Pastors Blog

Habitual Sin and the Christian

In Greek class we were discussing the Middle/Passive form of the verb and looking at 1 John 3:9. I know I started speaking grammar, but don’t let that intimidate you, the truth we learned from this passage is incredible. Our major translations in English make the statement “and he cannot sin” as active; the one born from God is the one inhibiting the ability for that saint to habitually sin; however, the form of the verb is middle or passive so it actually cannot be translated that way.

Quick grammar lesson.

Middle is a voice in Greek that does not exist in English and means the subject is not only producing the action of the verb, but also receiving the action. We would express a similar idea with “he did this for himself (or his own benefit)”; although that is a bit more reflective than middle voice.

Passive means that the action of the verb is being acted upon the subject.

To justify an active translation on a middle/passive form of Greek, some grammarians have come up with the concept of a “deponent verb” in error. A deponent verb is a verb that never occurs in Scripture in an active form, but these grammarians think that it should be translated as active. This not only violates the normal grammar of the Kione Greek, it is actually unsupported when you examine the words they think must be translated as active, even though their form is passive or middle. Without justifiable evidence to show that in the original language exceptions were made on a regular basis by using the wrong form of a verb to express an idea that is not inherent to its form, […]

Habitual Sin and the Christian2023-12-14T11:21:18-08:00

Communicating our Needs and Desires to the Father

One of the ways we communicate with the Father is to make a request on our behalf or for the benefit of another.

To Receive What You Ask for, we are to ask according to His desirous will

And this is the confidence which we have towards Him, that if, perhaps, we ask, as a lessor to a greater, something according to His desirous will, He hears us. And if, perhaps, we intuitively know that He hears us, that which perhaps we asked for ourselves we intuitively know that we will have the thing asked for which we ask from Him, 1 John 5:14 – 16

We are to ask in faith

Taking God at His word. He states that if we ask according to His desirous will we will have what we have requested.

When asking for wisdom Scripture states  …but let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the doubting one yields as a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed, James 1:6

 God is able to provide beyond what we could even consider possible. God spoke the universe into existence, what could you possibly ask that is beyond His natural ability to perform?

Now to the one having the natural ability to do exceedingly above all things which we ask for ourselves or think, according to the natural ability, the one working in us, Ephesians 3:20

Notice: No response from God is not an answer to your request, it means He did not hear you.

Why Do we Ask but not Receive?

We ask so that we can freely spend it according to our own pleasures

You ask and you do not receive, because you ask incorrectly, in order that you […]

Communicating our Needs and Desires to the Father2023-12-14T11:21:48-08:00

The Battle for the Mind

The Battle is for the Mind, it is not a Physical Battle

… because we do not wrestle against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of darkness of this age, against spiritual malignant evil in the heavens, Ephesians 6:12

Satan’s methodologies:

  • Independence from God, 1 Corinthians 10:31
  • Disappointment, Job 3:1-13
  • Discouragement, Job 19:1-19
  • Bitterness, Job 7:11; 10:1
  • Doubt, Romans 14:23
  • Spiritual Cowardice, John 18:17,25,27
  • Lying, Acts 5:1-4
  • Pride, 1 Timothy 6:4
  • An Unforgiving spirit, 2 Corinthians 2:10,11
  • Stealing, Ephesians 4:27-30
  • Corrupt Communication, Ephesians 4:27-30
  • Spiritual laziness, 1 Timothy 5:11-15
  • Gossip, 1 Timothy 5:11-15
  • Busybody, 1 Timothy 5:11-15.

Our Defense – The Armor from God

The whole armor from God needs to be put on only when under attack, Ephesians 6:13.

  1. Protect the sensitive parts of your mind with the truth, Ephesians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:13.
  2. Breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
  3. Feet made ready with the Gospel of Peace, Ephesians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
  4. The shield of faith – taking God at His Word, Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:1.
  5. The helmet of salvation, Ephesians 6:17; Ephesians 2:8.
  6. The sword belonging to the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17; 2 Peter 3:2.

Putting on the Armor from God is a mental process by which we take elements from our position in Christ and our salvation and use them in defense against a mindset that is manipulated by Satan or his demons. Satan casts thoughts at the Christian in an attempt for that saint to accept Satan’s desires as his or her own. In addition, Satan can manipulate circumstance to allow for a better mental condition in which the saint is more likely to accept one of his desires as his or her own […]

The Battle for the Mind2023-12-14T11:22:06-08:00
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