warnings in God’s Word about this war as it only being Satan trying to tempt Christians to sin. That is only a small part of this war. Satan also attacks the Church. He attacks the Gospel. He attacks the leadership of the Church. Not every Christian is equipped to fight this battle because most are not very mature and are enslaved to their flesh. These are no threat to Satan so they are not attacked. However, those who are maturing and are equipped with God’s armor are a huge threat to our enemy and his kingdom. Therefore, he attacks them. We must do as Paul instructs in Ephesians 6:10-20. We must take up the armor of God and put it on and use it as we bathe our lives in prayer and immerse ourselves in God’s Word. Then when the fiery darts come we will be ready.

Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!

Is the Bible the Word of God and Does it Have Authority?

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12 ESV)

Just a few days ago I posted “Is there a war going on between God and His forces on one side and Satan and his forces on the other?” In that post I mentioned a link sent to me by a friend to a post on another blog called The Emergent Village. On that blog I could not help noticing a link to another post by another writer there titled “The Bible is NOT the WORD OF GOD: a polemic against Christendom“. What that fellow had to say is the centerpiece of “Christian Liberalism.” Denying The Bible as the Word of God, a gift from God to His people is the first step into apostasy. Once that step is taken all other truths are no longer held as absolute.

Without that God-given anchor into His absolute truth all else is up for grabs. Those like the fellow who wrote that article and those who agree with him are those who also have a problem with what Orthodox Christianity holds as the gospel, the sovereignty of God, election, the exclusivity of genuine discipleship, et cetera. Because of this “liberalism” they also force a man-centered perspective on God’s Word in one form or another. These same people lean towards a form of Christianity that is almost all experiential. Since their view of how the gospel works and how God works with Man is wrongly focused and the Word of God contains clear teachings about the sovereignty of God, these people conceive of their entire “Christian” paradigm from a philosophical and existential base rather than on the authority of Sacred Scripture. They have to do this since they deny that what we call Sacred Scripture has any authority.

The Christian principle of the authority of Sacred Scripture is centered on the truth that God is its author and He has given it to direct the belief and behavior of His people. Instead of conceiving of God, His ways, and our conduct from a man-made, philosophical base, these understandings should be measured, tested, corrected, and enlarged according to God’s Word. The sad state of the 21st Century Church did not come from God’s people diligently adhering to this principle. No, the man-focused free-for-all we see all around us now with the doctrines of demons being preached from pulpits of very large churches, is the product of this principle being largely and deliberately ignored.

The main reason this has taken place is that the church leadership has been deceived with the lie that God’s word does not have the right to command. Part of this delusion came from the philosophies of men, which teach that there is no absolute truth. When these leaders threw off the yoke of adhering to God’s Word as the ultimate authority they instead took on the yoke of the social gospel as they gleefully proclaimed the mantra of liberal theology, which is that Christianity is all about the person rather than all about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit-their glory, their honor, not the glorification of Man.

My brethren, God has chosen to exercise His rule over us through His written Word, which is the embodiment of His truth and wisdom. Sacred Scripture is the instrument of Christ’s lordship over the Church. We see a working example of this principle in Revelation 2 & 3, which are the seven letters to the seven churches. Each letter starts with a command from the Lord Himself directing John to write the Lord’s words to that specific church. Then our Lord dictated each letter to John who faithfully obeyed His Lord. Here we have God’s Word being spoken by our Lord directly to John for each specific church.

Church history contains some very sad chapters. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church had compromised its unique authority by combining God’s Word the tradition of the Church. In fact, they still hold to this, but prior to the Reformation it held the official policythat only it could interpret Sacred Scripture in light of Church Tradition so common people were forbidden to read it. This led to the Reformation. A large part of this movement was to print as many Bibles in the vernacular as possible and put them into the hands of the common people. Why? The reformers were working diligently in the task of recovering the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and they knew that when people could read the Bible for themselves combined with godly and Biblically sound preaching that the Church would be strengthened and become what God intended for it to be.

Our enemy, Satan and his seed, hate this. They have never stopped attacking the authority of Sacred Scripture. These attacks come from every conceivable direction and, sadly, from many theologians who should know better. One such attack, which I have dealt with many times, is the one in which the Bible’s authority is not attacked directly, but it is subtly changed so that its authority is understood to reside in subject matter or in the experience and insights of the human authors. This subtle attack assumes that the Bible is fundamentally a human book and not divinely inspired. They view the Bible as a guidebook for one’s religious experience, but it is only one of many that they use. These people will view things such as political movements and social forces to have at least as much, if not more, influence than God’s Word.  Those in the midst of this deception often consider themselves to be Christian and view those of us who hold to the authority of Sacred Scripture to be unenlightened.

This battle is crucial. Historic Protestantism holds that Sacred Scripture is the only written revelation of God. It was “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). He inspired it. Because of this, Sacred Scripture is infallible and true in all it affirms. God’s Word contains all there is necessary to know for salvation and eternal life. God’s people can read His Word and come to a clear understanding of what God requires without the necessity of a human interpreter because each believer has the Holy Spirit. God’s Word is sufficient and clear. When I encounter very well educated people with degrees in theology that cannot understand scripture it makes we wonder. As I attempt to clarify God’s Word for them, they become even more mystified. When this happens we must conclude that they have not the Holy Spirit. Their hearts are darkened and hardened to the light of God’s Word.

Sacred Scripture is the voice of God in the world. It is authoritative in that it has the right to command because its author is God Himself. God’s people walk the difficult, narrow path, which takes them to meet their Saviour face-to-face in eternity, by submitting their thoughts and moral standards to God’s Word. Many Reformers lost their lives because they labored to get the printed Word of God into the hands of their people. In our day we take the Word of God for granted and, as we said earlier, many so-called Christian leaders today actually denigrate it in the eyes of those they lead. The Reformers recognized that the Bible cannot be subject to any person or group, even an exalted church denomination. In and through this recognition, the Reformers freed their consciences from human traditions and authorities.

Our struggle is not dissimilar. There are many very loud voices today attempting to make believers ashamed of God’s Word and the Gospel by continually working to disesteem it in our hearts. When we submit to the authority of Sacred Scripture we are not going to find ourselves in the mainstream. No, we will be in the minority. Each stand we take in the face of the cry to compromise will raise the ire of our enemy and his seed. This will lead to some form of persecution. 

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13 ESV)

We must not let this dissuade us or discourage us from having a clear and clean conscious before the Lord as we submit to the authority of His Word in obedience and spirit-filled humility. We are living in a time of clarification. The line is being drawn between those truly in Christ and those who only profess that they are, but are not. This line divides those who compromise God’s truth from those who do not. I pray that each one reading this will repent of what God has revealed in their heart that is not of Him. In any case, I pray for the Lord to return soon and find us ready.

Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!

Praying In The Spirit Alert With All Perseverance

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:22-27 ESV)

We are exhorted throughout God’s Word to persevere even in the most rugged of circumstances. We are given a promise of what awaits those who do persevere, the adoption as “sons” and redemption of our bodies, which is positional for all truly in Christ. Yet, we look forward to these and other promises with eyes of faith. This temporal part of our life as Christians can be quite a battle with the flesh to the point of crying out like the Apostle Paul, “O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:7-25) Weakness in this battle is directly attributable to a lack of praying as we should, while, conversely, victory in this battle is directly attributable to proper praying in the spirit, that is, in harmony with the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than according to one’s own agenda. There are many “church” things out there that are not good for us. These “church” things are the product of those scoffers who have entered the Church to divide it. 

17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19 ESV)

We are in this “last time.” These people with their own agenda have entered the Church following their own ungodly passions. They pervert the truth for their own profit. They are worldly people devoid of the Spirit and in order for us to persevere to the end, we must turn from them and have no part in their ministries. How are we to know to turn from these people? We must pray and walk in the knowledge given to us by God as we do this.

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21 ESV)

The way to minimize the influence of these false prophets and teachers is to live proactively as a δοῦλος (slave) of Christ (Jude 3). I know so many Christians who are proactive Southern Baptists, or proactive Presbyterian, et cetera. However, this religiosity is not the same thing as being a proactive δοῦλος of Christ nor will it provide them with the same level of discernment and knowledge of God. What does it mean for us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith? These who are proactively serving Christ as He wills are building themselves up in their most holy faith by building on the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) and cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) in Christ. God has given us the wonderful gift of His Word written down by the apostles and prophets so that we can build ourselves up by the Word of God.

We are also to pray in the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? To begin with, it is not a call to some ecstatic form of prayer, but simply a call to pray consistently in the will and power of the Spirit, as one would pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:16-20 ESV)

The “all prayer and supplication” focuses on the variety of prayer while the “praying at all times in the Spirit” focuses on the frequency. The part “in the Spirit” focuses on submission, as one lines up with the will of God. The “keep alert” focuses on the manner while “all perseverance” focuses on the persistence. Paul also tells us to do this “for all the saints and him.” Paul does not ask for his health or well-being or “things,” but for boldness and faithfulness in the midst of his imprisonment that he would continue proclaiming the gospel to the unsaved, no matter what the cost.

So, when we are called to persevere, to stand firm, to not run from the battle line, it is a call to be men and women of prayer. We fight the good fight correctly as we pray in the Spirit and obey what God leads us to do. As we shed our fascination with the world and its ways then we are ready for this, not until. There is no way to mix being all tied up in the world and its ways, and perseverance to the end as praying, obedient, proactive δοῦλος of Christ. In case I haven’t reminded those reading this in awhile, this life is amazingly short. Time slips through our fingers like sand. We are like a vapor that is there for just a few seconds and is gone. Do not put off what you know God wants you to do. That later day may never come.

By Mike Ratliff

Soli Deo Gloria!

Let Us Hold True To What We Have Attained

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:12-16 ESV)

Humility is a not easy to get our minds around. The problem is that pride sometimes masquerades as humility. We naturally act humble from a motivation of pride. It is insidious. Also, most of us have a wrong idea what genuine humility is. Is a person who is self-deprecating humble? What about the person who boldly shares his or her faith with confidence? Our fleshly minds see the former as humble and the latter as prideful, when that is more than likely not the case. If the person full of boldness and confidence is emboldened by the Holy Spirit and their confidence is in our Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit in and through them, then they are actually exhibiting Christlike humility. On the other hand, the one who is constantly tearing themselves down before others could be doing so from a motivation of false humility that is actually pride. The ones who are ready to serve the Lord and do so with enthusiasm and boldness are genuinely humble if their confidence is in God, not their own abilities. On the other hand, those who are always telling others that they can’t serve because they aren’t able are actually responding from their pride. They don’t want to look bad if they fail. They have no faith in God working through them. Do you see how insidious this is?

The genuinely humble believer is one who is available for the Lord to use as He sees fit. He or she has such confidence in their Lord that their humility is exhibited as, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” These see their affliction as in God’s hands and for His glory because He is Sovereign, He is the Potter and they are the clay.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:15-20 ESV)

Paul was in prison. The book of Philippians is his epistle to the believers in Philippi in Macedonia. It is one of his “prison epistles.” While in prison, others were deceitfully preaching the gospel hoping to torment him. Paul had passion for the gospel and these people knew that they were doing something that would surely cause him grief. However, what was his response? Christ was proclaimed and in that he rejoiced. Notice he told the truth about people who were deliberately trying to cause him pain. He openly said it. Nowadays, when those of us point out things that the Lord has revealed to be apostasy or heresy we are called un-loving and un-Christian. However, Paul, surely a prime example of genuine humility, openly tells us about those people. Then he tells us that it doesn’t matter because God is in control. The prayers of the Philippian Christians along with the working of the Holy Spirit would result in him being released from prison. However, even if that is not the case, Paul prays that he will not be ashamed, but will have courage even unto death or torture or both so that Christ will be honored in him. How many of us would be willing to offer up our bodies to be killed or maimed in order for God to be glorified in us?

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:21-26 ESV)

This sort of devotion is the result a life that is Spirit-led. Christians full of fear, resentment, anger, etc. are controlled by their flesh. They are not led by the Spirit. The Spirit-led abide in Christ and have His Joy. (John 15) Because of this, they can do Christlike things such as sacrificing their lives for the glory of God. Does this mean that I am saying that those who are Spirit-led are Spirit-led all the time? No, we all spend time suffering through seasons of doubt and despair as the Lord uses those times to burn away from our hearts that which is not of Him. We must learn to become Spirit-led and the Lord draws us into doing that. Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 2 is all about turning our hearts to God and becoming Christlike. Paul was willing to either die and go to Christ or continue to live so he could be used by God to help the Philippians learn how to be Christlike as well. Also, those who joyfully lay their lives down for the Lord are genuinely humble because they see the Lord’s will as far more important than their own. They are surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. They live within His Lordship. On the other hand, those who are not genuinely humble will be looking out for their own best interests above what God wills. Remember, the humble seek to line their will up with God’s while the prideful seek to line up God’s will with theirs. The Spirit-led seek only to do God’s will, but those who are not seek only their own way in all things. What will a life that is progressively becoming more and more Spirit-led look like?

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30 ESV)

Genuine Christianity results in affliction and persecution. It is not of this world so the world hates it. The Compromised Church has made friends with the world so it will never experience these things to the same level as genuine Christians living their lives before the face of God so that the lost hate and attack them. Instead, some of these Compromised Church leaders are becoming super stars within society and with the media. The Compromised Church is so little different from the world and so spiritually blind that when they encounter genuine Christians they see them as old-fashioned in their beliefs and a threat to their “fun.”

I have shared in this space more than a few times how I and those with whom I minister have received persecution from that quarter far more than from secular humanists or Muslims or Hindus, et cetera. I have shared the gospel one-on-one many times and have seen God work the miracle of regeneration right before my eyes yet I have also been on the receiving end of very hostile rejection. I was even threatened once by an angry spouse who told me that she would call the police if I tried to talk with her husband about the Gospel again. It bothered me for days afterward. It was if a cold chill had taken over and was trying to overcome me. It was as if my own faith was being challenged. Why? I suppose it is that we somehow think that people want to hear the good news. Unless people are drawn to the truth by God they NEVER want to hear it. If they perceive that what we teach and preach and share is somehow a threat to them they will see us in that light. However, we must not worry about these things nor become consumed by it. Our role in God’s plan is obedience. We are supposed to have already counted the cost and seen that our treasure is in Heaven and so we obey even if it costs us our lives.

by Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!