Tag Archives: Jesus is my Life

Being Indestructible

28 Monday Jun 2021

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I am going to tell you a story about cactus.  I should not be able to share the photo at the top of this post because the cactus pictured here should be dead.  Instead, it has filled the pot it’s planted in and looks as if it longs to take over the entire backyard.

My mother found this cactus when she accompanied my stepfather on a fishing trip.  The road they were driving down had been graded and the cactus lay along the side, uprooted and left to die.  My Mom-very carefully-picked it up, put it in a box, brought it home, and promptly forgot about it.  It lay in the box for months until she re-discovered it and planted it in the pot to see if it would survive.  Some bits did die but the rest not only survived, it thrived.  It has filled not one but three pots and delights us with the beautiful blooms.

We have feral cats in our neighborhood and they have chosen to use our backyard as their toilet.  We have tried various deterrents but they would just move from one toilet spot to another.  They were beginning to use the space behind our tree and so, about a month ago, my stepfather when out and-very carefully-trimmed off some pieces of cactus which he scattered on the ground around the tree.  Bits of the cactus were once more left to die.

They did not.  They did not need careful planting.  They did not need watering.  They took root, righted themselves, and, though separated from their source still in the pot; bloomed right alongside.  While a bit concerned that it has been set free from the confines of the pot, I can’t help but admire the tenacity of this spiny little plant.  As I consider it, I learn two lessons.

Lesson One has to do with the ground. I have not carefully examined the cactus for sharp pokey reasons.  Perhaps it hasn’t actually rooted.  Perhaps it has bloomed because of the life that was in it from when it was joined to the parent plant still rooted in the pot.  Perhaps, as time passes and it remains cut off from that life; it will use up the vestiges, wither, and die. This reminds me of the Parable of the Sower, specifically the seed that immediately sprang up but had no root and withered away (Matthew 13:5-6).  Whether or not a believer is vitally connected to the life of Jesus is a truth that cannot but manifest itself.  There may be lovely full blooms at the moment but without being rooted deep into His life, those blooms can’t be sustained.  They will wither and die. My highest priority is to keep myself in Him so that He can ensure I am good ground and His Life within me flourishes.

Lesson Two has to do with roots. Perhaps the cactus has rooted and it will continue to bloom for many more seasons.  Despite the intentions of those who tore it from the ground or cut it and scattered it, it has put down roots and is thriving.  I may be pushing the metaphor here but, in this tenacity, I see a picture not only of the strength but the quality of our lives in Christ Jesus. 1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”  The Amplified has “…what an incredible quality of love”.  I have heard Malcolm Smith speak on this passage and he likens this love of The Father to finding an orchid growing within the Arctic Circle.  It’s an impossible kind of love but yet here it is: we see it in Jesus.

Jesus gives a beautiful description of Himself in Revelation 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”  I realize this is highly symbolic language yet I like thinking of Jesus as The Root.  The source of my life is The Root.

This being so, what is there to fear? It doesn’t matter if the circumstances of my life are such that it appears my life couldn’t possibly bear fruit.  I died and my life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).  He is The Root and there is nothing in this world that can separate me from Him.  The Father abides in Jesus, Jesus abides in me, and I abide in Him (John 15, John 17:23).  It’s an impossible love.  It’s an impossible life.  It’s indestructible (Hebrews 7:16, NAS) and here it is blooming where it is least expected.

Unless noted otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

Fruit of the Spirit-Self-Control

07 Monday Jun 2021

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“But of the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” Galatians 5:22-23

I must admit I dislike the translators’ choice of “self-control” in this passage.  The King James has “temperance” which I don’t find to be any better of a translation than “self-control”.  Knowing this final item in the Apostle Paul’s list pertains to the Holy Spirit, I was looking for a word that reflected action of the Holy Spirit rather than action on the part of the human.  Regardless of what translation I looked at, I didn’t find it.

Looking into the Greek was very little help.  The word is egkrateia (G1466) and carries the definition of self-control.  Strong’s Concordance pointed me to egkrates (G1468) which means “strong in a thing”.  I can see being strong in the Spirit as a meaning here but it isn’t the only meaning and I don’t want to bend this definition to fit what I believe it should say.  I am not ever looking to do that.  I want to know the truth of Jesus.  I don’t want to study to reinforce what I think.  The definitions in Strong’s point to the word here meaning self-control, self-mastery, being in strength, having dominion.  The meaning does appear to be mastery over one’s self.

And yet, as I continued my study using different Bible Dictionaries, I found the writers thought it was obvious that the self-control mentioned in this passage was a work of the Holy Spirit.  Vine’s Expository Dictionary says, “The various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God.”1  Hastings’ Bible Dictionary says, “From the NT point of view, the grace of ‘self-control’ is the result of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling; it is the Spirit-controlled personality alone that is ‘strengthened with power’ (Eph 316 cf. 518) to control rebellious desires and to resist the allurements of tempting pleasures.”2   At the conclusion of the entry on temperance, Hastings’ Dictionary says, “The flesh triumphs when the Spirit is quenched; but the Spirit’s victory is gained, not by suppressing, but by controlling the flesh.  Those who are ‘led by the Spirit’ who ‘live by the Spirit’ and ‘by the Spirit also walk’ attain, in its perfection, the grace of complete ‘self-control”.3

It is this last quote that has arrested me.  It got me thinking about the difference between suppressing and controlling the flesh.  By suppressing it, isn’t it controlled?  Aren’t I saying the same thing just using different words?  I admit, I was confused.  That is, until I had an experience that helped me see the difference.

I’ve mentioned good works in earlier posts and the difference between doing works for Jesus and doing works out of the flow of the life of Jesus.  This doesn’t mean I don’t expect opposition and obstacles-I see these things as opportunities for growth-and they do not prevent me from pursuing the calling placed in my heart.  Then, last week, circumstances changed and it became impossible for me to pursue that calling.  I was confused, bitterly disappointed, and shed quite a few tears but there was nothing for it but to do what had been put in my hand to do.  I did not want to do it and yet there was an awareness deep inside, a knowing that yes, this is what I was meant to do in this moment. 

This knowing did not stop my mind from erupting in outright rebellion.  My thoughts did remind me, I’m sad to say, of a temper tantrum.  They were all negative and geared to make me doubt my own relationship with Jesus and ability to hear His voice.  After all, if I had really heard and was really walking and living in His Spirit, my circumstances would look a lot different, wouldn’t they?  Since I had so obviously failed God, I should give up entirely.  I had no control over the thoughts swirling in my mind.  I could answer them and did so but was in a fight.  If I had continued to attempt to control my thoughts on my own, I would have ended in a terrible state.  Rather, I labored to enter into the rest of, no matter what happened even in the next minute, I would rest in the knowledge that right now I was doing what my Lord wanted me to do. 

I am quoting Hebrews 4:11 and the word for labor (spoudazo G4704) means to hurry, hasten. When I engaged my negative thoughts on my own, I found my response was equally negative, even when I used the word of God.  Once I stopped fighting in my own strength and submitted to the plan of God for me in that moment, all those swirling thoughts stopped.  In the rest of Jesus, the power of His Spirit, I had self-control.  I ended up having an enjoyable day.  I don’t have any idea why the day happened the way it did because I wasn’t aware of any great Spiritual Happenings but I figure that’s up to Jesus.  I don’t doubt I’ve only begun to learn lessons from that experience but I know one is, when I hasten to enter His rest, I immediately experience His peace. The battle truly belongs to Him.

I am reminded of Romans 7 and Galatians 5.  In his letter to the Galatians the Apostle Paul says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Verse 17).  In Romans 7, Paul says, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Verses 22-24)

At best, I can make good choices and suppress my flesh.  It might look like self-control and self-mastery but I have no power to stop my flesh from wanting to do a thing, I can only choose not to do it.  My self-control is never perfect.  Am I then doomed to this double existence?  Do I have nothing more to look forward to but endless warfare between the Spirit and the flesh?

“But!” Paul says in Galatians 5 and then contrasts the works of the flesh with the works of the Spirit.  He then says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Verse 25).  “I thank God!” Paul says in Romans 7.  “Through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Verse 25) No! The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.  I am, in all things, made more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (Romans 8:37, paraphrased).  Jesus forming His life in me is a process, I don’t deny that, but He who began a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).  I say along with the Apostle Paul, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). 

Even so, Come Lord Jesus. 

Amen.

Unless notes otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

  1. Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville Tennessee, 1997, Temperance, Temperate, Page 1126
  2. Hastings, James, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 2001, Temperance, Page 897
  3. Hastings, James, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 2001, Temperance, Page 898

Fruit of the Spirit-Gentleness

24 Monday May 2021

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness” Galatians 5:22-23

The New King James Version I quote from most often has “gentleness” in this passage but I am used to hearing and quoting “meekness”.  “Gentleness” is without doubt a more positive word choice but it is “meekness” I find in the King James and Amplified versions.  It is the word I find most interesting in this list of Spirit Fruit because it is the one that carries the most negative connotation.

What do you think of when you think of meekness?  I mentioned in an earlier post how literature forms my understanding of words and, thinking on books I’ve read, I cannot think of one time where a character was described as “meek” and it was meant to be positive.  A “meek” character is a “weak” character and is someone to be mocked rather than emulated.  This cannot be what the Bible means.  Moses is called “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3, KJV) and I do not read of a weak man in his story.  Jesus calls Himself “meek and lowly of heart” (Matthew 11:29, KJV) and I do not read of a weak man in the gospels.  If Jesus were weak, spiritless, spineless, and easily imposed on-all words I’ve found used to define meek-He would have been no threat to the rulers of His day.

I did hope the dictionary definitions would help clarify the meaning of meek for me but they did not.  The New World Dictionary gives the first definition of meek as 1, patient and mild; not inclined to anger and resentment and then 2, too submissive, easily imposed on; spineless, spiritless.  Webster’s give me “humble and patient, submissive”; not necessarily a negative attribute of a weak character but not necessarily positive either. 

Looking at the Greek was also of little help.  The Greek word for meekness in the Galatians passage is praotes (G4236) and the Strong’s Concordance defines it as, “gentleness, humility, meekness.”  None of the related words, praos (G4235), praus (G4239), and prautes (G4240) offered any enlightenment.  The definitions do not go beyond “gentle, gentleness, humble, humility, meek, meekness.”  Not a great deal of new information here so I went to my reference materials.

Unger’s Bible Dictionary defined meekness as, “…in the scriptural sense is an inwrought grace of the soul and the exercises of it are first and chiefly toward God” and then quotes Trench’s Synonyms saying, “The Greek term ‘expresses that temper or spirit in which we accept his dealings with us without disputing and resisting; and it is loosely lined with humility and follows close upon it (Eph. 4:2, Col 3:13) because it is only the humble heart which is also the meek, and which, as such, does not fight against God.”

The Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines meekness in a similar way.  The entry for MEEK, MEEKNESS says: “PRAUTES, or PRAOTES, an earlier form, denotes meekness.  In its use in Scripture in which it has a fuller, deeper significance than in non-scriptural Greek writings, it consists not in a person’s outward behavior only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow men; as little in his mere natural disposition.  Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly towards God.  It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting”.

The Vine’s Expository Dictionary did not care for “gentleness” as a definition for meekness neither did it suggest prautes/praotes had any inference of weakness: “The meaning of prautes is not readily expressed in English, for the terms meekness, mildness, commonly used, suggest weakness…whereas prautes does nothing of the kind…’gentleness’ has been suggested but as prautes describes a condition of mind and heart,  and as ‘gentleness’ is appropriate rather to actions, this word is no better than that used in both English Versions.” 

While none of these entries gave me a clear idea what meekness means, I did begin to see a pattern emerge.  I found that I was defining meekness for myself as submission to God, but a submission flowing from relationship.  I looked to the lives of Moses and Jesus to see if this definition held and I believe it does.

There is a beautiful statement expressing the relationship between Moses and God in Exodus 33:11; “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”  Moses’ story is full of speaking to God, listening to God speak, and then obeying: relationship.  And yet, Moses’ didn’t always obey.  The word of the Lord came to him to speak to the rock and instead Moses struck it.  This disobedience cost him the Promised Land (Numbers 20).  Moses’ story is one of a mighty man and one of an incredible relationship with God, and yet this relationship was not perfect: something more was needed.

Jesus is the example of perfect submission and obedience to God.  He says of Himself, ““For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49) and also “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19).  John 5: 20 says, “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”  Jesus was submitted to His Father because of love even though that love took Him to the cross.

I would encourage the reading of the stories of Jesus’ arrest: Matthew 26: 50-57 (especially verse 53), Mark 14: 43-50, Luke 22: 47-54, and John 18: 3-12 (especially verse 6).  There isn’t space in this post to go into why the cross and why God didn’t/couldn’t choose another way to deal with sin but I hope you can see reading these passages that nothing happened that Jesus didn’t anticipate and allow.  He was submitted to His Father’s will and He was anything but weak.

With Jesus’ Spirit within us, we have His same love relationship to the Father. His Spirit at work in us means we can keep ourselves in perfect submission and obedience to the voice of The Father.  This obedience is always our choice and I don’t pretend it’s easy.  His voice is at odds with the voices we hear in the world.  There are so many demands for our attention, time, and activity.  Good works need to be done and we’re the ones who need to be doing them.  But, our ears are inclined toward the voice of Our Father, we must be about His business, and we only do what we see the Father doing.

“Spineless,” the world calls us.  “Spiritless.”  “Weak.”  These words hurt, especially when they come from someone close to us.  We know we are none of these things in Christ Jesus: we are meek.  One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 30:15: “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ But you would not.”

I will.  His Spirit within me strengthens me to choose Him as Jesus chose Him and the cry of my heart becomes, “I delight to do your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8)!

Amen.

Unless notes otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

References:

The Comparative Study Bible, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1984

Guralnik, David B., The New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, William Collins + World Publishing Company, Cleveland • New York, 1976

Strong, James, LLD., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1982, Page 709

Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1997, Pages 727-728

Webster’s New Reference Library: An Encyclopedia of Dictionaries, Webster’s New Dictionary of the English Language, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1984 

Fruit of the Spirit-Longsuffering

19 Monday Apr 2021

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is…longsuffering” Galatians 5:22

Longsuffering made for an interesting study.  I’m an avid reader and I can’t count how many times I’ve read the phrase, “a longsuffering sigh.”  To me, longsuffering carries the connotation of deep sighs, eye rolls, biting one’s tongue, and attempting to control one’s temper.  Longsuffering does not immediately equal fruit of the Spirit in my mind. 

Different translations of the Bible translate this word in different ways.  The King James has “longsuffering” while the Amplified has “patience” and expands that with “even temper, forbearance”.  Both the New American Standard and New International have “patience” while my New International Version Journal Bible has “forbearance”.  I can’t say forbearance is any more appealing to me than longsuffering and neither is patience, really.  I can’t shake the feeling of negativity associated with these words.  Whenever I think of longsuffering, forbearance, and patience; I picture someone stiff, almost frowning.  Why?

I find the beginning of an answer to that in The New World Dictionary’s entry for patience.  After the definition, I found a section on synonyms which states: patience implies the bearing of suffering, provocation, delay, tediousness, etc. with calmness and self-control…endurance stresses the capacity to bear suffering or hardship…forbearance implies restraint under provocation or a refraining from retaliation for a wrong…stoicism suggest such endurance of suffering without flinching as to indicate an almost austere indifference to pain or pleasure.

Austere is a good word and that helps me to understand what I’m picturing.  While I read the words patience, longsuffering, forbearance, I am actually thinking stoicism.  This is why I find study so necessary to my Christian life.  I bring preconceived meanings to scripture when I read it and I often find words do not mean what I think they mean.  I did not find any surprises in the definitions for the Greek word translated patience but was able to begin looking at it in a different way.  I did unearth some buried treasure as I dug deeper into the word which I’ll get to in a moment.

Impatience is something I struggle with.  I did not think my struggle was having patience with people although, while conducting this study, I am thinking the Holy Spirit does have some work yet to do in this arena.  I do struggle with being patient with God’s process.  It takes such a long time.  There have been many times I have been frustrated with God because His will is that I know him, my will is that I know Him, let’s get on with it!  Zero to Overcomer in less than 60 seconds.  He is not a God of the Zaps.  No, He is a God of process.  (See 2 Corinthians 3:18)

One of the most difficult words I receive from my Heavenly Father is “Wait.  Be still.”  It is especially difficult when I’ve been waiting years for some answers and His response is still “Wait.  Be Still.”  Obedience to My Father can become a burden rather than my delight and I am relieved when I realize patience is something that flows out of His life within me because it is not something I am capable of having on my own. 

The meanings of “wait” and “be still” are a help to patience bearing fruit.  “Wait” and “Be still” are not commands to thumb-twiddling.  The “wait” as in “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14) is the Hebrew word qavah (H6960) and means “to bind together by twisting, to expect”.  “Be still” as in “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is the Hebrew word raphah (H7503) and means “slacken, abate, cease…let alone…be slothful”.  That does sound a bit like thumb-twiddling but that’s not the picture I see.  I see a letting go of my need for things to happen in my NOW and, instead, I focus on entering into Jesus’ rest.  I choose to look at the waiting time as opportunity to be knit together with Jesus through the work of His Spirit and the time is not spent in idleness.  I see that patience is not passive, neither is it stoic.

Now, for the buried treasure:

I tracked the Greek word for patience (makrothumia G3115) to its root words and found makros (G3117) and thumos (G2372).  Under Strong’s entry for thumos was the suggestion to compare with 5590.  I did so and found 5590 in the Strong’s concordance is the Greek psuche.  There is a long line of definitions for psuche but, put simply, it means breath.  This struck me because of how closely an even temper and patience is associated with the breath.  Even as I read the entry, I couldn’t help taking a deep breath.  I caught myself doing it and thought, “That’s exactly what I do when I’m keeping my temper.”

I recently completed a round of Physical Therapy and my therapist wanted me to focus on diaphragmatic breathing.  She told me I could do a lot for pain management if I focused on my breath.  I remembered that as I was struck by the connection between breath and patience.  I can change what’s happening in my body and how I’m feeling by changing my breath.  When it comes to fruit of the Spirit like patience, it isn’t my breath I need.

1 Corinthians 15: 45 says, “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”  The word for “being” is sometimes translated “soul” and is the Greek word psuche.  Genesis 2:7 tells me how this was done: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”  Jesus breathed on the apostles after His resurrection and then said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).  The word used for the Holy Spirit is pneuma (G4151) and, while it doesn’t mean exactly the same thing as psuche, it does carry the meaning of breath.

The Newsboys have a song titled “Father, Blessed Father” on their album Adoration.  The song contains the lyrics, “Breathe on me, Breathe Oh breath of God.  Breathe on me, ‘til my heart is new.”  That is my prayer as I wrap up this study and walk into a new week.  Breathe on me, Oh Spirit of the Living God.  Be my very breath. Create in me a clean heart and may your patience bear fruit in my life.

Amen.

References:

Unless notes otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

The Comparative Study Bible, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1984

Guralnik, David B., Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd Edition, William Colling + World Publishing Company, 1976

Strong, James, LLD., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1990

Testing the Spirits-Part Two

22 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by in Walking in the Way

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Revelation 1:8 records Jesus saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  J. Preston Eby has a teaching series on the Book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ called “From the Candlestick to the Throne” and Part Ten is entitled “Who Is and Was and Is to Come”.  In Part Ten, Mr. Eby shares a different interpretation of 1 John 4:1-4.  Mr. Eby begins in 1 John 2:22-23: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”  Mr. Eby states 1 John 4 is an elaboration of these verses and says:

“These verses have a deeper meaning!  They are not speaking of the fact of Jesus Christ having lived on earth as a man.  Almost anyone will admit that!  But the profound truth which all of popular religion has missed, is the fact of the Christ actually coming into this flesh, my flesh, your flesh, and becoming an eternal and inseparable part of us!  Millions confess Him who was, but very few in this dark age confess Him who is!…“…ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the antichrists): because GREATER IS HE THAT I-S IN YOU (your flesh), THAN HE THAT I-S IN THE WORLD” (I Jn. 4:3-4).”1

I had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction when I read this.  The spirit of Antichrist?  In churches?  In me?  Is such a thing possible?  Years ago I read studies on the book of Revelation which taught the Rapture and The Antichrist.  Further study had me looking at how John used the word “antichrist” in his letter and I learned it had to mean more than an Antichrist rising in the last days because there were already “many antichrists” when John wrote his letter (1 John 2:18).  There was nothing I could find that suggests John was writing about a period of time thousands of years in the future.  Therefore, he was aware of many antichrists at work while he was alive and writing and his letter makes clear how to recognize these spirits. 

I haven’t looked at, or really thought about these passages in 1 John in years; not until they surfaced in my mind after listening to the video.  This along with Mr. Eby’s interpretation made me think I need to take another look at what the spirit of antichrist really means and what John meant when he said to “test the spirits”.

The Dictionary of New Testament Theology says, “the prep. anti originally meant “in the place of” and then “against”.2   Another source stated: “Antichristos can mean either against Christ or instead of Christ, or perhaps, combining the two, “one who, assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ’ (Westcott)”3   Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament has, “Antichrist: it may mean one who stands against Christ or one who stands instead of Christ…John never uses the word pseudochristos false Christ. While the false Christ is merely a pretender to the Messianic office, the Antichrist “assails Christ by proposing to do or to preserve what He did while denying Him.”4

I looked up anti in my Webster’s and found: “Anti: a person opposed to some policy, proposal, action etc.,…opposed; against facing, opposite, near, against, hostile to 2. That counteracts, that operates against, 3. That prevents, cures, or neutralizes”.5   Unger’s Bible Dictionary says, “The Greek preposition ‘anti, in composition, sometimes denotes substitution, taking the place of another; hence, “false Christ.”  The connection in which the word is used appears to import opposition, covert rather than avowed, with a professed friendliness.”6

Mr. Eby also writes, “Would God that Christians could be awakened to the glory of Him who is!…Truly, Christ in us is our only hope of glory!  HE IS the glory!  But antichrist will hear of no such hope of glory.  His hope does not rest wholly in the Christ within, but in his own ability and works, his own faithfulness or endurance.  He is cluttered about with laws, regulations, creeds, ordinances, observances, rituals, ceremonies, programs, traditions, and religious exercises of this order and that, all of which are designed to assure his right standing with God.  He is thus denying the Father and the Son, for the living Christ alone is not his life!”7

I think I understand what Mr. Eby is saying and I cannot disagree.  I’ve experienced a neutralized Christian life inside religious systems.  I have been in places where I was offered “in the place of”: program involvement, more Bible reading, more prayer, etc.  I knew Jesus lived in me: He’d come into my heart when I first believed and said the sinner’s prayer.  I could rest assured I would escape judgement and hell and would go to heaven when I died.  Until then, I was to attend a church and, if my life was a barren, dusty, thirsty place…there wasn’t an answer for that.  Where were the fountains of living waters the Spirit was supposed to be to me?

I cannot remember attending a church where the message was Jesus is my life NOW!  Christ, in me, my hope of Glory!  I think the reason for that is I rarely heard about the Holy Spirit.  I’d been baptized in the Holy Spirit but now I was on my own.  Nobody taught me exactly why I’d been baptized in the Spirit except now I could pray in tongues and that’s how I was supposed to pray when I couldn’t think of my own words.  There had to be something more.  How I thank God for the discontent that drove me to keep searching for the life the writers of the New Testament insisted I could have, the life Jesus promised I could have!  No rules and regulations: relationship with the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit.  Eternal life.  (See John 17:3) 

Is this sidelining of the Holy Spirit the spirit of antichrist?  I don’t know.  I’ve always believed the spirit of antichrist was a deliberate denial of Jesus Christ and I never experienced that.  On the contrary; I knew earnest, seeking people who loved Jesus.  Only, no one seemed to expect anything in Christ beyond what we had.  It’s a subject I’ll have to study more but it does bring me to my third litmus test: what is being said about the Holy Spirit?  More specifically, what is being said about His work in the lives of believers NOW!  It is a sad fact but this third test is where I find I cannot follow a teacher.  In Galatians 5:25, Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  To which I add a resounding Amen.

  1. Eby, Preston J., Kingdom Bible Studies, From the Candlestick to the Throne, Who Is and Was and Is to Come, Part 10
  2. Brown, Colin, Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 1., Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975, Antichrist, Page 124
  3. Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, Pages 53-54
  4. Vincent, Marvin R., D.D., Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament Volume II, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts, 1 John, Page 337
  5. Guralnik, David B., Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, William Collins + The World Publishing company, 1976, Page 59 
  6. Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1982, Page 68
  7. Eby, Preston J., Kingdom Bible Studies, From the Candlestick to the Throne, Who Is and Was and Is to Come, Part 10