John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Jesus was and is the Last and Only Sacrifice for mankind and He took the place of all the sacrifice and requirements of the Law and the old covenant. Under the Law, mankind had to make sacrifice and offerings for most all things, but Jesus completed all of the offerings and requirements, qualifying all of us for the Blessing. The Peace Offering was made by Jesus and took away any thought of an "angry" God, that stood between us. Today, many still view God as being angry and not pleased with them. Even sin in a believer's life, is no longer any of the devil's business, because we no longer belong to him and have "been set free from the Law of Sin and of Death," according to Romans 8:1-2.
Our covenant or family relationship with our Heavenly Father, was made secure through the Lamb of God, Jesus. John 8:19 (Amplified) says, "And they said to Him, Where is this Father of Your's? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me; if you knew Me you would know My Father also." The Church has been taught for years to believe that, "the Father and the Son as being separate beings." We see Jesus as One Who healed, had compassion and delivered those in bondage, but we see the Father as being One Who puts sickness, disabilities and trials on His children. No one would ever accuse Jesus of doing these things, but we see God in this light. Jesus said, "If you know Me, then you should know your Father too."
We either put aside our faith for liberty, thinking "it was God," or we are fainting in our faith in His setting us free. We should stand in faith, in the face of all opposition and see it as a distraction from the enemy. James 4:7-8 (Amplified) says, "So be subject to God. Resist the devil (stand firm against him), and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. Recognize that you are sinners, get your soiled hands clean; realize you have been disloyal, wavering individuals with divided interests; and purify your hearts of your spiritual adultery."
If you believe that it's God Whose making you have problems, then you are to submit. If it's the devil whose bringing the problems on you, then you are to resist. If you don't know which one it is, then you're in trouble. This is the wavering individuals with divided interests and are disloyal and in spiritual adultery. This might sound "hard and heartless" to some, but if Jesus didn't bring the hardships, trials, sickness, disabilities, then the Father doesn't bring them either. James 1:3 (Amplified) says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; God is incapable of being tempted by what is evil and He Himself tempts no one." The word "tempted," is translated as "tried and tested." Jesus Himself taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, trials, and tests, but deliver us from the evil one," in Matthew 6:13 (Amplified).
This is the double-minded man that James writes about in James 1:8 (Amplified) saying, "For being as he is a man of two minds, hesitating, dubious, irresolute, he is unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything he thinks, feels, decides." If it's God, then you're to submit and if it's the enemy, then you are to resists. If you don't know which one it is, then how do you respond? Either action will bring results. The devil has been getting away with this deception for a long time, because we've lacked understanding of God's Word and His Grace.
Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) says, "For this is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with your or rebuke you." Hebrews 12:6 (Amplified) says, "For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes even scourges every son in whom He accepts and welcomes to His Heart." Don't forget that we are Spiritual sons and daughters and are no longer "physical" in God's eyes. God is a Spirit, His Word is Spirit and you are Spirit. God disciples us by His Word and His Spirit, not by physical chastisement, like in the old covenant. 1Timothy 3:16 bears this out, to those who will draw close to Him. Thus, it says, "Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His Inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience and for training in righteousness (in holy living), in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action."
God disciplines us, by His Word and His Holy Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified) says, "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power, making it active, operative, energizing and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life, soul and the immortal spirit, and of joints and marrow, of the deepest parts of our nature, exposing and sifting, and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."
When we veer the wrong way, God's Word will direct us back to where we belong. If we'll yield and submit to God's Word, then He will direct us to where He is leading. If you don't know God's Word, then you don't know which path to follow, which might result in you're saying, "God's testing me," instead of accepting the responsibility of hearing and heeding His Word. Many have yielded to this wrong falsehood, thinking and/or saying, "This is God's will for me." The enemy has laid many pitfalls have been laid before us and if we'll listen, then God will guide us past them. If we don't hear and continue on the wrong path, then it will lead to a place where God never intended us to be in. It wasn't God's will that you ended up there, but Grace will get us out of the pit, if we ask Him for it.
Don't be double-minded concerning God's Word or His will for your life. God never planned calamity and hardship for you. God planned "paths of righteousness for His Name's sake," for you, according to Psalm 23. We just read in 2Timothy 3:16 that, "God's Word was for our training in righteousness."
Our faith won't work for us, if we're double-minded about Go'd will and Word. I'm not implying that you won't have trials and tests, but you will know how to respond to them. If by faith, you choose to think "it's God," then you're free to do so. God will let you choose, even though it's not His will for you. Colossians 1:9 (Amplified) says, "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep and clear knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God and in understanding and discernment of Spiritual things."
Don't let the enemy deceive you into accepting his will for you, instead of the Father's will for you. Learn what God's will truly is and then walk in it. You'll have to fight the good fight of faith, in order to separate yourself from the traditional concepts of God being an angry God. If you've seen Jesus, then you've seen the Father. Jesus was the Teacher of His disciples and He taught them how to do His ministry, after He left. Jesus never made people sick, helpless or destitute, but He trained them by His Word and His Spirit. We must learn like they did and listen to His Voice.
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