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LIVING IN THE
HEALING OF FORGIVENESS is a monthly series written by Tracey Diaz, a
sister from our local church,
Mount Paran
North Church of God in Marietta, Georgia USA.
We intend to
distribute Tracey's newsletters monthly
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Safety
Alerts
"While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me." John 17:12
Nowadays, there is a high interest in and concern for America's security as we observe the possibility of terrorist threats. Six months after 911's series of catastrophic events, a warning system was designed to alert the public of potential danger. This system rates danger from severe risk to low risk and its purpose is to heighten America's sensitivity in everyday life. Many people actually ignore these alerts and proceed with business as usual. Unfortunately, this is often also true in the spiritual realm. The Holy Spirit alerts us with signals and warnings of potential threatening dangers; however, many pay little or no attention until it is too late and something catastrophic has occurred.
WARNING
ALERTS
Although all of our pasts varies, we were all sinners under the same severe death threat. We all needed understanding and guidance. We needed a Savior. When we receive Christ, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells our spirits and provides us with warnings against temptations, sin, and danger. Our eternal security is not at risk; however, our daily lives are affected by our responses to the Holy Spirit. Jesus explains in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth discerning right from wrong. Our walk in Christ is a daily process of developing faith and an intimate personal relationship with Christ, while living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our lives should be completely comprised of prayer, personal relationship with the Lord, and reading the Word of God daily to help guard and protect our lives against temptations.
Our Lord knows areas in our lives of temptations and alerts us to be on our guard against Satan, our adversary. In Matthew 6, Jesus clearly tells us to pray against all temptation from the evil one. In our lives, how many times has the Holy Spirit warned us of a potential danger and we have ignored it and fallen into the temptation? Jesus warned Peter against Satan's temptation in Luke 22:31, 32, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you. Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." In the next verse, Peter emphatically denies the warning saying, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." And Peter did just that after Jesus was arrested; he abandoned and denied that he knew Jesus. After the rooster crowed three times, Peter remembered Jesus' warning. His heart was absolutely crushed and saddened that he had denied his Lord. However, when Jesus resurrected, Peter was restored.
We learn that our warnings from the Holy Spirit should not be ignored but taken seriously to such an extent that our feet are planted securely in the Lord and that our faith does not fail us. Only when we have an intimate relationship with Christ can we truly discern and detect alerts of potential danger and temptation.
IMMEDIATE
DANGER ALERTS
At some point before accepting Christ, we all had a severe risk of potential danger in our lives. Our eternal security was at risk and severely threatened. This elevated risk and eternal threat would have cost us eternal life without Christ. However, in our acceptance of Jesus, our eternal risk downgraded to a level of no imminent danger. Immediately, we gained eternal safety and security in Christ. Even in the final breaths of life, our destinies can immediately downgrade from a severe risk to eternal safety and security in Christ
When Jesus was crucified between two thieves and hung on the cross, he prayed that everyone's sins would be forgiven. He knew that the bystanders and his disciples, at the time, had no clue of his true deity. Almost everyone had deserted him, even his closest companions. Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." One of the thieves hurled insults at Jesus. The other thief's spiritual alert heightened and he saw his sin and need for forgiveness in his final moments. In Luke 23:42, he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus sealed the thief's eternal security, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Instantaneously, he had eternal security. Sadly, the other thief died without knowing and accepting Christ because he could not see he was a sinner.
SEVERE
RISK ALERT
The elders and the chief priest wanted to destroy Jesus because he failed to follow their man made traditions. As teachers and authorities of scripture, their main function was to point people to God. However, they were more concerned with their own agenda instead of truly seeking God's plan. They wanted Jesus dead by any means necessary. Judas, one of Jesus' disciples was used as a pawn and played into their hands.
Judas was a prime example of someone that walks with the Lord yet fails to truly know him in a personal relationship. Jesus chose twelve men to be his disciples and walk with him in spreading the gospel over a three year period. Jesus taught them all same message and they all witnessed the same miracles. In Mark 4:10, Jesus taught the Twelve about the secrets of the Kingdom of God; in Luke 9:1, 2, he gave the Twelve authority over evil spirits and the power to heal the sick; in Mark 9:35, he taught the Twelve that if anyone wanted to be first, he shall be a servant of all; in Luke 9:12, the Twelve witnessed Jesus feeding 5000 from five loaves of bread and two small fish; and in Mark 10:32, he informed the Twelve of his crucifixion. The Twelve all heard the same messages, was given the same authority to perform miracles, cast out demons, and received the same alerts, yet they responded differently.
Judas walked with Jesus over a three year period and it's unlikely that he arbitrarily awakened one morning and decided he would betray his master. It was more likely a progression of constantly ignoring the alerts along the way with an unrepentant heart. Jesus presented alerts and Judas consistently ignored the imminent danger. Judas had the opportunity to repent but refused. In John 6 many disciples had deserted Jesus and he replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" Judas in his carnality ignored this alert and proceeded after his own personal gains and agenda. Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus was preparing the twelve disciples for a future ministry. He washed their feet and explained that if he did not wash their feet, they had no part of him. They had to become servants. He proclaimed, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." Here was another chance of repentance and Judas did not relent as Jesus openly pointed him out. In Matthew 20:18, Jesus tells the twelve disciples of his crucifixion and betrayal. During the Last Supper, as Jesus reclined at a table with the Twelve, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." Judas asks, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus replied, "Yes, it is you." (Matthew 26:20 25) Still there was no repentance, even up until the last minute as Judas betrayed his master with a kiss.
Once an action is set in motion, sometimes it is irrevocable. Judas tried to fix the fatal error. Matthew 27:3 states, "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us? They replied.' That's your responsibility." The elders and priests did not fulfill their duties to God and cared nothing for Judas' remorse; their only concern was their own agenda in crucifying Jesus. Judas with an anchor around his heart of regret, could no longer live with the guilt of betraying his Master. Judas took his own life.
Today, church pews fill on Sundays yet many still do not know Jesus in an intimate way. Judas' life is an example of lacking both substance and a personal relationship with Christ, even though he walked with Jesus on a daily basis for three years. He heard the same messages as the multitudes and was one of the Twelve chosen. He voluntarily ignored the alerts until it was too late.
We must examine our lives and pay strict attention to alerts prompted from the Holy Spirit of potential dangers, sin and temptations. The only way to discern these alerts is to know Jesus in an intimate relationship on a daily basis, in prayer, and in reading the Word. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead, teach, and govern our lives. We can ask ourselves these questions: do we know Jesus intimately and can we discern the Holy Spirit's alerts before it's too late?
TRACEY DIAZ