The Fatherhood of God

Romans 8:14-17 

This is a Father’s Day sermon.

When I saw Eden Cheese’s Mother’s Day commercial last month, I was both horrified and angry. This is for two reasons. First, it promotes the validity of same-sex marriage. It argues that you don’t have to be a man to be a mother. Men can be mothers too. One of the pictures at the collage at the end of the video clearly says this. Secondly, the commercial presupposes that human fathers are terrible, and that it is abnormal for fathers to be caring and compassionate at home. It shows how crazy it is for fathers to shop toys for their kids, to try nail polish for them, to cook spaghetti for them, and generally to be a great dad. It argues that when fathers do these things, they are not doing fatherly things; rather, they are doing motherly functions. But why do we need to label excellent fathers as mothers, when we can just call them fathers?

The video actually expresses a typical stereotyping of fathers. Fathers are these and that, and these and that tend to include a lot more negative connotations than positive ones. Fathers are often belittled, under-assessed, prejudicially judged, or even undervalued. I do not know where this prejudice came from. Was it the fault of fathers throughout history that brought upon us a very negative view? If we as fathers have erred, then it is high time for us to redeem what fatherhood really means by looking at the original father of all, God Himself.

Let us read Romans 8:14-17: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

God is the Father of those who are saved. We become God’s children when we are saved because we are adopted into God’s family through our relationship with Jesus Christ (Gal 4:5-6; Eph 1:5). John was clear: “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). Those who are saved are children “of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26) because God has “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Eph 1:5).

So who is this Father whom we are in relationship with as sons and daughters by grace? What does He do?

The Father Casts Away Fears

Paul says in Romans 8:15, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.” Interesting in this verse is the fact that living in fear as slaves is contrasted to being children of God with promised inheritance (8:17).

To be not the child of the Father is to live in fear. The one who is a slave to sin is constantly afraid. He is constantly afraid of being found out by others, because there is great shame in sin (Prov 14:34). He is constantly afraid of death, because he knows that he would receive judgment (Rom 6:16). He is constantly afraid of the consequence of his sins, for he knows that they will soon arrive (Rom 8:1). The person living in sin is living in fear. There is no peace for those who are in sin. There is always restlessness and anxiety. Quite clearly, the Fatherhood of God means peace for us who are His children. When we are born again, these fears are gone. The Fatherhood of God entails peace, security, and comfort.

We should admit that peace is not something usually associated with fathers. In fact, fathers are more commonly known as the problem of the family—but this might be because of the work of mothers unjustly brainwashing their children. Even in psychological studies, the father is a problematic figure. For Sigmund Freud, who is extremely influential even today, the human father as the mortal enemy number one in the family. Firstly, the father is the greatest source of anxiety for children because in relation to the father, children exist in the tension between respect and dependence and fear of authority. Secondly, the father is seen as the primary competition for love. According to Freud, children have an innate desire to possess their mothers—even to have sexual intercourse with them—but the father stands in the way. The father is not a glue that holds the family together, but is the competitor that needs to be eliminated. (These are things that are taught to our children in college, which is really scary.)

We are being brainwashed by society that fathers are unreliable, are sources of great anxiety, and are to be feared as tyrants. Peace is more associated with a motherly embrace and understanding. But this does not need to be the case. We know that genuine fatherhood is being peace-givers and peace-makers. We should not let society dictate how we should view our fathers. We should allow the Bible to impress onto us what it means to be fathers, patterned after the Fatherhood of God. If our Father in heaven gives peace, then our calling as fathers on earth is to provide the same.

The Father Listens

Human fathers are often looked at as aloof and indifferent. As part of the caricature of men, fathers are emotionless robots incapable of shedding tears and displaying normal human emotions unless under the influence of alcohol. If there is an emotion that fathers find easiness to show, it is anger and impatience. These are the biases of movies. Fathers who are joyful and funny are usually only found in ridiculous over-the-top comedy shows.

But in Romans 8:15, the description of God the Father is quite different. According to Paul, “by him [the Holy Spirit] we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (8:15). The term Abba is quite an intimate term, and is equivalent to Daddy today. We may call God in different ways. This is because we experience Him in different ways all throughout our lives. We experience Him as Jehovah Jireh, the provider (Gen 22:14). We call Him El Shaddai, because we experience His almightiness (Gen 49:24; Ps 132:2, 5). We call Him Jehovah Rapha, because He is the Lord who heals (Exo 15:26). We call Him Adonai, because He is the Lord and Master of our lives (Gen 15:2; Judg 6:15). We call Him Yahweh-Shalom, because He is our peace (Judg 6:24). We call Him Jehovah Rohi, because He is our Shepherd (Ps 23:1). We call Him Jehovah Shammah, because He is always here with us (Ezek 48:35). We call Him El Elyon, because He is indeed God Most High (Deut 26:19). We sing that He is El Elom, the everlasting God (Ps 90:1-3).

There are many other names we can call Him. But the greatest name that we can call God is “Father.” Jesus Himself preferred addressing God as Father. Jesus called God Father 65 times in the Synoptic Gospels more than 100 times in John. Jesus encouraged us to call God, “Father.” It is no surprise therefore that Paul also used the term Father to God more than 40 times.

The term Father does not deal so much with what He has done for us. It speaks more of who He is to us and who we are to Him. Abba spells closeness and intimacy. It is the term that children use to their Fathers when they want to express their love (or lambing). I do not want my children to call me other description other than Daddy. I do not want to be called Dr Dick or Awesome Dude or Mr Suave or whatever. I want to be called Daddy. It is a term of endearment.

Overall, the word “father” when used to God, means one thing: intimacy. To have a Father in heaven is to have someone to cry to when we need someone. Because we are intimate with God, we are not afraid or ashamed. It is not awkward to ask from our Father. We are able to pray to our Father because we are intimate with Him. When we pray to those intimate to us, we do not need to be eloquent. We do not need to impress him with our vocabulary or syntax or grammar or language. Moreover, we address him as Father, not as someone we are introducing to an audience.

Because God is our Father, He is willing to listen to us. This is what it means to be father to our children too. When I hear my child cry, I panic. Just hearing my daughter cry or seeing my daughter sad already breaks my heart. How much more is the heart of our Father in heaven broken when He sees us, we who are His own children? In fact, the starting point of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt was precisely because He heard their groaning (Exo 2:24). Even a groan will reach God’s throne. We are not asked to groan to one another, but we can groan to God. And He listens.

---

[1] 

Spirit of Prophecy II: Evangelism

Acts 2:17-18; Revelations 19:10

When the Pentecostal movement started in 1906 at the Azusa Street Revival, it has attracted a lot of criticism. Because the services were characterized by dramatic worship services, speaking in tongues, and other ecstatic spiritual manifestations, it was immediately labeled as outrageous and unorthodox. It was simply dismissed as fanatic movement. In a front-page story entitled “Weird Babel of Tongues,” a Los Angeles Times reporter described the revival in the following way:

They cry and make howling noises all day and into the night. They run, jump, shake all over, shout to the top of their voice, spin around in circles, fall out on the sawdust blanketed floor jerking, kicking and rolling all over it. Some of them pass out and do not move for hours as though they were dead. These people appear to be mad, mentally deranged or under a spell. They claim to be filled with the Spirit.[1]

If Pentecostalism had attention in its early years, it was definitely negative attention. But today, Pentecostalism is enjoying an elevated status within the Christian Church. In a 2014 statistics, there were 631 million Pentecostals in the world, which amounts to one fourth of all Christians worldwide. But in 1970, there were only 63 million Pentecostals. In 46 years, Pentecostal membership increased 568 million. In 2014, the Church of the Nazarene had 2.4 million members. In the Philippines, the Church of the Nazarene has been here for 60 years, and our total national membership is only about 30,000.

Because of the rapid growth of Pentecostalism, they are now taken seriously by the Christian Church. The question is this: Why are they growing and not us? Is there a relation between their emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit and their fervor in evangelism? Looking at the growth of Pentecostalism today and their growth, there seems to be a strong relationship between being filled with the Spirit and empowerment for missions.

In Spirit of Prophecy I: Encouragement, we started to look at Acts 2:17-18, particularly what it means to receive the gift of prophecy in the Holy Spirit. It highlighted that the gift of prophecy is the empowered and enabled ability to communicate the Word of God to people. It is the ability to utter comfort to the sorrowful, to light up the burdened, to encourage the weak, to edify the seeker. But the Word of God does not communicate itself. The Word needs to be spoken by the mouths of people who are filled with the Spirit. This is why it is crucial for the church to have people like Barnabas, the “son of encouragement” Acts 4:37). For people who are down-hearted and discouraged by the waves that assail their lives, we need people who can speak words of blessings. Going back to Balaam, who chose to bless Israel and not to curse them even if paid, we should always say: “I have received a command to bless” (Num 23:20).

But the gift of prophecy that the Holy Spirit gives to believers is not limited to our uplifting speech to one another. The gift of prophecy is the ability to communicate the Word of God to the world. This is extremely evident in Acts 2:4-11: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 

Declaring the Wonders of God

Those who are filled with the Spirit declare the wonders of God! We do not know what wonders the disciples spoke of, but I am certain they are wonders that they have experienced. This verse reminds me the actions of the shepherds when they saw Jesus Christ in the manger: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20), and the action of the healed leper: “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice” (Luke 17:15). What is interesting about these verses is that they were declaring the praises of God not within a closed-wall sanctuary. They were praising God in public—with everyone to hear!

The scene in Acts 2 was probably quite chaotic, but imagine 120 disciples talking about the wonders of God! That would have been a mighty force. No wonder why the church during this time grew rapidly. People did not only experience God. They were also filled with the Spirit, and as a consequence, they declared the wonders of God in public!

We must remember that the disciples were ridiculed for declaring the wonders of God. But they were shameless. We need this sort of shamelessness! They were not ashamed to be labeled as fanatics, madmen, or even drunk. Out of the depths of their hearts, they declared the wonders of God for others to hear. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). We sing this song, thanks to Hillsongs: “I’m not ashamed of the gospel Lord / Your power, Your love / that saved my soul.”

Let me ask you: when was the last time you shamelessly declared the wonders of God to someone?

The Spirit Testifies about Jesus Christ

So if the gift of prophecy is the empowered courage, authority, and ability to boldly proclaim the Word to others, how is this related to the Holy Spirit? Why is it that Spirit-filled people communicate the wonders of God? Why is it that Spirit-filled people are on fire in proclaiming Jesus Christ to others?

The answer is found in the words of Jesus himself. When Jesus promised the coming of the Spirit, He said that “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me” (John 16:13-14). From this passage, it is clear that one of the appointed divine works of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ. The Spirit, when He comes to the world and dwells among God’s people, will make sure that Jesus is exalted.

There is an inseparable relationship between being filled with the Spirit and a Christ-centered and Christ-glorifying life. The Spirit-filled is one who thinks of Christ, who breathes Christ, who makes Christ at the center of his or her life, who lives in Christ, who lives like Christ, who glorifies Christ, who serves Christ, who honors Christ, who obeys Christ, who worships Christ, who proclaims Christ, who promotes Christ. Because the work of the Spirit is to glorify Christ, when we received the Holy Spirit, our lives are meant to glorify Christ. It cannot be otherwise. To live a life that does not glorify Christ is a distortion of our Christian identity, a betrayal of our God-given calling, and a blatant disregard to the Spirit who is the seal of our salvation (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30).

One of the ways the Spirit glorifies Christ is by making His name known in all the earth. This is why the work of the Spirit in glorifying Christ is closely related to His work of testifying about Jesus: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me” (John 15:26). The Spirit-filled is one who glorifies Christ by testifying about Him. We can now understand the growth of Pentecostalism. They are growing in number because they are living in accordance with the Spirit who empowered them to testify about Jesus Christ.

The logic is extremely simple. According to Revelations 19:10, “it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” If we have received the Holy Spirit in His fullness, then we testify about Jesus Christ. This was precisely what Jesus also said to the disciples before His ascension. They will receive power from the Spirit to become His witnesses: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Every Monday since May 27, I have been going to Tandang Sora, Quezon City to teach a class to pastors of the I Am Redeemer and Master Evangelical Church. I leave at 6:30AM, teach 8:00AM to 5:00PM, then arrive home at around 7PM. It is a very exhausting day. Last Monday, because my car has problems, I did not drive. So I took the taxi on the way back home. My plan was to instruct the driver about the way home, and doze off a bit. After all, I feel very tired. But it seems that God had a different plan. As soon as I stepped in the cab and told the driver about my destination—a seminary—I had a very strong conviction that it is really wrong to just end the conversation like that. So I asked about him and we conversed. Jay is 43 years old, separated from his wife, no kids, and is living quite a life. I counseled him to serve God by faithfully serving people as a driver. I told him that I have received my call to full-time ministry as a teenager, and have never looked back since then. What was amazing is that he admitted that a strong conviction about God and his duties to God have been pressing upon him over the last few days. When I heard this, I immediately knew that our meeting was ordained by God. So I counseled him and gave him guidance about what to do. We talked about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, the means of grace, and many others.

It is shameful to admit that while waiting for the taxi, I originally planned not to interact with the driver. But as soon as I went inside the car, I knew deep in my heart that I am not meant to be silent for the whole trip. I experienced what Jeremiah experienced: “But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer 20:9). This was what I felt. I was unwilling to testify at first. I was already exhausted proclaiming the Word of God as a teacher for 8 hours that day. What more can God demand from me? But the Word of God is like a fire in my heart that I cannot contain. It needs to burst forth like pressured water trapped in a garden hose. 

Have you ever had this experience? The Spirit-filled person is one who declares the wonders of God, glorifies Christ, and testifies about Christ. Again, in the words of Jesus to His disciples:  “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). You also must testify.

Paul admonished the church in Corinth to “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor 12:31), which he later reveals as the gift of prophecy: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy” (1 Cor 14:1). I make the same admonition today. Let us pray and seek for the Spirit’s gift of prophecy. Without this gift, our dream of harvest means nothing.

---

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival#Criticism

Spirit of Prophecy I: Encouragement

Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

Acts 2 records what happens when the Holy Spirit comes to God’s people. The story says, that in obedience to the words of Jesus (Acts 1:4-5), the disciples did not leave Jerusalem. Ten days after Jesus’ ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon them while they were gathered, and they spoke in tongues (Acts 2:1-4). The people who heard them were amazed because they realized that they heard the disciples speak in their own languages (Acts 2:5-12). Some of the people, however, made fun of them and accused them of early morning debauchery (Acts 2:13). So Peter stood before the multitudes and defended the disciples, saying that the sudden outburst was actually a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel concerning the promised Holy Spirit. He argued,

This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “In the last days, God says,

    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy,    your young men will see visions,    your old men will dream dreams.¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women,    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,    and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18; cf Joel 2:28-29)

What I would like to highlight here is the fact that Peter, along with the prophet Joel, stated that one of the consequences of the coming of the Spirit is that people “will prophesy” (2:17-18). What does this mean? What is the gift of prophecy?

In Paul’s list of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, the gift of prophecy is included. Paul does not admonish us to desire for any gift, because he believes that the Spirit “distributes them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Cor 12:11). But interestingly, he later on says that we should “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor 12:31), which he later reveals as the gift of prophecy: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy… I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy” (1 Cor 14:1, 5).

This high valuing of the gift of prophecy is not only found in the New Testament. Moses once remarked: “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Num 11:29). So, what does it mean for us to have the gifts of prophecy? Why is it highly priced in the Bible?

Quite simply, the gift of prophecy is the enabled and empowered ability to speak the Word of God. The problem is that the world—including Christians—has a very narrow and specific understanding of what prophecy is. Today, prophecy is understood solely or primarily in terms of telling the future. Unfortunately, the world has received so many prophecies from well-advertised Christians that have failed to happen. But surely, the gift of prophecy is not about the ability to know the future, because Jesus Himself, in the context of promising the Holy Spirit to the disciples (Acts 1:4-5, 8), said that “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). This was just a repetition of what He already told them earlier: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matt 24:36; Matt 13:32).

The gift of prophecy that the Spirit gives to believers is not the gift of insight into future events; rather, it is the capacity to communicate God’s Word to others. The gift of prophecy is the ability, courage, and authority to speak the Word of God to people. This is the power given by the Spirit so that we might become witnesses in our Jerusalem, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

We can understand this gift in two different ways. First, it is the gift to speak the Word of God to others within the church. This is what we usually call the gift of encouragement. Secondly, it is the gift to speak the Word of God to others outside the church. This is what we usually call evangelism. In this sermon, we will only deal with the first.

When we talk about the ability to communicate the Word of God to others in the church, we might think that this is about rebuking others. This is partly true. We have a God-given responsibility as believers to offer rebuke to our fellow brothers and sisters. Paul admonished believers to “exhort and rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15, ESV). It is our responsibility to help each to stay in the right path, and as Paul continued, “if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal 6:1).

We know these things, but for us who are Filipinos, this is actually quite hard to do. Because we are very relational, we excel in maintaining friendships by silence. Well, we are silent in their presence, but we talk about them when with other people. We prefer to gossip than to rebuke. We assume that rebuking others will cause them to stumble and be destroyed. But when we gossip, are we not actually intentionally destroying them? Sometimes, when we are in the presence of our erring brother, we put them in high regard, focusing on their strengths and forgetting their sins. But when we are in the presence of others, we put them in low regard by delightfully talking about their failures and completely forgetting about their strengths.

Prophets are highly priced in the Old Testament. They are the communicators of the Word. They guide people, including kings. They remind the people who God is and what He requires. They remind the people of God’s Word. They offer counsel. They rebuke people and call them to repentance. Prophets are God-appointed people to make paths straight for everyone. But speaking the Word to others does not only mean offering rebuke. The gift of prophecy is not solely the gift of discerning other people’s wrongs and pointing them out. This is too negative. The positive aspect of the gift of prophecy is the gift of encouragement.

In the recent Generation Congregation #FaithGoals camp, the organizers gave an opportunity for everyone to be able to receive short messages by hanging envelopes with their names on it. I received several short letters, including very encouraging words. These little notes have reached my heart and touched me. They have encouraged me. There is something uplifting when people give you encouraging and uplifting words. Just a simple statement about our appreciation to people and their lives can make a huge difference. In this regard, I hope that you express your appreciation to the music team for their sacrifice of time, or the Sunday school teachers for their commitment, or to the ushers for their beautiful dresses and smiles, or for those who prepare the coffee. These things seem to be simple, but many people find it challenging to even do them. Instead of high-level toxic wastes being dumped from our mouths into other’s ears, we need to learn to use our mouths in building each other up.

What we need today are experiences like what the prophet Balaam had. Numbers 22-24 narrates the story of the Israelite prophet who was hired by the King of Moab, Balak, to pronounce curses upon the Israelites (Num 22:10-11). Out of disobedience to God, Balaam went to Moab (this was when his donkey talked, Num 22:21-35), but to Balak’s dismay, instead of uttering curses upon the Israelites, Balaam blessed them indeed. This happened three times (Num 23:11-12;

23:25-26; 24:10-11).

This is what we need today. We need Spirit-filled Christians, who, even if they are paid, will not utter curses and evil testimonies against each other. We need people who will only utter blessings, prayers, appreciation, and encouragements. We need people like Barnabas, who saw the best in others. His name actually meant “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:37). He encouraged Paul twice (Acts 9:26-28; 11:25-26) and John Mark (Acts 15:36-41). The description about him and what he did in the Antioch church is very instructive: “News of [persecution] reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:22-24).

If we can encourage, then we must encourage others. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess 5:11). The writer of Hebrews even says that we should encourage one another “all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25). Why is it important to encourage one another especially in the last days? Because, “in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim 4:1).

This is why Paul preferred the gift of prophecy over the gift of speaking in tongues: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church” (1 Cor 14:3-4).

The gift of prophecy is crucial in the life of the church. The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths (Ps 119:105). It guides lost travelers. It restores the joy of our salvation (Ps 51:12). It opens the eyes of the blind. It brings freedom to slaves. It gives strength to the weary. It lifts up the broken-hearted. It mends shattered souls. It comforts the sorrowful. But the Word of God does not communicate itself. The Word needs to be spoken by the mouths of people who are filled with the Spirit.

Change is Coming!

Deuteronomy 2:1-7

The Israelites left Egypt and arrived at Mount Sinai after forty-four days of walking. Six days upon arrival at Mount Sinai, Moses ascended the mountain and returned with the Law (Exo 19:3-6). They stayed in front of Mount Sinai for eleven months and five days (Num 10:11), then they left to arrive at Kadesh-barnea exactly two years after they left Egypt (Num 20:1). Deuteronomy 1:19-46 narrates that upon arrival at Kadesh-barnea, God commanded them to start the journey to the promise land. But instead of going straight, the people sent an envoy to explore the land. Upon hearing the report of the spies, the people thought that God sent them out of Egypt to be killed by the Amorites instead (Deut 1:27). So God was furious, and proclaimed that none of them (including Moses who allowed the exploration), except Joshua and Caleb, would enter the promised land (Deut 1:35-37). Because of this, the Israelites spent thirty-eight years at Kadesh-barnea, which is also called “the wilderness of sin” (Deut 1:46).

After the Israelites spent a long time in the oasis in Kadesh-barnea, they set out southeasterly and went around Mount Seir, “as the Lord directed Moses” (Deut 2:1). Going out of Kadesh-barnea is quite symbolic, because it is a place associated with failure, sin, and death. When God commanded them to leave Kadesh-barnea, it was as if God was telling them to leave behind their failures, and it was time to move on. But if we look at the direction they were going, they left Kadesh not northward going to the promise land, but south-easterly going to Mount Seir. They were still heading to the opposite direction. It was as if God was telling them that although they have already left Kadesh, they were still not ready to enter the promise land. Worse still, they seem to be just wandering around Mount Seir, purposeless and aimless. Deuteronomy 2:1 indicates that “for a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.”

“For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir” (Deut 2:1)

If you are a part of the Israelites, what would you feel? I can imagine frustrations and impatience. They were given the promise to take possession of a land flowing with milk and honey, and yet, there they were in the wilderness with barely anything nice to eat. They have left Egypt with high hopes, thinking they have escaped suffering and death, and yet in the wilderness it was precisely suffering and death that accompanied them. They can see the road to the promised land. They know the way to the promised land. But they have been avoiding that route for forty years. They were suffering in the wilderness, when just a few miles away is the land of abundance, where a branch of grapes had to be carried by two grown men (Num 13:23). For many days and years, they were stuck in the stinking wilderness. Their mouths and stomachs were tired of the food they are eating and their feet were weary of walking.

We experience this, right? We feel that we are stuck in a valley of dry bones, and we feel as if nothing is going happen for the good. There has been a long drought, and there is no prospect of rain on the horizon. We feel as if we have been cursed. And we begin to blame ourselves and feel guilty, which then adds to our depression and anxiety. On a personal level, we feel that we have been wandering aimlessly, counting days and times go by without accomplishing any of our goals and aspirations in life.

Even as a church, we feel that we are walking in circles. Church attendance is not growing and is actually dropping. Church programs and advocacies for growth are not finding realization. Projects are canceled and put on hold. Giving is lower than the previous year. The pastor is preaching but there are no tangible responses apart from a few Facebook posts, tweets, and a handshake.

We know that when these experiences come, we need a change.

“The Lord said to me” (Deut 2:2)

It is amazing that only five words are in his one verse. In Hebrew, there were actually only four words: Way-yomer Yahweh elay lemor, which literally means “And God spoke, saying to me.” God spoke. Change is coming! How many of us can testify that their lives have been radically changed because God spoke? This short transition verse in the passage is extremely crucial. It is the in-between moment between Israel's wandering years and Israel's entrance to the promise land. When God speaks, we know something amazing is coming. Change is coming. We know that when God opens His mouth, He is up to something. We know that when God speaks, exciting days are ahead.

What was God’s spoken message to Moses and the Israelites?

“You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north” (Deut 2:3)

From Egypt, the Israelites travelled southeast to Sinai. Then from Sinai they travelled northwest to Kadesh-barnea. In Kadesh, they went around in circles for 38 years. From Kadesh they walked southeast to Seir. And now God was telling them to face north.

Even God was tired of them wandering the deserts. So He commanded them to turn north. These were the words that they have been waiting for. This was the change they have been looking forward to experience. This was their calling. This was their destiny. This was their birthright. This was their aspiration for so long. And when God said, “turn north,” they knew that the days of staying in barren land is over. The days of defeat are coming to an end. The days of scarcity will now be a thing of the past. The days of turmoil are going to be forgotten. Change is coming!

Now is the time to leave the southeast direction in order to go to the direction of the promised land. The time has come to leave the barren deserts and to start the conquest and to receive their rightful inheritance. They have been stuck long enough. They have wandered long enough.  The have eaten trouble enough. They have drunk poison enough. They have had enough hell. They have had enough disappointments. They have had enough shame. They have had enough misery. Enough is enough.

God was telling them that it was time to change directions. There is now enough wandering. There is now enough standing still. There is now enough going the wrong direction. It is now time to change. It is now time to face the north and venture in the way they are have been called in the first place. They have taken a long detour already, but now they have to walk the path that God has originally destined for them. Change is coming. Turn north to the promise land. God is telling us that it is time to change directions.

Like the Israelites, the destination where God is leading us is a place of abundant harvest. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. But we also know that Canaan was also the land of enemies. It was the land of giants. The giants were still there. They still had to face the giants. They could not avoid the confrontation. The battle has been waiting, and every step they took heading north was a step closer to the battle. This is very symbolic for us, because God’s appointed destination for us is full of abundance and harvest, but in order to get there, we have to fight battles that we have never fought before. We have to face our fears. We have to stand our ground against forces that are more powerful than us. We have to fight with one another, supporting those on our left and our right. We have to listen to our army commanders. We have to stand up and walk in faith. We have to trust in God that we can indeed become victors and arrive at the promised land.

Moses said, “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deut 2:7). The God who was with them in the past—the God who delivered them from the super nation Egypt, the God who caused the Red Sea to part—He is with them. They should not be afraid.

“Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land” (Deut 2:5)

But God warned the Israelites that on their way up north to the promise land, they should not fight with the Edomites, who were the descendants of Esau. Because the Edomite territory is not the promised land, they are not to engage in war with the residents. They should only fight and conquer what is given them. Instead of fighting with the Edomites, they are to repay all the kindness they are given. They are to pay for everything they consume, including food and water (Deut 2:6).

Basically, God is telling them not to fight the wrong enemy. They are not to address the wrong issues. They should not use their energy and effort dealing with marginal things. They are not to use their resources fighting a battle that they can avoid. These battles can delay them from reaching the promised land. These battles can exhaust them so that they are weakened when they face the true enemies: the giants.

This sometimes happen to us. God tells us to go north, to the promise land destined for us. But on the way there, our attentions are shifted to something else. We realize that we have intentionally changed, only to find out later that the change we experience is something that needs to be changed again. It is like saying to yourself “I no longer want to play video games. I am just going watch television all day.” Don’t waste your time with other things. Do not spend your energy on other things. Just walk north.

Conclusions

What promise land has God shown you at the beginning of the year? What direction has God pointed you to? In the last six months, have you felt that you were actually wandering the desert of Kadesh-barnea, or are heading the wrong direction to Seir? God has spoken today. Listen to Him. Change is coming. Face north. Walk towards your destiny. Walk towards your calling. Walk to where God wants you to be. Be brave. God is here to guide and help you overcome whatever battles you will face.

Most of the times, we look at ourselves and what we have. We look inside our bags and find out that we are not ready to enter a new road. We have conditioned our lives to walk a particular road and are only prepared—physically, intellectually, emotionally, and materially—for this one road. It is time to go to the place we have never been before. The scary place. The new territory. It is time to head towards the land of giants.

Change is coming, but it is coming because you want to fight for the good change.


This sermon is in response to the recent inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte as the sixteenth President of the Republic of the Philippines. His dictum and his campaign slogan, "change is coming" has been in the lips of all Filipinos for a time now. 

Spirit Filled

The writer Luke says that on the day of Pentecost, the disciples “were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). This phrase—“filled with the Spirit”—is very important in the New Testament. In fact, apart from the disciples (Acts 2:4; 13:52), there are people who were also referred to as “filled with the Spirit” or “full of the Spirit”: Jesus (Luke 1:15; 4:1), Elizabeth (Luke 1:41), believers (Acts 4:31), Stephen (Acts 7:55), Paul (Acts 9:17; 13:9), and Barnabas (Acts 11:24). If we look at these names, we will realize that these people were extraordinary in their faith, commitment, obedience, and love and service to God and people.

But there is plenty of confusion as to what this phrase means. In Wesleyan-holiness churches, because of our theology of the “second blessing,” there seems to be the understanding that we received Jesus Christ at our conversion, then we receive the Holy Spirit later on when we are really serious in our Christian faith. This is ridiculous because it would mean that there are Christians who are exempted from following Romans 8, living in the Spirit, because they apparently have not yet received the Spirit. Or sometimes, because of our theology of gradual sanctification, there seems to be the understanding in which we receive the Holy Spirit in installment. The idea is that we received the Holy Spirit at some point, but we are not filled with the Spirit yet. We are halfway filled, and the Spirit is poured out, little-by-little, in our lives. This is also ridiculous because the Spirit is a person, and we do not receive a person in installment or partitively. There are other groups, like many Pentecostals, who speak of three different and gradual experiences: (a) receiving Jesus Christ at conversion, (b) being baptized with the Spirit later, then another experience called (c) infilling of the Holy Spirit, when one speaks in tongues.

So with all these confusions about what it means to be filled with the Spirit, how should we really understand it? What does the Bible say?

First, it is important to affirm that genuine Christians all have received the Holy Spirit in His fullness at conversion. The biblical metaphors of salvation reveal that to be saved means to receive the Holy Spirit:

• “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit” (John 7:37-39)
• We are asked to be born of the Spirit (John 3:5-7; Rom 7:6; Titus 3:5; Rom 8:4; Rom 8:15-16)
• Our salvation is sealed by the Spirit (Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:22; Rom 8:23)
• We are baptized with the Spirit into Christ and the church (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27; Rom 6:3-4)

And having received the Holy Spirit at our conversion, we have also received Him fully. There is no genuine believer who is not full of the Spirit. The problem is most probably in the fact that we are not living the life that we should be living as people filled with the Spirit. We cannot blame God for not filling us with His Spirit, which is why we are struggling in our Christian lives. The fact is, when we were converted, He has already given us the Spirit to empower us to live the full Christian life. Now it is up to us to manifest such a Spirit-filled life. Maybe the problem is that we are clueless about what it means to be Spirit-filled, or we do not know how to live the Spirit-filled life, so we do not know what to do.

In order to understand what it means to be full of the Spirit, we are going to look at three passages. The commonality of these passages is in how they use the term “fullness,” which is plero in Greek.

Jesus is pleres pneumatos hagiou, “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1)

The Gospels portray the whole life of Christ as lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. There was no moment in the life of Jesus when the Spirit was not operative in His life. The whole life of Christ was lived in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He was conceived of the Spirit (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:35), baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:16; Mark 1:10), led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Matt 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1), empowered by the Spirit in His ministry (Luke 4:14), anointed by the Spirit to minister (Luke 4:16-21; fulfilling Isa 61:1-2), drove out evil spirits by the Spirit of God (Matt 12:28), and resurrected in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:18).

So, when we look at Jesus Christ, what does it mean to be full of the Spirit? It simply means being guided by the Spirit in every aspect of His life. If we look at the list above, we will discover that Jesus did not accomplish anything apart from the Holy Spirit. To be full of the Spirit is to accomplish the impossible. Even the facts of His birth and resurrection are in the light of the Holy Spirit. His victory over temptations and sin are in the power of the Spirit. All His ministries of healing, preaching, teaching, and exorcism are in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we look at our humanity, we will definitely see a lot of weaknesses. We will see our limitations, whether they are grounded in our personality, upbringing, educational attainments, or socio-political status. But to be filled with the Spirit means to transcend all these things and accomplish feats that otherwise were inconceivable for us. This is also revealed in the lives of the disciples, who accomplished so much with their meager backgrounds. In the words of Optimus Prime, to be filled with the Spirit is to be more than what meets the eye.

A man is pleres lepras, “full of leprosy” (Luke 5:12)

To be full of leprosy is truly a bad experience, especially in the biblical times. But there is something about being filled with leprosy that is instructive to us as we try to understand what it means to be filled with something. To summarize, to be filled with leprosy is to have a life that revolves around leprosy. For a leper, his family relations, social life, political status, economic potential, and religious activities all revolve around his leprosy. In short, his being a leper affects every aspect of His life.

Socially, a leper is forced to live outside the community, separated from family and friends and thus deprived of the frame of reference and sense of identity that family and friends help provide. The Torah was clear, and the command was followed by the Israelites: “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them” (Numbers 5:2-3). Leviticus 13:45-46 tells us that lepers were to wear torn clothes, let their hair be disheveled, and live outside the camp. These homeless individuals were to cry “Unclean, unclean!” when a person without leprosy approached them. This is why the ten lepers that met Jesus Christ “stood at a distance” (Luke 17:12). They are not allowed to socialize, marry, and have their own families. A person who touches a leper will become unclean until the evening (Lev 13:46).

Economically, since they cannot socialize or stay in the community, they cannot be employed. They can only live by begging. Religiously, since leprosy is considered as a punishment from God (2 Kings 5:7; 2 Chron 26:20; John 9:2-3), lepers are looked down upon by people. The fact that they are unclean also makes them unfit and not qualified to enter the Temple and offer sacrifices.

This means that a leper’s life revolves around and is limited by what he is full of. In turn, to be filled with the Spirit, therefore, is to have a life that revolves around the Spirit. Our familial activities, our social relationships, our economic decisions, our employment options, our religious involvement, and aspect of our lives must revolve around the fact that we are filled with the Spirit.

We must be filled with the Spirit, not with wine (Eph 5:18)

This passage is very interesting because being filled with the Spirit is compared to being filled with wine. This comparison is actually extremely instructive, especially for those who have experienced being drunk. Basically, in this passage, what is emphasized is the importance of the influence of something that fills a person.

A person filled with wine is thoroughly influenced by wine. The physical and visible actions of a drunk are influenced by wine. A drunk cannot even walk straight. The actions of a drunk are completely influenced by the effects of wine. They can strip on the road. They can sleep on the road. The mind of a drunk is also influenced by wine. In the Philippines, you will know someone is drunk because they speak in English. Their inhibitions are low, and they can make rash decisions. In fact, many people got married, got pregnant, or have done crazy acts just because they are drunk? The emotions of a drunk are influenced by wine. A stone-cold human being can suddenly share his life story when drunk. An introvert can suddenly become talky when drunk. A drunk can express his anger more openly.

To be filled with wine is to be influenced by wine. Actions, decisions, and our ways of thinking are affected by wine. In the same way, to be filled with the Spirit is to be thoroughly influenced by the Spirit. Our actions, ways of thinking, decision-making, conduct, and everything are influenced by the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit, therefore, is to live in the Spirit.

Conclusions

To summarize, to be filled with the Spirit is (1) to rise beyond our own self-conceived limitations, (2) to have a life that revolves around the Spirit, and (3) to be thoroughly influenced by the Spirit. As explained above, we who have genuinely been converted, have all received the Holy Spirit. The question is not whether we as Christians have or have not received the Spirit. The question is whether we are living in accordance with the Spirit who has already filled us? 

Spirit Immanuel

John 14:16-18

Fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead, or ten days after His ascension, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-2). This day is one of the most important events in the history of the Christian church. The coming of the Spirit is the long-awaited fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament (cf Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21), which also initiates the last days. Contrary to many interpretations, the last days are not one-sidedly scary. Although the last days are characterized by earthquakes, calamities, and terrible events (Matt 24-25), the last days are also good days. The last days, according to Acts 2, will be characterized by terrible events with blood, fire, smoke, darkness, and blood moons (2:19-20). But they are also great and glorious days because there is salvation for those who call on the name of the Lord (2:20-21). This is why Paul can say to the Corinthian believers that “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). These are the days when the Holy Spirit is at work in the world. As Jesus said, “when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8, NLT). It is now “the time of salvation,” when hearts are cleansed and people are “born again” as “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). This age is when the Spirit is hovering over the earth (Gen 1:2), seeking to give life over against chaos and decay. This is the age of life, when God breathes the Spirit of life into the nostrils of creation, making life out of dust (Gen 2:7; Ezek 37:4–10).

But the coming of the Holy Spirit has great significance not only to the peoples of the world. The primary recipients of the coming of the Spirit were Jesus’ disciples. They were the ones who were directly impacted by the Spirit’s coming.

It is very important for us to realize that it is in the context of Him saying farewell (John 13-17) that He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. The night before Jesus was crucified, He said His farewells to the disciples. Jesus was very concerned about them, which was why He spent a lot of time during His last night to teach, encourage, and even pray for them (John 13-17). He admonished them not to be troubled (John 14:1). He knew that the disciples will suffer greatly when He leaves them. For three years, their lives have revolved around Jesus Christ. They went where He went. They have placed their hopes in Him. So when Jesus said his farewells, they were quite unwilling to accept things. When Thomas asked “how can we know the way?” (John 14:5), he was seriously asking how they may be able to follow Him. They definitely did not want to be left alone. So in order to comfort the disciples, Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).  

Not Orphans (14:17)

Jesus assured them that even though He was leaving them (John 14:28; 16:16), He was not abandoning them. He said “I will not leave you as orphans” (John 14:18). This is an interesting statement. Jesus realized that the disciples were extremely dependent on Him. Apart from Him, they would become nothing. They would lose their confidence and even their sense of identity. Jesus knew that the moment He is taken away from them, they would be scattered, which was precisely what happened (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:50; John 16:32). He knew that they would be afraid, which also came true (John 20:19). For Him to be crucified and then ascend to the right hand of the Father, Jesus knew that His disciples will be completely at a lost. Indeed, they would become like orphans, with no one depend on and rely upon. They would become orphans whose future will be bleak and uncertain.

But Jesus told them that His absence will not result in this state of affairs. He promised to them the Holy Spirit, who would come to “help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16). In the physical absence of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit would be the one to guide them and help them just as Jesus did when He was with them. This is why the coming of the Holy Spirit is the coming of the Comforter (John 14:16, KJV). Because Jesus knew that His departure would leave the disciples sorrowful and fearful, the Holy Spirit would come to give peace to the disciples. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). These words find greater meaning in John 20:19-23. As Jesus predicted, after His death, the disciples became afraid, so He came in their midst and said “Peace be with you” (20:19, 21) and “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). The coming of the Spirit is the coming of peace.

Just like Jesus who stayed with them and was with them, the Holy Spirit will remain with them. In short, the Holy Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son in order to dwell with God’s people. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). Yes, it is true that Jesus was about to leave them. But this does not mean that God would abandon them. God does not do this to His own people. His promise to His people since the beginning of His covenant with humanity was to be with them:

“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deut 31:8)

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9)

The coming of the Holy Spirit is the coming and indwelling presence of God in our lives. In the Old Testament, we see Yahweh dwelling among the Israelites (Exo 29:45; Lev 26:11; Num 35:34; Deut 7:21). In the Gospels we see Jesus dwelling among us (John 1:14). This is why Jesus is also called Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt 1:23). And now the Holy Spirit is also mentioned as dwelling among us (Rom 8:9, 11; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; 2 Tim 1:14). We are not orphans. We have God with us!

Another Advocate

The truth of the Holy Spirit as someone with us is summarized by Jesus Christ when He called the Spirit Parakletos (John 14:16), which means “one called alongside.” Just as Jesus Christ was God with us, the Holy Spirit is also God alongside us. The Spirit stays with us and walks alongside us.

But the term Parakletos does not only refer to “someone alongside us.” This is not about mere space and geographical proximity. In Greek culture, a Parakletos is someone who stands with someone in court, advocating for someone’s pardon and cause. Picture someone accused to wrong doing in court, and someone is with him, advocating for his pardon and release. That is the Parakletos. 

What is interesting in John 14:16 is that the Holy Spirit is called another Parakletos. Quite simply, the coming Holy Spirit is the second Parakletos. Like Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is also God alongside and for us. Jesus is also a Parakletos: “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate (Parakleton) with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). What is the work of Jesus Christ as Parakletos? Paul writes in Romans 8:34, “Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God--and He is interceding for us.” Jesus is our High Priest at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Heb 7:25). Truly, “Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God” (Heb 9:24). Jesus is our Advocate before the Father.

This means that in the coming of the Holy Spirit, we have two Advocates. Jesus is our Advocate in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit is our Advocate on earth. In what way is the Holy Spirit our advocate? The Holy Spirit is our advocate before the world. As we already know, the world is violent against God. As Jesus said to His disciples, the world will hate them and the church (Matt 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17; John 15:18-19, 21). The world will slander God and will throw at us all kinds of nasty accusations and condemnations. The world will challenge our faith. But Jesus said that the Spirit is our Advocate as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). Jesus continued to say: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). The Spirit will defend us from the world by reminding us the words of Jesus.

Conclusions

The Holy Spirit does not only dwell with us. He also defends us from the world. This is the good news of Pentecost. God, in the Holy Spirit, has come to make His dwelling among us. But He also comes in His saving grace. He stays with us. He testifies that we are God’s children (Rom 8:14-16). Therefore do not be alarmed. Do not fret. Do not be sorrowful. God dwells among His people. He is with us. The Spirit is poured out upon the church and upon each one of us.