The anarchy of the soul

 Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The oxford dictionary defines the word anarchy as:

1. a state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems
2. absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.

Origin: mid 16th cent: via medieval Latin from Greek anarkhia, from anarkhos, from an - 'without' + arkhos 'chief,ruler'.

The Bible makes it clear that society is moving towards a state of lawlessness -

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work" (2 Thess 2:7).

The power of lawlessness that is driven by the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3) opposes God and the truth so that people are deceived and "refuse to love the truth and so be saved" (2 Thess 2:10).

"God is not a God of disorder," Paul writes but is the God who is the highest authority and in whom true freedom is found.

James writes, "the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25).

The deception is in the idea that true freedom is the absence of a governing authority and any controlling system. In the name of tolerance and enlightened thinking, we are developing a society that is turning its back on God's authority and will and we wonder why our young generation is confused, abandoned, dislocated, hopeless and angry. The truth is that when man is left to himself, he moves toward the anarchy of the soul.

Without the governing presence of the Spirit of God within man, sinful man, who is seperated from God, is given over to the desires of the flesh (see Romans 1:18-32)! His mind, his emotions and his will are influenced by every sinful desire and every influence of the world. Left to himself, man experiences the anarchy of the soul that ultimately leads to self-destruction. The prodigal son left the place of authority and order (his father and home) to live a life of freedom. What that led to was the anarchy of the soul that led him to the pigs.

God wants His creation to live in fullness of life. Creation will only experience freedom when it submits itself to the authority and will of God. Creation is waiting to be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Rom 8:21)! Those who are governed by the Spirit of God are the sons of God who live in the glorious freedom of God's order (Rom 8:14). Hallelujah!

I believe God is calling His people to renew their trust in His absolute authority and His good, pleasing and perfect will. Only a people who rely on the authority and wisdom of God will experience true freedom and live life as God purposed it for man.

"Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5

Breakthrough!

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21

Kingdom invasion

Jesus came to bring God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The Kingdom of light broke into the kingdom of darkness as the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. John writes,

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." John 1:9

Jesus broke into the kingdom of darkness to penetrate it and overcome the work of the devil. John writes,

"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1 John 3:8

The devil's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy mankind but Jesus came to bring fullness of life (John 10:10)!

Christ's death and resurrection fulfilled everything that was needed to overcome the kingdom of darkness. Sin and death had no power over Jesus so that through dependence on Christ and on His victory over the kingdom of darkness, the believer is able to overcome the world and dwell in fullness of life. John writes,

"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4,5

Those who trust in Jesus and His finished work are rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into "the kingdom of the Son he loves" (Col 1:13).

Fullness of Life

Fullness of life is what Jesus provides through His death and resurrection. Christ's death on the cross dealt with all of man's problems. Through Jesus' sacrifice, man is saved/healed spiritually, emotionally and physically (Isaiah 53:4-6). Therefore, as man looks to Jesus for salvation, man is completely saved and healed and walks in fullness of life (John 3,14,15). Jesus is Eternal life and those who trust in Him are made one with fullness of life. John writes,

"God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life." 1 John 5:11,12

The believer, therefore, is restored to the Kingdom of Light and lives from the reality of fullness in Christ.

Times of refreshing

As man repents of his rebellion and sin and turns to God, times of refreshing come from the Lord. These times of refreshing are what the believer experiences as he is saturated with God, having been immersed in fullness of life as part of the Kingdom of Light.

Breakthrough is therefore not about trying to penetrate the kingdom of darkness or even trying to overcome it. Christ has already done that! Breakthrough is about appropriating or reckoning fullness in Christ. When Christ returns, all things will be restored and aligned to God's Kingdom. Until then, the believer must live from the spiritual reality of the Kingdom so that it breaks into the natural realm.

Times of refreshing are the manifestation of fullness in Christ!

Prayer for breakthrough

My prayer is for breakthrough - the realisation of fullness in Christ in my own life, the lives of those around me, the Church, Israel and the Jewish people and the nations so that times of refreshing may come until Jesus comes again! I believe it is time for the Church to arise and appropriate fullness of life in Christ by faith! The Church must intercede for the nations from a place of fullness and victory in Christ. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places and our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Eph 2:6; Col 3:3)! We must pray from our heavenly position and see heaven break through onto earth so that God's Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven! Hallelujah!

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21

Do you have Eternal Life?

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

Introduction

The purpose of the apostle John's letter is to help believers know whether they have eternal life or not. John looks at the evidence or fruit of the life of one who is truly saved to help us know what the life of a believer should look like. Before we look at some of the fruit of a born again believer we need to understand what it means to be saved.

Salvation

Many Christians think that salvation is about believing in Jesus Christ so that when they die they will not go to hell but will be given eternal life in heaven. Although that is true, it is only a limited understanding of what salvation is all about! What many people don't understand is that through faith or trusting in Jesus Christ, the believer is "born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable" (1 Peter 1:23). That means that the believer receives life that is imperishable - eternal life. This eternal life is not an impersonal force but the very presence of the One who lives forever because He has conquered sin and death - Jesus Christ. The believer therefore receives the indwelling presence of Eternal Life. John writes,

"God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11,12

Eternal Life

So we see that eternal life is not just something believers receive after they die, but it is Jesus living in them, the moment they believe in Him and confess Him as Lord of their lives (Rom. 10:9,10; 1 John 4:15). Those who don't believe in Christ Jesus are separated from Eternal Life, the life of God, but anyone who does believe, "God lives in him and he in God" (Eph. 4:18; 1 John 4:15).

The proof of Eternal Life

The question then is, "How can I know that I am born again and have received Eternal Life?" The apostle John explains that believers can know that they have Eternal Life because,

• the Holy Spirit testifies with their spirit that they are children of God (1 John 3:24; 4:13; 5:10)
• they are walking in the Light and don't keep on sinning (1 John 1:6; 3:6,9; 5:18)
• they don't deny their disobedience when they have sinned (1 John 1:8)
• they obey God's will (1 John 2:3,4; 2:17; 5:2)
• they are like Jesus (1 John 2:6; 3:2)
• they love the children of God (1 John 2:9,10; 3:14; 4:7,11; 5:1)
• they overcome the evil one and the world (1 John 2:13; 4:4; 5:3)
• they don't give in to their sinful desires (1 John 2:15-17)
• they have an anointing from the Holy One (1 John 2:20)
• they know the truth (1 John 2:21)
• they are confident and unashamed (1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14)
• they do what is right (1 John 2:29; 3:10)
• they have hope (1 John 3:3)
• they love with action and in truth (1 John 3:18)
• they have peace with God (1 John 3:19)
• they please God (1 John 3:22)
• they speak from God's viewpoint (1 John 4:5,6)
• they live in love (1 John 4:16)
• they don't fear punishment (1 John 4:18)
• they receive understanding (1 John 5:20)

The reasons for lack of fruit

The fruit of Eternal Life is simply the revelation of Christ in the believer. The problem, however, is that many believers are not seeing the fruit of Eternal Life in their lives. Does that mean that they are not saved? I believe the lack of evidence is due to three reasons. Clearly there might be the possibility that the person is just a nominal Christian who has not entirely surrendered his life to Jesus as Lord of His life and is therefore not born again. The second reason is that believers don't respond to the Eternal One in them. They simply continue doing their own will and ignore the presence of God in them and with them! The third reason believers don't see more evidence of Eternal Life in their lives, is simply the fact that they don't remain in fellowship with God. 

Fellowship with God

Fellowship with God means I live my daily life with an awareness of God's presence in me and with me all the time. This awareness of God means I include God in every aspect of my life. As I do so I become sensitive to His presence and learn to respond to His leading. I get to know God and learn what grieves Him and what pleases Him. I spend time in the secret place to draw near to Him in worship, to meditate on His Word and to receive from Him. I learn to acknowledge His presence and become sensitive to His every movement as I go into the day. As I become increasingly sensitive to God, I have my mind on what the Spirit desires so that I avoid giving in to the desires of the flesh. Fellowship with God will cause me to produce the fruit of Eternal Life! Those who remain in Christ know that what John describes as the evidence of Eternal Life is possible! (Rom. 8:1-16; Gal. 5:16-25).

Fullness of joy!

Jesus came to give us fullness of life (John 10:10)! Those who truly believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, receive Christ who is Eternal Life itself. Having received fullness in Christ, the believer has received everything he needs for life and godliness and can participate in the Divine nature as he remains in Jesus and continues to have fellowship with Him (Col. 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3,4; John 15:4,5).

I encourage you today, to spend time in God's presence and enjoy fellowship with Him. Practice the presence of God and you will produce the fruit of eternal life as you obey Him. I write these things so your joy will be complete (1 John 1:4).

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