House of Hope Online

May 7, 2023

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Last time we talked about Jesus’ promise immediately before His ascension into Heaven.  He said we shall receive power from the Holy Spirit that would allow us to witness to the remotest parts of the earth.  We looked at the Greek definition of the word “power” and found that it included miraculous ability, abundance, life meaning and strength.

We saw Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17 where He interceded for us because the spirit of unbelief in the world would hate us, as we refrain from fellowshipping with darkness and avoid the unfruitful deeds of darkness.  We talked about how it is the spirit of unbelief that hates us, not necessarily the person who houses that manifestation of the antichrist spirit.

John 17:

 14 “I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 15 “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil [one.]

We also saw in 1^st John 4:1-9 that there is a simple test to discern good and evil spirits: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist.

And this is reaffirmed in John 15 by Jesus words to us:

John 15:

 16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

 17 “This I command you, that you love one another.

 18 ¶ “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you.

 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

 22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

 23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.

Note verse 17-18 Jesus tells us to love and then says we will be hated.  This is consistent with what stood out to us last week in 1^st John 4.  Immediately after teaching us how to discern the antichrist spirit, John tells us to love one another. 

And so, this resonates with me today as I reflect on last week’s word.  The word of God requires that we discern evil, not fellowship with darkness, acknowledge we are hated by the antichrist spirit, yet love one another.  We cannot take it personally and react in anger when we encounter opposition, unbelief, and even hatred.  Instead, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to react in a way that witnesses to the unbeliever.

The example for us is Jesus on the cross:

Luke 23:

 34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

And so, the word of the Lord today centers around the barriers to love and forgiveness that we face in our daily lives.  Why is it so hard to love and to forgive those who persecute us for the way we are, for the way we think, and for the way we believe in Jesus Christ crucified and Jesus Christ resurrected?  Why is it hard to forgive those who push for government policies that run counter to the oracles of Almighty God?

The answer lies in the difference between our fleshly nature and the Spirit of Forgiveness that comes only by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let us look at what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8.

Romans 8:

 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able [to do so];

 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There are two options for our mind to dwell.  One is the flesh, which is our selfish nature, concerned only about satisfying our bodies, our egos, and our emotions.  The other option is the Spirit.  If we are seeking the Spirit of God, our minds will have life and peace. 

The barriers, then, to love and forgiveness reside in our fleshly nature.  Galatians 5 defines the deeds of our fleshly nature and provides clues to the barriers that are operating in our lives.

Galatians 5:

 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Let’s look at six of these barriers from Galatians 5.

1. Idolatry:  Idolatry means excessive or blind adoration or devotion. Key words there are “excessive” and “blind.”  What idols do we have in our lives?  It is fine to be devoted to your job, but when does that devotion become excessive, or when do we become blind to the impact that devotion is having on our life?  If we adore anything or anyone other than Jesus, then our mind is set on the flesh, which leads to death.  Having an idol or idols will stop you from loving or forgiving anyone that gets between you and your idol.
2. Enmities:  Simply put, enmities mean hatred.  If you have hostility, ill will, or animosity toward someone, you are operating in the flesh and so you are hostile not only to that person, but Romans 8:7 says you are also hostile toward God.  Naturally, if you hate something or someone, you have a major barrier to love and forgiveness.
3. Strife:  The Greek word for “strife” means a quarrel, contention, or debate.  I believe many Christians today are striving.  They are contentiously debating the spirit of unbelief in our world.  They are contending for political power, and they are debating with evil.  They are trying to extinguish evil, even though Jesus said evil will increase until He comes again.  Strife is a barrier to love and forgiveness because if you enter into strife, your mind is set on the flesh which is death, instead of being set on the Spirit of God, which is life and peace (Romans 8:6).  We can love and forgive our opponents only if our mind is set on the Spirit.
4. Jealousy:  Jealousy is perhaps the most difficult deed of the flesh to discern because none of us wants to admit to being jealous.  Jealousy is resentment of a rival or a person enjoying success or wealth.  It can involve mental uneasiness due to fear of that rival.  Jealousy also means vigilance in maintaining or guarding something or someone.  For example, if we vigilantly guard our romantic relationship, we can become jealous.  Whatever we zealously desire or covet, we can become jealous over, and this deed of the flesh will block our ability to love and forgive.  James 3:16 teaches us: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”
5. Outbursts of Anger:  Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure or belligerence, which is normally a reaction to a wrong suffered or perceived.  It is difficult to love or forgive a person if you are angry.  Outbursts of anger can have devasting consequences.
6. Disputes, Dissensions, Factions:  Closely related to the strife we discussed earlier are disputes, dissensions, and factions.  We live in a nation and world that are becoming more divided.  This will continue as the antichrist spirit continues his work in these end times.  The Church is particularly susceptible to these deeds of the flesh as we are ourselves divided on many issues, and this hinders our ability to witness for the Gospel.  When we partake as individuals in disputes, dissensions, and factions, we make it more difficult to love and forgive because we are walking in the flesh.

So, how do we overcome these barriers to love and forgiveness?  We know we must because the scriptures tell us to love each other even as we disassociate with darkness.  Jesus told us we must forgive, or the Father will not forgive our transgressions.  Therefore, we cannot walk in the deeds of the flesh that prevent love and forgiveness.

The first step in overcoming these barriers is to realize that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of darkness.  Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:

 10 ¶ Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.]

 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Recognizing that you are in a spiritual battle requires discernment, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  Rely on the Lord to quicken your spirit in discerning, so you will not become angry against individuals (flesh and blood).

Second, understand what love is, and what it is not, as Paul defined it.

1^st Corinthians 13:

 4 ¶ Love is patient, love is kind, [and] is not jealous; love does not brag [and] is not arrogant,

 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong [suffered,]

 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Note the relationship between love and forgiveness in verse 5.  Love does not take into account a wrong suffered, i.e., love forgives.

And finally, our ability to overcome these barriers is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:9 “…you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you…”

Asking the Spirit of God to dwell in us will allow us to overcome our fleshly nature.  As we spend more time soaking in Him, we become more like Him, and we benefit from the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. (NASB)

Verses 24-25 tell us that we crucify the flesh by living and walking in the Spirit.  We cannot overcome the barriers to love and forgiveness in our own strength.  We must reach out to the Spirit of the Lord, spend time with Him, and receive His fruit, which includes love, peace, patience, gentleness, and self-control.  As we soak with Him, we also receive His dispensation of the gifts of wisdom and discernment.

In closing, we looked at Romans 12:2 last week which said: “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”  That transformation by the renewing of our minds comes only by soaking in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who communes with our spirit, which in turn renews our mind.  Our renewed mind is set on the Spirit and enjoys life and peace.  Our renewed mind is capable of love and forgiveness, while we avoid darkness.

Father God, thank You for teaching us the importance of loving others, even as we refuse to accept and fellowship with darkness.  We cry out today for the Spirit to draw us closer, that we might soak in Your presence and become more like You.  Help us to seek and receive the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.  We pray for the ability to overcome the barriers of idolatry, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, disputes, dissensions, and factions.  Help us to love and forgive, as Jesus did on the cross.  In His name we pray.  Amen.