Greetings!
Since the church is filled with “little gods” having wars among their own body members, deciding what is right for the church, ends up promoting self-righteousness, that ultimately accomplishes Satan’s primary goal of separating humans from the God of the universe. Therefore, the “lion’s share” of humanity goes to Hell and few go to Heaven.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Matthew 7:13-14)
The Word tells us
that
“we shall know them by their love.”
To be totally honest with you, according to statistics, most of the church is known for its hate and divisive tactics! We have become a better example of the Tree of Knowledge vs. the Tree of Life. We have people running from the Church faster than to it – if you haven’t noticed? It is a sad state when authentic Christians trust unbelievers quicker than their own people. Even as I write this commentary, there are thousands of “Christians” plotting to destroy another Christian with their words, deeds or gossip. It is no wonder that our youth are saying,
“There is no God.”
People who make the claim there is no God are playing God!
Genesis has made it clear to us regarding humans playing-god – each acting like a god, deciding, or self-interpreting, what they believe is right and wrong. Most no longer serve God with one will as the Body of Christ, but rather serving many gods (pluralistic universalism) with many kinds of doctrines, which typically ARE doctrines of demons.
God wants us to know the real Jesus.
The Father most assuredly wants us to understand the Godological details regarding how Jesus was able to do the will of God without stealing the role of God - despite the temptation of playing-god. Jesus did NOT make decisions based on His own will but rather the will of His Father. (John 6:38) He carried out the Law to perfection. He goes on to sacrifice His own life for the Divine purpose of placing the Holy Spirit in His Bride. This single act graced the authentic Christian from fulfilling the Law on their own. Now, born-again Christians have the perfect modality of releasing fulfilled Law through the indwelling Spirit. Most of us call this walking IN the Spirit.
Allow me to explain how this works.
Allowing our flesh to be a god starts with mankind setting standards of conduct for self, others and/or God – even if the standards are of God. Whoever determines the standard/law is under the deception of thinking they have the right to demand absolute obedience of that standard/law. They press on demanding absolute obedience to those standards/laws. This gives them the self-governed prerogative of “judging” the attitudes and actions of the person(s) who refused to live by their mandates. Once judgment starts, the ideology of delivering consequences for failure to adhere to their guidelines quickly comes into play. Biblically, this is called revenge. This results in the standard-setter selfishly endeavoring to control the circumstances and people who violate their self-imposed laws. Control quickly converts itself into acting as a sovereign god. The standard-setter independently does whatever they please, while attempting to maintain control. If their madness finds remnants of success, the fleshly habit of the idolatry that seeks approval, praise and acceptance from others, becomes their ideation. These regressive acts end up in NOT seeking help and guidance from others. Why should they, they are god. This is a harsh reality of saying, “There is no God.” Minimally outside of themselves.
Those of us who dare to make the claim there is no God
use our actions and the doctrines of God as a “weapon” instead of a life-transforming seed. What logic is in using God to sustain our own position as a god? This is beyond stupidity, it is hostile toward God. Self-imposed laws cleverly wrapped in the Laws of God are not only offensive to God, but it also replicates the actions of Satan. This irony alone should be enough to wake-us-up. But, it doesn’t. Forcing people into obeying our self-effort ideations shifts the “believer” away from God and onto an idol – us. Once we become a law-driving discipler, we begin ministering in the grey zone, which I believe Jesus calls evil. (Matt. 5:37)
When I look back on my life, I see an endless pattern of playing-god. My childhood home promoted seeking help from no one – embedding lies such as, “you can handle this” or “go figure it out.” My problem? I was unable to figure it out. Oswald Chambers once said, “
Sin is not wrongdoing, it is wrong BEING, deliberate and emphatic independence of God.” This is the goal of our enemy. He abhors the idea of BEING in Christ. He is always pressing the demonic doctrines of “you can do it” or “you can figure it out.” God is in constant motion of self-denial, while my flesh is in a constant state of independence. As long as we feed the flesh, the believer will never discover life more abundantly – IN CHRIST. Humans are created to be dependent. This battle starts on the front-lines of the
flesh waging war with the Spirit,
which by the way, is a war fought and won by Jesus Himself. It would behoove us to leave the sin of independence to Satan. Let him suffer the price of playing-god. (Rev. 12:7)
The aforementioned are the primary strongholds
that God actively works to reduce in humans. The actions of playing-god just happen to be the sins Satan uses to block a person from receiving Christ and minimally, releasing Christ. The enemy would prefer us to be strong, independent and self-sufficient. God did not create man to be independent of Him! We cannot possibly experience “letting God be God” without dependence on and in Him. The Lord’s mission to reduce us to nothing to find everything is erroneous unless we embrace this simple but challenging message. In fact, it is critical for all indwelt believers to embrace this Truth. If we don’t, we will remain in a constant state of deceiving ourselves.
“For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself
.”
(Gal 6:3 NASB)
One of the ugliest forms of playing-god is self-deception. Particularly when a believer works at being something or somebody.
I have one too many memories
of hearing my parents and siblings communicate, “If you’re going to be anything in this world, you’re going to have to work for it.” The problem with this kind of “stinky thinking” is that even if I did reach those subjective marks of measurements, I was still left in want. This created in me an obtuseness, bewilderment of sorts, resulting in disappointing myself and those who put these standards/laws upon me.
It took me years to realize the demise & absurdity of my striving to make others proud. Even after being advanced in ministry, by the Lord’s doing, obtaining a measurement that most ministers would be content, I still found myself a disappointment and “unqualified” worker of the Gospel in the eyes of those who I was to make proud. Did my achievements and awards accomplish its goal? Well, after obtaining an office full of commending from Presidents to congregants, I still came up short, leaving me faced with Christ as my identity.
Pride is at the root claiming 'There Is No God.'
Throughout our lives, Satan works his lunacy to place “identity markers” in our lives through family, friends & those who pressure us to make them proud. These “identity markers” do not go away, they remain in our flesh. Until death parts us. The enemy uses a performance-based fear of disappointment to drive us back to these markers. Sure enough, as soon as we revisit them - the self-life takes over. Today, I embrace that anytime I play-god I am inadvertently saying “There is no God.”
Standard/law setters are never content.
They are addicted to having others worship them. While they use the modality of expelling disappointment to keep their worshipers close. They perpetuate their own habit of setting standards by adding all the more. For all of us who are faced with living with people who use this madness, always remember, once you arrive at their mark of measurement, they WILL raise the bar of performance. This reality should implore us to shift to a worthy standard-setter who has already fulfilled the mark of excellence required of us – Jesus.
Jesus already obtained the mark of excellence - for us!
We should not blame ourselves or those who demand, “Make me proud.” We need to focus on the Spirit who clearly understands the efforts of the enemy making use of our flesh. Who also is ready and willing to release the fulfilled law from within. This is a simple and profound Truth.
When my flesh demands to play-god, I am there reminded,
there is a God
and I’m not He.
