Opposing the Opposition

We come to some places that are of not merely less popular consideration, but often opposed. This should neither be strange to us, nor unfamiliar. We have been told.

We may even understand our own once opposition had to be overcome that we also, if we are so led to sharing, be patient with any hearers (as God has been patient with us) that in due time, if such indeed be true as we may speak, only God can bring about any conviction of truth.

The so many testimonies in scripture of God’s absolute Authority and Sovereignty over all and every matter, when once frankly seen, may lead to some conclusion…of even His necessary rebuke of us for once holding illusions and being deluded to both His estate, and those matters with which we have to do. Delusions, as idols, die hard.

Among these are that mindset/view general sensing (in delusion) that what opposes God (particularly the Devil himself) is of any equality to Him.

Now, and admittedly, I am persuaded no believer would embrace this to a frank confession of such, but that there yet remains some filmy or gauzy state of mind wherein that particular entity holds some independent or self sustaining power of himself to both oppose and work mischief. Even though we know and confess the God and Father of the Lord Jesus is the God of all power, ministering all else solely as He wills…there is some irksomeness in acknowledging that such also includes all or any of what power may be attributed to that Devil.

On the one hand we may “like” to consider that God (if He be our God) of all power, but the notion that He also ministers whatever power He cares to to the Devil…well…almost obscene.

And again, though on the one hand we may “like to think” of contests and triumphs (ourselves sensing ourselves as being so much “in one” and that we hope or trust “for the winning”) when we see that against God the Devil has no chance; for in his estate of all dependency and reliance upon “his” opponent…or is merely a pawn against an all powerful King, the seeming contest becomes not merely lopsided…but almost “unfair”. Almost absurd as to engender a “why” of such matters, then?

Is God about absurdity?

And so our mind may easily “want” to revert to some form of equal contest, or at least more equal, where such is held to some question “who will win”?

For to enter that place of frank appraisal, even such place that all is, and is only taking place according solely to God’s will, really…leaves us in all, with no one to blame. Unless we care to blame God Himself.

Which actually, is not so rare an estate, nor foolish as sounding as it may seem to some in their hold of it, for when approaching that God responsible for all and everything (and who in Christ has demonstrated not only His position as that, but willingly demonstrating in mercy that it is no other way) we either draw back, or are ministered boldness to continue.

For here we face another frank truth. And that by His uncovering all the insults to our own sense of rightness and fairness, our own sense of injury and injuries (which we sometimes treasure and embrace for self comforts) and all those matters we have labelled as “bad”…even as we have our origin in him, so have these matters…to us.

“But that is like saying God is the author of evil!” Well yes, actually it is. At least to whatever extent we have not yet surrendered any and all sense of what to our selves we identify as good and evil, right and wrong, good and bad. And there will be, cannot be any progress along this matter till such is done, and that only by God’s grace.

This stripping away of these senses as to what we esteem as “ought to be” ought not to be” or “ought not to have been” that are so very very precious to us (for they establish our “rightness” to ourselves in any matter…even such right as “to be”) are, and must be made subject to the cross.

And even though, yes, even though by the testimony of scripture that that man Adam (and therefore all “in” or of him) have God’s testimony of now knowing “good and evil” it may not be as first seems in such declaration. For to know good and evil do exist…in no way implies the right recognition of each or “which is which” to any benefit.

It hearkens to that most likely reference (if one would take their stand upon believing in one God) answered so:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

There is the knowing of God’s existence, and there is the knowing “of God”. The knowing of Him…that may only come by His disclosure, and that only such has, or is, of benefit. To His joy, and our salvation. And the devils do not “know Him” (though they surely do know and recognize Him even in Jesus) as that God of joy.

No less we find this applicable in our passing through such surrender of our notions of good and evil, so wrongly skewed:

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The necessity of discerning…not merely that good and evil exist but as to “which is which” comes only through the many trials and disabusings [sic} at God’s hands (in chastenings/scourgings/discipline) upon those matters we once so easily presumed to know. Even embrace as “good”.

We “try” our hand at playing for the good…or trying to avoid the evil (according to our own knowing as novices) and the many rebukes of such are real to any who have walked this way. Not unlike Peter (but rather exactly as Peter) we were once quick to advise the Lord in matters according to our own sense of what was right or good…and what is for the avoiding…only to find what we thought was “being kind” or according some “right esteem…”Far be it from you Lord!” is answered not with “I am glad you think so much of me to not have this happen”…but rather “Get thee behind me Satan”

And I could almost laugh at how our heads spin…in thinking of all those times (and what may remain of necessity to me) of having my own head spun. Satan? Really? My attitude or expression(s) have so often been taken advantage of…by Satan? Oh, but “I am a christian, I have the mind of Christ!” So were the Corinthians no less, nor some of those seven churches, no less, for Christ never denied them being “His” (in truth rebuke came precisely because they were His!)…but how little is this form of engaging with the truth of matters engaged? God knows.

We think ourselves (and surely our congregations or to whatever form we may belong) as “better” than those “poor souls” as Corinth so misguided…or those in Galatia needing strong rebuke against returning to confidence in the law for perfecting…or some of “those” seven churches.

And “kill with death” as the Lord speaks to some of Jezebel’s teachings…well…thanks be to God we “now know” Jesus better than that! Or Ananias and Saphira…who simply told a lie about being “sold out” for Christ…when in truth…not so much.

Ahh, but I am with you in this boat. And thanks be to God for it! For to deny any…then exempts me from our common salvation…even if any “to me” seem blinded…it may only be me who is confusing sight and blindness! God knows. I know blindness and sight exist…yes…but as to their discerning…who knows who needs the greater tutelage? God knows.

God has taken responsibility. Because He is the only responsible One. Yes, He even took there the responsibility of dealing with sin. He alone could. Any inclination that remains in our own discerning of right and wrong, good and evil, that would dissuade form acknowledging His total sovereignty over all His creation in which and for which He alone is responsible is folly. Better to abandon those than find the end of that road is an impotent god, and late. He own’t help you. And God cares not much for having His authority and sovereignty insulted…even with pleas of “but I thought you were too good to do that…or be that” But, even so…to His own He corrects.

See the Devil tries (oh so vainly tries) to and hamstring God (especially through his people) with all manner of thought “God wouldn’t do that” “God couldn’t do that” or God would never do that” and by taking advantage of our own skewed sense of goodness and there by seeking to apply it to the God who is all good (and only able to correct our right sense of good) bring us to that place…where even if unsaid…we really do blame God. Rather than submit to the truth of our own being in delusion(s).

And the naive may think this is rare.

For God knows our thoughts and all hidden intents and motives of hearts…just as he knows Ananias and Saphira.

Oh, but looking “good” before men is so easy, for man is so easily deceived by the creation. And others in and of it.

But the One to whom God looks to see a good man, well, He’d have to show any in order for them to believe it. And it ain’t you or me. Thanks be to God!

At times I have heard this question asked: “Is it better to be loved or feared?”

I believe God says “yes”.

It is salvation to them.

How far Jesus may take any of us in our consciousness is really up to Him, but knowing that He shall take all His own, even has taken already all His own with Him to where He is before we yet made any confession of Him…is true. Confession is result or consequence, not cause.

When He ascended…He took with Him all His own.

But He also promises to “show” as in “I will show you whom you should fear…”

Yes, fear Him.

For when our fear is singularized, so is our attention…and God then shares His joy of producing right attention…and fear is there, and only there and in that, relieved.

” ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved…”

For those who desire to twist that (fear of God) to only meaning “right reverence”…trust that grace will never relieve a heart of right reverence. It is all and only that which sobers it. So, either stop singing the song or be twisted enough in your own twisting to believe grace also then relieves “right reverence”…in “and grace my fears relieved”. Yes, there is a terror that indeed leads to right reverence, as only it does.

Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. One wrote.

If you believe God raised Christ from the dead is not of any man’s willing it to be so nor of any man’s placing such faith there in the heart for it to be so.

What should not be let go of is “all things are of God”…and of God alone is anyone in Christ…but what may be let go of, what power we may learn of, that can strip from us our own sense of good and evil, right and wrong…just and right as well as our own sense of fairness…we may come to know as the real power over all.

One might even say it is a great part of how we learn who is the all powerful. Because He can do away with me…and yet I live. Yet, not I.

And no less in doing in and for a man all the things he could never, nor would ever do for himself, through His Christ…alone.

And, I suppose this to be true, none of us likes to have our sense of right or righteousness insulted. In order it be re-vised.

But may we never mistake with one another what is so easily mistaken of God. That because one has a greater ability to bear (one might even say “tolerate”) certain things must therefore equate to him “liking” them more.

Consider the patience of God as salvation.

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Do you smell…smoke?