Monday, January 30, 2017

Biblical Principles


Biblical Principles



      Principle 1
 
 
 
      The existence of God is expressed by the generic name ‘YHWH’. It is from the Hebrew verb ‘to be’. When God said to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exod. 3:14; 6:2-3): It is translated from the Hebrew phrase ‘ehyeh asher ehyeh’. Its root idea is of independent existence. It affirms that God is ‘He is’. He is in a supreme state (being self-existent) that no other being is (Neh. 9:6; Isa. 45:5-6; 18b). Such a unique difference is due to this - His being is found in Himself.
 
 
      ‘The Lord is the Almighty’ is a divinely inspired belief throughout the Bible. The LORD is the eternally self-existent One. He is because He is. He is called the Almighty (Exod. 6:3, Ruth 1:21; Joel 1:15; 2 Cor. 6:18; Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7). ‘Being the Almighty’ conveys the truth that the complete and incomparable power is inherent within His own existence, which is beyond the reach of any known beings. 
 
 
      “I am the LORD and there is no other” (Isa 45:18b).  There is none who can create the universe (Isa 45:18a). That is precisely the reason that the Lord says He is the only Creator (Isa 45:18a; 48:12-13; Jer 10:11-13). To say Satan is self-existent is equal to saying He has the power to create the universe. This is a damning statement on the Lord and makes Him a liar. 
 
 
      Principle 2
 
 
 
      Looking at the teaching of Elder John, it is clear that Satan sinned from the beginning (1 Jn. 3:8). He has been the first to violate the command (law) of the Lord, as John teaches that sin is lawlessness (1 Jn. 3:4). Clearly, in the beginning he was made to be subject under the rule of God.
 
 
      Jude teaches that angels who do not keep their proper domain were cast into the chain of darkness (Jude 6). They have left the positions in which God has put them. In the case of the evil one, he became puffed up. That is why Paul warns that a novice should not be given the role of a presbytery for fear of falling into the condemnation of the devil (1 Tim 3:7), should he become proud. The teaching of Paul is expressly clear about Satan is under the dictate of a higher power. Otherwise, there is no reason for him to be judged and condemned.
 
 
      Principle 3
 
 
 
      Eternity is an idea introduced in the space and time continuum. God is before everything and His fullness fills all in all. Since eternity, like ‘the beginning’, is part of the all things, it has to be created by God, and thus, He is before it.
 
 
      ‘The beginning’ has to be used accurately and precisely according to each context. For example, John says Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Jn. 8:44). Does it mean that before the universe, in his own existence, he committed murder? This does not make sense biblically. The murder here is one in the physical world. In this case, he instigated the murder of Abel through Cain. Even if one insists that this is not the case, it will end up saying that he has sinned by murdering a being from the beginning, which the Bible does not talk about. In which case, he still sinned, not as ‘the self-existence of Satan’ (SS) proposed, but rather, he existed in a form of sin. So, the two usages of ‘the beginning’ cannot be put on par as being equal in existence.
 
 
      Principle 4
 
 
 
      The teachings of the Bible are not based upon human suppositions or logical deductions. Neither are they founded on assumptive arguments. Whatever the Bible teaches is always clear and verifiable by other parts of the Bible. Since God is an infinite God, it is utterly wrong to suggest that He does not know the deeds of the wicked before they are committed.
 
 
      There are many examples which state otherwise. In Deuteronomy, before Moses died, God told him that the people of God would commit harlotry with the locals after they had gained entry into the land (Deut. 31:16). Is this not the foreknowledge of God of evil deeds before they are done at its clearest fore?
 
 
      In Revelation, God forewarned the church at Smyrna that Satan was about to strike. For that reason, God sent a messenger to warn the church of this impending strike from Satan (Rev. 2:10). Again is this not an unquestionable foreknowledge of God of evil before it is done?
 
 
      With the above biblical proofs, is it wrong to claim that God did not know beforehand that Adam would sin against Him? Does this make God a wicked God on account of knowing what He would create would sin against Him? Surely, it cannot be right for us to fit God’s function into our mode of thinking.
 
 
      Principle 5
 
 
      The Bible clearly tells us that the earth is for man to live in (Isa. 45:18). Being the Supreme Being, He has created the earth for man to enjoy and to have dominion over all the creatures (Gen 1:26, 28). This is the unquestionable intent of the Lord.
 
 
      The Lord had glory even before the world was (Jn. 17:5). The universe has been created to declare the glory of the Lord (Ps. 19:1). For God alone is to be glorified, none must usurp the glory of the Lord (Ps 29:1-2; 96:8; 115:1). He is above all gods, and none is like Him in any sense (Ps. 95:3; 96:4; 97:9).
 
 
      With the word of God, the universe was created. Through the existence of the universe, the knowledge of the Lord (Ps. 19:2) is revealed. The operation of the universe, in an orderly manner, shows how great the wisdom of the Lord is. With the same word, the universe is sustained (2 Pet. 3:7).
 
 
      To say that the existence of the universe serves as a battle ground to destroy Satan is going against the very nature of the Lord. The creation of the universe demonstrates the mercy of the Lord (Ps. 136:5). Coming in the flesh into the world to defeat Satan is hugely different from creating the universe as a battle ground to defeat Satan. The former demonstrates the mercy and the love of the Lord, but the latter depicts the Lord to be a shrewd strategist, and worst still, a heartless perpetrator to achieve His end at the loss of countless souls.
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Sunday, January 29, 2017

主是我的避難所



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Saturday, January 28, 2017

The Ultimate Deception - The Falsehood of being Equal to God


The Ultimate Deception - The Falsehood of being Equal to God


        This section purports to first point out the scheme of Satan. The stories concerning deception in the Bible are revisited. In all these stories, God is depicted as a changing God and man has the right to disobey Him. This chapter also unravels the worrying concern that is facing the present church. This is intended to expose the evil ploy of the wicked one to equate himself to God. The ploy culminates in speaking ill of the Almighty. Most sickening of all, this is done through the workers of the Lord in the end-time true church.
 
      What has been tearing the fabric of God’s principles apart? Is it not the deception of Satan since time immemorial? It has been apparent since the existence of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1–5), through the time of the apostles (Mt. 7:15–20; Acts 20:29–31; 1 Jn. 3:18–23), right to the establishment of the church by the latter rain (documentary evidences on the history of the True Jesus Church). 
 
      Jesus signalled the coming of the days of the great tribulation just preceding His second coming. We may have wrongly understood these to be only concerning physical disasters such as the third world war. In reality, what Jesus was pointing to, includes the confusion true believers are experiencing now (Mt. 24:4–5, 11, 24). This stems from Satan sowing seeds of deception to remove the sovereignty of Christ in their lives. John has echoed in the books of 1 John (2:18–23) and Revelation (12:9; 13:14; 19:20; 20:3, 7–10) this very same warning.
 
      Satan’s schemes To understand the ultimate deception of Satan, it is needful to trace the first ever scheme he devised on earth, that which caused the downfall of humanity and the subsequent influx of miseries into human existence. There are two parts to his scheme, two offensive components, to bring about the intended deception. First, he changed the word of God (Gen. 3:4). This was designed to confuse the listener. However, the alteration would not create a sufficient impact on man to doubt God if His pre-eminence were not removed from man’s life. 
 
      So, secondly, Satan made it look as if God had hidden something from man. “Your eyes will be opened,” he said, suggesting man would be able to see what God had never allowed him to see before, thus accusing God of not having given the best to man. Most subtly, “You will be like God,” the snake deceptively declared (Gen. 3:4–5). If one is like God, then there are no valid reasons for him to obey and worship Him, who is just merely equal to him in power. In this case, man would know what God knows.
 
 
      This satanic ploy can work both ways: the changing of God’s word would eventually lead to replacing God’s position in man’s life. The Roman Catholic Church is an example—altering God’s commandments have led to the veneration of the pope.  And, according to Daniel, the self-enthronement in God’s sanctuary clouds the principles of God—the truth will be cast down (Dan. 8:11–12). This is an unavoidable consequence of taking the place of God because the endeavour itself is a violation of the very basic divine tenet: all, humanity (Ex. 20:2) and gods alike (including Satan who is the god of the world (2 Cor. 4:4)), must worship God (Ps. 97:7). When this foremost commandment was trampled down, what follows on has been one wave of confusion after another to hit God’s servants in every generation who turn against Him.
 
      The stigma of being controlled When Satan was thrown down from heaven, he became enraged, knowing that his days were numbered. He wages war especially against those who keep the commandments of God (Rev. 12:13–17). How has he been going against them? His tactic is very much disguised by posing himself as having two horns like a lamb (Rev. 13:11). Horns represent power. He deceives the world that he has the power of Jesus so that they would worship the first beast, which has received power from the Dragon (13:4). To worship the beast is in violation of the first of the Ten Commandments. Here, it is strikingly clear that he is doing everything he can to masquerade himself to be like God.
 
      For people to worship him, Satan has to remove the stigma of himself being under the control of God. He has to trick man into believing that he is equal to God. His work throughout the history of humanity has been to paint a picture that he is independent of God or that he is capable of what God is capable of doing. Simply, the power of the Lord far outweighs that of Satan (1 Jn. 4:4). To the Lord, Satan’s power is at the most equal to the power of an angel. That is why Paul said: “Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:12). It indicates that he is no match with God in power. 
 
      Some Biblical Examples Let’s look at some further familiar scenes: scrutinise the downfall of Lucifer in the account of Isaiah (14:12–15). It is without a shadow of doubt that the primary reason for God to punish him was his desire of “being like the most high” (14:14b). In Ezekiel, though it may differ in content when compared with Isaiah, the root cause of the downfall of Tyre was the same—a man desiring to be a god (28:2). 
 
      To achieve what he has in mind, Satan has always lifted men up to think that they could go against the Lord. The incident of God punishing Assyria in the time of Isaiah is one example. It was not only a physical battle between Israel and Assyria; more importantly, it was a challenge against God and a battle between the true God and the false gods. The damning threat of Sennacherib (2 Kgs. 19:10–12; Isa. 37:23–24) was designed to create a false impression that, after all, the God of Israel was not invincible. This was to remove His greatness from the hearts of His people, to shake their trust in Him. The end result is that God slaughtered the foes of Israel without the participation of His people (2 Kgs. 19:35; Isa. 37:36). 
 
      The message is clear: God, being a jealous God, would not tolerate any being who would rob His glory of being the only Supreme Being in the universe. This miraculous piece of work sends clear signals to both men and spirits alike throughout every generation, that none can be compared to Him in any concrete sense. To equate any image, man or being to God would only incur His unquenchable wrath. 
 
      When we read the messages in Daniel, Satan employs the same strategy to confuse man. The little horn in chapter 8 drives home the same teaching that its ultimate existence was to challenge God’s authority, though many of them are prophetic in nature. Its challenge first appeared in making an in-road to the Glorious Land—the place where God dwelt and where He was recognised (8:9). The next verse spells out its key intent and the force behind its move: to cast down the stars (God’s people) to the ground and trample them (8:10). Who is capable of doing that? Obviously, it is Satan (Rev. 12:4). Why does he do that? The ultimate intent is that he would exalt himself as high as the Prince of the host, the Lord (Dan. 8:11). 
 
      When his self-exaltation is successful through deception, the consequences are devastating. First he would oppose the daily sacrifices. Second, he would cast the truth to the ground (Dan. 8:12). The example of the Northern King’s profanities in Daniel exposes the same intent of Satan: he exalted himself above every god by speaking against the God of gods (11:36–37). He was able to exploit the situation and utilise his devices to the full for he first gained a foothold in the sanctuary (11:30–32). 
 
      In the New Testament, Paul raises his concern over the church on the same issues regarding the falling away and the revelation of the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3–5). As we know, a biblical prophecy is always multifaceted. Though most are quick to believe that the message refers to the dark period after the conclusion of the work of the apostles, it surely also points to the confusion that the end-time true church is facing. The reason is pretty straightforward. The time indicator given is before the coming of our Lord (2 Thess. 2:2–3), which in this light is deemed more applicable to us. The prophecy exposes and warns us against the sinister trick of the evil one to exalt himself to be above all that is called God, so that he sits as God in the temple of God (2 Thess 2:4). 
 
      Likewise, having mixed their faith with some philosophical notions, the Colossian members begin to deny that Christ is God, claiming physical matters are evil. So Christ is not God, as flesh is evil. As a result their faith suffers. For that reason, Paul has to devote much time and energy to explain the headship of Christ in the church and the life of believers (Col. 1). The concept of asceticism, it seems, has no connection with God’s position in the Christian life. But when Christ is not counted on for the curbing of the flesh, it amounts to displacing Him from our existence (Col. 2:23). The work of satanic deception always culminates at denying the deity of God, which leads to a drastic change of His word. John put the seriousness of the problem under the spotlight of God’s word to counterattack such damaging teachings (1 Jn. 2:22). 
 
      Current Worrying Concerns Time and again, we have been told of the detrimental consequences of indiscriminate solicitation of theological commentaries out with the church as a source of our spiritual food. Care should also be applied in receiving teachings from within the church. This is not to suggest that we must be picky on messages delivered to us. Rather, we must be discerning. The Bible teaches that individual believers must search the Scriptures to find out whether what has been taught to them is in congruity to their beliefs and the Bible (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:20–21). This is especially so with teachings which differ radically from our traditional beliefs.
 
      There is always a gaping difference between deepening a belief of the church and one that has shifted from the foundation. The former provides greater insights into an existing belief and this enhances greater conviction in God and the church. The latter requires the demolition of the already-laid foundation, against which the Bible sternly opposes (1 Cor. 3:11), to be deemed relevant and sound in the eyes of recipients.  
 
      Our major concern is with the latter. There have been clear signs of the latter in the church for the past few years. One of them is the teaching of the “self-existence of Satan”. To go straight to the point, we can draw a parallel between the above-mentioned concern and the Fall Incident in the Garden of Eden to highlight the danger of treading on an unscriptural ground. The chart spells out the lies and the consequences of accepting those lies.
 
      Lies and results of embracing them  
 
 
Genesis Account - The Fall (Gen. 2:4-5)
 
You will not surely die (Lie).
 
They died spiritually.
 
 
 
Your eyes will be opened (Lie).
 
In reality, they saw only their own nakedness after they had sinned (Result).      
 
 
You will be like God (Lie).
 
They were separated from God (Result).             
                                                                                                                                           
 
 
Knowing good and evil (Lie). 
 
They knew their shame (Result).
 
 
 
The two fatal components: 
1. Confusion – create a false impression that God had hidden something good from man and had not been telling the whole truth.
 
2. Accusation – God has not given the best to man.
 
 
 
Current Concern - Satan is Self-existent
 
“The LORD” is not a concrete proof of His self-existence. It is an assumed notion (Lie). 
 
This is tantamount to changing His word (Result).
 
 
This is the truth from heaven (Lie).  
 
In reality, if we embrace the idea, we shall journey on the road of undermining the almightiness of God (Result).
 
 
Satan existed with God in the beginning (Lie)
 
It brings confusion to the church (Result).
 
 
You will know God’s power even more (Lie).
 
You will regret it (Result).
 
 
 
The two fatal components: 
1. Confusion – create a false impression that many of the teachings of the church are incorrect and that the Bible does not contain the complete truth.
 
2. Accusation – some of the teachings of the church are rooted in Catholicism.
 
 
      Of course, the current concerns we have require further elaboration. As we know, that “Satan is self-existent” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. The practice of the church is that any teaching must be documented with concrete biblical backups. For those who have accepted the erroneous concept, they adopted two subtle ways to prove the soundness of the concept. First, they have to convince their listeners that a biblical teaching or principle can be derived through a logical deduction. This is a partial truth. Even if we accept that biblical deduction plays a part in any biblical interpretation, it must not exceed the perimeter of the Bible: “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13b). The Roman Catholic Church used deduction as well but has plunged many into the sin of idolatry. One example is that since Mary gave birth to Jesus, she must therefore be a goddess to whom man can direct their prayers.
 
       Second, in order to advance their notion of biblical deduction, they try to find fault with the word “LORD” in the English translation of YHWH. This is done to give an impression that the existence of God is nothing but a deduced notion. They claimed that the assigned meaning “I am who I am” could be a manipulation of the Roman Catholic Church, to further undermine the meaning of the word. Since we are not Hebrews, obviously our understanding of the word has to depend somewhat on the meaning theologians have defined.
 
       The majority of them agreed that the essence of the word points to the self-existence of God, despite having some linguistic complexities involved in the process of defining it. Most importantly, Melchizedek being God himself in the flesh disclosed that He is self-existing (Heb. 7:3) and the Lord existed even before the beginning (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:1). On the contrary, there is not even a slightest hint that we can find throughout the entire Bible, which points to Satan’s existence being on par with God’s existence.
 
 
       Is Satan’s self-existence the truth from heaven? To perpetrate this idea, many of the basic concepts about the nature of God have to be dismantled. One example is that God is “all knowing but not all-knowing of evil”. The example given is the vineyard song (Isa. 5:1–7). In this story, God had done everything that He could to ensure His beloved brings forth good grapes. It turns out to be that it brought forth wild grapes. The description gives rise to the belief that God’s will does not readily transpire. This seemingly brings to light that Satan could cause disruption to the work of God at will. And that God did not really know that His vineyard could not bear good fruits. If we approach the passage in a holistic sense, the teachings and concepts derived from it would surely be different. There are three key elements in the story: The work of God is clear. The duty of man in response to God’s work can never be ignored. One is hidden—the work of Satan, which in this case is unhindered, when man fails to obey God. Those who sin belong to Satan. The Bible places the responsibility of wandering away from God squarely on those who sin (1 Jn. 3:10).
 
       The key feature of the entire book of Isaiah is centred upon bringing forth good grapes, which refer to justice and righteousness (Isa. 5:7). In fact, this had been the intention of the Lord right from the beginning (Isa. 1:21, 27). His purpose remains unchanging (Isa. 16:5, 28:17, 56:1, 58:2). Though it has seemingly been thwarted by the stubborn rebellion of His people (Isa. 59:9, 14), He knew long before that His purpose would come to pass in the dimension of the church through the coming of Jesus Christ (Isa. 32:1, 33:5–6). This is achieved when He defeated the twisted serpent (Isa. 27:1), which we know is Satan (Rev. 12:9, 15) and in our time by the outpour of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His believers (Isa. 32:15–20). How could God know with great confidence and absolute certainty that He would defeat His equal foe, if He were not all knowing of all evil?
 
       To avoid saying Satan is not equal to God, many verses about “God is above all gods” have to be re-interpreted. Here are two examples: “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods” (Ps. 96:4); “For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods” (Ps. 97:9). To anyone whose mind is sound, these words clearly endorse God’s superiority to all gods, including Satan. But for the confused, they assert that these are comparisons made between God and idols alone. This assertion casts doubts in the minds of believers.
 
       It appears absolutely senseless and illogical for God not to include Satan, whose existence has been the greatest threat to our spiritual existence. It gives the idea that God, after all, is not very certain if He could defeat Satan. This is in direct contradiction to Isaiah’s statement concerning God overcoming the twisted serpent (Isa. 27:1).  In addition, there are verses which compare God and other gods and not just idols: “For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods” (Ps. 95:3).
 
       Insofar as the Bible is concerned, evil forces are inseparable from idols. The greatest of all is the power of Satan. Otherwise, the comparisons between God and idols are insignificant. There must be some mysterious forces behind idols that captivate the hearts of the worshippers (Rev. 9:20).  This was precisely the experience of the wayward Israelites in the time of Isaiah. They claimed that it was their idols that declared the things past and future. The Lord, perceiving the depth of the deception, had to put a stop to the claim that had perverted the nation.
 
       “Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my moulded image have commanded them’” (Isa 48:5). How could a piece of dead wood issue commands, if the evil forces behind were not at work?
 
       So when the Lord said, “Besides Me there is none like Me’ (Isa 46:9; 40:18, 25; 46:5), it is intended to stamp out any false god, notably Satan, from disguising himself to be God, behind idols, to deceive His people. Zechariah issued the same warning against the trick Satan employed to lead God’s people away from holding on to Him: “For the idols speak delusion” (Zech 10:2). Would it be possible for lifeless carved images to speak without any evil forces at work behind? In warning the Corinthians, Paul pointed out the same overriding principle: Christians who worship idols and partake of their food are guilty of partaking of the food of demons (1 Cor. 10:19–21).
 
       If we trace the power of idols or other gods, it is undeniable that their source is Satan. One example is that of the lawless one. His work in God’s temple is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs and lying wonders (2 Thess 2:9). Elder John unveils the same ploy of Satan in his messages on the second beast, whose power originated from the first. Those who worship the first beast are in fact worshipping Satan, who gave his authority to the first beast (Rev. 13). With this understanding, the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods”, appears meaningful. It basically warns us not to be tricked into having Satan as our god by his multiple disguised forms. So, when the Bible says the Lord is high above all gods, it refers to God being above Satan.
 
       How is it possible that accepting “Satan is self-existent” increases our knowledge of God’s power? The Bible tells us that Satan sinned (1 Jn. 3:8) and it was due to pride (1 Tim. 3:5–6). For that reason Paul warns that the church must choose men of humility, not novices, to perform the work of overseeing the household of God. This is for fear that they become proud and fall into the same condemnation of Satan (1 Tim. 3:6). This verse provides us with a clear pointer that Satan has fallen because of pride. Otherwise, it would have been a pointless exercise for Paul to equate the condemnation of those who are proud with that of the devil. A sound conclusion that can be drawn here is that Satan has always desired to be considered like God. Assuming that Satan is self-existent, it would not be arrogant on his part to claim equality with God. After all it is not a deception but a fact.
 
       Christ came in the flesh to destroy the works of Satan (1 Jn. 3:9). The most notable one is deception, which we have outlined in this article. The whole mindset of Christ and His deeds leading up to His crucifixion are not only for us to learn, but in actual fact, are God’s ways to demolish the works of Satan. Whatever Christ did on earth was the exact opposite to Satan. Being in the form of God, he resolved not to be considered equal to God and humbled himself to the point of death, even the death on the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). Who is more eligible than Jesus to equate Himself to God? If the Son of God desisted Himself from doing so, can Satan be equal to God in his existence?
 
       We have to bear in mind that the Godhead is in Christ (Col 1:19; 2:9). His death has been in display of God’s wisdom to expose the true utmost wicked nature of Satan, who disguised himself to be equal to God by whatever means he could resort to. It is through Christ’s complete humility that He was exalted to the right hand of God. In contrast, it is Satan’s utter arrogance that has brought about his own downfall. How sad it has been for some to assert to be true the ultimate deception that Christ’s life and death have demolished through His death!
 
       In a Nutshell
 
       It is a good practice that we must not base solely on the teachings of the church on the foundation of other denominations. Many of us, in fact, do not fancy the idea of using secular biblical commentaries as the bases of our teachings. But such concern should not lead us to think that we must be uniquely different in our teachings from others in totality. There are teachings that we dearly hold which bear tremendous resemblance to those of other denominations. For example, the Roman Catholic Church believes with their heart that “God is Love”. This is exactly what the Bible teaches. Can we then discard it just because it was not started with us first? Some of our basic doctrines resemble those of the denominations whose existence are far earlier than ours. One example is the Sabbath, which the Seventh Day Adventists uphold.
 
       Similarly, if any teaching that challenges the authority of God were blended into the church, many believers would be misled in a subtle way to think that God is not the only Supreme Being in the universe. Ponder over this carefully: What is the best notion Satan can adapt to masquerade himself to be like God?  Is it not His fundamental and distinct nature of being self-existent? When this is upheld, the truth about God has to be changed to adapt to the newly embraced belief. Examples include redefining the “knowledge of good and evil” and “God being all-knowing”. The strategy employed is the same old ancient trick: the devil changes the word of God and replaces Him in His believers’ hearts or exalts himself through deception and corrupts the word. Let us pray that we will never witness the extent of the corruption that the Bible predicts on those who have embraced such an erroneous belief. Amen!
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愛孫被擄，蒙主尋回




愛孫被擄，蒙主尋回
   文／田吉雅雲
      若沒有真神的幫助，這孩子將會成為媒體呼籲大眾協尋的失蹤兒。
      神是我凡事上的倚靠
      哈利路亞！奉主耶穌聖名作見證：
      感謝主耶穌的大恩惠，祂是我凡事上的倚靠，每當遇到挫折和患難，雖當時陷入無奈的漩渦，感到萬般無助，但是很快就找到幫助。那完全是因為神的愛，使我遇事能當機立斷專心依靠那創造天地萬物的神，才能得到意外的平安。因祂是無所不知的神；從天上觀看，祂看見一切的世人。從祂的居所，往外察看地上一切的居民〈詩三十三13~14〉。人的能力極為有限，如經上說：人都不能靠力量得勝〈撒上二9下〉。我即以感恩的心來敘述神的恩典，見證祂奇妙的作為。
      小甜美不見了！
      一九九六年四月十九日，我因教會安排於次日安息日接待某教會來訪，必須提早到水里鄉街上買菜，準備接待事宜。我平時看顧長男田輝煌傳道的孩子：次女田昱欣（乳名小甜蜜，二歲八個月）及么女田昱柔（乳名小甜美，一歲九個月）。雖負照顧之責，但仍有心想服事主。又因家人都去上班，故外出時總是將她們帶在身邊。那天，長女惠美正好須至本村國小籌備並參與一個重要的教育會議，時間為上午九點。我趁機配合她的時間，請她先送我們到水里市場買菜，八點半前辦完後，她再趕回去參加會議。
      八點二十分，我已買好了菜，商人幫我把貨送到橋頭的停車收費站，我正把東西擺在汽車後車箱時，惠美邊說話，邊看著我擺放物品，才一剎那的時間，她急著叫了小甜美的名字，我不以為意，以為是叫她該上車準備回家了，頓時，惠美驚慌地說：「媽！小甜美不見了！！」又見她手腳忙亂地往車底探看，神情詭異，是時兩人立刻分頭去找。那地方只有一排小型露天的停車場，一邊又靠橋邊的安全島，應該不難找才對；但經一輛輛的巡視，甚至在每一輛車底下或車內找，都沒有。而在這些車子中有一輛緊靠在我們右側，是賓士黑色車。它的車窗是墨色的玻璃，我們看不見車內；其它的車子都察看了，仍看不到她的蹤影。
      約過十幾分鐘後，深覺這不是一般的失蹤而已，而是所謂的「綁架」。心裡越想越怕，口裏隨即大聲呼喊：「哈利路亞！！」四處問人，所得回答都是沒看到有小孩獨來獨往。心想，她身子雖不高，但至少也有八十多公分，難道會像螞蟻般地鑽入洞中不成？真不可思議！
      認識的人皆自動自發地跑到遠處去找，其中一位是叔公(田朝)。眼看他到十字路口探看，正期待好信息，卻看到他垂頭喪氣地說：「到處都沒找到她的人影。」此時我再拉開車門仔細查看，杳無蹤影。過沒多久，惠美說，她明明聽見這附近有孩子講話的聲音，故再拉車門一看，還是沒有。她非常納悶地說：「我剛聽到有孩子的叫聲，為什麼一下子斷了訊息？奇怪？！」此時，我心痛如割，這種感受比遇到親人死亡還苦十萬倍，甚至可能成為一輩子的遺憾，一生中的最痛！若真的找不回來，不就成了「失蹤兒」了嗎？
      神秘的賓士車
      雖在傷心欲絕之地，還是緊緊抓住神，相信祂有辦法幫我尋回孩子。那時我正靠在右側賓士車旁，望望它的車窗，很想將車內的人影透視出來，但是因為它特殊的裝備，什麼也看不到；再走到前方往內看看，結果還是看不到什麼。當時我對這部車已起了疑心，但又不敢大膽地敲別人的車門，深怕萬一是「大哥」級的人物，麻煩事就更多了。
      求人不如求神，我站在賓士車駕駛座旁抬頭向天大喊著神的名：「哈利路亞！！求主耶穌幫助我們找回那孩子！祂是祢的愛子！祢在天上往下看！肯定看得清清楚楚了！祢知道她在哪裡！」「主啊！我相信祢是萬能的神！求祢憐憫我的苦楚！祢辦得到這件事的！請憐憫我！我幾乎快撐不住了！」又再次地大聲禱告，忽覺有股很大的力量，從我心中衝出去似的，令我感到很奇妙。
      此時忽然聽到賓士車後門打開的聲音，有一女士下車，而且走得很急；約走了四、五十步，回頭對著我們說：「你們要找的孩子在那邊！」我看著她指的店奔跑過去，結果那人所說的「孩子」，是有媽媽抱的小孩，怎麼會是我的孫女呢？我因她的捉弄而不悅。此時惠美也傷心地拎著小甜蜜的小手折回車子。我仍停在十字路口繼續地找人。突然間聽到惠美高聲喊叫說：「媽！！小甜美在這裡！！是從車內出來的！」聆聽之下，彷彿我得到的不僅是一個小孩而已，連我自己的命也拾回來似的，重得生命的氣息。原已流了不少的淚水，加上緊張所冒出的汗滴早就雜在一團，瞇著眼大步地走到孩子的跟前；將欲抱住孩子之際，見她一副令人難以置信的樣子：她冒出大量的汗水，整個頭髮溼透猶如浸泡在水中；當時八點多，我們都還感覺到冷，她卻汗流浹背。
      潛意識告訴我，她的失蹤並不單純，必有蹊蹺。於是口裡不停地喊「哈利路亞」，抱著她立刻吩咐惠美快開車，火速離開如此令人心驚膽跳的停車場。車子發動後，我才鬆了一口氣，腦子逐漸清醒過來，跟惠美說：「實在是有驚無險啊！恐怖分子就深藏在我們眼前的賓士車裡。」惠美也深有同感地說：「對了！那女人一定是故意引開我們，然後才把孩子放出來。真是匪夷所思，我們那麼仔細地找了好久，哪有突然冒出來的事？！」
      歹徒竟然把「煮熟的鴨子」放了？！
      此後我們沉靜了片刻，卻同聲道出感謝主的話。若不是真神感動了歹徒，他們已控制她半個小時了，俗語說得好，到嘴裡的熟鴨肉，怎能再讓它飛掉呢？這麼討人喜歡的孫女，是真神幫助她脫離了歹徒的手，難怪主耶穌在禱告文中告訴我們：「……不叫我們遇見試探，救我們脫離兇惡。因為國度、權柄、榮耀，全是祢的，直到永遠，阿們」(太六13)。找到愛孫的感覺特別深刻，含著淚低頭感謝神的愛，若沒有真神的幫助，這孩子將成為媒體呼籲大眾協助尋找的失蹤兒。
      次日問小甜美關於自己被擄的事時，她竟也點點頭說：「有！」感謝主！雖然我們因孩子走失而耽誤了四十分鐘，但是惠美到達學校會議室時，竟然發現會議恰好也因故延遲舉開，這分明是神的恩典，帶領了我們的腳步。神的恩典實在夠用，雖遇突然的驚恐，亦不致令我們遭害。感謝神！願一切的榮耀都歸主耶穌的聖名，哈利路亞！阿們。
 
    轉載自2004年3月20日 聖靈的見證電子報
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Friday, January 27, 2017

He in Us (1 John 4:13)


He in Us (1 John 4:13)



      "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also….If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jn. 14:19, 23).
 
 
     Jesus had long intended that His relationship with His disciples would be characterised by an inseparability unchanged even when He was no longer in the flesh.  He promised them He would abide with them after His ascension, telling them that this promise would come to pass when the Spirit came. 
 
 
     Today, the second downpour of the Spirit has begun, and the end time true church has been established. Jesus’ promise applies to all who believe in Him. It is a promise of an intimate relationship with Christ, as well as a statement of the two requirements for salvation: “We abide in Him and He in us”.
 
 
      Its Actual Meanings
 
 
 
      On more than one occasion, either Jesus or John had said, ”We abide in Him and He in us” to emphasize the importance of having ‘God in us’. But what does this phrase really mean?  
 
 
      Partaking of His Flesh and Blood
 
 
 
 
      ”He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (Jn. 5:56). 
 
 
      The context of this verse is the partaking of the Holy Communion.  Was Christ suggesting that just by partaking of the Holy Communion, we shall have ‘the Spirit in us’? It is difficult to conclude that this was what He meant. The Holy Communion was instituted before the suffering of Christ. But the Spirit would only be given after Christ was glorified (Jn. 7:39). Jesus had stressed that the Spirit would not come to the disciples, but if He went away (ascension) He would send Him to them (Jn. 15:7).
 
 
      The phrase ‘would not come’ implies that the Spirit had not yet dwelt in them in the way they had been promised.  Since the Spirit had not come, biblically speaking, He could not have been in them.  In addition, the disciples were told to tarry in Jerusalem for Jesus to send them the Promise (Holy Spirit) of the Father (Lk. 24:49).  If the Spirit was already in them, would it not be a pointless exercise to urge them to wait for the coming of the Spirit? 
 
 
 
      Hence what exactly was our Lord trying to teach? 
 
 
      The Lord wants us to know that in partaking of His body and blood, we are inseparably connected to Him. The expression ‘abides in Me, and I in Him’ is the best depiction of being one with Christ. It is a state of existence where one shares in the life of Christ. Back then, the Jews were utterly intolerant towards the teachings of eating and drinking Christ’s flesh and blood (Jn. 6:52).  Hence, Christ sought to warn that rejection of His flesh and blood amounted to alienating oneself from having a share in His life. 
 
 
      Confessing Christ and Being Loving
 
 
 

      “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed in the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 Jn. 5:15-16).
 
 
      1 John 5:15 is about acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.  Few of us would conclude that a person – regardless of whether he/she is baptised or not – who merely confesses that Jesus is the Son of God automatically, has the Spirit in him or her.  In fact, in the context of evangelism, when a non-believer accepts that Jesus is the Son of God, the clear next step is to expound on the complete gospel of salvation to him or her.
 
 
      Looking at verse 16, it is not unusual for some to claim that ‘God is in us since we have love for others’. But can love be used as the basis for determining that ‘the Spirit is in us’? Cornelius’ love and good deeds were so well established that these even reached God (Acts 10:1-2). Do we thus conclude that Cornelius already had ‘the Spirit in him’, prior to God’s revelation to him and prior to Peter’s arrival at his house? 
 
 
      Similarly, while preaching ‘he who believes and is baptised will be saved’, we do not rule out receiving the Spirit before baptism as the starting point for the indwelling of the Spirit. But in general, receiving the indwelling of the Spirit happens after baptism.  The rationale for such a sequence is that one’s belief, not only leads him to accept baptism, but also underlines the need to pray for the Spirit.
 
 
      The example of Paul preaching in Ephesus (Acts 19:5f) would also be inexplicable if the abidance of the Spirit happened before or at baptism. If the newly-baptised believers had ‘the Spirit in them’ at the point of baptism, there would have been no hurry (or need) for Paul to pray for and lay hands on them for the Spirit to fall upon them after baptising them.
 
 
      Therefore, the context of these two verses in the epistle of 1 John must be carefully analysed to come to a sound conclusion in line with the pattern of the truth. First, John was writing to believers. They must have been baptised. Second, this epistle stands against the backdrop of the denial of Jesus’ divinity. There were claims that He is not the Christ (1 Jn. 2:22; 4:2-3; 5:1). John rebuts these false teachings by saying that those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God would have their lives hidden in Christ’s life. This would then draw a clear distinction between those who stray and the faithful. The former will be cut off from Christ, whereas the latter remains in the abundance of His life.
 
 
 
      Third, judging from the epistle, it is apparent that love was in short supply amongst the brethren (1 Jn. 2:10-11; 3:10-15; 4:8). The aim of verse 16 is to highlight the danger of being over taken by death when there is no love within us.
 
 
      Biblical interpretations or teachings are inaccurate when one takes a single verse as the basis for postulating a doctrine, neglecting the pattern of the sound word. Christ taught that belief in Him was necessary for salvation (Jn. 3:16); He did also say that to be saved requires one to hear His words and believe in Him (Jn. 5:24).  But none of us would think that this was sufficient.  So we have to find the pattern of the teachings on salvation, with believing in Jesus as the core.
 
 
      The Indwelling of the Spirit
 
 
 

     “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (Jn. 14:20).
 
 


      Jesus speaks much about the coming of the Holy Spirit in the Book of John. To assure His apostles of His continuous presence in their lives, He promised them that He would come again. His coming, however, shall no longer be in a physical form. Rather, He would come in the Spirit. According to Christ, He would be in them when He came. This implies that when He was still with them in the flesh, the ‘Spirit would not be in them’ (Jn. 14:17). Jesus was referring to a whole new encounter that the apostles were about to have.  When the day came (Jn. 14:20), the disciples “will know” what it would be like. But what exactly would they ‘know’?
 
 
      Since the disciples had already been told about the coming of the Spirit, the new knowledge they would be gaining was beyond written information; beyond things understood cognitively. Instead, the disciples would experientially know once the Spirit came. Three facets of the encounter are stated. 
 
 
      First, ‘I am in my Father’. Jesus had been teaching that the Father dwelt in him (Jn. 14:10b). Not only is there an inseparable closeness between Jesus and the Father, They are actually one in the Spirit. For that reason, Jesus boldly declares that “We” (the Father and He) shall make Their home with him who loves Jesus (Jn. 14:23). The disciples would know that it was true, when they received the Spirit.
 
 
      Second, ‘You in Me’.  When the Spirit dwells in the apostles, they would naturally know that they belong to Him. This is similar to the teaching of Isaiah concerning the coming of the Spirit (Isa. 44:1-5): “I am the Lord… Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s’” (Isa. 44:5). There is an urgency to do so when the Spirit dwells in them. The conviction is given and enhanced at the coming of the Spirit. 
 
 
      Third, ‘I in you’. The promise of Christ that He would dwell in them was realised when they received the Spirit. They knew the Spirit was in them when they were given utterance as indicated on the Day of Pentecost. Similarly, Christ taught that when one is born of the Spirit, it is analogous to him hearing (tangible) the wind blowing but not being able to tell where it came from (Jn. 3:8). The believer knows that ‘God is in him’ by experience, which in the light of the Book of Acts, is receiving the Spirit ascertained by speaking in tongues.
 
 
      “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 Jn. 3:24).
 
 
      We are liars when we fail to keep the commandments and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 2:4-5); we do not belong to Him.  Quite evidently, ‘We abide in Him’ is maintained by keeping the commandments. Keeping the commandments is to follow the walk of Christ, who was totally submissive to the Father when He was in the flesh (Jn. 8:26b, 28). Submission to the word firmly binds us and Jesus together. We can never be in a position that we have ‘God in us’ and yet do not keep His commandments. 
 
 
     However, John is not equating keeping the commandments to ‘God being in us’. He is not saying that the Spirit is received on account of our abidance in His word. The coming of ‘the Spirit in us’ is a physical encounter with God. That is why John states “We know” that ‘God is in us’ by the Spirit that He has given us. The word ‘given’ is a term used in Acts to describe the outpour of the Spirit (Acts 11:17) on the Day of Pentecost.  
 
 
 
      “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 Jn. 4:12-13).
 
 
      Likewise, the power to love originates from the Lord. This love is shown in our submission to God. By the love that we have for God and one another, God abides in us. When ‘God is in us’, we naturally manifests His very essence – love.  Hence, we cannot declare we have ‘God in us’ but yet lack the deeds of love. 
 
 
      Yielding to the Spirit in practising love makes our love perfect. John is making clear that there must be a sense of willing reciprocity for love to be manifested. By this “we know” that ‘God in us’. With the working presence of the Spirit, His love is abundantly poured into our hearts (Rm. 5:5; Col. 1:8) as a continuous supply for the manifestation of love in our lives. 
 
 
      John was very careful to maintain that knowing ‘God in us’ occurs because God has given us His Spirit. We must then not draw the hasty conclusion that having love is equal to having received the Spirit. This was not John’s intention. His focus here was to discuss the work of ‘the Spirit in us’. The position ‘we abide in Him and He in us’ becomes a concrete reality when we allow God to work within us, in the knowledge that the Spirit had been given to us with an experiential proof.   
 
 
      The Teachings of Paul
 
 
 

      “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father” (Rm. 8:14f).
 
 
      There was a certain faction in the church at Rome who were carnal in their deeds. For that reason, Paul warned believers to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rm. 8:13). For the transformation to occur, they must be led by the Spirit. In other words, there must be a sense of willingness to allow the Spirit in them to lead (Rm. 8:10f).  Paul does not in any way teach that once we are baptised, the Spirit is in us. Rather, he is saying that we who have received the Spirit should allow the Spirit in us to do His work, and in the process, we confirm that we are His children and He is our Father.
 
 
      If we insist that ‘the indwelling of the Spirit or the Spirit in us’ and ‘receiving the Spirit’ occur at two separate times, with the former preceding the latter, then we have to ask when the adoption takes place. To say that it takes place when the former occurs is to confuse the truth for Paul says it occurs when the Spirit is received (Rm. 8:15). To say that it takes place when the latter occurs is to misconstrue the teaching, for it is indisputably clear that the ‘Spirit in us’ occurs at the point of receiving the Holy Spirit. 
 
 
      “The blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that they might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:14).
 
 
      Before His ascension, Jesus spoke about the coming of the promise of the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49) to the disciples. The Promise is the Spirit Himself. The biblical pattern is that this happened for the first time on the Day of Pentecost. Now, when do we (the Gentiles) receive the promise of the Holy Spirit? To postulate that the Spirit in us occurs at the point of baptism creates tremendous difficulty in interpreting this scripture. If the Promise in us takes place at the point of baptism, to teach that we need to receive the Promise again is to muddy the once clear truth of the Bible. 
 
 
      From the statement of Paul, the sequence is that being in Christ Jesus (through baptism) comes before receiving the Promise (having the Spirit in us). This is in line with the teachings of Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38f). Quite evidently, the apostles are very careful to draw a clear distinction between the two. This is the reason why Peter and John went  to Samaria to help the newly baptised pray for the Spirit; for the Spirit has fallen upon none of them, meaning the Spirit was not in them, though they had been baptised (Acts 8:16f).
 
 
      Conclusion
 
      God strengthens the relationship we have with Him when we partake of the Holy Communion and put His word to good use. Our lives are closely tied with Christ’s when ‘the Spirit in us’ is given the role to direct us. This is the submission to God needed on our part. It is true that partaking of the Communion is to share in, and connect us to the life of Christ. But it is not the evidence of having ‘the Spirit in us’, as in the case of being given the Spirit. The same is true with the confessing of Christ, keeping of His word and loving one another.
 
 
      Jesus and John rightly say that “we know” that ‘God is in us’ because of the Spirit that He has given us. This is a tangible encounter with God. The knowledge of ‘God being in us’ is made true by the coming of the Spirit in our lives. The spiritual reality of being closely knit together in Christ, likewise, is made concrete by the indwelling of the Spirit. Today, we know that ‘God is in us’ because we have received the Spirit. And when we pray, we are enabled by ‘the Spirit in us’ to speak in tongues.
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