We were listening to a well known evangelist on TV one Sunday
morning ultimately preaching from a very well known passage of Scriptures in Ephesians
2, but his sermon (not so much a message from the LORD, you know there is a
huge difference) came after about 70+ minutes of singing, sometimes singing the
same song over and over and faster and faster not to mention the singing for
the offering and praying for the sick. Now please do not get me wrong I am not
saying this young evangelist is a bad man or does not know what he is talking
about (well, maybe I am disappointed with the manipulation of his people), but
like most famous, denominational (and even most non-denominational) preachers,
teachers, and especially evangelists get our emotions involved, but seldom tell
us how or what we have to do in the LORD so that we can receive the outcome the
Scriptures are promising. After all, if it is in the Scriptures God must want
us to receive it or it would not be inspired by the Holy Spirit in the
Bible. I mean that would truly be awful of the LORD to say okay I want you to have
this gift or this blessing, but not tell us how to receive it. But, most
preachers, teachers, and evangelists who share along these lines come down on the
side of naming it and claiming the things of God. This evangelist was leading
prayer and claimed healing and deliverance for all of the people under the
sound of his voice. How do you do
that? How do you claim healing and deliverance
for people you do not even know? How can
you know God's will for these people in all of this? And no it is not God's
will for everyone to be in perfect health. I can find no verse in the Scriptures that
tells us how we can do this. Actually,
there is no verse in the Scriptures that tells us how to claim something from
God. My friend we cannot claim anything
in God all we receive from God must be received by faith and in gratitude. Does
God not know what He is doing? Thinking we can claim what we want from the LORD
is just open arrogance and pride. Who do we think we are to tell the LORD
anything? Who do we think we are to take
or claim something that is of the LORD even if He wants us to have it? Everything we get from the LORD is given to
us out from His love for us, even His discipline and correction, but I never
hear anyone pray for God's correction especially on TV. My friend even our
salvation is a free gift from God. We
cannot claim our salvation. If so, how can you do that? As a matter of fact the
word "claim" is found nowhere in the Scriptures of the KJV of the
Bible. Sadly at the heart of this wrong
teaching is wrong thinking which reflects a huge lack of faith and trust in
what God has said and already done. After all why have someone pray for you (what
the LORD has put in place in the Scriptures) when all you have to do is claim
your healing or deliverance? Again, I am
not beating up on the evangelist (well maybe some), but am just asking the obvious
question how do you do that? The evangelist went on and shared a tear jerking
story and read through an old very well known hymn (something to get his folks
emotions involved again) and then went to Ephesians. He read, For
by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that
we should walk in them."
(Ephesians 2:8-10) Now I really like these verses, but the
evangelist kind of twisted these verses to help make his point while missing
the truth in these verses. Oh yes, we
are
"saved through faith that not of
yourselves." Personally, I think these verses define salvation much
better than John 3:16, but I guess the Church at Ephesus had some members who
thought they were saved by their good works. Remember, when Paul talks about
certain issues or topics he is addressing the need for correction within the given
named local Body. Now here is where the
evangelist really got off track. He said the word
"workmanship" in verse 10 means masterpiece. Well, we are NOT God's masterpiece, He just
loves us more than the other creatures and Angels. Nothing can be so far from the truth. God's
masterpiece is His Son Jesus Christ in whom we are to be conformed into His
image and nature. When God made man He did not say man is My masterpiece. As a
matter of Scriptural record after God made the earth and the fullness (Genesis
1:31) He said it all was
"very
good," but when God made man He said no such words. And why? Man apart from the finished work of
Christ on the cross is desperately wicked and evil nothing good in him. In
Romans 7:18, Paul says,
"For I know that
in me (that is in with my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." But, I
wonder what
"good works"
Paul was thinking about in Ephesians 2:8-10? Maybe being ship wrecked, stoned,
naked, beaten, hungry, maybe time spent in the deep. Paul was saying we are God's work,
"His workmanship;" not the
church buildings, not the ministry, not the TV networks and social media, not
the services or the singing, nor all of the good things we do for the LORD. We
(you and me my brother or sister) are God's "beaustella" (means construction
in the German language) or we are God's construction. And created to
"good works." What
"good works?" We know they are NOT
"our works less any should boast" (verse nine). And Paul
could not have been talking about the good things God has for us to walk in.
This would be selfish, man-centered, and fleshly focused, but these
"good works" have been created
in Christ Jesus (in other words Christ Jesus originated or are found in Him) and
they have been
"ordained that we
should walk in them" since time eternal, before the foundations of the
world was laid. You know with the Chinese virus (COVID 19) and all of its
control, the cultural woke revolution, the social justice sham, and the
deterioration of the home, and so much more one of the most important areas of
life today that is lacking is peace. But, how can we claim peace? How do we do that? Our inner peace is important and is to be
treasured, guarded, and maintained. It can be hard not to react when we see or
hear things happening, yet how essential we set aside our own reactions and
come to a place of quietness that we might seek the heart of God instead. In
peace there is healing. From a place of peace, we can more easily find
direction. In peace there is quietness and rest. In peace there is victory! How
can we claim the peace of God that passes all understanding? And yet knowing as
I become peaceful I can better find my position in Christ and have a greater
impact. In Micah it says God has showed
us NOT we have claimed that which is required of man, He hath shewed thee, O man, what good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do
justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) Now for us to live this way is our own
decision, contingent only on our own heart condition and the LORD living within
us. It does not say if people are kind or deserving we can claim these things, oh
no my friend we are just to behave (be good, do justly, love mercy, and walk
humbly) this way as God works in our lives. Our holiness is developed in us
as we allow God's work in us. Who I
am is not defined by what others do! I am who I am by the grace of God and the
daily choices that I make! You know we live with a present purpose and a future
hope. The choices we make and the ways we decide to walk in peace may not seem
to have much bearing on anything we perceive today, but they are forming who we
are and will be in eternity. These choices also have a present impact, perhaps
more than we realize at times. May we be carriers of God’s light, carriers of
His peace and presence. We get this not by wishing or claiming, but submitting
to the LORD's dealings and judgments in our lives whereby He can conform us
into the character and image of His dear Son Jesus Christ.You see, the wrong thinking of claiming the
things of God by-passes God's work in our lives and those "good works" which Paul knew about quite well. My friend
may we be ambassadors for healing, for peace. And may we do what is right
ourselves. May we be merciful toward others. May we walk humbly before God. What is the LORD doing in these last days you
would ask? Well, the LORD is raising up
a people to be carriers of His presence, those who will reflect His light and
help bring healing and love to others who are hurting. And you know my friend
you cannot claim that. No matter what happens, may we always lift our hearts
upward that we might be prepared to reach outward, should opportunity come. Written by David Stahl
