Had Paul ever been an infant in faith? Or did he become mature in a wink of an eye? But maybe, the Lord switched Paul off, when He wanted to say something using his lips? Or did the Holy Spirit come down on Paul as He did on the prophets, and Paul was telling exclusively the Word of God? Suchlike questions give the way to an idea: can we have the alike attitude to the epistles of Apostle Paul in different periods of his life? Of course not! We can see two different Pauls. One of them we can see in the epistle to Romans, and quite another Paul — in the epistles to Hebrews. There he looks much more mature. And it’s normal, because Paul was growing in the knowledge of God, in the understanding of His will in the process of ministry to people, spreading the Gospel. Also he was growing in the process of his knowledge of Jesus. I think that God positioned Paul’s epistles according to his gradual growth in maturity, and according his formation in Christ.
In connection with this fact there are some contradictions in understanding of certain notions. Paul himself told that when he was an infant in faith (although many people wouldn’t like to hear these words of his), he thought as an infant, and he regarded many things as an infant. That is, he was growing both in faith and in knowledge of God. Take a note, that we are going through the same process. And the things he told in the beginning (to Romans) had to be different from what he told later. Paul, referring to the Law, forbade women (1 Cor.14:34) to speak in the gathering. In Romans 9:3 he is ready to lose salvation for the sake of the Jews. And he pays much attention here to the Jews, thus making them more important in God’s eyes (Rom.15:27). And already in Galatians 3:28, the same Paul makes people equal in God’s eyes. And in Phil.1:21-24 he says that his wish to die and to be with Christ is dearer for him, than life with those, for whom he was ready to sacrifice his salvation (Rom.9:3). What is the source of such a difference in views? It’s source is growing in Christ and ministry to Gospel! Theologians, maybe because of the lack of knowledge or unwillingness to take a risk, have lifted all Paul’s words to the rank of the Word of God. But it’s not so! Paul was speaking as a person, who knew God at his level. Not more than that. And naturally, with a part of mistake, through human flesh. It was only Jesus, who could speak the words, which were a 100% the Word of God, because He was God. And any person, including Paul, was speaking partially from God, partially from himself, and partially from the Law (1 Cor.9:8, 2 Cor.11:17, 1 Cor.7:25,40), as Paul testifies about it himself. And we can understand that it’s true. During his gradual spiritual growth, Paul himself was ruining his own references to the Law (Hebrews 7:18-19, Gal.3:25), proving that Jesus was Intercessor only of the New, better Covenant (Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 8:6). And he told that the Law is fulfilled and abolished (Hebrews 7:18-19). This is a natural process of each believer’s growing in faith, and Paul was no exception.
So each of us has his own reasoning and his own understanding, according to the measure of love, gratitude to Jesus and according to the gifts of Christ and the age in Christ. And we should live and serve God according to this rule (Phil.3:16, 1John 2:27). AMEN!!!
It often happens that after long prayers or our individual ministry to somebody, we drop our hands. The protestants say — I give it over into God’s hands. I put away the responsibility for this particular person or for a group of people I had been praying for a long time. As you already guessed, we shall be speaking about faith, which brings results!
Where is the limit of our responsibility in struggling for salvation of another person? When believers are fighting for salvation of their husbands, wives, children or close people, nobody thinks of the price. We are going to fight till the very end. And in most cases there is a result, because of our persistence. I think all is clear here. There are always risks. We can get blows at our health. We can work very hard over it. But let’s look at the Scriptures. Jesus distributed talents, and He requires a report for them! What do you think? Did the people who received talents have risks? Of course they did! But were they asked by the Lord about the risks? No. Why? Because He waited from them the result! We are not told about the way, which those who had received the talents were going. But this way could be in thorns, and it could be dangerous. But why not? When you are struggling for the benefits of this life (money), you have to win! Did you notice what I noticed? God didn’t ask them about adventures (hazards) on their way. It’s all very strict! I’m sorry! But let’s go further. Remind me of a story, when God failed to do something. You may tell — He is always a success. But didn’t we receive His power and possibilities through faith and the Cross? Jesus is in us! Then what is it that doesn’t work? There is no devotion to His goals. This is the correct answer. Only a few people are willing to strain their souls and to break themselves for the sake of others. It’s easier to give everything over into God’s hands and refer to the fact He is Almighty, or to say that such is His will. But take a note, when it goes about the summer-house, or earning money, or children — we are sure to show the result! When your children need food, you will not hand it over into God’s hands. You try to solve the problem. Any price — I will pay. But if it goes about His will — it’s another way round: I hand it over into your hands, Lord. Because you are Almighty. The christians (I will not go into details about personalities) have invented such an explanation: everything happening on earth happens according to God’s will. His will is for everything! We can change nothing. This is the limit of our self-sacrifice or love to our neighbor, and also love and gratitude to Jesus. That’s why it’s said that there is no greater love than when you give your soul for your friends. If you are not ready to fulfill the Gospel in order to get the results, at this dying for yourself on the way, then it’s better not to begin. Devil is not going to give you back anything without fighting. And God has nothing to do to it. Amen!
Is there a return connection between your location, your staying in God’s will, your obedience to Him and the real state of things of your life in faith? Is there any indication to it? Yes, there is. And it is the life of our children. Their life, the results of their life, their attitude to Christ!
All parents are dreaming about obedient children without dependences and faults, and at this successful and resultative. Also believing parents are dreaming about it, plus to that they want to see their children’s devotion to Christ. Normal parents are dreaming to leave for their children a good heritage, and for this purpose they are risking their health (they work hard) and display other feats of self-sacrifice and devotion. Of course, it’s great to leave in the spiritual bank blessings, not curses. But for this sake you have to lose your life (to break it) for the Gospel and devote it to fulfill God’s will. I knew the mothers of drug-dependent children, who devoted themselves to God, headed a church ministry (for example, the praying ministry or ministry to newly-borns) and their children were not only freed by God from dependence, but made ministers in rehabilitation center. It was an evident miracle. But it was also visa-versa, when a mother refused from ministry (in real fact, for her own son to be set free) and only asked one more rehabilitation center to take care of her son. One believer told that it’s difficult for him to believe (there are obstacles all the time), because he grew up in sin, and he hoped that his children would become wonderful believers, because since childhood they attended a Sunday school, prayed and believed in Jesus. He refused to break through in God’s will for him personally, and to change curses into God’s blessings. And what will this evil believers see in the end? They will see their children not only leave the church while growing, but also behave the same disorderly way as this world behaves. That’s why the Lord said it’s not children who gather spiritual heritage for parents, but parents who gather spiritual heritage for children. And the first heritage: it’s necessary that children must be taught by God and that great peace be among them (Isaiah 54:13).
And believers are organizing Sundays schools, ministries etc. in order to teach the youth in the beginning of their way. And if we estimate the measure of these Sunday schools, our efforts and expenses spent, and also the quantity of prayers in these movements, that it seems we should long ago have turned into the real christian country. But we don’t see even the signs of it. Just on the contrary. We see the opposite signs. And it’s very often that children of believing people reject the faith of their parents and are moving quite the opposite way, and they are living disorderly lives. What is the problem then? In addition, christians are praying much for their children. Is God deaf to their prayers, as to many other things in their lives? Or is it not His will that the earth be filled with real christians? These are good questions to be answered.
The promise in Isaiah 54:13 is working according to the same principle, as the rest of the promises. Nobody cancelled the condition «if». If you stay obedient to the voice of the Lord your God, then He will fulfill His part of the promise without a reminder on your part (without your proclamation with faith of Isaiah 54:13). In the New Testament this obedience is concluded in my fulfilling of His will for me personally. The so-called «simple believers» — who are eternal infants, in other words, claim that the basic condition for the promise to come true in their lives is their staying in Jesus Christ. Yes, that’s true! But they forget that God expects from us different things after one year of staying in Christ, and after ten years of staying in Christ. For example, you have refused to go to preach the Gospel to the village of Prostokvashino. And by this time you have been in faith for ten years already. But all you are doing is attending the church and leading a home-church where you live. You are praising God, and are getting sanctified from time to time. That’s why your children are smoking like a chimney, or are living out of marriage. So, in order to test yourself and to check your coordinates in God — look at your children. I don’t suggest you to stop praying for them, because the answer to your prayers may come once upon a time. Now we are speaking about the work of the promise, which doesn’t come true in your own life. You may repeat it with faith and courage a hundred of times — but nothing will happen! God will not stir a figure in direction of His promise for you! When Jesus told «ask and you will be given» — the talk was about a different thing.
The situation with children of believers for today is mostly the following: God is taking care of their children, but not through the work a promise, because they don’t do His will and don’t even have a guess that this will exists. He does it through their prayers and requests, but there is no guarantee they will work (John 9:31), because God is answering the prayers of those who are doing His will. When a believer is fighting hard, but nor for knowing God’s will on his personal life, but for happiness of his children — there is also no guarantee, that his prayers will be answered. The reason of it is that this believer doesn’t do God’s will for his life (John 9:31). And also when believers are praying too much for their children, this is the sign they are not in the will of God. If it’s not so, then why ask God to fulfill His own promise? Is He short of memory? Because when I am in His will, all His promises are «yes» and «amen» for me, even without my long intercessions. One minister had many children. Some of them did really terrible things. And there was a certain hopelessness in this situation, although their father tried to serve God, but it was not enough. And only after he radically separated himself for ministry to God, the situation changed considerably. And his son, who was in prison, was set free before the appointed time. At this, he showed a wish to enter the Theological seminary. Another example is a baptist pastor, who told that his children as if quite by chance won a green card to America and went to live there. I heard a story, which happened in China. Parents had been murdered for preaching Gospel. And three children were left — 3, 5 and 7 years of age. They were starving, and were even eating bark from the trees, but all of them survived and started to preach Gospel.
A promise doesn’t come true because of your faith or proclamation. It comes true only because of your fulfilling His will and staying in it. And it’s no use to remind Him of His promise. It will not come true all the same.
Parents — make your choice! Amen!
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