Fathers

  

 In last week’s letter we noted that the apostles John and Paul had both pointed out the immaturity (re: “babes and children”) in the body of Messiah, furnishing some of the reasons for this arrested growth.  Strife, envy, divisions etc. were named, but these were only the tip of the iceberg.  Let us investigate further into what might be behind this problem.

While I was contemplating this topic, several scripture passages came to my mind: “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge” (Is. 5:13). What is the knowledge referred to here?  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves...having a form of godliness, but denying the power ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim. 3:1, 5, 7).  “Never coming to the knowledge of truth”; could this be the answer to the above question?  The Word tells us that in these “last days” knowledge will increase (ref. Dan 12:4), however, even though man becomes more knowledgeable, he still remains blinded to the knowledge of the truth, resulting in perilous times. What makes those days hazardous, death- defying and dangerous?  Here the apostle unveils the rest of the iceberg: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves [fleshly], covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:2-4).

Where is it that all of these characteristics come from in the first place? This may sound like a trite questions, but never the less, let us see what Yeshua has to say. Yeshua gives us a little glimpse when he says: “That which comes out of the man that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things [thoughts] come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).

How did mankind end up with such a heart condition?  All of you are familiar with the scriptures that tell the story, and so just to reiterate briefly, when man ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he took into himself a seed that very quickly germinated in the depth of his being (his heart).  The nature of that seed came from a spiritual father who abode in that tree.  Yeshua tells us who became our father in that one act of disobedience: “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it, and because I tell you the truth, you believe me not” (John 8:43-45). Interestingly, the Tree of Knowledge is devoid of truth.  John must have been a good student of Yeshua, as later he would write: “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not [do] righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother” (1 John 3:8,10).  Paul also identifies Satan’s offspring: “Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:2-3). 

Paul very clearly identifies this very problem in himself, making the following confession: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not, for the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7:18-20). Paul recognized that he still had in his being another nature called the “flesh”, or “carnal man”.  This is the residue of the Adamic life, which man was impregnated with by a spiritual father - the devil - and is manifested as the “flesh”.  However, Paul does not identify himself any longer with that father or nature, but at the same time does not deny the existence of the “body of sin” in his being, adding, “It is no more I that do this [committing what is abhorrent to me and against my own will] but sin that dwells in my members” (v.20).  He then identifies himself (by faith) with the One who can deliver him from this aspect of his being, that he describes as “wretched”. “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord” (Rom 7:24).   

Who then is Paul’s spiritual father?  Is it God, or is it Satan?  Just like John, Paul is saying to us: Both, depending on which nature we allow ourselves to walk in. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yeshua, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom.8:1). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:14-16).  “And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures” (James 1:18).  Please note that when we are born of His Spirit, truth incarnates in us and thus bears fruit. What kind of fruit? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Messiah's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25).

The amazing thing about you and I is that, as believers, we have a choice as to which spiritual father we wish to identify with. Depending on that decision, we will either be channels and servants for the establishing of one of two kingdoms on earth.  If we walk in the Spirit, we establish God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. If we walk after the lusts of the flesh, we will be establishing Satan’s kingdom.  Our forefathers were given a very similar choice: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve YHVH, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH” (Joshua 24:15).  Ephraim   July 25, 2003