Concealed and Nagging Shame Can Point to the Bondage of a Lying Spirit

[Study Aired February 22, 2023]

Shame is frequently a result of one’s moral virtues being broken. Many Christian Babylonians, with much prayer, have degrees of moral integrity and overcome drug, alcohol and other addictions and sins through various programs with acclaimed success. Why do we in the Body of Christ sometimes experience a painful thorn of a particular sin in our side seemingly forever?

This study highlights one possible oversight dedicated to “shame” to inspire any number of Saints battling entrenched sins to overcome spirits in their high places. For the Elect and Babylonians alike, there are enormously powerful emotions intrinsic to sin where the feeling of intense shame frequently supersedes and disguises the underlying forbidden action. Overwhelmingly in scripture, shame is an essential and elementary agent to motivate change, yet, seemingly in our DNA, the first response is to hide to mitigate the mental torment.

Optimistically, the study will stimulate personal breakthroughs, from grinding struggles to freedom from a dogged sin.

Mankind that is sinful flesh is by nature sin, and we thus frequently live a bit too comfortable in sin, especially their perceived lesser sensed sins and, subsequently, the probability of perpetual shame.

1Ti 4:1 But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons, 
1Ti 4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience. (MKJV)

When our consciences are repeatedly seared, it lays down resistance to a soft heart for change, just as a soft blister on one’s hand will lay down a slightly tougher layer of skin. When the same abrasive action is repeated in the same location, the body responds by laying down more tough skin that eventually will entirely resist the harshest assault. Similar action on our minds produces the same psychological layering of a “seared conscience”. We see massive oppression against the Lord’s word on all fronts in this age, where particularly vile actions are now progressively flaunted as dignity and searing consciences.

The feeling of shame has no greater impact than its first experience of the perceived sin. Sins that are transgression evoke shame in the sinner and with the audience, with the latter’s eyes burning the shame deeper into the trespasser’s heart. Shame and guilt go hand-in-hand with breaching a law. We are unlikely to admit guilt since we know the next step is a debilitating shame since speaking about it perpetuates the often crippling emotion of humiliation. The longer the humiliation resides in our hearts, its devouring nature stigmatises recovery. Knock guilt off of its perch, and humiliating shame disappears.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Shame and humiliation are almost indistinguishable and are uncomfortable or painful due to recognition or consciousness of impropriety, dishonour or other wrongs in the opinion of the person experiencing the feeling. Both are often felt as a recall of a particularly painful event by oneself or by others reminding us.

A quote from William Shakespeare says, “Have you no modesty, no maiden name?” and is reminiscent of the Great Whore within. Revelation says, (Rev 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says,) ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ ~ and hence her nakedness of not being covered by a husband. Subsequently, through her own works, she has covered her shame with personal orthodoxy reasoning and a seared heart of self-righteousness. 

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing; only let us be called by your name, to take away our shame.

Of course, all unmarried women in Christ, the Body of Christ, are covered by him; thus, the shame of their nakedness upon repentance is covered. Unmarried women, the rejected church in Babylon, are unwittingly covered by their father, Satan, and cannot see the shame of their nakedness.

Joh 8:43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
Joh 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Young children almost always burst into tears with sorrow for their guilt. Conversely, adults become more ingenious than children at hiding and covering humiliation rather than calmly and unreservedly identifying the contentious issue by simply learning to acknowledge a sin before God with the authentic joy of a converted spirit.

If the guilt isn’t quickly expressed and forgiveness asked, shame can become a crippling emotion. Shame induces hiding, and when concealment becomes a habit, it consolidates the sin with layers of scarring for a possibly seared conscience. Where particularly offensive acts are evident, keeping the transgression between oneself and the Lord is far more honourable and scripturally sound than blurting the offence to the Body. Plainly, we confess our sins to the only one who can forgive the sin, Christ.

Mat 6:5 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 
Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

Jas 5:13 Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 
Jas 5:14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 
Jas 5:15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
Jas 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

All Christians are well acquainted with mankind’s first recorded shame response, specifically for their self-consciousness of nakedness. Of course, our minds instantly go to Adam and Eve’s attempt at fig leaf couture (dressmaking) for disobeying the Lord. Incidentally, the Lord’s humour with his covert inspirations for them to choose fig leaves, notably for their shape and for Adam’s more visual pudenda, was considerate.

Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Of course, scripture doesn’t immediately say Adam and Eve felt shame upon eating the forbidden fruit; only it is imputed by their hiding. Yet our unclothed bodies ascribe shame everywhere in scripture, most importantly its spiritual shadows. Interestingly, when we read “and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” we automatically attribute shame to that phrase merely by the action “[they] hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.”

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Acknowledgement of guilt is good and is a confession of wrongdoing. It’s hopefully a learned lesson not to be repeated. The unacknowledged sin that should evoke guilt perpetuates the sometimes debilitating emotion of humiliation. The longer the humiliation resides in our hearts, its devouring nature hinders recovery.

Humiliation is the emotion one feels when our status is lowered in front of others. Adam and Eve knowing that they were naked was a God-induced response. If God had not created that response from disobedience to His word, they would have been like the other animals in the Garden, oblivious to intellectual reasoning. 

The eyes of the animal beasts in the Garden stare contemplatively without seeing as their kin copulate and do all sorts of antisocial (by our standards) attentiveness to their own and each other’s genitals. The Lord created a huge disparity between them and us for His purposeful lesson. It is through nakedness and the fear of humiliation, largely by seeing the difference between His bodily presentation and ours, by spiritual clothing is the message. (“the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked”).

The Lord’s sheep are schooled by the “good shepherd” to come out of the world’s massive sheep pen for the slaughter and follow Him. With no inherent defence, sheep are created to be protected and farmed. The entire world of sheep will follow different shepherds who offer the seemingly best food and protection. Only the Lord’s personal “little flock” knows His voice and will not comply with the voices of falsehood. It is common knowledge among sheep graziers that to get sheep to go anywhere, especially where they don’t want to go, is to use a goat’s inherent wily intuition. The sheep will always follow him; hence the goat is colloquially called a “Judas goat” ~ leading the sheep up a ramp into a truck for market and unwitting slaughter. Of course, even Babylon knows that the goat represents Satan (but they are blinded to see that the “scapegoat” is Christ in my flesh. Col 1:24 – The Scapegoat).

A highly notable character of the infamous WEF recently used the Lord’s fair jewels of knowledge for his own nefarious purposes when he allegedly said, “people are hackable animals.” He is dead right! The entire world will follow their goatish slave masters in government, particularly the Babylonian Christian church, with eyes that don’t see their collective nakedness.

Upon Jesus feeding the four thousand with seven loaves of bread and some small fishes and sailing to Dalmanutha, he explained His miracle to His disciples. Little by little, their eyes opened through many subsequent miracles. Jesus said,

Mar 8:18 Having eyes, do you not see? and having ears, have you no hearing? and have you no memory?

Christ said, have you no spiritually reflective memory of what you have seen through numerous miracles!? The disciples hadn’t yet been given the more significant measure of their Lord’s spirit, and the uptake of their understanding was naturally slow.

As always, miracles mesmerise people, and the disciples were no different. Our senses are always attuned to the most dynamic occurrence, frequently distracting us from its underlying meaning.

Mat 13:10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” 
Mat 13:11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 
Mat 13:12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 
Mat 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ 
Mat 13:14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 
Mat 13:17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (BSB)

The Lord made us His ‘sheep’ with eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear until He opens them in His own good timing.

The first and most powerful emotion to our sins being revealed and the inevitable humiliation is fight or flight, to uphold our integrity or flee (hide) before our personally idealised integrity is shredded. With everyone’s eyes burning upon you, being told or perceiving that you are wrong insults our prideful intelligence. As did Adam and Eve with their new and dreadfully disconcerting new emotion of shame, hiding seems easier since it is not our nature to admit wrongdoing. 

To the ‘natural man’, being found out for our misdeeds doesn’t mitigate the choice of fighting or hiding; our pride causes both actions. Hence, the title, “Concealed and Nagging Shame Can Point to the Bondage of a Lying Spirit.” It does not always, but it can.

Of course, Ananias and Sapphira are classic cases of a lying spirit. Scripture doesn’t say if they concealed other occasions of ‘hiding’ from their consciences through the enslavement of other vices. However, judgment for their account of holding back a portion of profits from the pledge to the temple following the sale of land was blindingly swift; they had no time to attempt hiding. Scripture doesn’t say if they felt guilt for withholding a portion of the money from selling their land for themselves.

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Act 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 
Act 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 
Act 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 
Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Our Lord is just and merciful to His little flock, and judgment isn’t always as swift as it was for Ananias and Sapphira. Righteousness by slowly putting on our Lord’s clothing to hide our nakedness is often a drawn-out and fiery affair. Change comes after much deliberation, dodging and weaving of a lying spirit until we acknowledge our transgressions from the heart.

Isa 26:9 My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Isa 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
Isa 26:11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them! 

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. 

2Pe 3:15 Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.

The Body of Christ is well-versed in experiencing forgiveness from our exceptionally patient Lord for our most obstinate sins.

Mat 18:21  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 
Mat 18:22  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! [Mat 18:21-35]

Following multiple fiery trials, the Body’s individuals become more comfortable in the fire by quickly seeing their nakedness and acknowledging their sins (Jer 3:6-13).

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Acknowledging sins quashes humiliation; it is a liberating experience.

Cain classically tried to hide from the Lord. Upon killing his brother, Abel, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Adam and humanity’s endemic nature to hide from our sins. 

Gen 4:1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
Gen 4:2 Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. 
Gen 4:3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 
Gen 4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
Gen 4:5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. 
Gen 4:6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 
Gen 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
Gen 4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 
Gen 4:9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 
Gen 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 
Gen 4:11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Gen 4:12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
Gen 4:13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 
Gen 4:14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
Gen 4:15 “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

We all begin life as Cain; only the Lord chooses not to hide His face from a few who are given to see the Lord’s face in His word. The world’s overwhelming multitude of ‘Cains’ sees the Lord’s face with eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear (Mar 8:18).

Everyone in the Lake of Fire, including Cain, will be astonished by the Lord having steered them in this life into horrendously serious sins and evil experiences, mostly in this age for the Elect’s sake. Naturally, for them, as with us, the first emotion is an outrage at the Lord’s manipulation ~ Him, the master potter, having directed Satan’s hand in everyone’s sin and resulting humiliation for a righteous outcome.

Joseph’s brothers were inspired by Satan at the Lord’s hands to sell him into Egypt. Joseph says,

Gen 45:7 God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—Lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Likewise, and for our most humiliating sins, it wasn’t us that sent us into our Babylon of disgrace, but God. 

Rom 9:19 You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will? 
Rom 9:20 Yes, rather, O man, who are you answering against God? Shall the thing formed say to the One forming it, Why did You make me like this? [lITV – Isa 29:16]

Adam, Cain and Joseph’s brothers all hid from their shame. Hiding from wrongdoing leaves a debilitating and nagging legacy of humiliation to being found out. The only remedy to shame and humiliation is to “acknowledge your sins” and, from your heart, seek forgiveness. It really is that simple!

Once a sin is acknowledged from our heart before the Lord, not a soul in the world, including oneself, has a right to recall the sin and thus perpetuate humiliation!

King David was a man after the Lord’s own heart purely for his God-given willingness to acknowledge his sin. Yet, he, too, dragged his feet to come to that acknowledgment, but once his nakedness was revealed, he sought forgiveness, often with tears.

Jer 3:23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. 
Jer 3:24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Jer 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God. 

Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

The lying spirit of hiding from the Lord really is easily blown away in the summer breeze by the Lord’s word, “only acknowledge your sins”, and they will be forgiven.

Psa 109:22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
Psa 109:23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
Psa 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
Psa 109:25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
Psa 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
Psa 109:27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
Psa 109:28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
Psa 109:29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
Psa 109:30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
Psa 109:31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

In type and shadow in this Psalm, David is teaching us a great lesson which is centered around the words, “Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.” David wants his enemies to know that he’s nothing, and that it is the God of heaven and earth whom he serves who makes him more than a conqueror as he is greatly delivered by God’s hand, by God’s mercy. For God’s elect today that is a key note of which to take notice because we want the world to know of the mercy that God has extended to us and to be able to show that same mercy to them one day.

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Psa 44:4  Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches [what riches? (Rom 2:4)] both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

As the title explains, it is God’s mercy being revealed by delivering us according to his mercy “Help me, O LORD my God: “O save me according to thy mercy” that is so wondrous to us. David is expressing his gratitude for that deliverance from his physical enemies, and that thanks is a shadow of the sacrifice of thanks on our lips toward God for the wonderful works that He is doing within us in this age as He delivers us from our selves by the sword of His word.

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: [that which will circumcise our hearts]

What happens to us when we are delivered by God from our blindness is a desire within us to let others know that “That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it“, and we share this testimony of His mercy that delivers us because He has revealed “the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering” to us by leading us unto repentance. We are dragged by God, to bear witness of this healing which is taking place in our age.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Joh 9:21  But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. [“he is of age“ is a statement confirming that this physical healing of this man is a type of the spiritual sight which is being given to God’s elect in this age. Our former mother Babylon says “we know not” and when we were of our father the devil “we know not”. The words “he is of age” are type and shadow words that Christ uttered in John 14:20 “At that day”.]
Joh 9:22  These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ (1Jn 4:2-3), he should be put out of the synagogue. [and that’s a good thing (Rev 18:4)]
Joh 9:23  Therefore said his parents, He is of age [type and shadow of this verse as well (Mat 24:34)]; ask him.
Joh 9:24  Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise (Rom 2:29): we know that this man is a sinner. [they know in their evil hearts that Christ is a sinner. They are convinced and say “Give God the praise” not knowing that the very work of healing that Christ did was giving praise to God and glorifying Him (Joh 9:3)].
Joh 9:25  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
Joh 9:26  Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? [Luk 16:26]
Joh 9:27  He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
Joh 9:28  Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
Joh 9:29  We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is (Joh 8:23).
Joh 9:30  The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Joh 9:31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth (Joh 4:23, Joh 6:63).
Joh 9:32  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind (Mat 13:16).
Joh 9:33  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing (Joh 5:30).
Joh 9:34  They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Joh 9:35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? [why does Christ ask this question first? That is for our sakes. The answer to that question is in Joh 6:29]
Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee (Joh 14:9).
Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. [We must continue in God’s word once we believe (Joh 8:31).]
Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. [The crux of this whole story is explained in this one statement of Christ in verse 39 and reminds us of this verse in John 9:41].

Luk 12:11  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Luk 12:12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. [these verses are very much demonstrated in type and shadow for us by this man who was blind but now sees and stands before the unbelieving teaching (Joh 9:34)]

No one can come to the Son unless the Father drags him, and this miracle of being dragged to Christ is what will bring about the circumcision of our hearts in this age if God is preparing us to be kings and priests. Again, it is God who “hath made us kings and priests“, and for that we rejoice and give thanks even as we go about our life with a sentence of death on us, as Christ had all his life, and consider ourselves “killed all the day long” and “as sheep for the slaughter” with him.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

In Romans 8:36 we are told why it is possible that we can present our lives a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1) and that is because “it is written” in our books “For thy sake“. It is for God’s word, the sword that does not depart from our house, that we are killed all day long and able to die daily, and “it is written” to the glory of God that His word within us is able to accomplish this within us. That is our hope of glory within! (2Sa 12:10, 1Co 15:31, Col 1:27). There is a lot of death that must occur (all nations brought into subjection within us – Rev 13:7-10), and it will require a lot of quickening from God’s spirit that can only come through Christ who is wielding that sword in our lives both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:13). He is tireless in that pursuit in the lives of His elect as He cleanses the temple that we are, being consumed “for the zeal of thine house”. It is in this glorious work that God is doing in the temple of God, that we are, that we learn “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (Psa 69:9, Joh 14:20).

Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them [Luk 18:32]: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life (Joh 16:2, Joh 9:24) of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear (Mat 13:16).
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints (Luk 18:33).

Everything we’ve looked at up to this point I pray will help us see that we must be the “poor and needy, and my [whose] heart is wounded within me” of this world if we are going to be used of God to reveal “the thoughts of many hearts” which represents all the world and all the angelic world in time.

Luk 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Psa 109:22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

This wounded heart of David that is “poor and needy” is a type and shadow of the broken and contrite heart that God gives to those with whom He is working in this age (Isa 66:2). Without hearts that are being abased (Mat 23:12), without becoming as a child via conversion (Mat 18:3), we will in no wise inherit the kingdom, and yet God tells us that the sword will not depart from our house (2Sa 12:10), and we will be blessed to drink the cup indeed (Mat 20:23) which will humble us and keep us mindful that it is all to the glory of God that we can overcome in this age and be made ready as the bride of Christ (1Pe 4:18, Rev 19:7).

Luk 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Psa 109:23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

The imagery in this verse reminds us that our flesh is weak as we come to see that we are powerless over it and cannot make war against the beast, the powers and principalities, the false doctrines in our heavens (Rev 13:4), but alas it is by God’s power that we are girded because Christ, as we discussed last week, is in the midst of the church, typified by John who eats locust and honey while he is girt about the paps as well (Rev 1:13, Mat 3:4) and makes his strength perfect through our weakness (2Co 12:9).

Eventually those locusts become meat for us, just as those giants in our land nourish our souls and are likened unto bread (Num 14:9). It is that nourishment which makes it possible for the body of Christ to no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14). We must experience that instability at first in order to see clearly who the stronger man is in our life who binds the strong man or the wickedness in our heavens, in time, by destroying it with the brightness of His coming into our heavens where those shadows and locust abide (Mar 3:27, 2Th 2:8).

Psa 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

Ours knees being weakened through fasting and our flesh failing of fatness is the condition God brings upon us so that we cry out in our time of need to be delivered from ourselves, and none of those bones are broken in the life of Christ to typify for us today that the foundation which bones represent of the body of Christ which God is building will prevail, and the gates of hell that want to break those bones will not succeed.

Psa 22:17  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

Joh 19:36  For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The fatness which must fail in our life is the spirit that says we are rich and increased with good and have no need of anything, when Christ tells us otherwise when He says we need a physician all the time working in this body of death from which we are being delivered day by day.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Mar 2:17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

When we repent of our own works that we don’t initially give God the credit for accomplishing, we are letting go of the fatness which we thought was the righteousness of Christ within us. Our own deceitful and desperately wicked hearts (Jer 17:9) have to be tried in fire [trial of our faith is precious (Rev 3:18, 1Pe 1:7)] in order to acknowledge that Christ is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Mat 7:22-23, Eph 1:11). This experience of being rebuked of the Lord is what is needed if we are going to be able to spiritually see in this age and be led of the spirit to go wherever the Lord would have us go.

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Psa 109:25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

When we are obedient to God and are led by the holy spirit, then everyone loves us, right? I speak as a fool, because that is when “I became also a reproach unto them” and when “they looked upon me they shaked their heads”. That is when we know that we are being hated of all men for His name’s sake, which is what Christ said will happen to those who are called and chosen and being strengthened in this age to endure unto the end (Mat 24:13) to be amongst those who will be faithful and able to go “whithersoever he goeth” all to the glory of God.

Psa 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
Psa 109:27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.

Now the words “Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy” take on a much more meaningful tone when we realize the sovereignty of God in all things who is demonstrating through the weak of the world how great His mercy is, a mercy for which we cry out again and again. “Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy” (Heb 5:7-9). God helps us by chastening us and scourging us. Then we learn obedience by the things we suffer to the end that we can save the rest of the world with Christ who is going to save all mankind.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

“That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.” is being spoken by Joseph’s mouth to his brothers when he says these words in these verses of Genesis.

Gen 45:4  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Psa 109:28  Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. 

Psa 109:29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

We are called to a blessing, and God has told us, as we saw last week, that in order for us to be partakers of those blessings in this age and the next, we will be need to be cursed on that tree with Christ where people will rise up against us and curse us. “Let them curse” for our refusing to run with them “to the same excess of riot” that is becoming more and more excessive in this Godless age in which we live. What Christ tells us to do is “but bless thou” and “rejoice” inasmuch as you are partakers of his suffering in this age, receiving his grace upon grace that is teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.

1Pe 3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1Pe 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Luk 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Yes, “Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame” but especially the enemy within my own heart which have to die daily and come to see that I am an unprofitable servant who has only “done that which was our duty to do”.

Luk 17:10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Confusion covers us when we are being blinded by our sins, and that spirit is being sent by the Lord as well and plays an important part in bringing us to our wits’ end in this age if we are being judged of God today.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

Psa 83:16  Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17  Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: [Joh 12:24]

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved [scarcely is the condition that God plans to save us in so that there is no boasting in the event that is accomplished by grace and faith. It will be narrow, but it will be certain, and it will be ALL to the glory of God], where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Being clothed with shame and covered with our own confusion as with a mantle or garment is what this sinful flesh is all about: it is marred in the hand of the Potter and needs to be destroyed in order to make something permanent and glorious. Adam and Eve in their naked condition symbolize sin that needs to be covered by the blood of Christ, and the righteousness of Christ is likened unto the covering of that sacrifice that was made for them both, so that their shame [our shame] can be covered.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. [aprons symbolize our own works of righteousness which are as filthy rags (Isa 64:6)]

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. [symbolizes Christ’s works of righteousness within us that must be found if we are to be partakers of the blessed and holy first resurrection (Php 3:8-11, 2Co 5:21)]

Psa 109:30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
Psa 109:31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

Sin is at the door, wanting to rule over us and we can and should “greatly praise the LORD with [our] my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude” because “he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul“.

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

We are those poor in spirit (Mat 5:3) as we discussed – by His hand – and must pray that the Lord will always keep us mindful of our weak state that should never be boasting in anything, knowing that it is the Lord who is working all things according to the counsel of his own will (Eph 1:11) including the shedding abroad in our hearts of His love (Rom 5:5) so that “all things [can] work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28, Rom 8:32).

We should be content today because God has told us that He will never leave or forsake us (Deu 31:6) and Christ will be the author and finisher of our faith (Php 1:6). That is why “I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth” and that is the reason “I will praise him among the multitude“.

“Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy”. Help us, O LORD our God: and save us according to thy mercy.

Dear Mike,

When studying one of your articles, I came across this phrase: “We cannot so much a commit a sin if it was not first written in God’s book before we were ever born.“
Could you throw more light on this please? Does this mean that those who sin could not help but sin because it was already recorded?

Thank you
M____

Hi M____,

The answer to your question is, yes, we cannot so much as sin or be evil men without our every thought and action being foreordained, and “written in His book, even the days ordained for us before there were any of them”.

Psa 139:16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

Pro 16:4 simply restates this Truth in these words:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all [ things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

There are many ministers who will tell you God is sovereign and will yet deny the Truths of those two verses. There are literally hundreds of others which say the same thing. Every time we read that the Lord sent an evil spirit to cause sins to be committed, we are being told the same thing.

1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

That exact same spirit is in the mouths of all of the prophets of Babylon until this very day, as they teach the false doctrine of “free moral agency”.
Christians are so far away from the Truth of God’s Word that they want to protect God from His own Word which declares this Truth from Genesis to Revelation.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

“Predestinated” means that Psa 139:16 is True, and “all things” mean that Pro 16:4 is True.
If you have not yet done so, be sure to read the paper entitled After The Counsel of His Own Will. It is in the Essential Reading section of the upper left corner of the iswasandwillbe. com home page.
I am well aware of how radical this doctrine of God creating evil in you and me is, so in closing I will let the apostle Paul answer for me in Romans.

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [ how] to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

There it is. It is twice repeated under the inspiration of the holy spirit. “It is no more I that sins… I find a law [ is in effect which dictates] that when I would do good evil is present with me”. Who created and sustains that law which dictates our sins? Is it free moral agency? Does the devil tempt us apart from God’s direction? The Biblical answer is an emphatic, NO! It is God who sustains that law of sin and death, and it is God who is doing it all as His means of “humbling us” in these bodies of clay and preparing us to live in new spiritual bodies which will be free from that law of sin and death.

Jas 4:12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim [ God] has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

I hope this helps you to understand the extent of the total sovereignty of our loving heavenly Father, who really is working all things together for good for all of mankind who are all called according to His purpose.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

In the end all men will bow their knees to their loving Father.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [ not exclusively] of those that believe.
1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [ the sins of] the whole world.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike