Tag Archives: God the Father

The Abundant Life – #3 – The Separated Life

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The separated life is simultaneously positive and negative.  The old adage – “be in the world, but not of the world,” was derived from the topic of this article.  

Romans 1:1

 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. . .

Read that carefully!  We are to be “separated unto the gospel of God”!  This is  POSITIVE SEPARATION.

2 Corinthians 6:17

 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

We must come out of ANYTHING that is contrary to the perfect will of God. This is NEGATIVE SEPARATION.

FOR THE BELIEVER – TO BE SEPARATED –  MEANS TO BE SANCTIFIED (SET APART) FOR SALVATION AND SERVICE

1. The Word of God has the power to separate the believer from sin.  John 17:17 – Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.  Ps. 119:11 –   Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

2. God the Father has the power to separate the believer unto the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thess. 5:23 – And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. God the Son has the power to separate the believer unto righteousness, “not having spot, or wrinkle.”  Eph. 5: 24,27 –  

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; 

26 That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,

27 That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

4. God the Holy Spirit has the power to separate the believer unto salvation and service.  2 Thess. 2:13 –  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

If we are not separated, we can still have a relationship with God, but we can not have fellowship with Him.  This is the problem of the dominant church spirit at this time – Laodicea.  The majority of churches are now so closely allied with the world, there is no fellowship with God.  They may be united with Him at Calvary, but separated from Him in sin.  

Isaiah 59:1-2

59 Behold, the Lord‘s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

Without separation we can have:

  • Influence without power
  • Movement without achievement
  • Trying without trusting
  • Serving without success
  • Spiritual battle without victory

WITHOUT SEPARATION UNTO GOD – OUR ENTIRE CHRISTIAN WALK WILL BE “WOOD, HAY, AND STUBBLE.” 

THE TRULY ABUNDANT LIFE IS ONLY MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST – MADE REALITY BY SEPARATION UNTO HIM. 

God the Father – #2 – The Personality of God

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The Bible reveals God as a “personality” to us.  As the “living and true God,” He demonstrates self -consciousness and self-determination.  Mankind, made in God’s image, also possesses these qualities.  Animals do not.  Science fiction fantasies such as “Blade Runner,” and “The Terminator,” suggest that at some point – computers will become self-aware. This is not likely to happen – despite the best efforts of science and the “singularity” agenda.  The soul of man was “breathed” into Adam directly from God – and cannot be simulated. 

God’s personality is revealed through what he does

  • God loves.  John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
  • God hates.  Prov. 6:16,19 –16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
  • God cares.  1 Pet.5:7 – Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
  • God grieves.  Gen.6:6 –  And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.

With all the different things in this world that people worship – money, fame, technology, houses, jobs, status, jewelry, etc…how it must hurt the LORD when objects are placed before Him in our hearts.  Appliances and even automobiles that respond and interact with people are contained only in the imaginations of  science fiction and New Age authors.  Programmed responses from “smart” technology is not a relationship.  When the advances are made in science to the point of merging man, machine, animal – and quite possibly fallen angels,  in laboratories  – these entities will not be human beings made in the image of God.  Only a personality can love, hate, care, grieve and have relationships.  God must be a living, eternal, and personal being. 

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

King James Version (KJV)

9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

10 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

He is life, and therefore, the only source of life

water in a weary land

John 5:26                                   

King James Version (KJV)

For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself

God the Father – #1- The Existence of God

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God is the only Infinite and Eternal Being – having no beginning and no end – the Creator and Sustainer of all things. 

The Bible nowhere attempts to prove or argue the existence of God.  God’s existence is a fact taken for granted by the writers of both the old and new testaments.

The Bible opens by announcing the sublime fact of God and His eternal existence – “In the beginning God,” Gen. 1:1 

  • Universal belief in God comes from within mankind.  It is an innate belief, sourced from rational intuition.
  • The cause and effect argument – Everything that began owes its existence to a cause – we have a watch – we must have a watchmaker.  The Creation could not have come into being without a creator, no more than a book can be produced from the alphabet without an author.
  • Via anthropology – man’s moral and intellectual nature argues for a moral and intellectual creator.
  • The Bible and the Christ it reveals – His Virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death and bodily resurrection, and documented miracles – all argue for the existence of God. 

Man is natural and cannot know God by wisdom. The Bible argues for our faith in God – not His existence.  It says in multiple places that those who do not believe in the existence of God are fools, because He is so obvious. 

Job 11:7

King James Version (KJV)

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

old bible

Hebrews 11:6

King James Version (KJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

The phrase highlighted in red above is pivotal. “he that cometh to God must believe that He is,” is imperative.  This is the free will that He gave to us – we must decide, and then choose Him.