By Sebastien Richard, Author and Bible teacher,
Thriving on Purpose Ministries: https://www.thrivingonpurpose.com/
In his epistle to the Romans, Paul admonishes us:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” ~ Romans 12:2 (NIV)
As believers, we are not to be conformed to what Paul calls the pattern of this world. We are not to think like the world thinks, see like the world sees, understand like the world understands, live like the world lives, and most of all, believe what the world believes.
The world, or unbelievers, believe through their senses—what they can see, touch, hear, or smell, etc.
As believers, we are called to a renewing of our minds which leads us into transformation.
In the gospel, there is an instance when Jesus gets somewhat impatient with our conformity with the world. This interesting narrative is found in Matthew 17:14-18 (NIV):
“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’ ‘You unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.”
Jesus said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation.” These words sound harsh, but what did He mean exactly?
Well, if we read the end of the story, we realize that Jesus equated ‘perverse thinking’ with unbelief.
When His disciples asked why they couldn’t cast out the demon, He answered them:
“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
Perverse Thinking
Merriam-Webster defines perverse this way:
a: Turned away from what is right or good: Corrupt
b: Improper, Incorrect
Also: obstinate in opposing what is right, reasonable, or accepted: Wrongheaded
So, perverse in the context means wrongheaded, which is to say: having or showing bad judgment; misguided.
It is clear that the disciples could not cast out the demon because they had too little faith and wrong thinking. The two are inextricably linked.
When we fail to move mountains in our own lives, it is not because God has failed us; it is because we have failed God…through our own lack of faith. We cannot have what heaven has unless we think like heaven thinks.
We need to repent from our perverse thinking and replace it with right thinking. Only right thinking can bring right believing. And only right believing can make us say to mountains: move out of the way.
Acts of God
The first and most important corrective measure believers need to bring to their understanding in order to have mustard seed faith is that God is good… all the time.
We say it—all the time, but do we believe it?
Consider this…
In our insurance policies, we have what is termed to be “Acts of God.” These are natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and hurricanes, which can take the lives and possessions of many people. That is in our everyday business vernacular. So, we basically equate the massive loss of life and destruction with God’s will.
And then we kid ourselves in trying to reconcile such things with our supposed belief that God is good.
So, according to this train of thought, God brings death and destruction, but we say He is good? Um, really?
Now, don’t get me wrong… I am not in actuality agreeing with insurance companies that God causes these natural catastrophes. No. What I am saying is that we ascribe these destructive natural events to Him alone. And yet, in the Bible, these were caused by God in certain unique instances only. The flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt, and the tribulation in Revelation are unique instances where God brings judgement on people who oppose Him on a grand scale. But can we say that every storm, tornado, and earthquake are sent by Him? Of course not. In the Book of Job, Satan himself was able to control weather patterns to bring about destruction (Job 1:16-19).
I believe that when God created wind currents, weather patterns, and seasons, He gave them something similar to human free will to go to and fro and accomplish their purpose on the earth—within certain limitations (Job chapter 38). Nature was meant to be, to a large extent, self-regulating. I also believe that at certain times, God may take hold of these wind currents and weather patterns to bring them the way He wants and to fulfill His purposes. He can also assign this task to mighty angels. But I believe this is the exception and not the rule.
Now, this is just my opinion, and you may disagree theologically. That’s okay.
Testimony of an Avowed Agnostic
Bart D. Ehrman is one of the most distinguished New Testament scholars in the world. I have two of his books in my personal library. His writings and publicized debates have helped me to better understand the origins and makings of our beloved New Testament. His works are scholarly, insightful, and very well-researched.
However, and this may come as a shock to some of you, Mr. Ehrman is a self-avowed agnostic. Yes, you read that right. Although he is a gifted Bible scholar, he is not a believer. He used to be, as a youth, but along the way, his convictions changed.
The most interesting thing about his lack of faith in the God of the Bible is the reason behind it. Here is why one of the most respected Bible scholars of this generation is not a believer… in his own words and from his own blog titled Leaving the Faith (https://ehrmanblog.org/leaving-the-faith/):
“As a Christian—from the time I was able to think, through my teenage and early-twenties fundamentalist period, up to my more mature adult liberal phase—I had believed in some form of the traditional, biblical God. This was a God who was not some kind of remote designer of the universe who had gotten the ball rolling and then stood aloof from everything he had created. This was a God who was active in the world. He loved people and was intent on showering his love on them. He helped them when they were in need. He answered their prayers. He intervened in this world when it was necessary and important to do so.
But I had come very much to doubt that any such God existed. And it was the problem of suffering that had created these doubts and that eventually led me to doubt it so much that I simply no longer believed it. If God helps his people—why doesn’t he help his people? If he answers prayer, why doesn’t he answer prayer? If he intervenes, why doesn’t he intervene?
It was innocent suffering that made me think there is no such God. People who are faithful to God, who devote their lives to him, who pray to him suffer no less than those who are indifferent to God or even scornful toward his existence.”
So, Mr. Ehrman said in his blog that he lost faith in the God of the Bible because there is too much suffering in the world, and he believes it is because of God, or rather God’s lack of involvement. In fact, I had the opportunity to hear a few debates featuring Bart Ehrman, and he was very open about this.
Bart Ehrman stopped believing in the God of the Bible because he thought that an all-powerful and sovereign God who allowed this much suffering in the world didn’t make any sense. This is a very common complaint among unbelievers. You’ve probably heard many friends, family members, and acquaintances express the same grievances when you shared your faith with them, right? I know I have—countless times!
Now, we saw in earlier chapters why that is. It is because God gave dominion to man, and He cannot violate His own word.
However, most are unaware of this fact, even among believers. So, Bart Ehrman is not alone. Far from it. The perverse belief that God causes or allows all the suffering in the world has made hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of atheists and agnostics worldwide and throughout history.
But that’s not all. The worse part is that many professing Christians believe this as well!
This is nothing less than perverse thinking. It is the result of perverse thinking and a misunderstanding of the God of the Bible.
In previous chapters, we saw how God relinquished dominion of the earth realm to man in Genesis. We have also seen how it is man who made a mess of things.
Most of all, we have seen how God, because of His word to us in Genesis, and in order to intervene in the earth realm, requires man to be in covenant and relationship with Him.
Therefore, the responsibility for pain, suffering, and death on the earth is not the will of God or the results of God’s actions. He says it Himself in the Book of Ezekiel:
“I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God.” ~ Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV)
And,
“‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’” ~ Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV)
The Reasons for Pain, Suffering, and Death
There are three main reasons for pain, death, and suffering in the world, and they are: this fallen world, our wayward flesh, and the devil.
• The World: We live in a fallen world. This world has not yet been restored to its original glory. We still have to contend with sickness, disease, brokenness, natural disasters, and death. Romans 8:19-22 (NIV) says: “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
• The Flesh: Jesus said to His disciples: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The weakness of our flesh is not just found in our inability to do good consistently, like Paul decried in Romans 7. It is also found in our incomplete knowledge and failure to do things perfectly. It is found in man’s inadequate exercise of control and dominion. Our sinful and imperfect nature and intelligence have led to faulty buildings and constructions, which engender deaths; manufacturing of weapons and wars, which engender death; evil in our hearts, which engenders death. We also see it in our lusts and love of money, which engenders doing evil things and making others suffer.
• The Devil: Obviously, we cannot forget the deadly enemy of our souls. Satan loves to steal, kill, and destroy. In fact, it is his mission statement. It is what he’s best known for. In John 8:44, Jesus reminds us that Satan was a murderer from the beginning. I haven’t taken the time to talk about it, but Satan also rules a kingdom in this fallen world: The kingdom of darkness. His kingdom, like God’s, has citizens, principalities, powers, departments, ambassadors, and all the other kingdom constituents and organizational hierarchies we explored in chapter one. The reason is simple: He learned Kingdom hierarchical organization back when he was in heaven as Lucifer. He knows just how efficient it can be, and he learned from the best (God).
The “god of this age,” the “prince of this world” is highly organized, and he never rests “because he knows his time is short” (Rev. 12:2), especially now. His servants, angels, demons, humans, and otherwise, are highly dedicated to his agenda. Their goal is the total control of the earth realm and the annihilation of the servants of the King of kings. Make no mistake about it: if the devil can get any legal right to make you ill or kill you, he will. Period. This is why you need to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Now, let’s get back to the issue at hand: perverse thinking.
Before we point accusing fingers towards people like Bart Ehrman or even Richard Dawkins (the world-famous atheist and author of The God Delusion) for defective or perverse thinking, let’s consider our own thinking towards God—as believers.
We, as believers, exercise perverse thinking in many instances; we just don’t realize it. We disguise it as being spiritual (ahem… deep), or theological (ahem… smart), or even humble (ahem… holy). Well, demons are “spiritual” too, so perhaps we should take heed where we’re going with this.
Remember, judgment always begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). This is because we are supposed to be the light of the world. We are the ones who should shed light for the peoples and nations of the world who are walking in darkness—the light of the Kingdom and its King.
But in order to be lights, we must first be enlightened ourselves.
Our understanding, how we receive His light, must be perfected. As Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” ~ Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
God Did it. Or Did He?
When we adhere to perverse thinking, we often equate life’s hardships like cancer, illness, loss (of a job, house, or loved one), or poverty with being the will of God.
We wrongly interpret life’s calamities as either coming directly from the hand of God, perhaps in judgement, or as the result of God “allowing it” in our lives—to discipline or sanctify us. Either way we spin it, we depict Him as always having the final say in the matter.
For example, to someone who just lost a child, we might say trite things such as: “God took your little one because He needed another angel in heaven.” To that, some could reply, “Wow! Really? Was He that desperate and resourceless?”
This example brings me to share a very personal story.
Back in 2006, Elisabeth and I were excited to become first-time parents. The twenty-week ultrasound scan showed us that we were expecting a little girl. We already knew her name would be Jennifer.
On the day of her delivery, however, things didn’t go as planned. I will not go into all the details here because that, in itself, could be made into a book, but unbeknownst to us and the doctors, Jennifer had pulmonary hypoplasia, which is a fancy way of saying she had underdeveloped lungs.
So, when she was born and they proceeded to cut the umbilical cord, she was unable to breathe by herself. As a result, she survived mere minutes.
To say we were devastated would be an understatement.
What followed was a tsunami of emotional and spiritual upheaval, the likes of which I wouldn’t wish on my worse enemy. We felt like our lives had just been shattered. And, as is the case in any such trials, one question was on our befuddled minds and hearts: Why?
• Why did God allow this?
• Why did God not prevent this?
• Why did God do this? Or did He? Oh, why?! Why?!!!
And when the answers weren’t forthcoming, we began forging our own.
At the time, with the understanding I had, I believed that God, in His sovereignty, had allowed this tragic death to befall our family. And I might have just said that I believed He killed Jennifer (and I sometimes wondered about that). Because, after all, if He allowed it, this meant He could have done something about it, but chose not to, right?
I also went through the whole guilt-ride roller-coaster of “what sin in my (our) lives is God punishing me (us) for?” Oh, and just for the record… this definitely didn’t help my faith, inner healing, or outlook.
Even after a few years, I still maintained that He had allowed it, but that it was for our good, for us to learn and grow in sanctification from experience (sounds spiritual, doesn’t it?). I often referred to Romans 8:28 (NIV) to justify my belief: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Note how the verse doesn’t say, “And we know that in all things that God causes or allows…” Rather, it implies that in all things (that befall us in this fallen world), God works for the good of His children. This means that after trials and tribulations come our way, God, in His love, picks up the fragments of our shattered lives to make something good out of them. He works on our behalf to use even the bad stuff that hurt us to make us and our lives better and improved.
These failed attempts at reasoning away the cause of pain and suffering make God seem like, yes, a self-centred monster. But then, we try to rationalize it by adding insult to injury, saying things like: “We do not always understand why God does or allows such things because His thoughts are above our thoughts and His ways are above our ways” (trying to quote from Isaiah 55:9, and out of context).
We often make the grave theological mistake of equating the sovereignty of God and everything happening in the earth realm as being ‘His Will.’
And yet, in the Lord’s prayer, we say: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” intrinsically stating that it isn’t being done. This, friends, is part of our perverse thinking.
God’s Discipline
We often talk as if God’s will is to cause us intense pain in order to somehow, through it, bring about good things. Now, don’t get me wrong: God does use our pain and turns it to good, just as Romans 8:28 says. But He doesn’t will the ill, and only very rarely, if ever, would He cause it for the sake of disciplining you.
Now, does God discipline us? Of course, He does. In fact, there are many accounts of this in Scripture. Is His discipline sometimes painful? Yep, you better believe it. A funny Christian lady, Barbara Johnson, once wrote: “There’s nothing worse than a whooping from the Lord.” She was right.
Like any good, good father, God does indeed discipline His children. There are even some biblical accounts that make us tremble in fear. Just think of God’s dealings with David’s baby boy after his affair with Bathsheba, or His dealings with Ananias and Sapphira after their mutual lie. Nevertheless, there are some distinct ramifications to these particular examples (and to others) that would take too long to get into here. Suffice it to say that such extreme examples of God’s discipline are the definite exception, and not the rule.
Think about it… Would you kill your child’s pet hamster to teach him a lesson? Only in extreme cases (if ever) would a parent resort to such psychologically torturous measures, right?
Well, it’s the same with our Father in heaven. His discipline of His children is more along the lines of a time-out, skip supper, go-to-your-room kind of discipline. And yes, sometimes, when we’re really rebellious, He spanks us—and rightfully so.
God Doesn’t Will the Ill in Your Life
James 1:13 (NIV) says: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.”
When it comes to our view of God’s involvement in our suffering, our thinking is partly based on verses like Job 5:18 (NIV), where we read the words of Job’s friend, Eliphaz, who says, “For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.”
At first glance, this seems to make sense. It sums up many churchgoers’ beliefs.
However, we forget the rebuke of the Lord on Eliphaz at the end of the book, where He accuses Eliphaz of having spoken wrongly of Him! At the end of the book, God basically accused Eliphaz of slander!
God says to Eliphaz, in Job 42:7-9 (NIV):
‘“I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.”
So, the lesson is this: we must always keep the Bible in context, lest we find ourselves guilty of assigning things to God which are not true.
Remember: God is good… all the time!
The Tale of a Tower
In Luke chapter 13, there is another good illustration about attributing deeds wrongfully to God.
There was a tower in the town of Siloam that fell and killed 18 people in the process. As you can imagine, it made the local news that day. Our usual line of thinking (and our insurance policies) when something like this happens is: Act of God.
The average Christian might think along the lines of: “He did this for reasons unknown to us. Perhaps they were judged.” And yet, what did Jesus say? He said this:
“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” ~ Luke 13:4-5 (NKJV)
So, in this intriguing passage, we learn the following:
• Contrary to what most people thought, the tower didn’t fall as a result of God’s judgement. It was probably too old or due to faulty construct.
• The people who died in the accident were not worse than any of the others in the city.
• Finally, we need to repent so we can be saved because we know not how our end will come in this fallen, broken, and unpredictable world.
So, here is what I’m trying to tell you:
God is good, and He doesn’t want any harm, or ill, or pain, or suffering, or even death for any human being made in His image. This was not His plan from the beginning.
In Ezekiel 18:23 (NIV), we read:
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
Keep in mind this is concerning the wicked, not the redeemed. He doesn’t take pleasure in it for the wicked…how much less for us, His redeemed children!!
And in verses 30-32 (NIV), we read:
“Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
As for His Children, here is what Jesus had to say about God’s will towards us, under the New Covenant:
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” ~ Matthew 7:9-11 (NIV)
In this passage, Jesus is correcting our perverse thinking.
The point Jesus is making is this: God would never, ever do worse things to us than we do to our own children. And whatever good we would do for our children, us being evil, imagine how much better the Father would do for us!
So, with this in mind, let’s suppose a little…
• If your child had cancer, and you had the power to heal him, wouldn’t you?
• If your child needed money, and you were a king, wouldn’t you provide him more than enough?
• If your child lost his job, and you owned a large and wealthy company, wouldn’t you employ him at your company? Wouldn’t you give him a job?
• If your child asked you for some ice cream on a hot summer day… you would give him some, right?
Okay, so that’s settled. You would do all these things if you could, even though the Word of God says you are evil.
How is it then, that even knowing that God is good and perfect in His love for us, we still think that our hurts, pains, and trials are His will for us?
Shame on us. This is due to perverse thinking on our part.
Now, let’s take it a step further.
What happens when we have perverse thinking and we pray? What happens when we have perverse thinking and we ask God for, well, anything?
This is what happens:
• If we are ill, we pray: “God, if it be your will, please… heal me.”
• If we need a job and can’t pay the rent, we pray: “God, if it be your will, please help me to get a job so I can pay the rent.”
• If our spouse is dying, we pray, “God, if it be your will, please… heal my spouse.”
Too often, we pray, “If it be your will, Oh Lord.” We think of ourselves as spiritual and humble when we pray that way. “After all,” we reason, “didn’t Jesus pray this way in Gethsemane?” So, you compare your need for, say, a better job with Jesus’ Kingdom mandate of going to the cross to save humanity? Think about that for a moment.
The truth is, when we pray that way, we are only faithless in the Father’s goodness. We pray that way to justify our lack of faith by giving our prayer a spiritual failsafe. If we do not get our prayer answered, we can then reason it away, saying, “Well, I guess it wasn’t God’s will after all.” Instead of owning up to our inherent lack of faith, we can then blame God for not responding favourably, which is far easier.
So, you see, our whole walk with God is hampered if we fail to fully grasp that God is good… all the time.
Of course, it is His will that you are healthy! Of course, it is His will that you have more than enough to live! Of course, it is His will that you live and not die (without fulfilling your purpose)!
I love how The New Living translation (NLT) of the Bible rendered Ephesians 3:18-19; which really expresses how important it is that we understand His great love for us. It reads:
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (NLT)
In other words, we cannot be made complete, full of life and power, unless we know, receive, and experience the love of God!
His Promises Are Always ‘YES’ and ‘AMEN’
In 1 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV), the apostle Paul reminds us that “all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
In other words, all of the promises and expressions of His will in the Bible are a pre-approved YES for an answer.
• Does He want you healthy? YES!
• Does He want you to have a long life? YES!
• Does He want you to have children? YES!
• Does He want you to prosper? YES!
• Does He want you happy and blessed? YES!
It’s not that God doesn’t want to give us these good things. It’s rather that we fail to believe that He does. And if you don’t think He wants you to have a certain thing, you will not ask. So, the main problems with our poor living conditions are the following:
1. The Book of James says we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). It also says that we are unstable: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” ~ James 1:5-8 (NKJV)
2. And secondly, we have not because we have no faith. Remember the passage at the beginning where Jesus said: “Because of your lack of faith.” Also, in Nazareth, His hometown, Jesus didn’t do many miracles because of their unbelief. Remember, a mustard seed is all you need.
3. And thirdly, we have no faith because we do not really believe that ‘God is Good.’ How can we expect anything good if we are not fully convinced of His goodness?
If we first fix our perverse thinking and BELIEVE that God is really good (not just in word), it will unlock our faith in Him. Now, dear friend, the assurance and perfect confidence that God is good is the main key to get our prayers being answered.
How can you possibly receive from God any good thing if you do not really believe it is His will to give you good things?
Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Through everything He did, going to the cross, rising from the dead, and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit, He followed through. He delivered. He gave us, indeed, “everything that pertains to life and godliness.”
So, let us reason together. Since Jesus is no liar… if we do not have “Life to the full,” it has to be on us, not on Him, right? His word is true. We then need to correct our perverse thinking.
It is, therefore, mostly because of our perverse thinking and lack of faith that we lack God’s good gifts.
Just as James reminds us in James 1:17 (NIV), “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Life to the full is given to us, provided we believe. Life… to the MAX! This is what Jesus came to give us.
So, moving mountains is possible if we believe first that God is good. It all starts with understanding that God really is good. Change this in your life, change this in your thinking, and your life will change right away. Do not be conformed but be transformed! The deep love of God and belief in His goodness are what transform us.
What do other Bible passages tell us of God’s goodness? Here are a few…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” ~ Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” ~ Psalm 84:11 (NIV) (… and we are blameless in Christ)
" You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you." ~ Psalm 86:5 (NIV)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” ~ Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
“The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” ~ Psalm 145:9 (NIV)
“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” ~ Mark 10:17-18 (NIV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” ~ Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Dear friend, rewards are given to us because He is good!
Agreeing with Heaven
So, as we reach the end of this chapter on the goodness of God, one thing is clear:
In order to have what heaven has, we must agree with what heaven says.
Unfortunately, many equate God’s care for them with what they see, feel, and experience day-to-day.
Addressing this, Chris Reed, a Spirit-filled pastor and revivalist, wrote the following insightful observation on social media:
“There is a difference between our ‘legal position’ in Christ–what we freely receive in The Spirit–and our ‘living condition’, what we actually experience in our everyday lives. Our ‘legal position’ is the way God sees us IN CHRIST and what is freely ours in The Spirit. Our ‘living condition’ is what we actually experience of that which is freely available. The whole goal of your walk with The Lord is to bring UP your ‘living condition’ to the same level as your ‘legal position’.
So, unless we come in full agreement with what the Kingdom of God is, says, and how it operates, we cannot possibly enjoy its fruit in our lives. We must align our beliefs with what the King says. This is done by faith, by believing the invisible over the visible.
There is GREAT power in agreeing with heaven!
Friend, He is so good. He is your Father, and He loves you. He is the King; He is wealthy beyond limits, and His Kingdom, just like the Bible says in Luke 12:32 (NIV), is yours!
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
So, when your living condition doesn’t align with this reality, it shouldn’t affect your faith in His character and heart for you. He is for you, not against you. Hold to this truth, walk it out daily, worship the King, and your living condition will rise up to meet your legal position.
James 2:5 (NKJV) further encourages us with these words:
“Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”
Our God is a Good, Good Father
I trust that your belief and outlook concerning God will be renewed and changed with what you learned in this chapter. And I trust that you will, with this renewed mind and understanding, and to paraphrase what Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) says:
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Singer and songwriter, Chris Tomlin, wrote a wonderful song titled “Good Good Father.” It was a hit upon its release back in 2016. I believe the song espouses much of what was said in this chapter. I encourage you to find it on YouTube or better yet, buy the album. I believe the song’s lyrics capture the full meaning of our Kingdom identity as children of the King, but most of all, the Father’s heart. Here, as you end this chapter, are the powerful words of this uplifting song (copyrighted lyrics):
Oh, I've heard a thousand stories of what they think You're like
But I've heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You're pleased and that I'm never alone
You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
Oh and I've seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching for answers only You provide
'Cause You know just what we need before we say a word
You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
Because You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us
(Ohh) You are perfect in all of Your ways (all of Your ways)
Oh, You're perfect in all of Your ways (Your ways)
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us
Oh, it's love so undeniable I
I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable I
I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still into love, love, love
You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
You're a good, good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am
(You're a good, good Father)
You are perfect in all of Your ways (it's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are)
(And I'm loved by You)
You are perfect in all of Your ways (it's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am)
For more content, sermons, and books by Sebastien Richard, just go to: https://www.thrivingonpurpose.com/
