Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 75 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; Walking in the light in liberty; Mat 13:23; Psa 32:6-11.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 75 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; Walking in the light in liberty; MAT 13:23; PSA 32:6-11.

 

Announcements / opening prayer:  

 

 

The Spirit-filled Christians are the only persons in the world who know the blessings of true liberty.

 

Liberty certainly contains within it the freedom to fail, to sin, to do evil. Yet the restraint on godless ways is not accomplished by removing the freedom. The restraint is the Holy Spirit and the word and therefore God’s love; love being the sum total of all virtues.

 

Liberty means perfect freedom to do as one is prompted by his own deepest desires.

 

As we commune with God through His word and His Spirit, He plants within us His own deep desires and then we are free to do as we are inspired and animated by the Holy Spirit and those desires. In the parable of the sower, this is the seed that fell on the good soil - the one who hears the word and understands it.

 

MAT 13:18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.

 

MAT 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

 

MAT 13:20 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy;

 

MAT 13:21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

 

MAT 13:22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

 

Some teach that all three of these types depicted fall into the category of not regenerated or unbelievers. Since that detail is not given, it's best not to read that into it. Since it is not stated, it is not the impetus of this passage. Yet, in interpretation, it is always better to err on the side of grace. It is very clear in the scripture that believers can be carnal and live carnal lives. The important point is that as believers, it is imperative that we come to understand the scriptures fully.

 

MAT 13:23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."

 

"understands" - suni,hmi [suniemi] = to bring or set together, perceive, understand, unite.

 

In Psa 32, God calls the one who has no understanding as being like the horse or the mule who can only be led by bit and bridle.

 

1CO 2:12-13

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

 

GAL 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

 

No person born into this world has the desire or ability to love with God's love and serve as Christ served. At salvation God made us brand new creatures in Christ and through spiritual growth He implants in us the desire to love and to serve as He does. God, therefore, leads from His own essence and the true spiritual leader does the same by serving and loving as God loves and serves.

 

The liberty of the sons of God can also be seen in prayer. We are not given pre-written prayers to recite over and over, but are exhorted to ask whatever we wish.

 

JOH 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

 

The believer who abides in Him [consistent fellowship] has His desires seeded with him and his mind is transformed so that he may prove what the will of God is.

 

Abide (Greek: meno) means consistent fellowship by which growth through the understanding of the deep things of God has occurred.

 

It is obvious that if we asked in prayer for something that was not God's desire then the answer would be no. So then, the believer who abides in God has God's desires seeded in him and what he asks of God is based on that same desire, and in the way and timing of God, it will be done.

 

ROM 10:1

Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them [Jews] is for their salvation.

 

1CO 12:31

But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.

 

GAL 5:16

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

 

2TI 3:12

And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

 

It is thus designed that the Spirit-filled Christian is to be free to do in perfect liberty all that his heart prompts him to do, since the abiding believer desires to will and to work for His good pleasure.

 

Therefore, it is not any desire that he wills to do, and so there is restraint set by the desire of God. This is true freedom and the only restraint that maintains freedom.

 

Php 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

 

The carnal Christian is in violation of the divine plan. He is under grace in his position in Christ, but he is falling short of all that the grace of God would grant him in opportunity.

 

The problem is a lack of understanding, but there is always something that stands in the way of understanding which stems from arrogance. There is a refusal to hear correction and reproof, or a love of past knowledge that was erroneous, or a refusal to leave a certain church that doesn't teach the truth, etc. These and other things like these are the seedlings of the roots of arrogance and pride, and understanding stands behind these barriers, far away from such a heart.

 

He is in a state where only corrective measures from God may come rather than fellowship and gentle leading.

 

Psa 32

The theme of this Psalm is the precious treasure which David brought up out of that abyss of spiritual distress, namely, the doctrine of the blessedness of forgiveness unto restoration of fellowship, the sincere and unreserved agreement with God in the confession of sin as the way to it, and the protection of God in every danger, together with joy in God, as its fruits.

 

David wrote this Psalm after his recovery from the fearful anguish that was in his soul under the discipline of God for his adultery with Bathsheba and the plot for the murder of Uriah. His anguish he writes in Psa 51. Now delivered from it, he writes this psalm.

 

PSA 32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!

 

"forgiven" - nasa = to remove, depart, or to carry away. Covered refers to the expiation of the blood of Christ. Both of these, all believers can claim, in the OT and NT.

 

PSA 32:2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

 

Verse 2 expands upon verse one and adds that the spirit of the believer is blessed in time when he does not lie to himself concerning sin against God.

 

In other words, he does not self-justify, blame others, or ignore it, but he also understands that it is forgiven, covered, and not imputed to him, but was imputed to Christ. Hence, "no deceit" means a soul that knows the sinfulness of sin and knows the finished work of the Lord.

 

PSA 32:3 When I kept silent about my sin [choosing the carnal way of self-justification, ignoring it], my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.

 

PSA 32:4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

 

The attempt to hide it away in some dark recess of his soul's subconscious didn't work. The guilt of it was heavy upon him as was the disciplining hand of God, which God did out of love, for no believer can live in freedom and peace while trying to hide away evil in his heart.

 

Evil only scars the heart and causes anguish. The only solution is to open up the heart, scars, sins, evil, fears, and all to God and confess it all to Him. His response will always be grace and mercy.

 

His response will be the healing of love and acceptance through the cross of the Son of God. The attempt to hide it away, ignore it, or justify it is exhausting (vitality drained away as the fever heat of summer). Trying to keep in hidden is even more exhausting and full of anguish and pain. How can a believer live in blessed freedom with such a heart?

 

PRO 20:27

The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,

Searching all the innermost parts of his being.