THE POWER OF GOD'S CHARACTER 2 (5:3:2000)
Newsletter 5:3:00
THE POWER OF GOD'S CHARACTER
I heard Pastor K.D. share a story once, that went a bit like this:
A man went to the doctor and the Dr asked his name.
'Well actually, I have two names. The one my parent's gave me, and the one Jesus is going to give me."
"What is your address?" Well as a matter of fact I have two addresses. There's my house here, and a mansion in heaven with my name on it."
"Next of Kin? Well, there's my family on earth, but then Jesus is my kinsman redeemer, my brother and my Lord.." etc.
Two realms. The physical one, and the spiritual one. Two identities - the child of man, and the child of God.
'And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone.)' Jesus gave him a new name, for a new person. The person he was going to become in the kingdom of God.
Simon was the son of Jonah. He had a character based on his upbringing, education and environment. He had attitudes and ambitions based on his beliefs, desires and insecurities.
Peter was the child of God. His spirit came form God. He had character that came from the nature of God. He was a child of destiny, born for a time and a purpose. Peter's behavior was determined by which particular one he was relating to at the time. Which one he was identifying with.
I remember back before I was born again, I was fearful of making a commitment to God because I was afraid that I might become someone else. Someone I didn't know, and couldn't relate to. Sad to say, I didn't know one christian person that I could relate to. I certainly didn't want to become like the ones I did know.
I know now that God doesn't want to change my personality. Sure there might be a few rough edges that need balancing, but basically God made me this way. He gave me a personality as part of my destiny.
From what we know about Simon, he had a unique personality. That wasn't shaped by man, but by God. In Simon it meant headstrong, impetuous, ambitious and overbearing. But in Peter it meant bold, decisive, determined.
The transition from Simon to Peter was not through a change of personality, but the development of Godly character. A change of identity, not personality.
Jacob was a child of destiny. The covenant with Abraham was God's entry point into the earth, and the affairs of man. The children of Abraham then were the righteous line - the channel of God's blessing and the family through whom God would bring our deliverer, Jesus. God knew beforehand that Esau was not His man. So contrary to tradition and accepted practice, God intended for Jacob to have the blessing of the first-born, the double portion. "But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "if all is well, why am I this way?" So she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:22) Esau was born first; 'Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob.' (v26) Jacob literally means 'one who takes the heel' but by implication means supplanter, chiseler or deceitful one.
Rather than allowing God to bring it to pass, Jacob's mother set about training Jacob how to steal the birthright through deception. Right motives, wrong methods. And after having achieved their goal and swindling Esau, Jacob had to flee to his uncle. Who promptly swindled him! You reap what you sow! Right motives do not justify wrong methods!
The first night, alone in the wilderness after running away, God started the process of developing Jacob, the deceiver, into Israel, 'prince with God.'
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And he did it by showing him the strength of the covenant, and God's favor on his life. You don't have to involve yourself in deception and skullduggery to gain that which is already your birthright! It had such impression on Jacob that he covenanted with God to give back a tenth of all that God gave him.
It had such a deep impression that in his dealings with Laban, Jacob walked in absolute integrity, despite the fact that Laban was constantly ripping him off. He let God deal with it. And God showed him how to prosper.
During those years of trial Jacob developed Godly character - behavior and attitudes based on the revelation of the favor of God, rather than the training in selfishness and deception he had received from his mother.
However, after coming out loaded with blessings, he still had to face his brother, whom he hadn't seen since he swindled him. This is a situation where Jacob could easily relate to the old man - the person he was when he last dealt with his brother. Where he could forget the blessing and protection of God, and once again resort to human cunning.
So before he met Esau, he had a divine encounter. He wrestled with a divine being. (angel, God himself - who knows?) This person touched the socket of his hip, so that it was out of joint. And he was told:
"Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
"Just as he crossed over Peniel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip." (Gen 32:28&31) 'Israel is from two Hebrew root words - 'sarah - to prevail; have power (as a Prince) and 'El' - meaning God, the strong one.
You might say that was unkind to give him a limp, but was it really?
From then on, every time he took a step and felt the slight discomfort, it was saying to him: "No longer Jacob, but Israel. No longer Jacob, but Israel. No longer a supplanter, but a prince with God!"
Would that God would do the same to each of us, that every step would remind us: " I have favor with God. I have God's ability, His power and His love on the inside of me. I am born of God. I am in covenant with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I am a king and a priest with God."
Your character will be determined by who you identify with - the old man, with attitudes and behavior shaped by this fallen world we live in, or the new man - created by God for a purpose and a destiny!
You may be Jacob, but you shall be Israel! You may sometimes feel like Simon, but you shall be Peter! -Steve & Jen
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