Jesus Christ is so precious to me and the holy scriptures are my only window into God’s heart. It is through the words of the Apostles and those taught by them that the record of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has been preserved for us all.
I almost got caught up in some old teaching and some old thinking as I have been traveling through the gospel of Luke this time and I am so thankful that I have come to know and trust the scriptures to be clear and through to reveal the character of Jesus.
I really got angry today at a teaching that is commonly taught, one that I have heard for many years and now has to be un-learned.
Luke 4
1. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,…
Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
In the ten verses that separate these two portions of scripture
outline Satan’s direct attack on Jesus during his 40 day fast, and there is much that could be said about that but I want to focus today on the teaching of others making a case stating that Jesus went in to the wilderness “being full of the Holy Ghost” but came out of his experience “in the power of the Spirit”
I protest the inference that Jesus resisting temptation is to be connected with some added power of the Spirit exhibited in his life upon his return to Galilee. Said differently; that Jesus went in to the wilderness with only the Holy Ghost but returned with the power of the Spirit.
Matthew records this:
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Did you catch that…angels came and ministered unto him.
Jesus is still dependent.
This teaching also leaves us with the assumption that this is the way that we can control, or maybe a better word would be “harness” the power of the Spirit. Every temptation that I resist my power bar goes up another notch until finely I can whip up on the bad guy at the end of the game. Do you see how subtle this teaching is?
No! It was through the power of the Spirit that the temptations were met with such force from the very heart of Jesus! Jesus did not return to Galilee with an extra-added boost of power! Instead he continued right on schedule, not skipping a beat, following God’s will and the Spirits leading in his life.
The teaching should rather be that we, like Jesus, are dependent upon the Spirit’s power to be strong in our spirit when true and powerful temptations are presented to us by Satan.
I’m starting to loose my concentration, I should probably go to bed and continue tomorrow if I think I need to. TTFN
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1 comment:
You know, I really do see what you are talking about there. It is just so much easier to keep looking for the next cool step that is going to give us the power that we are looking for. "So, if I fast for 40 days, then I am going to come out of that with Holy Spirit Lightning?" That is the feeling I get with some of the teaching that I hear.
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