How do you perceive your relationship with God? Did you know that your faith depends on how you perceive your relationship with God? A person may have no trouble believing God's Word when it tells us that we have authority to lay hands on the sick, and see them recover, but where that person may have a struggle, is when they doubt their worthiness to walk in such manifestation of God's Spirit. If a person has a problem with feeling worthy, then they need to understand the power of the Blood of Jesus, and what difference it makes to their relationship with God.
It is absolutely essential that you perceive your relationship as if it were washed clean with the Blood of Jesus. God's Word tells us that if we walk in the light, then the Blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from all our failures along the way:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
Are you walking in the light and forgiving / loving one another as Christ has loved you? If so, then your under the constant protection of the Blood of Jesus, which washes away your failures. It is no ticket to continue living in sin, but it is an opportunity to grow in Christ.
Perceiving your relationship with God depends on how seriously you take what He says about your being made right with Him through faith in Christ Jesus. If He says that the Blood of Christ has washed away your sins, but you still see yourself as guilty and shameful, then you're not really standing on that promise in His Word. You're not taking what God says seriously, and therefore it is causing you to see your relationship with Him in a way which is not true. Such perceptions greatly affect our faith.
It is one of Satan's biggest lies that he tells the children of God that even if God isn't "angry" with them, he wants them to feel in some way, that they have failed God and now He isn't as thrilled about them as He once was. God's Word tells us how His heart is towards those who repent and turn back to Him. If you question God's heart towards the repentant backslider, then you need to read the entire chapter of Luke 15, where Jesus uses a parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, to illustrate the heart of the Father towards those who return to Him. Although I highly recommend reading the entire chapter, here's a few verses I want to point out:
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:20-24
That is just ONE passage in scripture that shows the heart of God towards those who are coming back to Him with a repentant heart - there are MANY other examples in scripture! Jeremiah 3:11-22 is another great passage. Some people feel that God is a cruel distant taskmaster, because He would allow His people (the Israelites) to come under heavy oppression and slavery. This is a perfect example of not considering God's side of the story - the Israelites were some of the most rebellious people we find in scripture. They were even slaughtering their own children for the sake of demons! If you study the Bible about the rebellion of the Israelites, you'll see WHY God allowed them to come under such heavy oppression. God's Word also tells us of His lovingkindness and mercy side towards those who turn to Him and who fear (respect & honor) Him.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.... For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psalms 103:8,11
Psalms 145:8 tells us that, "The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."
Once a person feels distant from God, for some reason or another, their interests are often directed elsewhere because they are discouraged in their relationship with God. This often leads to depression, addictions, obsessions (crafts, movies, sex, sports, etc.), spending binges, and unbalanced priorities. After a while, the person loses more and more interest in their relationship with God, until they simply don't even bother to pick up their Bibles and spend time with Him. This is how Satan will use discouragement to destroy a person's relationship with God.
The whole reason that Satan (who works through evil spirits) wants us to feel discouraged, is because he wants to get us to a place where we will give up. He wants our relationship with God to just seem "impossible" and too hard to maintain. This leads a person to lukewarmness, and deflates their faith in God, because they have no confidence in their relationship with God. The Bible tells us to draw near to God with assurance, having our heart's sprinkled clean from an evil conscience!
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22
The reason that Satan tries to attack is with guilt and shame, is for the very purpose of destroying our confidence in our relationship with God.
Satan will also work diligently to convince a person that because of a certain failure(s) in their past, that they cannot be restored in right standing before God. This often involves one sin in particular, such as abortion or fornication. Even though the sin has been repented of (confessed as sin and turned from), the enemy will continue to badger the person with guilt and shame over what they have done, as if they never repented of it! This is known as false guilt, because once a sin is repented of, that failure is washed away by the Blood of Christ. In other words, Satan is pointing at something that is no longer on your account! God's Word tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. This is a promise!
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
In the above verse, we also find that he won't just cleanse us of certain sins and not others, but we find that He is prepared to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness! It's those sins which we fail to confess, which are not covered by this promise.
We know that Jesus is an exact representation of the Father (John 10:30 & John 14:9), that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and also that God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). Therefore, the way that Jesus handled this woman caught in adultery, is the same way that He would handle you or I, if we were in that same situation. Just look at the compassion, love, and forgiveness that flowed out of Jesus' heart for this woman who was caught sleeping with other women's husbands!
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:3-11
If you want to learn more about the true nature of the Jesus of the Bible, then I encourage you to read my teaching entitled, "The Jesus of the Bible." It is quite a different Jesus than many churches today will have you believe!
One of the common means by which Satan works to pull us away from God is through a combination of guilt and materialism. First, he throws guilt in our faces to the point where we feel unworthy of a genuine relationship with God, then there is this empty void in our lives that must be filled… so along comes materialism, a means to attempt to fill the void. It could be money, book reading, television watching, sports, etc. If it's trying to fill a void in your life that should be filled with a genuine relationship with God, then something is wrong! What is acting as a blockage between you and your heavenly father? Do you feel unworthy to fellowship openly and freely with Him? Do you feel dirty inside or not fit to be in His presence for one reason or another? Look into those things and get them cleaned up. It is through the Blood of Christ that our sin might be washed away and our conscience cleansed!
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22
Here's a blog entry that I posted recently about the power of imagining the truth about God seeing you through the eyes of love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Satan and evil spirits are always eager to make a person feel as if God is angry with them. It puts the person on the edge of their seat and makes them afraid of God… which causes them to feel discouraged in their relationship with Him, and tend to give up on spending time with Him. These things, of course, leads to a backsliding relationship in no time. No wonder Satan wants us to feel like God is somehow angry or disappointed in us!
Try this: if you have struggled and felt like God is angry with you, then try to imagine that God sees you, knows where you’ve been, and yet still looks favorably on you? It will loosen up the tenseness on your whole system once you begin to see things as God wants you to see them. Once you can imagine it, then turn to God’s Word, and learn of how He really does look upon you with favor and hope, even when you've messed up and done horrible things! He's always calling us back to repentance, so that He can restore our relationship with Him.
I can't tell you how powerful that imaginations can be when used for God's glory instead of Satan's. This is a powerful key to freedom and healing for many!
Many feel that if they do enough good works, that God will finally love and accept them. This is nothing more than the legalism fruit of a mindset bound in dead religion. I have an eye-opening teaching titled, "Exposing Dead Religion" that I recommend reading. The Bible is clear that Jesus loved us, before we did anything to earn His love and mercy. We were still in rebellion when He reached out, and gave His life so that we could be given right standing with God! It is clear by the verse below, that we were loved not because of anything we've done to deserve His love, but because of who we were:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Those who constantly struggle with guilt and a sense of shame from their past mistakes, are overlooking or underestimating the power of the Blood of Christ. They somehow have this lurking feeling that they aren't truly forgiven of what they've done; that somehow their sin is greater than the Blood of Christ, although they would never openly say such a thing. One key to freedom is to honestly face the facts: do you really believe that your past failures are greater than the Blood of the Son of God, the creator of heaven and earth? Do your failures outweigh the Blood of Jesus, or does the Blood outweigh your failures?
Just how powerful is the precious Blood of Jesus to you? Is it stronger than all your failures? Is it so strong, that it will wipe away even the sins of a cold-blooded murder, such as the one who hung on the cross next to Jesus?
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Luke 23:42-43
Could the compassion and mercy of Jesus, be so great that it looked past the terrible sin of adultery (which was JUST committed!), and clean her slate in one moment's notice, without hesitation?
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:10-11
Or do you feel as if your sins are too great for the Holy Blood of the Son of God to remove? How dare we degrade the priceless value of the Blood that the Son of God has shed for us!
If we repent of our sins and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, but yet still feel guilty and wonder if we are forgiven, then my friend, let me assure you that you are grossly underestimating the Holy Blood of the Son of God!
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:7,9
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 1:18
The Israelites would even commit human sacrifice unto demons (see Psalms 106:38), yet God kept calling out for them to return to Him. God kept crying out to Israel, saying, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings..." (Jeremiah 3:22)
I have a powerful teaching on the Blood of Jesus, and how it is enough to forgive our sins all by itself, without anything added or subtracted from it! For a great teaching on the Blood, check out The Blood is Enough.
God created us for fellowship with Him, it grieves His heart when one of His sheep go astray. When a couple are madly in love, and one of them leaves, it can leave a terrible wound in the other person's heart. The same is true when we leave our first love (that is, God - Revelations 2:4). Do you think that God's heart isn't broken when His bride turns her back on Him? God's Word tells us that we are engraved on the palms of His hands (the nails from the cross), and OUR WALLS (which we put up) are continually before Him:
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:15-16
God never takes pleasure in punishing or allowing evil to fall upon His people. He is not up there tapping His foot, waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can punish us.
Don't tear your clothing in your grief; instead, tear your hearts." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you.
Joel 2:13 (NLT)
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:18-19
God's Word even tells us that He desires not to even remember our sins, for His sake!
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isaiah 43:25
The Bible also tells us that He FREELY justifies (makes innocent) us through the redemption that is through the work of Christ Jesus.
Being justified [made innocent, as if one has never sinned] freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:24
Many who have went astray, feel that if they ever do come back to God, then their relationship with Him would never be the same; that somehow, things would never be the same. Jesus made it very clear that there is great joy in heaven when one of Jesus' sheep that got lost, are found again and have been returned to Him!
And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15:3-7
In the next few verses, Jesus tells us of how the Father's heart towards us, is similar to a woman who lost a valuable coin, and how she would turn the house upside down to find it. When the lost coin was found, she threw a party to celebrate, and this is like how the Father throws a party for us when we turn back to Him!
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:8-10
And then my favorite parable comes up in Luke 15, which tells the story of the son who went the world's way, and felt he would never be accepted back as a son, but when the father saw his son returning, he ran towards him, hugged him, and threw a huge party for the safe return of his son. This story is similar to God's attitude towards us when we return to Him after going out into the world and messing our lives up by wild living (or whatever other sins we've committed). Look at how this parable is wrapped up though:
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:20-24
The 15th chapter of Luke is not the only place in the Bible where we read of such love, compassion, and forgiveness. God's Word is FULL of examples just like this! Even the OT was rich in examples of God's love and mercy towards those who returned to Him. Look at what God is saying in Isaiah's first chapter:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Isaiah 1:18-19
The entire book of Hosea is a great place to read of God's heart towards those who have rebelled and turned away from Him. He longs for the backslider to return, so that He can clean up the stain of sin, and restore His relationship with them! One verse I like in Hosea tells us:
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Hosea 14:4
It's great to read a teaching like this, but what really begins to transform your mind, is when you take these sort of scriptures, print them out, and meditate on them. Verbally confess them to yourself! Stick them on your refrigerator!
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