3 Things That Defile A Person Of God (Part 1)

Matthew 15:16-20 " So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Can you think of anyone who defiled their walk with God because of anything on that list? I’m sure you can. In fact, I know far more stories of failure rooted in these issues than those resulting from a lack of competence or skill.

The simple truth is that those who fail to monitor their hearts jeopardize their walk with Christ. If we neglect the arduous work of monitoring what’s going on inside of us, our relationship with God will suffer.

Look at Jesus’ words again. It's not what we eat that necessary defile us. The body through its natural process eliminates those things. It's not even eating with unwashed hands that causes us contamination. But it is what comes from inside our heart that causes the defilement.

Everything we say and do springs from our hearts. The implications of this verse are huge for those who serve God and want to influence people. What’s in your heart eventually affects your ability to minister effectively. Consequently, learning to guard your heart is critical to your success as a believer.

There are three things in particular that if ignored have the potential to create chaos in the heart of a Christian and, consequently, in his or her sphere of spiritual influence.

(1) The first is guilt.
Ezekiel 18:24 " But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die."

People that carry unresolved guilt are forced to hide a part of themselves from those closest to them.

-They have secret sins that they want no one to know about.

-They expend time and energy ensuring that no one finds out their secret sins because they know they are not completely trustworthy.

-Because they themselves are suspect, they begin to suspect others. Their inability to trust others makes it almost impossible for them to build cohesive relationships that can help them in this journey through life.

James 2:10 "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

What does guilt do?

-It stifles the energy of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

-It brings a dark cloud of doubt that seems to follow you constantly.

-It provokes an uneasy mindset of constantly worrying about what will happen if you get caught.

-It stimulates an atmosphere of frustration because it seems it can never be defeated or detached from your life.

 

3 Things That Defile A Person Of God (Part 3)

(3) The third is jealousy.

Song of Solomon 8:6 "Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame."

Professional jealousy is understandable, maybe even unavoidable to some extent. But when it is unrecognized and ignored, it has the potential to destroy the strength of a believer.

-Jealous believers measure their success by the failure of others.

a. A jealous organization cannot sustain momentum when its leadership is focused on how well others are not doing rather than looking for ways to move forward.

b. Maybe most crippling of all is that jealous people rarely surround themselves with competent and talented people. They feel threatened and their insecurity stifles the growth that all believers and churches need.

 If you can identify with the ailments cited above, welcome to the human race. We all wrestle with guilt, anger, and jealousy at some level. That’s why we need a Savior. The good news is that through Christ we can bring these enemies of our life under control. They might never be eliminated, but they certainly don’t have to control our lives or contaminate our churches or faith.

Here's what the Bible says for us to do.

-Confess ALL of your sins.

James 5:16 "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

 Confession eradicates guilt. Chances are you’ve confessed to God. Now go confess to the person you’ve wronged.

 -Forgive.

Matthew 5:23, 24 " Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  

Forgiveness is simply a decision to cancel a debt. Take time to decipher what you think the people who’ve hurt you owe you and cancel those debts. Otherwise, you will make the people closest to you pay.

-Celebrate others.

1 Corinthians 12:26 " And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Look for ways to celebrate the successes of people who’ve pulled ahead of you. Write them a letter. Praise their accomplishments in public. Refuse to allow jealousy to take up residence in your heart.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

-You live from the heart.

-You love from the heart.

-You lead from your heart.

So pay attention to your heart. It impacts everything you do, not just in this life, but for all of eternity.

 

3 Things That Defile A Person Of God (Part 2)

(2) The second is anger.

Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath..."

-Angry people live as if the world owes them something—something they can never quite identify.

-Angry people are impossible to please.

a. In business, they attract employees that are more concerned with making their bosses happy than doing what’s best for the organization. This leads to poor decisions, eventually putting them at odds with their angry bosses and the cycle of dysfunction continues.

b. In life they are filled with negativity and bitterness and always looking for someone to blame for their behavior, their lack, or their lifestyle. They are constantly finding fault with everyone and everything around them and are generally mad with life.

-Angry people are controlled people. They are controlled by their hatred, attitude, racism, bickering, and gossip. They are not happy unless someone else is unhappy and they desire for revenge dominates and clouds their future.

Romans 12:19 "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord."

Psalm 94:1 " O Lord God, to whom vengeance belong-O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!"

The 3 Spirits of 1 Samuel 16 (Part 3)

(3) The third spirit is the Spirit of Anointing.

Verses 12, 13 " And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."

The origin of anointing was from a practice of shepherds. Lice and other insects would often get into the wool of sheep, and when they got near the sheep's head, they could burrow into the sheep's ears and kill the sheep. So, ancient shepherds poured oil on the sheep's head. This made the wool slippery, making it impossible for insects to get near the sheep's ears because the insects would slide off. From this, anointing became symbolic of blessing, protection, and empowerment.

The New Testament Greek words for “anoint” are chrio, which means “to smear or rub with oil” and, by implication, “to consecrate for office or religious service”; and aleipho, which means “to anoint.” In Bible times, people were anointed with oil to signify God’s blessing or call on that person’s life. A person was anointed for a special purpose-to be a king, to be a prophet, to be a builder, etc. There is nothing wrong with anointing a person with oil today. We just have to make sure that the purpose of anointing is in agreement with Scripture. Anointing should not be viewed as a "magic potion." The oil itself does not have any power. It is only God who can anoint a person for a specific purpose. If we use oil, it is only a symbol of what God is doing.

Another meaning for the word anointed is "chosen one." The Bible says that Jesus Christ was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News and free those who have been held captive by sin.

Luke 4:18, 19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

 

The 3 Spirits of 1 Samuel 16 (Part 2)

(2) The second spirit mentioned is the Spirit of Fear.

Verses 2, 3 "And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee."

This passage ought to show us that even mighty men of God have weak moments. The first thing that came to Samuel's mind was if Saul finds out about this I'm a dead man. Because of that spirit of mourning that had attached itself to him, all he could think about was losing his life and not the future of his nation.

Even today a sudden tragic event shatters our sense of order and thrusts us into a world forever changed. Survivors of sudden loss may experience a greater sense of vulnerability and heightened anxiety. The safe world we once knew, no longer exists. We fear for ourselves, our family and friends. Survivors can become overwhelmingly preoccupied with thoughts that such a random act of violence might happen again.

Samuel was no doubt blaming himself for the failure of Saul putting himself in that, "Why couldn't it have been me" category.  This opened up the door for the spirit of fear to come upon him when God told him to go to Jesse's house and anoint a new king. He begin to think about what might happen to him if he got caught by Saul.

 Remember these things about fear:

-Fear causes us to worry about things that don't exist.

-Fear keeps you from taking action for our present or our future.
-Fear tells you to keep your mouth closed when you should be praising God.
-Fear keeps you from growing spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
-Fear shortens your life, creates health problems, and causes your mind to shut down.
-Fear makes you lazy and dependent upon sorrows and troubles from your past.
-Fear keeps you from capitalizing on the opportunity  to change and do something different about your situation.

In all seriousness, not learning how to conquer your fears will keep you from living a great life. So hear the words of the Lord:

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

 Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

The 3 Spirits of 1 Samuel 16 (Part 1)

1 Samuel 16:1 "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons."

The story of Saul's fall from the anointing of God is very tragic, yet it releases a series of events that deals with 3 separate spirits we still face today. One is very, very positive, but the other two are very, very negative and destructive. I believe that this is why God wants us to read this chapter very carefully and see what one destructive spirit can bring into the life of a person infected by it.

Paul said in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

So what are these three spirits mentioned in 1 Samuel 16?

(1) The first is the Spirit of Mourning.

Verses 1 "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons."

 Samuel was so grieved over the failure of Saul that he could not look at the present or the future with eyes of faith. He was frustrated by this spirit of mourning over the loss that the kingdom of God has suffered that he could not anticipate what blessings God had in store for His people. To mourn means to feel or express sorrow or grief. Samuel was so distraught over Saul that it clouded his view of what God wanted for the future of Israel.

 -It is all right to mourn, but if we are not careful that spirit of mourning will bring a lifetime of ineffectiveness and defeat.

 Jesus said in Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

 Ecclesiastes 3:4b "A time to mourn, and a time to dance."

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

 -When the spirit of mourning attaches itself to you, your hope and belief that today and tomorrow will be better is stolen away.

Isaiah 51:11 "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

Isaiah 61:3 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

Healing (5)

 

It's time to believe that through the atonement of Christ you are healed!

 

Psalm 30:2 "O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me."

 

Psalm 107:19-20 "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

 

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." 

 

The word "ask" in the Greek has the meaning of insistent asking with a knowing of what belongs to the one making the request. Presenting a solid requisition to God, knowing He longs to distribute what He has to the one in need. We must ask in faith, and faith always knows.

 

I John 5:14, 15 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." 

 

The Word of God is the will of God. If you can find it in the Word of God then you can be assured that it is the will of God. The Lord is not trying to keep healing from you, He is trying to get it to you so just believe.

 

2 Corinthians 1:20 "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 

 

Notice that according to God all of His promises towards us are "YES" and amen (so be it!) or it is settled! There aren't any "no's" from the Lord toward us when it comes to performing His Word in our behalf.  Now that's good news!

 

Psalm 35:27 "Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." 

 

At first glance you may think this scripture refers only to prosperity or wealth. The word in the Hebrew for prosperity here is "shalom" and we know it as the word for peace. However, in the Hebrew this word literally means health, prosperity and peace. So you can clearly see the mind of God who takes pleasure in the health, prosperity and peace of we His children. He's excited for us to have it. Once you get ahold of this, praise and adoration will naturally flow forth in pure appreciation for who He is to us and all that He has already done for us. Fear and doubt will no longer have a place in your thinking.