Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“And when they heard these things, they became silent and praised God, saying, “Then God has granted the repentance leading to life to the Gentiles also!””

Acts 11:18

When we agree with Adonai about something, it’s hard to sin. Sin is disobedience. It’s going our own way instead of His way. It’s looking to anything and anyone as our Source except Him. When we read the Word and agree with what He says about murder (it’s wrong), we won’t be looking to murder. When we read the Word and agree with what He says about stealing (it’s wrong), we won’t be looking to steal. But if we DON’T read the Word or if we DON’T agree with what He says about something (like always speaking to others from love), then that is an area of opportunity for sin. Because if we don’t have His mind on something, we might not choose what He says is right. Areas where we have the Light of Jesus Love shining are areas where we are in sync with Adonai.

That doesn’t mean we CAN’T choose to sin in those areas, only that it is harder. We would have to fight what we KNOW he says about it. We would have to fight what WE say about it. We would need to focus on the temporary benefit we get from that thing, push everything else out, and then force ourselves to do it. It doesn’t come naturally. I remember once there was a film I had, but had never watched, and I had heard great things about it. Adonai told me not to watch it. And for a long time, I was fine. It was part of a collection and the rest of the collection was good, so it was hard for me to decide to get rid of it. And one day, I heard someone gushing about the movie. And I chose to watch it. First two minutes were great. But at minute three to minute seven there was such demonic oppression radiating off of the screen that was sick to my stomach. I turned it off, have never watched it again, and was sorry I had, but the feeling lasted quite a while. I had forced myself to do something I hadn’t wanted to. I knew better. I had a word from Adonai about it. But I did it anyway by CHOICE.

That’s the problem. I did it by choice. I didn’t do it in ignorance. I didn’t do it by accident. It had been a choice. Repentance is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as ‘the fact of showing that you are very sorry for something bad you have done in the past, and wish that you had not done it.’ That is certainly part of repentance. But the Hebrew and Greek words for repentance mean turning around completely and going the other way. Getting Adonai’s mind about it so that YOU call it what HE calls it regardless of feelings or human understanding. It’s getting a revelation of it through Ruach HaKodesh so that we know the mind of Jesus about it (1 Corinthians 2:16). Repentance is something that Adonai calls us to. He enables us through His mercy and grace to perform it – and He helps us through the process. It’s how we come to Him for salvation in the first place. The Father calls us, we respond to the call through the work of Ruach HaKodesh, and accept what Jesus did for us by repenting of being separated from Him and recognizing our need for a Saviour. It is the repentance to life that He gifts to us so that we can be with Him as we were designed to be. It’s a WONDERFUL gift. But what about when we sin ON PURPOSE?

The process is the same. The covering blood of Jesus is the same. If we will confess that it was sin and we did that sin, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). We’re not sinning more to get forgiven right after – like some get out of jail free card (Romans 6:1). But when we sin ON PURPOSE, it is more difficult for us. Because we KNEW and did it anyway. It’s a human thinking problem to a human thinking action. How can you honestly feel repentant for something that you chose to do knowing it was wrong? This is where the feeling of guilt and shame come upon us and can trap us into a cycle of us feeling unworthy to be forgiven. OR trap us into a cycle of feeling like we are just saying sorry, but not meaning it, so that we can do it again later – like an addict who might be genuinely ‘sorry’, but without intervention will repeat the behaviour. Jesus came and He DESTROYED the evil altars of guilt and shame. We do NOT need to be trapped into these demonic cycles. What we need – and what the answer ALWAYS is – is the Love of Jesus. The Light of Jesus. We NEED Jesus!

Remember, in areas where we do not have the light of Jesus’ love shining, it is easy to sin. How we can get to a feeling of honest repentance AND get to the place where we are not going to be repeat offenders is through Jesus. The flesh has no mind. It has no will. It ONLY has muscle memory. It ONLY has training. It will default to the broken patterns of sinful living because that is what it was trained to do from birth. Babies are awesome and fun and innocent and pure. Babies are also SELFISH. That’s human nature right there. Anyone who has ever cared for a baby will realise VERY QUICKLY that human nature by default is selfish. We build on that as we grow. Broken thinking and broken behaviour and broken words on top of selfish flesh. This is what Jesus saved us from. Like ANY machine, the flesh will default to basic programming if left alone. If you take your hands off of the handlebars of your bicycle or the wheel of your vehicle or the controller of your video game, the thing you WERE controlling will go its own way. That’s how the flesh works. We are not fighting a will when we fight with the flesh, we’re fighting HABIT.

The answer to bad habits is to make new habits. The new habit that helps in EVERY SINGLE SITUATION is the Word. The Word is the Light of Life. “In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). Jesus IS the answer. Adonai knew this and right from the beginning warned us about it AND told us what to do. Cain was told to step on sin and keep it from coming into the house of his mind (Genesis 4:7). He COULD have done that by holding to Adonai’s words and interacting with Him (they had a relationship as we can see by Adonai speaking to him). Later in human history, Adonai made it easier for us. We had moved away from that personal relationship and had Him at a distance. So Ruach HaKodesh wrote down the words for us. They were a physical object we could study, discuss, refer to, and re-consume without having to rely on our memories. Adonai told us to keep His words before our eyes (Deuteronomy 11:18; Proverbs 4:21). Adonai told us to talk and think about them throughout our day, no matter WHAT we were doing (Deuteronomy 6:7). The Word was to be a CONSTANT companion. The Word is Jesus and Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-3). Jesus is to be a CONSTANT and CONSCIOUS companion. If we ALWAYS bring Jesus into it, we will ALWAYS have Jesus on the mind.

Our willingness to trust in Jesus (choosing Him over whatever else is happening – a feeling, an action, a way of speaking, specific words, an idea in our mind, etc) is like a candle. When that candle is lit, when we are expending our energy to focus on Him or to keep what He says in our mind so that we can base our behaviour on it, the wax (or fuel if it is a lamp) and wick are used up. If we do not replace them, the flame will die. That is exactly what happens with us. Our trust is used and needs to be renewed. We renew it – or strengthen it – by hearing the Word of Adonai (Romans 10:17). We need to again and again and again get our eyes on the Word, get the Word in our ears, to focus our attention on what Adonai says is the way to do things, and to make sure we have that light shining in the areas of our lives that we’re dealing with.

Since it is an ON-GOING process, it needs to never stop. This is one reason why Ruach HaKodesh was given to us to dwell inside us. It isn’t only about the benefit of having Adonai living within us. It isn’t only about the close and personal relationship it enables us to have. It is also so that He is RIGHT THERE to help us add fuel to the fire. To keep the light shining bright. To make the correct choice. And when we don’t. When we miss it. Ruach HaKodesh isn’t mad. He isn’t wrathful. He is a comforter. And He is FIRMLY righteous. He will take our hand and correct us. He will ALWAYS speak to us the TRUTH. He will ALWAYS remind us of the truth Jesus spoke. He will ALWAYS bring to our mind what we have learned in the Word. He will speak AGAINST guilt and shame. He will encourage us to take a hold of the LOVE of Jesus, the RIGHT THINKING of Jesus, and the cleansing power of Jesus’ BLOOD. He will help us to see the RIGHTEOUS way of thinking. He will help us decide to grab hold of Adonai’s point of view, repent of letting it go, and HAND IN HAND will help us to keep reminding ourselves of what is RIGHT and GOOD and GODLY.

It’s hard to sin when you are speaking the Word about that sin. It’s hard to sin when you’re reminding yourself of what Jesus went through to free you of that sin. There is a particular sin that I used to be held by. A LOT of time was spent feeding it. And my flesh consistently reminds me of the pleasure I got from it. But I have never stopped being thankful of being freed from it. I have never stopped seeing instances in the Word of Adonai’s point of view about it. So it is not hard to resist that prompting of habit. It’s easy to turn away. And on the days that I have neglected the Word? Ruach HaKodesh helps me to take a moment to breathe. To pick up my bible. To start reading. Not necessarily about that particular thing, but just getting Adonai’s words flowing between my eyes and my mind and my heart. When I am focused on Him it is HARD to want to sin. When we are focused on Adonai we have to want to sin to do it. That’s why we’re told to keep the Word as a part of our lives and to NEVER stop thinking on it, hearing it, and reading it. NO, it is NOT hindering. It is FREEING. It is AMAZING to have Adonai part of all your life.

I tell you the truth, and you can prove it to be true in your own life, ANYTHING that you cannot bring Jesus into is NOT WORTH HAVING. ANYTHING that you cannot bring Jesus into is NOT WORTH DOING. ANYTHING that you cannot bring Jesus into is NOT WORTH WATCHING/HEARING. We THINK they are pleasurable, and to an extent they are, but it ALWAYS comes with a price. It ALWAYS comes with thorns and pains. Adonai’s Way is the ONLY way that doesn’t. The ONLY thing that doesn’t. It is the ONLY PURE thing that NEVER EVER harms us in ANY way. Life is cleaner, crisper, and clearer when we live it threading the Word through it. Life is BETTER and MORE FULFILLING when we live it WITH Jesus. Life is SIMPLER when we follow Ruach HaKodesh’s leading. When we put the Word before our eyes and discuss it (with ourselves, with others, and with Him) with every opportunity that arises. The answer to sins that we get tempted to is to get the mind of Jesus on them. To REMIND ourselves of what He did, what He thinks, and what He tells us to.

The way we keep from choosing to sin and the way that we come to repentance for the sin we choose to do, is to get hand-in-hand with Ruach HaKodesh and correct our thinking. We do that by getting into Jesus and abiding with Him. Every day. In every way. It makes life BETTER and BETTER.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Psalm 34:10

“The young lions are in want and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh will not lack for any good thing.” Needs start in our minds. Whether it is hunger, thirst, or a new vehicle. Our MINDS conceive of the need first and set into motion the processes that inform the rest of our selves what the deal is. The mind gets your stomach to growl. The mind gets your mouth to dry up. The mind gets you to notice that really sleek, good-looking vehicle beside you. Whatever is in our minds is what fuels what we feel and decide that we need. That’s why we can fast and not feel hungry every day. Once you’ve told your body that no, it’s not getting food, it’s over (it always takes time to get there, but once you’re there it’s done). No more struggle. When something catches our attention and our minds REJECT IT, that thing won’t catch our attention again. It may try, but since you rejected it, it won’t get a good purchase. Sometimes it takes more than a single rejection, but once the message is gotten it’s got. That’s how Adonai designed us. We are meant to CHOOSE Him so that other things cannot get a purchase. That’s one reason a choice was given to Adam. If there hadn’t been a restriction (do not eat this one single tree’s fruit), then he would have had no way to CHOOSE Adonai’s thinking over other thinking (the devil’s, Eve’s, or his own). The beauty of choice is that Adonai stacks the deck in our favour. The Spirit of Truth given to us so that we will not be deceived by false choices or choices with sorrow in them. Jesus’ sacrifice so that we can not only be cleansed of Sin, but so that we can enter into His covenant and gain armour, fruit, and right standing. Adonai calls to us all the time, never ceasing to speak to us about His Way, His thinking, His point of view. We are given SO MUCH so that we can make the right choice: Him. He meets our every need starting right in our minds. Equipping us to have godly thinking, godly appetites, and a godly viewpoint – which leads to godly needs THAT HE SUPPLIES (Philippians 4:19). What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8